Day 3 of the US Democratic National Convention
Speech Boosts Harris-Walls
"Let's get to the point. I'm too old for unnecessary showmanship. I turned 78 two days ago, the same age as Donald Trump."
On the third day of the U.S. Democratic National Convention on the 21st (local time), former President Bill Clinton, speaking as a speaker, mentioned his age and said he was too old, prompting immediate applause at the venue. Emphasizing that he is two months younger than former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, he countered the once key Republican attack card of 'age risk.'
At the United Center in Chicago that day, former President Clinton said, "The only personal vanity I want to claim is that I am still younger than Trump." Born on August 19, 1946, Clinton was born about two months later than Trump, who turned 78 on his birthday in June. If Trump wins the November presidential election, he will become the oldest president in history at inauguration (78 years and 219 days). Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris was born in 1964.
On the third day of the convention, before Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's acceptance speech as vice-presidential candidate, former President Clinton appeared on stage and first paid tribute to President Joe Biden, who made the bold decision to withdraw from the candidacy. He praised President Biden for leading America's progress despite difficult situations such as the pandemic, economic hardship, and the Ukraine war during his term. He also lauded Biden by comparing him to George Washington, the first president of the United States, saying, "It is really difficult for politicians to voluntarily give up political power." The crowd responded again with chants of "Thank you, Joe."
Former President Clinton raised his voice, saying, "In 2024, a clear choice must be made," emphasizing that Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is a candidate for the people, while former President Trump is a person for himself. He criticized Trump, saying, "Trump is a consistent example," adding, "He still stirs division, still blames, still disparages others. He creates chaos." He mocked, "Trump mostly talks about himself," calling him "like one of the tenors singing 'me, me, me, me.'"
On the other hand, he evaluated Vice President Harris by saying, "If she becomes president, every day will start with you." He emphasized, "Harris will solve our problems, seize opportunities, reduce fears, and strive to ensure that all Americans have the chance to pursue their dreams." Mentioning that Harris worked at McDonald's during her school days, he joked, "She will break my record as the president who spent the most time at McDonald's." This referred to himself, who was often photographed ordering food at McDonald's during his term. Emphasizing his hope that America will become a more inclusive and future-oriented country, he repeatedly stressed that Vice President Harris is the right person to realize this vision.
During Clinton's speech that day, there was also a remark reminiscent of former President Barack Obama's speech the previous night. Clinton asked rhetorically, "Will the next four years be spent building the economy from the bottom up to the middle, or talking about crowd sizes?" This is seen as a connection to Obama's mockery of Trump as "someone with a strange obsession with crowd sizes." The remark reminded Democratic supporters of Trump's frequent comparisons of crowd sizes at official events and his claim once that the crowd was larger than during Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech, which had become a hot topic among Democrats.
He also quoted his own remark from the 1992 convention, where he said, "I still believe in a place called hope," adding, "We need Kamala Harris, a person of hope." He urged support by saying that voting for Vice President Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz would make people "proud for a lifetime," and said, "I will do my part. You do your part."
CNN introduced that this was Clinton's 13th speech on the Democratic National Convention stage. On the first day of the convention on the 19th, his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, took the podium and said that Vice President Harris, who is challenging to become the first female president after her, would break the glass ceiling. CNN reported that before Clinton's speech that day, he had torn up the original draft he had been working on since the first night of the convention and rewrote it with "a more fun, youthful, and enjoyable approach."
On that day, as is customary on the third day of the convention, the acceptance speech of Governor Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, was scheduled to follow. It was expected to be released after 12 p.m. Korean time. Known for his down-to-earth "neighborly uncle" image, Governor Walz was expected to introduce his life, born in a small town in Nebraska and having worked as a teacher and football coach before entering politics, and emphasize his values during the speech.
CNN reported, "This is the biggest stage in his political career," calling it "a very meaningful night for Walz." The New York Times (NYT) evaluated, "The speech concluding the third day of the convention in Chicago will be the biggest test of Harris's decision to choose Walz as her running mate." Before Governor Walz, Oprah Winfrey, known as the "queen of talk shows," was also scheduled to give a supportive speech on the same day. Vice President Harris would not attend the event. She is expected to reveal her vision for her administration through the presidential acceptance speech on the final day of the convention, the 22nd.
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