Walz caps off emotional night: 5 takeaways from Day 3 of Democratic convention

The third day of the Democratic National Convention did not quite reach the emotional intensity of the previous two nights, but it kept the party’s momentum going ahead of Vice President Harris’s big speech on Thursday.

Harris’s vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), was the headline attraction on Wednesday. The other major names included former President Clinton, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg — as well as a surprise appearance from TV legend Oprah Winfrey.

Here are the big takeaways.
1. Walz makes his appeal to middle America
Walz rose to the occasion on the biggest night of his political career. His chief political asset is his persona as an unpretentious, plain-spoken Midwesterner. That image was underlined from the moment he came on stage at the United Center to the sounds of John Mellencamp’s “Small Town.”

2. Pelosi navigates awkward convention moment
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), perhaps the single most important figure in pushing Biden to step aside from his reelection quest, navigated her way through the potentially awkward moment of her convention speech. Pelosi praised Biden for his achievements and for his “patriotic vision of a fairer America.” She contended his tenure had been “one of the most successful presidencies of modern times.”

3. Clinton shows his age while making case for Harris                                                                                                                                 Former President Clinton helped make the case for Harris on Wednesday. But his hoarse-voiced, 28-minute speech was a reminder of his advancing age. Clinton noted to the crowd that he turned 78 on Monday, though he emphasized “I’m still younger than Donald Trump.”

4. Oprah delivers night’s biggest surprise
Oprah Winfrey delivered the surprise appearance of the evening, insisting “decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024” and arguing that the electorate must choose “inclusion over retribution, common sense over nonsense.”

5. Divisions rise again over Gaza                                                                                                                                                                               The conflict in Gaza is the most contentious issue within the Democratic Party. A march by pro-Palestinian protesters Monday was smaller than expected. But tensions on the issue erupted again Wednesday. During the Democratic primary process, significant numbers of voters — 19 percent in Minnesota and 13 percent in Michigan — cast ballots for “Uncommitted” in a protest vote against Biden’s policies on Israel and Gaza.

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