Instead of a traditional “keynote” speaker, Democrats instead rolled out 17 up-and-coming leaders to deliver a collective keynote address to help kick off the second night of the virtual Democratic National Convention on Tuesday.
The speakers included 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams as well as Democratic Reps. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania and Colin Allred of Texas.
“Our choice is clear - a steady experienced public servant who can lead us out of this crisis just like he has done before or a man who only knows how to deny and distract,” Ms. Abrams said in the taped video segment. “A leader who cares about our families, or a president who only cares about himself. We know Joe Biden. America - we need Joe Biden.”
Ms. Abrams, who had rather openly campaigned to be Mr. Biden’s running mate, did not appear until toward the end of the video and then helped close it out.
Earlier, others teamed up to blame President Trump for some of the ongoing public health and economic issues in the country.
“Make no mistake: it didn’t have to be this bad,” said Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.
“While working families are struggling, he’s looking out for the people who are already doing just fine,” Mr. Lamb said of Mr. Trump.
They also recounted some of Mr. Biden’s personal history and touted the former vice president’s accomplishments in areas ranging from the Obama administration’s auto bailout to Obamacare.
“He knows what it’s like to work hard for everything you’ve got,” said Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania.
The other participants were:
- Tennessee State Sen. Raumesh Akbari
- Nevada State Sen. Yvanna Cancela
- Former Ohio State Rep. Kathleen Clyde
- Long Beach, California Mayor Robert Garcia
- Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta
- South Carolina State Sen. Marlon Kimpson
- Michigan State Rep. Mari Manoogian
- Texas State Rep. Victoria Neave
- Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez
- Georgia State Rep. Sam Park
- New Hampshire State Rep. Denny Ruprecht
- Birmingham, Alabama Mayor Randall Woodfin
The DNC’s keynote address has been a springboard for relatively little-known politicians in the past.
Then an Illinois state senator, former President Barack Obama delivered his now-famous “Red state, blue state” speech in 2004 as he was making a bid for the U.S. Senate.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was more of a household name, at least in political circles, when she gave the keynote address four years ago ahead of her 2020 presidential run.
Julián Castro, the former 2020 presidential candidate and Obama administration official, gave the keynote speech at the 2012 convention when he was mayor of San Antonio, Texas.
Clips of the speeches from Mr. Obama and Mr. Castro were featured in a montage of past DNC keynote addresses.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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