TWO AMERICAS: The 2024 Republican and Democratic National Conventions
By Edgar B. Anderson
Latvian Newspaper LAIKS, September 28-October 18, 2024, Volume LXXV, Numbers 35-37
During the momentous summer of 2024 I had the honor and pleasure of again representing LAIKS at the U.S. national political conventions. (For me this has meant eight conventions since 2008 reporting for LAIKS and eighteen conventions in total.) What we all witnessed during this eventful period was one unexpected development after another – a Biden-Trump debate in June that upended the Presidential race, the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the forcing out of Joe Biden from his re-election bid, the sudden ascension of Kamala Harris to carry forward the Administration record, the arrival of two new faces on the national scene – Senator JD Vance and Governor Tim Walz, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s endorsement of Donald Trump, international economic turmoil, ongoing foreign policy crises, and ominous crackdowns on Internet freedom.
As in past years, my goal in preparing my report has been to let the politicians and delegates share their views without censorship. Mainstream media these days too often behave as partisan advocates rather than simply delivering the facts and allowing people to make up their own minds. Accordingly, this report provides an opportunity to learn what individual Republicans and Democrats – political figures and regular citizen delegates alike -- have to say, in their own words. It should not be regarded as a challenge to have to encounter viewpoints with which one disagrees but rather a chance to understand the perspectives of others. After all, we all live in this country together.
The Republican Convention took place at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee July 15-18 and the Democratic Convention at the United Center in Chicago August 19-22 (the two gatherings separated by several weeks because of the Paris Olympics).
THE REPUBLICANS
My first interview during the opening session of the Republican National Convention was with Jason S. Miyares, the Attorney General of Virginia, who was seated on the arena floor as leader of his state’s delegation. Miyares succinctly expressed the concerns and views of many Republicans. I am here representing the Latvian immigrant/refugee newspaper. Oh, then you don’t like Communism any more than I do [said Cuban-American Miyares]. This is an election year like none we’ve lived through before already. What would you say in a nutshell is at stake this year for our country? Well, I mean I think everybody could see right now that America is both weak abroad and weak at home. I think you could see just within months of us pulling out of Afghanistan you had the invasion of Ukraine. You see China making aggressive new postures in the South China Sea that we haven’t seen in quite some time. We obviously saw the horrific attack in Israel on October 7. And so our enemies abroad sense weakness, and therefore they’re taking advantage of fundamentally a weak President. Then at home inflation is the worst tax on the poor you’ll ever find. And so I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said “Make groceries affordable again.” And in some ways domestically that sums up where we are as a country. We have a situation -- it’s just harder to live under Joe Biden. Rent is sky-high. Rent has gone up 20-30%, groceries, mortgages, just to live, automobile sales. The cost of living right now under Joe Biden is simply astronomical, and so I think the contrast is so stark between President Trump and President Biden. People remember what it was it like when we had a strong economy, we had low inflation, we had a strong national defense. And they see the weakness at home and abroad. I think that’s what’s at stake.
Later that first day I managed to speak briefly with Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader, as he was hurrying down the convention hall concourse. I wonder if you would have a thought for the Latvian community. They’re worried about Russia. Nobody was stronger in standing up to Russia than Donald Trump. Russia didn’t move on anybody when Trump was President. When Obama was President and now that Biden is President, Russia is running roughshod over all of Eastern Europe. So I think our European friends will be happy to see President Trump back in office and have strength in America, and that kind of leadership is needed all throughout the world right now.
Also walking the convention hall, surrounded by well-wishers and journalists, was entrepreneur and former Presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Do you have a message for the readers of the Latvian immigrant newspaper? You made such an impact this year. What message do you have for them why they should support Donald Trump? If you’re an immigrant in this country that’s here legally, as my parents came, the American dream is built on the idea that you can make a better life for yourself by following the rules in the right way and working hard and giving a better life to your children, and I’m sure that’s what every Latvian immigrant as every Indian immigrant as every other immigrant as every other American who lives here wants for their kids, and Donald Trump is going to be the President who delivers that for you. That’d be my message.
Media Row, the temporary Convention home of numerous news outlets and talk shows, located in the nearby Panther Arena provided the opportunity to encounter several political figures who shared their opinions on the Presidential race, foreign policy, and the war in Ukraine in particular.
Senator Rick Scott, Florida, possible next Republican Senate leader. I am from the Latvian immigrant newspaper and there are a lot of Latvians in Florida. We love Latvians! I wonder if you can in a nutshell tell them what really you believe is at stake in November. I think we’re the beacon of hope and liberty in the world, and I think it’s gonna be important that we elect President Trump and we get a majority of Republicans in the House and Senate so we can start doing the things that the average person wants. They want a secure border. We love immigration, but it needs to be legal immigration. They don’t want a government that is completely out of control in spending and in regulatory and permitting. So we gotta have a government that makes some sense so we get all of our freedoms back.
Senator Dan Sullivan, Alaska. I’m with the Latvian immigrant newspaper. Most Latvians in the U.S. are anti-Communist refugees and many have voted Republican, but some of them are worried about the tensions in the Party in regard to support for Ukraine. I think – look, the bigger difference here is how much stronger Republicans are all of us versus Democrats on national security. That’s the real split, and that’s the one that matters. The Trump Administration, look at our platform, peace through strength. And you know when President Trump was in office he sent a significant amount of troops to Poland and the Baltics. Obama didn’t do anything like that. So that’s the bigger issue here. We’re much stronger on national defense. Biden’s cutting defense spending the way Democrats always do. So to me that’s the real issue that matters.
Senator Steve Daines, Montana. You know the Latvians are heavily concentrated in the swing states. And they are very worried about Ukraine and, of course, they’re bleeding for Ukraine but worried about themselves as well. So what message would you give to them why they should support the Trump ticket? Sure. Well, I tell you, it’s still fresh in my mind -- my visit to the Baltics – to Latvia, to Estonia, to Lithuania. And it’s one thing to have a conversation about the Russian threat when you’re in the United States. It’s another thing when you’re there just a couple hours by car from the Russian border where grandparents and great-grandparents continue to tell their stories of what it was like with invasions that come from Russians. Look, what Putin fears the most is a strong U.S. leader. I think Putin exploited the weakness of Joe Biden, and he invaded Ukraine. The Iranians exploited the weakness of Joe Biden, and they greenlighted Hamas and Hezbollah and in effect themselves launching their drones and missile attacks into Israel. So we go back to Ronald Reagan. The Republican Party is the party of strength. It’s peace through strength. So I think as it relates to the ongoing threat of Russia and Ukraine, one of the big problems we have with this current Administration is that they continue to hold back with the Ukrainians on greenlighting their ability to strike deeper into Russia. It’s not a fair fight. If you want to defeat Russia, you gotta give the Ukrainians every option they have to go in and hit Russia where they are launching their attacks in the Ukraine. So Blinken and Biden have always been on their heels for the last couple of years. That’s immoral. When you go to war you have clear objectives and use overwhelming force. The Biden Administration is kinda in this to kinda win it but not to decisively win it. Trump won’t allow -- you’re either in it or you’re out of it. You go in to win it. There is no concern about escalation? No, the escalation is the biggest escalation risk is that if Putin is not defeated is that he crosses an Article Five red line. Now we have escalation. Now we have a world war because of NATO commitments. So Putin is playing Biden like a fiddle. Remember early on it was all the nuclear escalation and so forth, and consequently this war has lingered on too far too long. Remember we were fighting to give them the fighter jets the Republicans were well over a year ago. They said, no, we can’t do that. Well, now they finally are going to give them some F-16s. So again you’re either in it to win it or you shouldn’t be in the war. The weakness of this Administration is concerning. And that’s why I think a shift to the Trump Administration with a much stronger posture will make sure Putin stays in his place there in Russia and doesn’t take additional action, particularly against the Baltics.
Senator Ron Johnson, Wisconsin. The Latvians, they’re refugees, anti-Communist, a lot of them are concerned about the Republican Party position on Ukraine. How would you assure them that Trump would be in their corner? Well, first, I have a great deal of concern for the Ukrainian people. I want to see them stop being used as cannon fodder in a bloody stalemate of the proxy war between the West and Russia. The war has to end, and the sooner the better, or more Ukrainians die, more lives are at risk. Why do you believe Republicans would be better? I think you actually have a President Trump who is dedicated to ending that war as opposed to President Biden and I think far too many elected officials who are happy to continue to fuel that bloody stalemate. I don’t want to.
Senator Marco Rubio, Florida. I am from the Latvian newspaper -- Latvia! I don’t speak Latvian! Can we do it in English? It’s a refugee paper. You don’t have to! Latvians are worried about Ukraine and what’s gonna happen there. How do you think President Trump would handle the Ukraine problem as opposed to Biden? Well, obviously I’m not going to speak for their foreign policy or what they plan to do, but I certainly think that they want to bring an end to this conflict and not in a way that is on Putin’s terms. But from a strategic standpoint you know that’s what the Administration is going to develop, and I’m not going to divulge and I’m not in a position to be out there sort of expressing the policy of an administration because it’s not my administration. But I am fairly confident that they have a good plan in place. In fact I believe very strongly have reason to believe they have a very good plan in place not just to bring an end to the conflict but to bring an end to it in an way that makes Europe more secure and protects the interests of the Ukrainian people for the short and long term. And you of all people you know what the Latvians have gone through. The Latvians are great people. I wish the rest of Europe would behave like Latvians in terms of defenses.
Nigel Farage, Brexiteer, newly elected member of the British Parliament and leader of the insurgent U.K. Reform Party. He is a friend of Donald Trump and said that following the assassination attempt on the former President, he felt compelled to come to the U.S. and attend the Convention. I am working for a Latvian refugee paper. These are the people who fled the Soviets at the end of World War II, including my mother. And they are, of course, upset about Ukraine. It’s been a disaster for two years. What do you think? How can this be brought to an end? How to resolve this? Well, it’s been two and a half years of stalemate so far. All the indications are it will be another two and half years of stalemate. We’re told the battle casualties are up to a million people. It’s almost First World War conditions – trenches, barbed wire, artillery, and, you know, whistles blowing, men running across No Man’s Land. Drones are the only difference between what we had 100 years ago and what we got now. I don’t see a military solution of any kind at all. I fear the longer it goes on, the more weakened Ukraine becomes by it. I think the attempt at a peace negotiation is worthy. Now whenever you mention this, you’re told, oh, you’re giving in to Putin. But, you know, wars only end one of two ways. They only either end in a negotiated settlement or in annihilation. And I fear we’re heading toward the stage of annihilation. I am worried about it. I am deeply, deeply worried about it.
Representative Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota. Latvians are concerned about the GOP attitude toward Ukraine because Latvia is very vulnerable to misbehavior by Russia. What would you say to assure them that they are best off voting for Donald Trump and JD Vance? The single best way you can deal with Russia is by having a strong international energy policy. That’s how they’re funding these things. That’s how they’re doing it. I come from a state that produces a ton of oil and gas and natural resources, and the single best thing we can do for any of the former Soviet bloc countries and our friends is figure out a way to export our LNG, get them off of Russian natural gas, off of all of those things, and isolate Russia on the world stage. And the best way to do that with an economy that quite frankly isn’t a whole lot larger than Texas is to ensure that their number one export, which is oil and natural gas, is less relevant to them than it has ever been before.
Finally, I spoke with former New York City Mayor Rudy W. Giuliani. Tell our Latvians … Latvians! Latvian refugees. I love Latvians. My daughter-in-law is from Lithuania. Our paper was in Bay Ridge [Brooklyn] for many years. I enjoyed my trip to Latvia. Explain to Latvians what is on the line in the election. What’s on the line? We are moving toward very quickly what you were in Latvia. We’re moving toward becoming a Communist country. In certain respects we already are. Our criminal justice system doesn’t exist anymore as a fair system. That’s demonstrated every day. When they say we have a two-tier system of justice, that’s no justice. A two-tier system of justice is I go to jail for no crime you commit a lot of crimes and you don’t go to jail because you’re a Democrat. They have persecuted people because they’re their political opponents. We never did that in this country. They say Donald Trump wants to end democracy. He was President for four years. He didn’t end democracy. He didn’t prosecute Hillary Clinton. He should have. He didn’t. Biden comes in, and he’s prosecuting Trump and every other Republican he can find. That’s what you do in Soviet Russia. That’s what you do in Red China. And that’s what you do in a banana republic. That’s what Biden is installing here. On purpose. It’s a plan. It’s a plan that started with Obama. And he’s probably behind the scenes calling the shots ‘cause I’m not sure Biden even knows who the hell he is.
The Republican Convention opened with the nominations for President and Vice President. In the evening former President Trump appeared in the arena for the first time since the assassination attempt only 48 hours earlier that nearly took his life. The applause was deafening as the delegates saw on the big screen that Trump was entering the hall. As he joined JD Vance in the viewing stand, Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the U.S.A.,” which has become the anthem of the campaign. During the speeches and musical interludes that took place on the stage during this and subsequent nights of the Convention, I was able to speak with numerous states’ delegates to learn their thinking, motivations, and priorities.
Martha Jenkins, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, First Vice President, National Federation of Republican Women. You want to give your reaction to tonight? Was this a special night for you? Yes, it was a special night for me. It definitely was. What did you feel when you saw Donald Trump come out? Just thankful that he wasn’t assassinated because less than an inch was the difference between life and death, and the Good Lord saved him, and He saved him for a reason.
Christie Slape is a professional organizer of homes and offices from Austin, Texas. This is a night to remember. Yes, incredible. Tell me your reaction. It was just stunning. I was proud to be on the floor, and to have Donald J. Trump here in person was just the icing on the cake, and the way that he showed his strength and his persistence and tenacity to not give up but just to be courageous and come out and sit among the crowd and to see his family and all the support was truly inspirational. And then the speakers that shared the personal stories really hits home with all of America because we are suffering as far as our you know just the money at the end of the month there’s usually a lot more month at the end of the money. And the American people are really seeing that it’s hurting. The Biden Administration has done a horrible job with running our country, and we really do need Donald J. Trump and JD Vance to run the country for the next four years.
Debra Foertsch, a water color artist from the countryside of Indiana. A simple question: What motivates you to give of your time to come here. It costs money to come and be a delegate? Yes, it does. But you want to do this and why? What is it that motivates you? Because I love my country, and I see where it’s going. And we need all the help we can get. What do you see that concerns you? Everything. The prices. The way the country’s going. My kids, my grandkids, and my great-grandkids. They’re gonna to have a rough way to go if this country does not turn around. They’re not gonna be able to have a free voice, they’re not gonna to be able to afford anything. And the idiots out there saying, “Oh, we’re going to school, but we’re not going to pay our bills.” I’m sorry. If you want to go school, you gotta learn to pay your bills. My brothers-in-law were in the military. So I’m big on military. Dad came from a family of 13, and all his brothers and brothers-in-law served in the military. Alright. Thank them.
Sue Snowden, Palm Beach County, Florida. I am a reporter for a Latvian newspaper. What really motivates you because you could be home with your family enjoying life, but you choose to come here? Look, I have been a volunteer in the Republican Party for 56 years. I was probably the earliest supporter of Donald Trump in the whole country. What have you done for 56 years? I‘ve done everything from school board, PTA President like 6-8 times, superintendent of schools, statehouse, state senate, governors, Congressmen, I’ve run Congressman’s offices for four years, campaign offices, and I‘m always a volunteer. And I ran Donald Trump’s campaign in Palm Beach County as a volunteer. What issues really impel you? I love my county. Look, if we ever lost America every country is gonna suffer because America comes to the rescue of everybody. So if you lose this beautiful idea of America, the world will suffer. How did you feel when you saw JD Vance up there for the first time? Fantastic. He’s a fighter like our President. He loves this country. You know Donald Trump -- you can’t buy him, you can’t threaten him, you can’t force him out. He’s so strong, he has such strong feelings for America and the idea of America. There’s no one like him.
Chrissy Kantor, Manchester, New Hampshire. Is this your first convention? Yes. How did you get to be a delegate? I am working on President Trump’s campaign in Manchester. I’m an alderman in my city and they asked me. So you’re concerned about local issues as alderman, but what gets you involved in national politics? What issues do you really care about? So my issues are the border – we need a stronger border because drugs are coming over, and they’re affecting our families, our children, they’re affecting everyone. It’s awful. We’ve had like over 6,000 people cross our New Hampshire border, and when you cross the New Hampshire border as an illegal immigrant they were coming from like 70 different countries, I’m pretty sure it was 70 different countries, and when they come across they’re considered “unhoused” and when you are unhoused you get free health care. When we have working people that are struggling day in and day out working hard getting their kids off to school all of this, and it’s exhausting to pay for this health care, and then we have illegal immigrants taking up health care. To me this is like insanity so we need stronger borders. I believe really we need to take of the people that can’t take care of themselves, but we need help for drug addiction, and we need accountability. We need our judges to be stronger. So there are so many different aspects that I’m really concerned about, and it’s not just one part. The system is complex. As an alderman you see all of that. Yes, and it’s heart-breaking, and that’s why I ran as a small business owner. What’s your business? I have a spa and a salon. So I stand behind the chair and cut hair, and I talk to a lot of people. And our systems are broken, and we really need common sense conservative people that are all Americans. You know, when I say all Americans they’re for America First policies. It’s about truth and transparency and then digging deep and finding the solutions together instead of just doing the same thing over and over and over again which is actually insanity. So to me that and women’s rights I mean my gosh to have men or boys I guess the thing is girls’ bathrooms should be girls only. Biological girls the fact that I have to even say that word is biological girls is just kind of crazy. We have to protect our young girls and us women. So to me I just don’t understand. So those are like the things that I’m concerned about – girls’ rights and stronger borders because the drugs are really, the fentanyl is what really is killing us.
Brenna Bird, Des Moines, Iowa area (as I learned later, she is the Attorney General of the State of Iowa). I am reporter for a Latvian paper. Do you know Latvia? Oh, yes, I know Latvia! A friend of mine in Iowa was Ambassador to Latvia, Chuck Larson. And your job here was what? So I was temporary chair of the Convention, and so I presided over the nomination of the Vice President. How did you manage to get such a high post? Well, I don’t know. But I’m very thankful to get to be here and represent my state. I’m from Iowa, and we have the first in the nation caucuses, and we got to know President Trump that way, and he won the caucuses big. What motivates your work in politics? What issues really get you worked up? Well, I was born and raised on a farm in Iowa, and so I just care about helping people and making our country a better place to live, and as somebody who grew up on a farm we know how to do things and work hard and that’s what politics is all about. How did you feel when Donald Trump came out tonight and you saw him with his bandage on his ear? I was very glad to see him. I think we’re all thankful that he’s alive. And that assassination attempt was scary, but we saw the hand of God protecting him and thankful that he’s here with us tonight.
The next night Tuesday in the Convention arena: Ben Anderson, Ronceverte, West Virginia. What do you do in West Virginia? Well, number one I’m an accountant. And number two I’m the chair of the county chairs of the West Virginia Republican Party. So that’s a lot of work, and it’s a big effort to come here to be a delegate as well. What issues motivate you to be involved in politics? Well, from West Virginia we dig coal. And we are blue collar Americans who believe that we’ve been forgotten under the Joe Biden Administration. And so that is a big driving force for our state to ensure that President Trump and JD Vance are elected in November. That’s one of the greatest reasons for us to be here is because we need to make sure that our infrastructure in West Virginia is protected. We want to dig more clean coal. President Trump was one of the greatest advocates for coal and the mining industry that our state has ever had. President Trump visited West Virginia more than any other U.S. President, and we know that he is our ally, and we’re excited to be here for him. So what do you say on the bigger picture what’s at stake in this election, not just for West Virginia but for the country? I think our country is at a tipping point because I do not believe that our economy and our working men and women of this country can handle the rising inflation any longer, that’s number one. Number two at the end of the day our country is in jeopardy foreign policy-wise because of Joe Biden’s missteps. What happened in Afghanistan was a travesty, and the lives that were lost that day will be in infamy. You know we’ve heard a lot of support from the podium and the audience for Israel. What about Ukraine? Latvians are worried about Russia. It’s their neighbor too. I would note that when Donald Trump was President that these advances by Russia were not happening. Donald Trump has respect across the world. They are not going to mess with the United States of America. And they’re not going to mess with the rest of Europe as long as Donald Trump is President because at the end of the day the rest of the world does not respect Joe Biden, and they know that at the end of day right now our country is a pushover because of his Administration.
Michelle Terris, Florida. I see your signs. Tell about your group? My organization is JEXIT, stands for Jews Exiting the Democrat Party. We try to educate and persuade our fellow Jewish Americans on the perilous shift that the Democrat Party has taken to the far left, the radical left. It’s hijacked and abandoned Israel and the Jews. They must exit the Democrat Party. And President Trump, who is the greatest friend that Israel and the Jews have ever had in the White House, that’s a quote by Bibi Netanyahu. We must re-elect our great President because he is the one who will restore law and order, our border, our national security, and our alliance with Israel, the greatest friend in the Middle East.
Carolyn Atkinson, Alamogordo, New Mexico. What do you do there? I am retired, and I volunteer for the National Federation of Republican Women. We have a chapter and club in Alamogordo. I’m Past President of my chapter. I’m from California originally, from San Diego, but then I moved to San Luis Obispo County, Morrow Bay area, now I’m in New Mexico. What’s motivated you to be involved in politics? You could be at home enjoying life with your family. I think it’s my faith that makes me believe that people need to stand up and do what’s right and get involved in things that you feel are the right thing to do. I feel like I’ve always been kind of a mission from God. You know, this is your passion. He gave me a passion in my heart for politics since I was little and not really politics but policy, public policy. What policies are most important to you? Well, when I was in California it was local policies like land use regulations and water rights, well, Second, I mean all the Constitutional rights, but private property rights I am watching them slowly get chopped away. The policies I used to really fight against -- the taxes, you know, where’s the money going? Finally, particularly as a person of faith, you were standing sitting here watching last night, you didn’t know where Donald Trump was, he was coming out in a hallway, you saw him up on the screen, and you saw an expression on his face such as you had never seen before. What did you see and what did you feel? Well, I felt how real Saturday was. Seeing his ear bandage it just really hit home that this man almost died for us, fighting for us. He doesn’t have to be here. It’s just what a miracle it was and to see him. I think he understands what a miracle it was. That’s what it was on his face: Like I’m still here. It really was Divine Intervention, I believe.
Tracy Honl, Astoria, Oregon. National Committeewoman for Oregon. I am Ed Anderson, from LAIKS (Time) which is the paper for the immigrants from Latvia, founded by refugees who came here after fleeing from the Soviets at the end of World War II. So it turns out you have met a Latvian or two. Well, I remember I have very good memories growing up. We had a Latvian couple who were living two houses up, Mr. and Mrs. Cilnis. They passed away many years ago. They were such a neat couple. I loved them, and they were so good to us. What were their first names? I don’t know, we always called them Mr. and Mr. Cilnis. As National Committeewoman what got you immersed in politics? What activated you, what issues? So I’ve been a Republican. I grew up in a Republican house. I became a Republican when I turned 18. And you know we always talked about politics. I always paid attention. And then when Obama was re-elected 12 years ago now, I said I needed to do something different. I need to start getting involved. I need to help. So I started volunteering, and once you volunteer you end up volunteering more and more. What troubled you about Obama? That’s a tough question. That was a long time ago. Or about Biden? Well, with Biden, you know, he obviously has some issues right now, but you know his values his beliefs aren’t Republicans’. We believe in freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to believe how we believe, to be able to protect ourselves, defend ourselves. The economy is in such a bad shape right now because of the policies that Joe Biden has created. And I would even go back and say, you know, Obama created some of those same policies, policies that aren’t helping our economy, aren’t helping people to be able to go to the store to buy milk and eggs for affordable price, gas. Everything is through the roof. We shut down a lot of our energy here in the United States. We need to be independent again, energy independent. We need to take care of our citizens. We need to protect our borders. We need to protect our communities. And I live in Oregon. I live close enough to Portland to know how crime has destroyed our cities, our beautiful city of Portland. We need to get that fixed. We need people elected who will take care of our citizens. Portland is hometown of Antifa. It is. It was really sad to see. I grew up in Portland, and to see what became of Portland was incredibly sad. I live in Astoria now, so I’m in a little bit more of a small town, but I miss my Portland.
Many people were welcomed in the arena as official Guests of the Convention. One who received much attention was Riley Gaines. What is your story? You were a champion swimmer, and you lost out. I was a swimmer who had to compete against a man at our national championships. We watched him win a national title. We changed in the locker room with him, fully grown, fully naked, fully intact. We were silenced by our universities, but now I understand it as a necessary and worthwhile and urgent, I would add, advocacy role in merely saying that men and women are different. What is the status of your own situation? Didn’t you file a lawsuit? Yes, myself and 15 other athletes are suing the NCAA. We’ve seen lots of success, state level, local level, federal level over these past two years, and I think we’re certainly going over the cusp. People are understanding the harm and the severity and the trajectory of where we are going if we don’t use our voices. Talk about the level and extent of your practicing over years and years. What did that amount to? Eighteen years, and in college, I mean six hours every day, ten miles of training every day, so it was no joke. And in that big race you were edged out by him. We tied, and they gave him the trophy because they said it was necessary when photos were being taken.
On the third evening I spoke with Trisha Turner, Rochester, New York area. What’s at stake in this election? Our country, our freedom. If we aren’t successful in this election, I don’t think America would exist after another term. This is everything. More specifically. I live in New York, and I watch when they have power they do things that make sure that they continue to have their power, and it’s getting harder and harder even in New York to attain that because they change election laws. They do things so that they can keep their power, and what they’ve done to America allowing us to be an open border they are literally giving our country away. Four more years of that and there will be no country.
Yvonne Julian of Greenville, South Carolina, was excited to have just met rapper Forgiato Blow who was out greeting people on the Convention floor. She explained that he was well-known for pro-Trump YouTube videos that he has made with one of the evening’s speakers, the model and entrepreneur Amber Rose. Ms. Julian went on to tell about herself: I’ll usually get my news from X. I don’t watch TV media. It takes too much time. I mean I want some facts. I don’t want opinions. So much of our journalism has become opinions. … I read more business so I’ll read things like sometimes the Financial Times. I am more interested in economics and business. I used to do the Wall Street Journal, but you know they kind of irritated me and they kind of went down the path. And what is your political job? I’m the Greenville County Republican Party Chair. We have 46 counties. Greenville is the largest county in the state. Fundamentally what motivates you to spend so much time in politics? Because I’m a retiree, and I have the time. And because I worked in the chemical industry, and I saw the problems that are being caused by the political class, globalization, you know, mass immigration, which is like a slave trade. So I saw all of that, and so I came out of retirement and got into politics.
Connie O’Brien, Tonganoxie, Kansas. What issues motivated you to get into politics? I got involved in 1992 because of the pro-life movement. So that’s how I got started. How in politics are you advancing that cause? I served eight years in our state legislature for the state of Kansas. And passing what kind of legislation? Mainly I was there when Sam Brownback [was Governor]. We did a lot of pro-life legislation. Right now it’s being reversed and struck down in court. So I’ll continue to work on that area, but also I want to work on making people able to live in their own homes because property taxes are getting high, and it’s forcing a lot of people out of their homes. So a second issue, but on the abortion issue. I believe there was a voter initiative and it went to the so-called pro-choice side even in Kansas. Right, and that was because Roe v. Wade was overturned like six weeks before we voted on it. So you know they poured lots of money into Kansas to make sure that stopped, and they scared women and told them that they would never be able to have an abortion if they had an ectopic pregnancy they could die and all sorts of rumors, but those things weren’t true. What would be your idea of an ideal law? The ideal law? Let women have an actual choice. When you go to an abortion clinic, they don’t give you a choice. Women need a choice where they feel supported. If they decide to carry the baby to term, they need help. A lot of time they need help. Why vote for Donald Trump? Donald Trump has proven that he can do things and make people safer, wealthier, and make this country great. And he did it. He turned it over to Joe Biden, and now it’s come the opposite way. People are struggling. Inflation is out of control. A lot of people may not be able to buy a house anymore.
Diane Taylor, Roswell, New Mexico. You’re for Donald Trump. Being a delegate is a big deal. It’s a commitment of time and money. What has motivated you to do this? I believe that he is a true American and wants to do what’s right for the country and for the people of this country. How do you know that? Just look at him. He never gives up. He’s not a quitter. And when he was President, things were a whole lot better than they are today. When did you get involved in politics? Many years ago. What was your first campaign? Ronald Reagan. I am a Reagan Girl.
Cathy Abernathy, Bakersfield, California. To be a delegate is a big deal. What motivates your political activity? I’ve been involved since I was 18 and got to vote for Nixon. I was a delegate in Miami for him. And I’ve just been involved ever since. I’ve worked in Congress for my local Congressman and in fact hired Kevin McCarthy as an intern. He worked with him for 12 years. And now I run campaigns. What issues are really most important for you? Most for me is that you should work hard and you should be able to keep more of your money and the government should spend it better and that’s not been happening for 30 years, and so that’s what I want to see the change. Without it, particularly living in California, if we don’t make those changes we’re done for. What has happened to California? California is all about taking as much money from the private sector and giving it to the public employees, and ever since Jerry Brown in 1975 made it legal to be a union member of the government employees you can’t fire anybody. They don’t work hard you just hire another person. Pension, health benefits. We’re broke. When they get their pension they move out of state because they can’t afford to live in California. Our gas is $5.50 a gallon. That’s just spend spend spend. So I don’t think Gavin Newsom will ever make it running for President.
Teresa Horton Bumgarner, Iowa City, Iowa. It costs money to travel here and be a delegate. You could be at home with your family. What’s motivated you to get into politics? What do you care about? I care about the America that we’re passing on to our children and that it be a better place. I see a decline, especially since Biden has taken over, and so I want to see it go back to being the America where people dream. I want a good America for my children and my grandchildren. How is that decline manifested? Economically, safety-wise, education-wise, morally. I am also very worried about Ukraine, about the peace for the people. My father was a missionary in Africa. There’s an African saying “When the elephants fight, the grass gets trampled.” And I think that that’s what’s happening in Ukraine. We see the suffering of the people because of the war that’s going on. That war needs to end for the people. I don’t know that’s it our war to end. Our continually sending money I don’t think does anything for either the people or the government. But I think that through strength peace can be negotiated and that will protect the people. I am talking to you tonight after Trump’s acceptance speech. How did you feel, what did you feel? Excited and happy and hopeful. And also a little emotional. It was very touching to see. It was very clear that he’s a real person, you know, a dad and a husband and a grandpa, that came through too, but that he loves the country just like we love the country. It would be a lot easier to stay home, but we care about this country being good. Like you said, it’s expensive and it’s inconvenient, but we care about the country being good, and therefore we’re here. We love our country.
THE DEMOCRATS
Six weeks later in August the Democrats had the chance to showcase their candidates and issues to the American public. The mammoth United Center in Chicago was packed with delegates, guests, and press. It was bedlam from the first moment since, as I was told, there were twice as many delegates than at the Republican Convention. Politicians again made their way to Media Row, the temporary home of radio and Internet outlets, and I had the chance to talk with many of them, however briefly. In a few cases I spoke with them on the Convention floor. The main subject was the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Representative Dean Phillips, Minnesota, candidate earlier in the year for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Right now I want to ask you: What about Ukraine? It’s a tragedy for those people. It is. What needs to be done? Well, what needs to be done is I believe America and our allies and the rest of the Western world have to support Ukraine through thick and thin until we see this brought to a conclusion. I was just with President Zelensky at the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion about a month ago in France. I gave him a big hug and told him to keep the faith because as Ukraine goes and our support for Ukraine I think will the next generation of this entire world, world citizens and a reminder for all of us that freedom isn’t free, and even if it’s not at our border we have a responsibility to protect defend freedom and human beings around the world. And I have great expectations for this ticket of Vice President Harris and Governor Walz that their heads and hearts will help see Ukraine win and most importantly restore peace both in Eastern Europe and then hopefully in the Middle East as well because these are tied together. On another subject I don’t understand this talk from Vice President Harris about price controls on food. I’m a free market guy. My mantra in running against Joe Biden in the primaries was all about competition. Competition provides better value better products better policies better candidates better people. I am not a fan of controlling anything per se. I think competition is the best way to do so. And that’s counsel I will share with both Vice President Harris and Governor Walz should they seek my counsel on economic policy otherwise because I’m a business person, and I have some experience knowing what an upstart business can do to bring prices down as long as we inspire competition both in the political arena and also in the public arena.
Representative Maxine Waters, Los Angeles, California. What’s your solution to the tragedy of Ukraine? Well, let me just say that our President, President Biden, has articulated a commitment to Ukraine. It’s one of our important allies. And, of course, Putin believes that he’s going to somehow restore the Soviet Union and he’s going to get Ukraine and he’s going to you know basically conquer. We’re committed to Ukraine. We have invested a lot in helping them win this war that they’re in. We believe that it can be done. The President [Zelensky] is a very committed hardworking honest individual that we respect an awful lot. And so we hope that we can get rid of the tensions and the fighting and the war that it really is. We would love to have an agreement that’s worked out between the two. We don’t know if Putin is capable of it, but we’re gonna try.
Representative Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut. What’s to be done about Ukraine? It’s a tragedy of over two and a half years now of death and destruction. How to bring this to an end? Well, you know what we need to do is above all Putin cannot win this battle. He invaded a sovereign country, a country who was yearning to be free, be democratic, you know ally with the West. We need to provide Ukraine with whatever it needs to make sure Putin is defeated.
Representative Jerrold Nadler, New York. How is the war in Ukraine to be resolved? The suffering has gone on for two and half years now. I wish I knew. I mean Putin’s aggression we just have to hope that Harris is elected because if Trump is elected, he’ll just hand Ukraine over to Putin we know that. We have to supply and NATO has to supply all the arms to Ukraine and see what happens. They’re holding their own. How do you end the war I don’t know. At some point there’ll be peace negotiations. What do you say about Ukraine in NATO? Is that cause of even more friction with Russia or that’s part of the solution? No, no. First of all, it’s not pending right now I don’t think. After the war it can be considered. And I would certainly favor it after the war. But there’s no need to complicate negotiations right now.
Former Governor of Michigan and now Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. Can I ask you a quick question for the Latvian immigrant newspaper? The Latvian immigrant newspaper, I love it! Of course! Yes, 75 years it’s still going strong – that’s amazing -- founded in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn by a man who escaped by two minutes being sent to the Gulag. Wow. Wow. Wow. So what in the world is to be done about Ukraine? It’s been two and a half years and they say hundreds of thousands it’s like World War I. Thank God that we have shored up NATO and that we’ve got more allies and that more people are providing relief. But honestly this is really such an utter tragedy. The bombing of the energy infrastructure all of that. And you know the Baltics have been such strong allies to Ukraine. So grateful for the refugees they’ve taken in as well as their incredible support for the people of Ukraine. We’re really, really grateful to have them as part of our coalition. What is your understanding of the chance of bringing this to an end in a way that is halfway satisfactory? Well, I mean it’s hard to know. I mean the strategy obviously in the past couple of weeks has been to play offense, right? Does that facilitate some conversations that allow for resolution? I mean I’m wondering if that’s part of the strategy. Whatever it is we are 100% behind Ukraine. We are not going to deviate. And elections matter here so this is really important for us as a nation to win, to keep the NATO coalition alive and strong, and to make sure we support Ukraine.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York. Congressman, I’m from a Latvian newspaper. Yea. How are we gonna solve Ukraine? Well, we work very hard to make sure that we funded the Ukrainian war effort and their brave, courageous pushback against Russian aggression, and we’re gonna stick with Ukraine until victory is won.
Representative Zoe Lofgren, California. Latvians are most concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And who is next? This terrible war has gone on for two and a half years. Yes. What are you seeing in the next year or two? Well, I think it was very unfortunate that the right-wingers held up the aid for Ukraine for so long. It really put the Ukrainians at a disadvantage, but they’re tough and they’re willing to defend their country. And we’ve gotta make sure that we do our part by getting them supplies they need as quickly as possible. We need to up the ante both in terms of what we’re giving them and how quickly we’re supplying them and the Europeans as well. Do you think that it’s possible for Ukraine to overcome big Russia with so many people and resources? Yes, because the Russians are falling apart in some ways. If you take a look at where they are, look at Ukraine’s invasion. They were not even able to you know they have hollowed out their army and their economy. I don’t dismiss them as a threat because they are unwilling to live by international rules, but they’re not the fearsome tiger that many fear. They’re just reckless and dangerous. I was in Milwaukee [at the Republican Convention] talking to the delegates they had a lot of worries inflation everybody talked about the inflation that’s gripped the country in the last few years. How do you think that Kamala Harris is going to deal with that because she and Joe Biden the inflation went from 1.someting to 9? Well, it spiked during the pandemic is what happened, and the supply chains got disrupted. It’s not just the United States. It happened all over the world. Now the inflation rate is now coming down. The problem is the high prices are stuck to where they rose. Do you support the idea of price controls? Well, I don’t think she has suggested price controls so much as an anti-gouging measure which I think is worth exploring.
Former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. Latvian newspaper. Tell us what is at stake in this election. Who are you? Ed Anderson from a Latvian immigrant newspaper. Latvian -- immigrant -- newspaper. Well, anyone who is an immigrant in this country better hope that Kamala Harris wins this election, I’ll tell you that. Why is that? Well, you know, listen to Trump. Listen to what he has to say about immigrants. He’s married to one. My mother was an immigrant. Mine too. She was a refugee from the Soviets. And those people all those refugees after World War II they waited in line and took their turn and came here legally, but the Democratic Party supports sanctuary cities which is completely contrary to that, isn’t it? No, because you know we made one big mistake in World War II when we kept the Jews out from coming to America because of their persecution. We’ll never make that mistake again.
Making a visit to Media Row and creating quite a stir was Independent Presidential candidate Dr. Cornel West. Professor, one quick question. I want to know what you say. I’m from a Latvian newspaper, you know, a NATO country. Oh, yes. What needs to be done about Ukraine? It’s a human tragedy ongoing now two and half years. What do you say? Oh, it’s true. We gotta be in solidarity with our precious Ukrainian brothers and sisters. There’s no doubt about that. But it’s so often a situation you gotta a criminal invasion from gangster Putin. And at the same time you got NATO continually expanding because they feel as if not just they want to protect, but it’s also an extension of American interests and American power. And so it’s not just a question it seems to me of acting as if Putin can somehow bear 100% responsibility. I think there are multiple responsibilities. But we’ve got to stop that war and make sure there’s a fair diplomatic process so that Ukrainians have self-determination. But Russia wounded empire that it is it must have its own security because with to have that border right separating their enemy would be like the United States having Mexico and Canada having missiles, and no empire can survive like that, so it’s an ugly situation, my brother.
In Chicago I spoke with many regular delegates as I did at the Republican Convention. As you will see, the Democrats had a noticeably different range of concerns. In most cases I talked with them out on the noisy and crowded Convention floor where they were seated with their delegations. Meanwhile the arena stage was the scene of a succession of speakers, which included many politicians, some enjoying their first national exposure, but also average citizens talking about the issues that affect their lives and how they all hope that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will win in November.
Greg Moga, Seattle, Washington. What kind of work do you do? I do a number of things. I do some documentary work. So what motivates your involvement in politics? Donald Trump got me involved in politics. Just lately, in other words. You’re not a long timer? No, no. Whenever he was elected that was like a thunderstorm, like a lightning bolt. What do you object to about him? Everything. He’s a terrible human being, no business running a country. So that motivated me. I have five children and nine grandchildren on a planet that needs some help here. So what do you expect Kamala Harris will do for the country that arguably she hasn’t done in the past four years because it’s been a rough four years with inflation and high gas prices? So what is she going to do? You know inflation was a global problem. The United States had one of the lowest rates of inflation of any major country. I think she’s going to do a lot more on climate, a lot more on green energy. So she’s been a real champion for that. I’m on the board of the League of Conservation Voters, and we mobilize environmental voters all over the country. So I’m all in for what she’s going to do. Environmental, that makes me think of electric cars. What’s your take on Elon Musk? I was going to buy one of his cars, but I cancelled and got my money back and bought an Audi e-tron because I don’t like his politics. He should have kept himself quiet. He alienated a lot of his potential buyers.
Clare Collard, Magna, Utah. So to be a delegate to come all the way here is a big deal. In fact, I do know it costs some money as well. So you have a commitment to politics. I do. Could you talk about that? Why? What are you interested in? Well, I’ve been involved in local politics for about 20 years. I served in the Utah legislature, and I am the incoming Utah Committeewoman for DNC. But I’m committed because I care about working families. The district and the area I live in is distinctly working class. We have a lot of issues. And I just care about policy that impacts working families and makes their lives better. How are they are enduring the inflation of the past years? You know, it’s been really hard. And these are kitchen table issues that people are dealing with. And every single day you know they’re making decisions on do I pay my rent or my mortgage payment? Do I buy the medicines for my kid that has asthma? Do I care about my parents who are aging? These are things that people deal with every day, and I believe that the Democratic Party aligns better with my ideals and my philosophy, and I believe that the Harris-Walz ticket will only enhance that. So do they have any responsibility for this inflation? Harris and Walz? You know, I think it’s a more complex issue than that. I mean we hit Covid and we had all of the stuff that came out of Covid. But there are certainly things that perhaps the Biden Administration has impacted, but it’s how are we going to get out of it, how are we going to make it better, how are we going to improve things for people’s lives? Are we going to implement things like you know child tax credits, enhance that? What do you think of the idea of -- how did she [Vice President Harris] put it -- price controls on groceries? I’m not sure how you’re gonna to do that. I mean it’s a great concept. But I don’t know enough to say how that would actually work. But you know at this point I’m open to looking at anything that will make things better for families.
Randy Hadley, Huntsville, Alabama. Is this your first convention? Yes, this is my first convention. How long have you been involved in politics? I’ve been involved in politics about 40 years now, but I’ve never had time to come to the Convention. I’ve always been extremely busy. What issues animate you? What excites you? What excites me is making sure that Donald Trump doesn’t get in office. The other thing that excites me is having the first female elected President of the United States. Not just because she’s black but because she’s intelligent and she’s a good leader. So what in the last four years has she accomplished that you think she can double down on in the next four years? Her and Joe Biden together worked as a team. They got bipartisan to agree with things. They saved pension funds for unions. They’ve got health care costs down. They’re keeping Medicare costs down. And they’re fighting every day for the common working man and woman. But the inflation has really gone up in the last four years with high gas prices. Inflation went up extremely high, but I’m not blaming that on the Joe Biden Administration. That was due with the COVID-19 came through here, and then Trump and them started printin’ up money and giving it away. I forget -- did I ask what you do for a living? I am a union representative. Which union? The Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union. I see. So tell me what is it about Trump that particularly puts you off? That he’s not for the working class man and woman. He’s just for the wealthy people on Wall Street. You know the wealthiest Congressional districts in the country all go solid Democrat. How can you explain that? I can’t! [laughs] ‘Cause they move out there, I reckon. I don’t know. All right, thanks!
Alex Aghdaei, Eugene, Oregon. Are you a student or you work? I am a student. What are you studying? Political science. University of Oregon? Yes, I am. So what gets you involved in politics? When did you start your political involvement? I started in high school. When the Covid pandemic hit, I became very aware of the ways in Oregon that we had failed to prepare our teachers for the pandemic and provide the resources and support training to help them, help students through that difficult time, and I ended up organizing a group of students to talk to my school board and basically just tell them about the ways that our teachers were being failed and that students were being harmed because Oregon was one of the states with the longest online programs. And we were able to achieve real change and for me that was a very enlightening moment. I saw that you can organize and achieve things, and ever since then I have been very politically active. Okay, thankfully Covid is behind us. Let’s cross our fingers. So what issues now come to the fore for you? Absolutely student debt cancellation. I think you know Joe Biden started the job during his term, but we failed to do total debt cancellation. But we know there are paths forward. And MOHELA, the loan servicing agency that services all student debt, public student loan debt, could be fired, could be removed, and that would allow us to continue without the legal challenges we’ve experienced. I think that for lots of students like myself, the cost of education is the most terrifying thing. And we need to cancel the rest of the student debt. Somebody has to pay that debt, so other people would pay that, and that would include students who worked their way through college and students who paid off their loans. Is this fair? Absolutely. I mean for decades students have Pell Grant, federal funding, G.I. bill that has put them through college at no cost low cost, and that grant and support has not been touched in 20-30 years now. The cost that we’re experiencing now is outrageous. And the amount of student loan debt that exists right now is putting people in poverty, and the main issue is that we’re not enforcing the debt fairly. Lots of students can’t even get access to their loan servicing provider. So we need to get rid of them. In this movement that you’re involved with, is there any mention of the fact that maybe colleges charge too much? That many colleges such as the one that I went to have more administrators than teachers and yet they charge a lot of money, and now you’re suggesting that whatever the students pay should be forgiven and the debt picked up by somebody else. Well, the debt is being serviced by the federal government, and they can cancel it at any time. The only barrier we have right now is the legal challenges, and there’s a very clear path forward. It’s absolutely true that our colleges and universities have been charging students too much. But the root of that problem is that we haven’t funded our colleges and universities at the level they need to be funded at for decades as well. Half of them are private. For the private ones they’re just taking advantage of the fact that many students the students that do have the ability to pay are willing to pay huge amounts for degrees, but it’s outrageous.
Cindy Garlock, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. What motivates your involvement in politics? What do you care about? I care about humanity. I care about everyone being free and equal and being able to be the people that they want to be. That’s why I am here. I’ve been involved in politics my whole life. And this is my first time at a national Convention, and I feel we’re on the cusp of really big change with the Harris-Walz ticket. I think we can re-envision America back to the way we want to be – a welcoming place for everyone where everyone has opportunity and freedom. In Milwaukee a lot of the Republicans were very concerned about what they called pretty much an open border and many millions of people unauthorized have come into the country. How do you feel about that? I think definitely we need border legislation, and I think that our Administration had a plan and until Donald Trump blew it up we had a bipartisan plan to solve the immigration situation. I personally feel that anyone that’s going to pack up their entire lives to come to a different country there must be a reason. So we need to find a way for people to come into this country legally. I think if the Democrats are in control we’ll find a way to do that in an orderly process so that everyone can enjoy the freedoms that we are enjoying. The Latvian refugees followed the rules. They stayed in Germany in Displaced Persons Camps for some up to five years, and they came here with permission and any money that was spent on them they paid back. Meantime some of them look at the Democratic Party sanctuary cities all across the country that have made it a policy not to cooperate with Immigration, and they’ve shielded those in their cities who are here illegally. How is that part of the solution? Well, I believe we need real border legislation that will help people who legitimately need and want to come into the country have a way to do that. There’s a path forward, and I want to be part of the path forward. And that’s why I am here.
Janette Wilson, Chicago, Illinois. You’re here as a delegate originally for Joe Biden, and now for Kamala Harris. And you’re from where? Chicago. Oh, right here. This is very exciting to have this convention here. It is certainly exciting. So what motivates your involvement in politics? Well, I think politics is how you divide up resources and how you allocate the resources to people. So you have be involved to make sure that the most vulnerable the most needy are able to get the resources they need whether it’s education, health care, or economic opportunities. Am I seeing a clerical collar? Yes. So what is your position? An ordained Baptist. But I just believe in Jesus. So I have been a Methodist. I have been at Presbyterian churches. But I am Baptist. So you have your own congregation? I did, not right now. So what do you think Kamala Harris offers to the country? I think she offers hope. She offers a woman’s perspective on how to address some of the issues we face internationally in terms of our foreign policy, nationally in terms of our domestic policy, and in terms of our economic agenda, our health care agenda, our educational policy. I think as a woman she will think more of children first. She will think of families next. And she will think about what it means to go to the grocery store and not have enough money to buy groceries for a family of four. She’ll think about child care and what it costs. She’ll think about making sure that every child has a high quality public education without regard to economic status and without regard to race or gender. Since you mention public education, how do you feel about vouchers? I think we must provide a high quality public education for every child, and it’s not based on some people allocating vouchers for certain segments of society. We must level the education playing field.
Dr. Joeigh Perella, Vineland, New Jersey. What kind of work do you do? I am a dentist. Why are you in politics? I’ve been involved in politics since I was 18 years old. I’ve always found it to be the best way to make a positive impact on my community, particularly working with the Democratic Party. I believe in the values that we stand for, and together we’re going to build a better tomorrow for people in New Jersey, for people in my home county, and for people across this country. It’s very general. Be specific. What do you want to change? When you know we look at the candidates that we have this year with VP Harris and Governor Walz how supportive they’ve been of the LGBTQ+ community. Me as a member of the trans community knowing that they’ve put themselves out there to fight for us to advocate for us, I think we need more people doing work like that. We need to ensure that the rights of trans individuals are being protected, that people have the freedom to live their lives at they choose to be their most authentic selves, and I think that’s what’s always attracted me to the Democratic Party that they believe wholeheartedly in that. Well, at the Republican Party one of the guests of the Convention who walked around and met a lot of the delegates was the swimmer Riley Gaines. Yes, I am familiar with her. And she’s leading the charge against -- trans women in sport -- biological males in women’s sports and rest rooms. So how do you answer her? I don’t know if she’s the one that I’m trying to talk to. I think I more want to answer her charges the things that she claims and speak to the broader group of Americans who understand that my existence as a woman doesn’t threaten anyone else’s womanhood. In examples where someone like Lia Thomas is competing at a high level in her sport she’s doing so following all the rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA or the U.S. Swimming Committee. When it comes to biological advantage, that doesn’t exist along binary gender lines. I mean if we’re gonna say that someone has a biological advantage because they’re tall should they not be able to compete against people who are shorter? How do we start to break down our athletic competition if we’re gonna talk about people competing against each who have different body shapes and forms? As for trans women, if a trans person has medically transitioned, their hormone levels their internal biology is very similar to a cis person.
Liz Walters, Akron, Ohio, Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party. Oh, Latvian newspaper! Awesome! What motivates your participation in politics? Like a lot of people I have deep roots in my community. I have a big loving family, and many years ago my family went through a medical bankruptcy, and it really opened my eyes to how policy and politics can intersect and affect the lives of everyday people across the sea across the country, and so I decided to get politically active to see if I could make change policies that I didn’t think were right. And it’s been an incredible journey and it’s been exciting to be a part of so many different fights, but it’s really exciting to be here tonight for this historic convention. What do you look forward to most here? Listen, all of it’s going to be fun, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I can’t wait to watch this party nominate Kamala Harris to be the first woman President. What is it that particularly recommends her to you? I think Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are laying out a clear agenda for people all over this country that brings us together around holding up our freedoms, promoting an economy that works for all people, and really holds us to the values that unite us like freedom of choice, like a strong middle class, like growing the tent, being a unified country, making room for everybody in this country to live the American dream. So I am excited to hear what they all have to say. Finally in Milwaukee an issue that really concerned almost every delegate I talked to is the inflation that’s erupted during this past Administration. Well, and I think that President Biden has done incredible work to bring those costs down. They’re turning the corner. We know too many people in this country are still hurting. And I think seeing what Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are committing to fight price gouging, to put caps on medication, to actually negotiate with Medicare for prescription drugs. Those are all things that are gonna impact the pocketbook of Americans all over this country, and I think it is exactly what people are hungry to see from our government. Does that include the price controls on food? Well, I think what they’re talking about is making sure that no company can rig the prices so high that Americans can’t afford to eat. This country is too wealthy to have people going to bed hungry or wondering how they’re gonna buy their groceries. And I know that’s what our leaders are committed to. Do you think it’s the companies that are at fault for the high prices? Yes.
Lenora Sorola-Pohlman, Houston, Texas. So what do you do for day to day work? I have an insurance broker firm that I manage. Employee benefits type thing. So is this your first Convention? No, I am proud to say I have been a delegate since 2000. What are your political passions? What impels you to participate in politics? Well, our voices to be heard. But right now the biggest thing is there’s less rights for my kids and my grandkids, granddaughters, than what I had growing up. And that’s wrong, and we need to get that taken care of. What less rights do your children and grandchildren have? They don’t have the right to choose what to do with their own body. That’s the biggest one. And what they want to take, and who they want to love, and who they want to be. Everything they’re trying to dictate. For a political party who wants less people in their business and no big business, they have been more into our family life than any other political organization. And that most importantly is legislating about abortion now that Roe v. Wade is gone. So other than that, be more specific. More specific getting more Hispanic Latina women elected to the party in general may be from the courthouse to the White House I want more women and Hispanic women to be elected. Of course, some of them are Republican and some of them are anti-abortion so how does that work? Yes, Yes. Well, okay. Thank you. Democratic women to be elected, and that way I think we won’t have the problems. When we elect Democratic women we have more of a voice, and they understand. I love men without a doubt. However, they have never bore children, taken care of a home, taken care of children and a job, all in one time. What do you think Kamala Harris is gonna offer the country that some would say she’s been in office for four years so she’s making promises now to let’s say deal with inflation which exploded in the last few years? And why? Because we went through a pandemic, and that’s because that person who was the elected President didn’t know how to handle anything, and that’s why we’re now suffering from what he brought to us. And the economy and everything else. Once she is put back like Joe Biden all this is blowback from what Trump had just like when Kamala becomes President she is going to be better positioned because of what Joe Biden had done and brought us. Things are not done overnight and they not fixed overnight. Now the minute Biden came in he stopped the pipeline, he clamped down on some well exploration, and gasoline doubled and tripled in some places. And that’s true. However, we also need to take care of our country our grass our structure and everything else. And does that mean we have to suffer some? Yes, I’m sorry. For the future if you want something different and better, if you want your children to have better water, for them to be able to breathe better air, then you know what we have to do with a little more and have that expense. It is for our children.
JJ Dega, Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth College junior, history and economics major, public policy minor. I assume this is your first convention. That’s right, this is my first Convention and my first time voting in a Presidential election as well. So who are you voting for? The Harris-Walz ticket and I couldn’t be more proud and excited to do so. What are the issues that you are interested in? What are the things that you actually go online and you read about and you care about? Absolutely, I think there are three: I would say first is reproductive freedom. I think the beginning of Republican attacks on individuals’ bodies it started with the fall of Roe. And I think that we as men have to step up and get off the sidelines and into the fight for reproductive justice and ensure that we not only restore the protections of reproductive freedom but also expand them make sure that reproductive freedom and reproductive health care is safe and widely available. And I think as an ally that is critical because while my body may not be at risk right in this very moment, I think we have to step up so that it doesn’t fall down the line and we stop these attacks. So I think that’s issue number one. Issue number two is certainly housing. As a young person I think what I certainly am thinking about in my future is affording a home, whether that’s renting or buying a home. And I think I have paid close attention to that. And then third I think it’s economic justice making sure that after college I have a job that you know provides for me the support economically with camaraderie quite frankly that I’m looking for, and I think the Harris-Walz ticket certainly addresses each of those issues whether that’s restoring Roe and reproductive freedom that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz both committed to. Whether that’s the new housing investment building three million new homes during a Harris-Walz --. How are they going to do that – the housing? The housing I think it’s a multi-tiered approach. I think there are federal policy solutions, and then it’s working with state and local governments. And I think you’ve seen that Kamala Harris certainly has the experience of working with state and local governments whether that’s the Covid response or whether that’s infrastructure. We heard this morning from Governor Wes Moore who was talking about interactions and working with the Biden-Harris Administration. But specifically on housing -- is it the government that would build the housing or private would build the housing because private are not building much housing now? That’s right. I think there are different approaches, and I think I will leave it to Kamala Harris for the specifics. But the commitment to build three million new homes is huge no matter who is building them, and it will create a more equitable and affordable -- What about her proposal to give first time buyers $25,000? I think it’s fantastic. I think giving those who historically have not had the ability to get a leg up in the housing market is crucial. We’ve seen that housing and property ownership is one of the main ways to build generational wealth and build success for families, and so I think in the short and long term it’s gonna be critical for first time homeowners and their future families. So if the government gave so many people $25,000, wouldn’t that just push up the price of houses just the way college loans have pushed up the cost of college? Yea, I mean I think it’s critical to remember that this credit is for first time homeowners, and I think that it’s going to help create a more equitable housing market.
Justin McCarty, Springfield, Missouri. What do you for a living? I am a pipefitter by trade, but I work for the plumbers and pipefitters union. Is this your first convention? It is my first convention. What gets you involved in politics? What motivates you, what issues? Obviously you know having a good labor friendly President and Administration is very important to me, but it was seen how the previous Administration had sown so much hate and division between everybody. I knew this wasn’t a world I wanted my two boys to grow up in. So I got more involved and just trying to bring people together and find that we’ve got more in common that what divides us. Detail specifically the hate, that’s very general. It’s just the way people started treating each other. It’s just one of those things. It’s not a nice place to live in, and I want a better America and a better future for my kids.
Among the many Hollywood celebrities at the Democratic Convention was actor and political activist Rob Reiner. In a sentence or two what are your hopes for Kamala Harris as President? Well, we’re gonna to win, we’re gonna win, and we’re gonna save American democracy.
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For those who are interested, the full proceedings of both Conventions are available for viewing on YouTube and on the C-Span website. This includes from the Republicans the acceptance speeches by former President Trump and Senator Vance plus many more speeches, among them those by former U.S. Trade official Peter Navarro, former Acting ICE Director Tom Homan, and Gold Star family members of soldiers killed during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. From the Democrats you can watch the acceptance speeches by Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, and speeches by President Biden, former President Obama and Michelle Obama, former President Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and Oprah Winfrey, as well as the tribute to the ailing Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was escorted to the stage by some of his longtime political allies.
Edgar B. Anderson is a graduate of Stanford University and Stanford Law School. He lives in Los Angeles.
