How I Would Write Key Sections of Kamala’s DNC Speech
In my latest piece, I laid out the key tasks Kamala Harris needs to accomplish in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention:
Reintroduce Kamala Harris to the nation as a person and public figure.
Reassure Americans that Kamala Harris is someone who is in the mainstream of American politics.
Renew hope for a better future by letting swing voters know that Harris is a fresh start and future-oriented and people-focused in her approach.
In that piece, I go into more detail fleshing out how she can accomplish these three messaging goals in this speech. I’d read that here first to understand what specific messages Harris has to nail in order to keep up her momentum.
Here, I thought I’d take the liberty of drafting some exact lines and phrasing I would write if I were her speech writer.
Reintroducing Herself to Voters as a Fighter For Them
Kamala Harris:
I know Donald Trump’s type. I know how those who prey on the vulnerable, who scheme their way to profit or power at the expense of the hard-working Americans I grew up with operate. I know, as you know, that Donald Trump is running not for you, but for himself. But this is about much more than Donald Trump. This is about who we fight for. I did not count the cases I prosecuted as mere statistics. I saw injustice and fought to right it. I saw lives wrecked that had to be restored. I saw families who had to deal with the empty chair at the holidays and saw a chance to bring some justice to those who gave them so much pain. My parents marched in the Civil Rights Movement and that taught me that you cannot shy away from doing what’s right, that the next generation must see a better life than we’ve had, that America at its best is a place where we can build the future waiting for us but only if we have the will to seize it.
Reassuring the Nation That She is a Mainstream Leader Fit to Lead
Kamala Harris:
In the course of a lifetime, one can certainly change their outlook on key issues. Great leaders do not stay stuck in their position when confronted with changing realities or a new set of facts. While how I apply my values has changed over the years, my values have not wavered. Serving as vice president these last three and a half years has taught me that the job of the presidency is to lead not with a closed mind and a hard heart, but with an ear to listen - to listen to those who disagree with you, to new facts on the ground, to a wide array of smart and qualified people. And it has taught me one thing beyond all doubt: this job is bigger than any ideology; it demands care for all Americans - not just those who vote for me, but those who don’t as well. I will not compromise my values, but I will never turn away from compromise when the moment demands it. The president is the only elected official elected by all Americans. And that is how I will govern: for all Americans.
Renew Hope in a Better Future as a Fresh Start For a Nation in a Funk
Kamala Harris:
Donald Trump had his chance to build a better future for us when he was president. He failed us because he failed to lead. He failed to lead because he was too focused on how he could help himself and his rich buddies. He failed to lead because he decided to follow his impulses and petty grievances. We have a different approach for how to lead America: focus on the future and put the needs of our people ahead of our personal excuses and insecurities. Donald Trump doesn’t see freedom as his guidepost for a better future. He thrives on dividing us, distracting us, all in an effort to take us backwards. In this election, we must say once and for all that this era of tribalism and self-interest is over.
We are not going back.
I see an America full of hope and boundless opportunity. I have not been in this race for a long time. But as I’ve gotten to meet our fellow Americans, I see a people struggling but hopeful, pressing on in the face of heartbreak and setback. I see a younger generation that is ready to lead us into a better future. I see a nation as dedicated as ever to the proposition that liberty, equality, and dignity can define our years to come.
We are not going back.
I believe in an agenda built on freedom: freedom over your own body, freedom to build wealth and opportunity for yourself and your children, freedom to learn, worship, and walk home safe from gun violence, freedom to read about our history - where we fell short but more importantly how we’ve overcome. I intend to lead a nation that will defend these freedoms here and abroad.
One candidate is running for himself and for the past - a past that this November we will once and for all leave behind.
We are not going back.
It is safe to say that these have not been easy times for America - from divisive and small politics to a pandemic that wrecked our economy and countless lives to rights once long thought secured being snatched away. Now is the time to leave this era behind and build a new beginning. And I believe we can do this because I have seen the promise of America. I have seen what we can do together when we focus our efforts on helping people and set our sights to the future.
If Harris follows messages like these, I think she can make a real case to voters as a candidate of change, the future and as someone whose values and experience can prepare her for the task of being the next president.
Read my full breakdown of what I think will make a great Harris speech here.