“Kamala Harris is ready for the job,” Obama said at the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago. “Yes, she can!” he said, alluding to his former world-famous campaign rallying cry, “Yes, we can!”
This immediately triggered chants from the several thousand delegates in the hall. Later, his speech was again interrupted by shouts of “Yes, she can!” “We have the chance to elect someone who has spent her entire life giving people the same opportunities that America has given her. Someone who sees you and listens to you,” Obama said of Harris. “She will stand up for every American.”
“It will be a close race”
“It’s going to be a close race,” Obama warned, referring to the election campaign against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. “It’s not going to be easy.” But if the party works like never before in the remaining eleven weeks until the election, then Harris could become the next President of the United States. “Let’s get to work,” the 63-year-old told the delegates.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama had previously said that hope was making a comeback. “There is something magical and wonderful in the air,” she continued. “It is the contagious power of hope.”
Michelle Obama criticizes Trump
Trump attacked her sharply. “For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to make people fear us because he felt threatened by his narrow, narrow worldview of the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who also happen to be black,” she said, referring to her husband Barack Obama and the couple’s time together in the White House.
“Who tells him that the job he wants could be one of those black jobs?” asked Michelle Obama provocatively. Trump recently sparked outrage with a bizarre attack on his opponent. Harris had long advertised her Indian heritage and then “suddenly turned black,” Trump claimed during an appearance before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago. He also previously said that immigrants were taking away “black jobs.” This sparked a trend on social media, among other things, of black people proudly presenting their jobs.
“Exactly the right president”
Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, also spoke at the party convention on Tuesday. Harris is “ready,” he said. She brings both joy and tenacity to this task. “At this moment in our nation’s history, she is exactly the right president,” said Emhoff.
The US Democrats previously confirmed Harris as their presidential candidate for the November election with a big show. The delegations from all states and US territories cast their votes for the 59-year-old in a purely ceremonial vote – accompanied by music, light effects, short speeches and much cheering. The more than 4,500 delegates had already officially nominated Harris before the party convention via online voting.
The party had brought forward the selection of candidates and carried out the process digitally – due to deadlines for printing ballot papers in one state. The procedure in Chicago was therefore purely symbolic in nature.
Big speech on Friday night
Harris is scheduled to give a major speech at the party convention on Friday night Central European Time. The 59-year-old’s appearance is the grand finale of the four-day gathering, which is primarily intended to celebrate Harris and her vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz and give the duo momentum for the rest of the election campaign.
Harris herself was not present at the nomination ceremony in Chicago, but was connected from Milwaukee. She had traveled to the city in the state of Wisconsin, an hour and a half’s drive away, to campaign there. She appeared with Walz at the place where the Republicans held their party convention in July. “We are very honored to be nominated,” said Harris.