AND I THINK SENATOR HARRIS HELPS
MAKE THAT CASE.
I THINK PRESIDENT OBAMA HELPED
TELL THE STORY OF WHY IT MATTERS
SO MUCH.
>> PRESIDENT OBAMA’S NOT EMOTION
BUT HIS KIND OF -- THERE WAS A
LITTLE BIT OF RAGE.
WE ALL KNOW THERE HAS TO BE A "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" CHARACTER
"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" CHARACTER
CREATE TODAY BE RACHEL OBAMA,
RIGHT -- I HAD TOLD THE CONTROL
ROOM I WANT TODAY PLAY NUMBER
SIX, WHICH I CHANGED MY MIND
ABOUT BECAUSE I’M THAT TERRIBLE
PERSON BUT CAN WE PLAY NUMBER
THREE OF OBAMA?
SO AT THIS POINT HE HAS MADE THE
ARGUMENT THAT OUR DEMOCRACY IS
AT STAKE.
HE HAS TALKED ABOUT HOW A
DEMOCRACY WITHERS UNTIL IT IS NO
DEMOCRACY AT ALL, WHEN PEOPLE
ARE TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA THAT
OUR SYSTEM OF SELF-GOVERNANCE IS
WHAT WE CAN DO TO SOLVE WHATEVER
PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE.
BUT THERE’S THIS MOMENT WHERE
YOU SEE OBAMA LIKE KIND OF
HAVING TO REEL HIMSELF BACK IN
TERMS OF HOW SERIOUS HE THINKS
THIS IS AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO
ABOUT IT.
LET’S WATCH THAT.
>> WHAT WE DO ECHOES THROUGH
GENERATIONS.
WHATEVER OUR BACKGROUNDS WE ARE
ALL THE CHILDREN OF AMERICANS
WHO FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.
GREAT-GRANDPARENTS WORKING IN
SWEATSHOPS WITHOUT RIGHTS OR
REPRESENTATION.
FARMERS LOSING THEIR DREAMS TO
DUST.
IRISH AND ITALIANS AND ASIANS
AND LATINOS TOLD GO BACK WHERE
YOU COME FROM.
JEWS AND CATHOLICS, MUSLIMS AND
SIKHS MADE TO FEEL SUSPECT FOR
THE WAY THEY WORSHIPPED.
BLACK AMERICANS CHAINED AND
WHIPPED AND HANGED, SPIT ON FOR
TRYING TO SIT AT LUNCH COUNTERS.
BEATEN FOR TRYING TO VOTE.
IF ANYONE HAD A RIGHT TO BELIEVE
THAT THIS DEMOCRACY DID NOT WORK
AND COULD NOT WORK IT WAS THOSE
AMERICANS, OUR ANCESTORS.
>> THAT IS AN UNCOMMON BARACK
OBAMA RIGHT THERE TALKING.
>> AND IT’S NOT EVEN THE WAY HE
NORMALLY TALKS ABOUT AMERICAN
HISTORY.
HE NORMALLY TALKS ABOUT THE
RECONCILING NATURE OF OUR
HISTORY AND THE WAYS IN WHICH
WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO REPAIR.
AND HE’S VERY MUCH ABOUT THAT.
HE REALLY DOES DEEPLY BELIEVE IN
THE REPARATIVE POWER OF AMERICA.
THIS WAS I WAS GOING TO PICK THE
EXACT SAME ONE BECAUSE THIS WAS
BARACK OBAMA SAYING THIS ISN’T
EVEN THE MOST SAVAGE OUR HISTORY
HAS BEEN.
AND I’M GOING TO EXPLAIN TO YOU
HOW SAVAGE IT HAS BEEN.
>> AND THOSE PEOPLE BELIEVED
THAT DEMOCRACY WAS THE SOLUTION
TO WHATEVER PROBLEMS WE HAVE,
AND NOW WE’RE GOING TO BE THE
ONES WHO --
>> IF WE LOSE AMERICA AFTER THEY
MANAGE TODAY GET THROUGH ALL OF
THAT --
>> AND SAVE IT AND BUILD IT TO
WHAT IT IS NOW.
>> -- AND SAVE IT, AND IT’S
FUNNY BECAUSE KAMALA HARRIS KIND
OF ENDS WITH THE SAME KIND OF
FLOURISH WHERE SHE SAYS ONE DAY
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOK BACK
AND THEY’RE GOING TO ASK US WHAT
WAS IT LIKE, WHAT DID YOU DO,
AND DON’T LET YOURSELF BE CAUGHT
SAYING I DID NOTHING, BECAUSE
YOU ONLY HAVE TO VOTE.
AND IT’S RISKY NOW BECAUSE COVID
IS THERE AND VOTER SUPPRESSION
IS REAL.
AND THE FIGHT AGAINST DEMOCRACY,
I’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
IT.
I SAY IT ALL THE TIME MY MOTHER
IS ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE.
HE WAS A REAGANITE.
HE WOULD NEVER RECOGNIZE WHAT
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS NOW
BECAUSE IT IS IN MANY WAYS AN
INSURGENCY AGAINST AMERICA.
IT’S AN INSURGENCY AGAINST EVERY
VALUE THAT REPUBLICANS USED TO
CLAIM THEY HELD DEAR.
THEY’RE NOT JUST FIGHTING, YOU
KNOW, BARACK OBAMA, THEY’RE
FIGHTING US.
THEY’RE FIGHTING VOTERS, THE
POSTAL SERVICE.
THEY’RE FIGHTING EVERY
INSTITUTION TO BREAK IT SO THEY
CAN KEEP POWER.
BOTH KAMALA HARRIS AND BARACK
OBAMA IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS
MADE THAT MESSAGE.
>> AND FOR OBAMA TO HAVE MADE
THAT POINTED CASE AGAINST WHAT’S
HAPPENING WITH TRUMPISM AND
WHAT’S AT RISK WITH TRUMPISM,
AND FOR HARRIS TO BE LEFT,
NICOLLE, AS YOU POINTED OUT TO
SAY THEY ASK US WHAT IT WAS LIKE
AND WE WILL TELL THEM NOT JUST
WHAT WE FELT BUT WE WILL TELL
THEM WHAT WE DID.
SHE GOT TO INTRODUCE HERSELF
TONIGHT.
SHE SAID I KNOW WHAT A PREDATOR
LOOKS LIKE, POINTED PAUSE.
WE ALL KNEW WHAT SHE MEANT,
BRIAN.
BUT AT THAT POINT SHE STEPS UP
TO TALKING ABOUT TRUMP, GETS
BACK TO IT’S NICE TO MEET YOU
AMERICA, HERE’S HOW WE’RE GOING
TO HELP.
AND THAT’S A POWERFUL EMOTIONAL