
Spotlight Politics: Protests, Roll Call, Speeches of Night 2 of the DNC
Clip: 8/20/2024 | 8m 26sVideo has Closed Captions
The WTTW News Spotlight Politics team is live in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention.
The WTTW News Spotlight Politics team is live in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention.
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Spotlight Politics: Protests, Roll Call, Speeches of Night 2 of the DNC
Clip: 8/20/2024 | 8m 26sVideo has Closed Captions
The WTTW News Spotlight Politics team is live in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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In this Emmy Award-winning series, WTTW News tackles your questions — big and small — about life in the Chicago area. Our video animations guide you through local government, city history, public utilities and everything in between.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipONCE AGAIN IS OUR SPOTLIGHT.
POLITICS BEEN A KEY.
HEATHER SHARON AND NICK LUMBERED ALONG WITH OUR STUDIO GUEST, CHICAGO URBAN LEAGUE PRESIDENT KAREN FREEMAN.
WILSON AND FORMER REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN FROM ILLINOIS, RICHARD PORTER.
THANKS, EVERYBODY FOR STICKING AROUND.
SO HEATHER, LET'S START WITH YOU, PLEASE OF THE PROTESTS BECAUSE PROTESTERS AND POLICE, THEY CLASHED OUTSIDE THE ISRAELI CONSULATE ABOUT A MILE FROM THE UNITED CENTER.
WHAT HAPPENED THERE?
WELL, THIS WAS A PROTEST THAT WAS NOT PERMITTED BY THE CITY AND IT WAS A GROUP THAT'S BEEN CALLING ITSELF BEHIND ENEMY LINES AND THEY SAY THEY WANTED TO TAKE THE FIGHT THAT IS HAPPENING IN GAZA TO THE STREETS OF CHICAGO.
BUT THE POLICE BLOCKED THEM FROM MOVING WHEN THAT HAPPENED.
SEVERAL SCUFFLES ERUPTED.
SEVERAL DOZEN PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED, PERHAPS AS MANY AS 5 DOZEN.
THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO BELMONT AND WESTERN WHERE A SPECIAL COURT ROOM HAS BEEN SET UP TO PROCESS THOSE ARREST QUICKLY.
SO WE WILL KNOW MORE IN THE MORNING AND WE WILL HAVE A STORY ON OUR WEBSITE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
IT DOES NOT SEEM AS IF THERE WERE SERIOUS INJURIES AND WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT LARRY SNELLING WHO WAS PRESENT DURING THE INCIDENT, PRAISING HIS OFFICERS FOR THEIR RESTRAINT.
AND THIS WAS THE GROUP THAT CITY OFFICIALS HAD TOLD ME AND OTHERS THAT THEY WERE MOST WORRIED ABOUT BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO RELISH A CONFRONTATION AS OPPOSED TO THE GROUPS THAT HAVE PROTESTED UP UNTIL THIS POINT FOLLOWING MOSTLY THE CITY'S RULES.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO SEE NET TOMORROW.
WHAT WHAT SORT OF THE LEGAL SITUATION FOR THOSE PROTESTERS AND PERHAPS SOME MEMBERS OF THE INDEPENDENT PRESS ARE NOW FACING.
ALL RIGHT, HEATHER, THANK ONE THING THAT WE HEARD DURING THE ROLL CALL THAT MADE HER EARS PERK ILLINOIS CAST ALL BUT ONE OF THE STATE'S DELEGATION FOR VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, ONE PRESENT VOTE.
WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?
BRANDIS I MY EARS PERKED UP A BIT, TOO, AND I'M AFRAID THAT I DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER.
AND I WANT TO BE REALLY UP FRONT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN ASKING THE QUESTIONS, INCLUDING WITH PROMINENT MEMBERS OF ILLINOIS DELEGATION AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ILLINOIS THAT REALLY HAS ORGANIZED THIS WHOLE SHINDIG.
WE GOT A PRESS RELEASE AUGUST 5TH.
THAT'S WHEN THE DIGITAL VOTE THAT I REFERENCED EARLIER WAS FINALIZED THAT ILLINOIS HAD UNANIMOUSLY BACKED HARRIS AND LO AND BEHOLD.
THEN TONIGHT WE HEARD PRITZKER, I ADMIT THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO GLAD TO SAY THAT HE CAST ALL BUT ONE OF THE VOTE FOR THE HARRIS-WALZ TICKET.
AGAIN, BEEN ASKING THE QUESTIONS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY GOOD ANSWERS.
JUST A LOT OF RUMORS AND WE DON'T REPORT ON OKAY.
I'M SURE WE'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT IT SINCE THE TEAM IS IS ASKING BIG QUESTIONS NATURALLY.
WE DID SEE THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES TONIGHT AS WELL WHEN FOLKS HAD TO CAST A VOTE OR CAST SOME VOTES AS PRESIDENT, THE KIND OF WHISPERED IT INTO THE MICROPHONE.
SO, NIC, WE ALSO HEARD FROM A RETIRED TEAMSTER EARLIER WAS HIS MESSAGE ON STAGE TONIGHT.
WELL, HE WAS OUT THERE TALKING ABOUT THESE ACTIONS THAT THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SUPPORT OF CONGRESS TOOK IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, RETIRED UNION MEMBERS MAINTAIN THEIR PENSIONS.
NOW, THIS IS CLEARLY AN EFFORT TO PUSH BACK ON THE TEAMSTERS.
PRESIDENT SEAN O'BRIEN WHO SPOKE AT THE RNC LAST MONTH AND HAS GOTTEN A LOT OF BLOWBACK FROM SOME OF HIS MEMBERS.
WE ALSO HEARD FROM THE ONE OF THE U.S.
SENATORS FROM MICHIGAN WHO IS SAYING HE GREW UP IN A UNION HOUSEHOLD.
HE BROUGHT OUT A WHOLE RAFT OF UNION MEMBERS OUT ONTO STAGE.
SO CLEARLY THE MESSAGE HERE IS TO SAY, LISTEN, YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD FROM A PROMINENT UNION LEADER AT THE RNC, BUT THE DEMOCRATS ARE STILL THE PARTY OF LABOR AND THAT THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN ACTION TO PROTECT RETIRED UNION MEMBERS AND THEIR YOU KNOW, FOR SO LONG AS THEY MAY BE WITH US.
KAREN, FROM IN WILSON, YOU KNOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MESSAGING A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF FOCUS ON A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE ON ABORTION ACCESS AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES AND A BIT.
ALSO AN PROJECT 2025, WHAT DO YOU WHAT DO YOU THINK?
ARE THE WINNING ISSUES HERE FOR DEMOCRATS?
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THAT'S AT ALMOST 900 PAGES, I BELIEVE OF 2025.
YOU FIND SOME FRIGHTENING THINGS.
YOU FIND THREATS TO MEDICARE AND MEDICAID.
YOU FIND THREATS TO EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM.
YOU FIND THE.
THREATS TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM.
AND I THINK THE BEST EVIDENCE OF THE IMMINENT DANGER POSED BY 2025 IS THAT YOU HAD A LIFELONG REPUBLICAN, SOMEBODY I CONSIDER TO BE A FRIEND JON GILES.
TO BE A JOHN MCCAIN, REPUBLICAN, AS WE HEARD.
BUT SAID THAT HE WOULD SUPPORT HARRIS?
KAMALA HARRIS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT HE BELIEVES THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AS EVIDENCE BY 2025 IS NOT WHAT HE HE IS ACCUSTOMED RICHARD PORTER, DO YOU THINK EITHER OF THOSE ISSUES ARE GOING TO BE ELECTION LIABILITIES FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY?
KNOW IF THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM IS NOT THE PROJECT 2025 AND WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF EDITED IT.
HE WENT THROUGH IT TWICE AND VERSION THAT HE APPROVED WHAT WAS TO APPROVE BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
IT'S LIKE 15 PAGES LONG AND IT IS RIGHT DOWN THE LINE.
DONALD TRUMP.
SO IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHERE DONALD TRUMP'S GONNA DO IT, HOW IT'S GOING TO GOVERN.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE PLATFORM AND I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA HIM THAT THE ISSUES WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, MAKING THE BORDER SECURE, MAKING OUR CITIES AND STREETS SAFE, WORKING ON EDUCATION, MAKING SURE IMPROVING THE EDUCATION, WHICH HAVE AND MAKING AMERICA'S STANDING IN THE WORLD STRONG AGAIN.
AND I THINK THESE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE ULTIMATELY GOING TO DRIVE THE KIND.
OF COURSE, THE ECONOMY IS GOING TO BE KEY ISSUE FOR FOR THE REPUBLICANS AS WELL.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE DEMOCRATS DID A BETTER JOB PAINTING A FULLER, MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF WHO KAMALA HARRIS IS STUNNING.
I THINK HER HUSBAND DID A GREAT JOB IN THAT REGARD.
AND I THINK THAT MICHELLE OBAMA WAS VERY WAS VERY MOVING.
I THINK I GIVE THEM BOTH A SON THIS AND I THINK THAT REALLY HELPED THEIR CAUSE.
I THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE VERY THIRSTY.
THEY'RE VERY HUNGRY FOR KNOWING MORE ABOUT WHO SHE IS AND HOW SHE'S GOING TO GOVERN.
AND WE GET TO HAVE A SAYING THAT AS WELL BECAUSE WHAT HER RECORD IS WHAT SHE ACTUALLY DID IN THE PAST MATTERS.
YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM THAT PRETEND THAT THE THINGS YOU'VE STOOD FOR, THE THINGS YOU'VE DONE DIDN'T HAPPEN OR DIDN'T EXIST FOR WELL, JOYFUL WARRIOR.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ASK FOR A BETTER DEFINITION OF SHE IS AND THEY TALKED ABOUT IN THE COURTROOM.
THEY TALKED ABOUT IT AS ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE PEOPLE.
AND I THINK ULTIMATELY WHEN YOU HEAR SOMEBODY SAY KAMALA HARRIS FOR THE PEOPLE AFTER HEARING FROM ALL OF THESE FOLKS WHO HAVE TALKED ABOUT KNOWING HER FOR A LIFETIME, YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT.
HEATHER, AMANDA COMING TO BOTH OF YOU.
BUT SEPARATELY, AMANDA, BRIEFLY, WE ALSO HEARD FROM SENATOR DUCKWORTH TONIGHT, OBVIOUSLY FROM GOVERNOR PRITZKER.
BUT WHAT WE HEAR FROM SENATOR DUCKWORTH.
SO WE HAD TO SPOKE WITH SENATOR DUCKWORTH AND WE KIND OF KNEW THAT SHE WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT HER IVF JOURNEY BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IF THE DEMOCRATS ARE FINDING REALLY RESONATES WITH A LOT OF FAMILIES.
WE TALKED ABOUT HOW ABORTION IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION BUT CONNECTED WITH THAT.
IT'S MORE.
IT'S ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OVERALL.
AND SHE SAID THAT HER JOURNEY WITH FERTILITY WAS EVEN TOUGHER.
THEN THE BATTLEFIELD TO THAT SHE FOUGHT ON THE IS A MEMBER OF THE ARMED SERVICES.
SO THAT WAS THE FOCUS.
IT WAS AGAIN TRYING TO BRING I THINK THE WOMAN VOTE AND REALLY MAKE THE POLICIES THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, CONNECT WITH FAMILIES.
ALL RIGHT.
THANK HEATHER DID HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU.
BUT I'LL ASK YOU TOMORROW.
THAT IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS FOR THE
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