>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK!
WE'RE HERE WITH OUR GUEST SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS OF
CALIFORNIA.
SENATOR, LET ME ASK YOU THIS -- MANY PEOPLE WHO PUT OUT BOOKS
TWO YEARS BEFORE A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DO SO TO INTRODUCE
THEMSELVES IN A BROAD WAY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
UM -- ARE YOU GOING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> I MIGHT.
>> Stephen: YOU MIGHT!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ALL RIGHT!
( PIANO RIFF ) THAT'S IT!
ALL RIGHT!
THERE YOU GO!
THERE'S YOUR HEADLINE RIGHT THERE!
THERE'S BEEN SOME REPORTING THAT YOU WILL ANNOUNCE THIS ON M.L.K.
DAY JANUARY 21.
SHOULD I KEEP MY SCHEDULE OPEN THAT DAY, OR SHOULD I DRINK A
LOT OF COUGH SYRUP AND WAKE UP ON THE 22nd?
>> WE SHOULD ALWAYS HONOR THE GREAT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING ON
M.L.K. DAY.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: YOU LOOK SO HAPPY
ON THE COVER.
WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?
WHERE DOES YOUR HOPE COME FROM?
>> I REMAIN OPTIMISTIC.
THE WAY THAT I THINK ABOUT IT IS WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT WAS
FOUNDED ON NOBLE IDEALS, AND WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE NOT YET REACHED
THOSE IDEALS, BUT PART OF OUR STRENGTH IS WE FIGHT TO REACH
THOSE IDEALS.
WE ARE AN ASPIRATIONAL COUNTRY, AND THE MOMENT WE LOSE THIS
ASPIRATION TO BE ALL THAT OUR FOUNDERS SAID WE SHOULD AN CAN
BE, THAT'S A BAD MOMENT, BUT I REMAIN OPTIMISTIC THAT THIS IS
WORTH FIGHTING FOR, OUR COUNTRY IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR, AND THESE
IDEALS ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR, AND IF SOMETHING IS WORTH
FIGHTING FOR, THEN IT'S A FIGHT WORTH HAVING.
( APPLAUSE ) IT'S A FIGHT WORTH HAVING,
PERIOD.
>> Stephen: YOU ALSO HAVE ANOTHER BOOK.
>> YEAH, I DO.
>> Stephen: I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU WEREN'T GOING TO RUN FOR
PRESIDENT BECAUSE CHILDREN CAN'T VOTE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD WRITE A BOOK FOR THEM.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: SUPERHEROES ARE EVERYWHERE.
>> OKAY, SO I WROTE THIS BOOK.
YOU KNOW, I WAS VERY BLESSED TO HAVE A GREAT CHILDHOOD,
SURROUNDED BY A FAMILY AND EXTENDED FAMILY, WHICH I TALK
ABOUT IN BOTH BOOKS, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I AM VERY CLEAR
ABOUT GROWING UP IS THAT I WAS SURROUND BID A BUNCH OF ADULTS
WHO MADE US FEEL SPECIAL.
WE WEREN'T PARTICULARLY SPECIAL, BUT THEY MADE US FEEL SPECIAL,
AND WHEN I LOOK AT CHILDREN TODAY, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE SURROUND BID HEROS AND -- SURROUNDED BY
HEROES AND SUPERHEROES AND YOU DON'T NEED TO LOOK AT A C.G.I.
SCREEN TO SEE THEM.
THEY ARE YOUR PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, THE NEIGHBOR DOWN
THE STREET, YOUR TEACHER, YOUR BEST FRIENDS.
THE BOOK, I TALK ABOUT ALL THE SUPERHEROES AROUND US EVERY DAY
AND IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU WILL SEE THEY ARE WEARING A CAPE, AND
IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY YOU WILL REALIZE WHAT THEY DO TO MAKE US
FEEL STRONG AND INVINCIBLE AND KNOW THAT WE CAN BE AND DO
ANYTHING WE WANT, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO WRITE THE BOOK, SO
IT'S ABOUT ALL THE SUPERHEROES THAT SURROUND US EVERY DAY.
>> Stephen: WELL, THANK YOU FOR MAKING SOMETHING AT MY
READING LEVEL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WELL, PLEASE JOIN US AGAIN WHEN
YOU MAY RUN FOR PRESIDENT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO MAYBE HEARING ABOUT IT.
>> OKAY, THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE IT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> STEPHEN: HER NEW BOOKS ARE
"THE TRUTHS WE HOLD: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY" AND "SUPERHEROES ARE
EVERYWHERE."
SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.