Speakers at the Democratic National Convention spent many hours this week denouncing Donald Trump, praising "joy" in politics, and demanding restoration of a woman's right to choose - but have yet to present a full portrait of their nominee for president.
"I think a lot of Americans outside of California don't know who Kamala Harris is," said Joe Garofoli, senior political writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, who has covered Harris for more than 20 years, from her first days in elected office as a home town prosecutor.
As Harris running mate Tim Walz accepted the vice-presidential nomination on Wednesday night, a parade of high-profile politicians -- Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama - have vouched for the incumbent Vice President; a series of celebrities and entertainers - Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, Kenan Thompson -- have attested to her values; and a procession of musicians - Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Maren Morris - have performed on her behalf. Her sister, husband, nephews and niece have offered glimpses of who she is when out of the political spotlight.
But it will be left to Harris herself to fill in the considerable, remaining blanks about her personality, character and life experience for voters, when she delivers her nomination acceptance address on Thursday night.
"I think she needs to introduce herself," said Garofoli, who checked in with Newsmakers from Chicago on Wednesday. "And as odd as that sounds, for someone who's been in the public eye for 20 years, most of it's been out of the national spotlight. So I want to see - who is she and what makes her tick."
Walz wows the hall. Harris's selection of Minnesota Governor Walz as her partner on the ticket was her first, and perhaps most consequential, decision as the Democratic standard bearer, and it supplies Americans with a modicum of information about her political discernment, strategic judgment and preferences in the temperament of a wingman.
Walz -- following a soft focus bio video and the appearance on stage of a dozen now-paunchy members of the high school football team he helped lead to a state championship -- introduced himself to the tens of million watching the convention Wednesday night as a high-energy everyman, as he melded his background and experience as a teacher, coach, National Guardsman, congressmember and governor into a fast-moving, arm-waving, high-volume political pep talk, checking all the boxes required of a vice president.
"Never underestimate a public school teacher," he thundered, before pivoting to a boisterous defense of abortion rights, portraying Trump and running mate J.D. Vance as "weird" authoritarians seeking to control the lives of those who oppose them.
"In Minnesota we respect our neighbors and the choices they make," he said. "Even if we don't make the same choices, we've got a golden rule: mind your own damn business!"
With a smile and a twinkle beneath his white male pattern baldness, he slashed at Trump and running mate Vance ("some folks just don't understand what it takes to be a good neighbor...I don't know about you, but I'm ready to turn the page on these guys"); celebrated his new boss (Harris works hard with "energy, passion and joy" to "stand up for your freedom to live the life you want to live") and ticked off a host of social justice and safety net programs Democrats would bring the nation (a middle class tax cut, lower drug prices, financial help for first-time homeowners).
As have many other speakers, Walz savaged "Project 2025," the controversial, 900-page tome which the right-wing Heritage Foundation has put forth as a game plan for a second Trump administration.
"It's an agenda nobody asked for," he said. "It's an agenda that does nothing for our neighbors in need. Is it weird? Absolutely, absolutely. But it's also wrong. And it's dangerous."
Then he passionately urged delegates to "play through the whistle on every play" to organize and help elect Harris.
"It's the fourth quarter, we're down a field goal, but we're on offense and we're driving down the field," he shouted. "There'll be time to sleep when you're dead!"
In a moving moment, his teenage son, Gus, stood up from his seat, pounding his hands together and openly sobbing, as he called out, "that's my dad!"
Oprah and the Big Dog. Besides Walz, the other rhetorical highlight of the evening was the appearance of Oprah Winfrey, who made an emotional and direct-to-camera plea to "independents and undecideds" to support the Democratic ticket and "vote for common sense over nonsense!"
The other podium headliner was former President Bill Clinton. The 78-year old Clinton's voice was hoarse and his hands shook, but he showed he can still deliver the goods.
“In 2024, we have a clear choice: ‘we the people’ versus ‘me, myself and I,’” he said.
“He mostly talks about himself,” Clinton said of Trump. “So the next time you hear him, don’t count the lies. Count the I’s. Count the I’s. His vendettas, his vengeances, his complaints, his conspiracies. He’s like one of those tenors opening up before he walks out onstage … by singing me, me, me, me, me, me. When Kamala Harris is president, every day will begin with you, you, you, you.”
San Francisco roots. In Newsmakers' conversation with Joe Garofoli, he provided a guided tour of Harris's two-decade political journey. Among other things, he:
Reprised some of his body of reporting on Harris, and some behind-the-scenes looks at the tradecraft he used in doing it;
Discussed how Trump is attempting to use the "doom loop" of San Francisco as a metaphor in attacking Harris - and recounted the efforts of city officials to push back;
Told some hilarious stories about Willie Brown, a long-ago paramour of Harris, and of the former mayor's outrage at Trump's recent absurd -- and completely false -- recounting of Brown allegedly whispering secrets about Harris to the former president as the two men purportedly flew in a helicopter that suffered engine failure;
Recalled a recent interview with SF's own Nancy Pelosi and her advice to Harris to "govern from the center."
Explained some of the complex political cross-currents involving San Francisco's tech and crypto titans, and how they're lining up on different sides of the election.
Check out our entire conversation with Joe Garofoli on YouTube below, or by clicking through this link. The podcast version is here.
JR
Image: Photo illustration of prominent San Francisco politicians Gov. Gavin Newsom, VP Kamala Harris, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Politico).
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