Dems race to the finish

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By SUZANNE LYNCH
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Good morning from Chicago, where Democrats are preparing to crown Kamala Harris as their presidential nominee when she takes to the convention stage tonight. 
As it happens, it’s also her ten-year wedding anniversary, though it’s not clear if she’ll publicly mark the moment with her husband Doug, who introduced himself to delegates at the convention with a Hallmark-level, tear-jerker of a speech on Tuesday. 
A-listers front and center: Last night saw an array of speakers take to the stage, with music legends Stevie Wonder and John Legend bringing some musical pizzazz to the event, and Oprah Winfrey making a guest appearance. 
Golden Oldies: Apart from a decent smattering of A-list celebs, Democrats also rolled out some of the party’s grandees, though none could match the dizzying performance of the Obamas on Tuesday night.
Nancy Pelosi delivered a short, safe address in which she discussed the Jan. 6 attack and thanked President Joe Biden for his service before moving on.
Bill Clinton made his 12th convention speech. His appearance here has divided delegates as the party continues to grapple with his complex legacy in the post #MeToo era. Check out this piece by Jonathan Martin on Why Democrats Need Bill Clinton. 
It’s not you; it’s me. Not everyone has made the cut for a speaking slot however. New York Mayor Eric Adams has been a notable omission from the speakers’ list this week in Chicago. He assured me there are no hard feelings in an interview at the POLITICO-CNN grill Wednesday. “You only have a certain amount of speaker slots. This isn’t the Eric Adams show,” he said. “In New York we’re good; we need to go after swing states.” As for his icy relationship with Biden, he brushed it off. “Families can disagree,” he replied. 
HELLO, AMERICA: Last night was all about one man — Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor who has sprung from relative obscurity to become one of the most important political figures in the United States, following Kamala Harris’ decision to make him her running mate. 
Straight-talking: After an emotional entrance, Walz got straight to it, presenting a whistle-stop history of his biography and delivering a relatively short speech. And that was exactly the point — his no-nonsense ability to connect with mainstream America was one of the primary reasons Harris chose Walz. 
Notable quotes: “While other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger” — Walz zeroed in on his career as a school teacher, a central part of his identity, as he appealed to working Americans.
— “I haven’t given a lot of big speeches like this, but I have given a lot of pep talks. It’s our job to get in the trenches and do the blocking and tackling” — Walz peppered his speech with football references, a nod to his past as a coach. 
— “Some folks just don’t understand what it takes to be a good neighbor. Take Donald Trump and JD Vance” — the word “neighbor” was mentioned again and again, underscoring Walz’s image as the helpful guy next door.
Reaching across the aisle: While Republicans have homed in on Walz’s progressive policies — he implemented a huge public spending program as governor, legislated for marijuana and implemented gun restrictions — Walz noted last night that he first won election in a traditional red seat. It’s an important trump card for the 60-year-old politician, who has repeatedly won office in Republican-leaning areas — a key objective for Democrats as they try to appeal to independents and never-Trump Republicans. 
Economic story: Walz also stayed away from lofty comments about democracy or re-litigating Trump’s past record. Instead he got down to bread and butter issues. Addressing middle-class voters, he said that Harris will “cut your taxes,” “take on big pharma” and make buying a home more affordable — though questions over the funding of the proposals remained unanswered. 
“That’s my Dad:” The most memorable moment of the speech may well be when the cameras panned to Walz’s son Gus in the audience who pointed to his father through tears, crying “that’s my Dad” — the clip was already making waves on social media as delegates filed out of the United Center last night. 
STAKES HIGH IN SWING STATES: While Democrats are giddy with excitement this week as they soak up the Harris momentum, the reality is they’re in safe Democratic territory here in Illinois. The state has reliably voted to send a Democrat to the White House for the last three decades. Of more concern is the handful of swing states where margins are razor-thin and Harris and Trump will battle it out for each and every vote. 
Michigan moves: A case in point is Michigan, another Great Lakes state located just across the lakeshore from Chicago. Though Joe Biden won Michigan by 2.8 percent in 2020, a mere 156,000 votes separated him from Donald Trump. Four years earlier, Trump himself defeated Hillary Clinton in the traditionally blue-collar state, delivering one of the biggest political upsets of that election and unleashing a wave of finger-pointing among Democrats. 
Motown mojo: But as election day 2024 nears, Democrats are quietly confident that Michigan can land in their column. “Turning the page to Kamala Harris has opened up enormous enthusiasm in Michigan,” Congressman Dan Kildee told Global Playbook. “The state is significantly more competitive now with Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket and with Tim Walz.”
Harsh but true: Kildee says that Biden’s exit has been a game-changer. “We were facing what a lot of states were facing — a lot of affection and appreciation for the work Joe Biden has done but a general lack of enthusiasm. This was not just for Biden, but a lack of enthusiasm regarding the choice between Biden and Trump; two much older people that were so much a part of the last decade of American politics.” Kildee’s assessment of a Harris-driven momentum is borne out by the polls — Harris is leading in Michigan, according to the Cook Political Report.
Palestine problem: Democrats are not home and dry, however. The state is diverse, encompassing the auto city of Detroit, working-class towns like Flint, the leftie university hub of Ann Arbor and vast rural areas. It also has a high percentage of Muslim voters, who are distraught at the Biden administration’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war. In a sign of the Gaza conflict’s spoiler potential, around 100,000 voters voted “uncommitted” in the Democratic primary in the spring when Biden was still running. So far, the Israel-Palestinian conflict has been a topic here in Chicago, with protests happening every day, but it has not erupted as the kind of divisive issue on the convention floor that many had feared. 
Hear their voice: Kildee, who himself voted against supplemental funding for Israel earlier this year over what’s happening in the Gaza Strip, said that it’s not just Arab-Muslim Americans who are concerned. “Younger voters very much see this question as central to the 2024 election,” he said. “I do think that Vice President Harris has an opportunity to … make it clear that she has deep concerns about the future of the people of Palestine.”
Good ground game: Ultimately however Kildee believes that Democrats can win the state, and not just the presidential race. Michigan has one of the most competitive Senate races in the country, with Elissa Slotkin facing off against Republican Mike Rogers. “It starts with the  candidates, but we also have the resources,” said Kildee. “The energy we’re talking about is not just in the ether, that energy is translating to a significant increase in small dollar donations to congressional candidates and an increased number of volunteers. It’s still going to be a close race, but we’ve a real chance to win Michigan.”
SUPER-SIZE ME: Much of the action this week is taking place at McCormick Place, where groups from the women’s caucus to the interfaith council are holding events each day before the prime-time programming gets going at the United Center. The sprawling McCormick convention space is the largest in North America — its dizzying 2.6 million square meters spreading over the south of the city. 
Hotel Chicago: It’s also home to the largest Hyatt Regency hotel in the world — a hotel-chain synonymous with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt group, who’s been playing host to Democrats throughout the week in Chicago. Such is the extent of his wealth that Pritzker was tipped as a possible contender for the presidential ticket when Biden dropped out, in part because of his ability to fund a potential run at short notice. 
The party of working people: The governor took a shot at his own wealth in his speech to the convention Tuesday. “Take it from an actual billionaire, Trump is rich in only one thing — stupidity,” he said to the crowd, in a quip that may have got under Trump’s skin, but fell pretty flat in the convention hall. Ironically, Pritzker spoke just after veteran left-wing Sen. Bernie Sanders railed against the “billionaire class.” 
FOOD TRUCK VIBES: The pop-up eateries near the Media Center are doing a roaring trade with a growing number of delegates throughout the week swapping the packed convention center for the outdoor eating area. In hot demand are the Jumbo Shrimp Po’ Boy at the Cajun Connoisseur and Uncle Remus’ fried chicken.
— Sen. Gary Peters holding a baby at the GlobalWIN Rise and Shine brunch at Ada restaurant. 
— “The Remedy is Kennedy” bus blasting tunes as it cruised around the convention center. (Harris campaign chair Jennifer O’Malley Dillon was nonplussed about the possibility of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pulling out and endorsing Trump, telling our own Eugene Daniels that she’s confident the vice-president will win “whether she’s running against one candidate or multiple candidates.”)
— “Rednecks support Palestine” pick-up truck near the United Center. 
— Former Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern at the Center for American Progress event at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place. 
— “She’s gonna kick his butt” — Sen. Tammy Baldwin on the debate between Harris and Trump. “Listen Kamala and I went into the Senate together and we campaigned together for two years before we were both elected at the same time. I’d be afraid to go up by a debate against her,” she told POLITICO’s Anne McElvoy at the POLITICO Grill Wednesday. You can hear the full interview on the latest Power Play podcast out today.
“For Our Future” is the theme of Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention. Programming starts at 5:15 p.m. local time, with Kamala Harris the star attraction.  
The CNN-POLITICO Grill also has a host of speakers throughout the day. Here’s a rundown:
— 1:30 p.m. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi 
— 2:00 p.m. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS.) 
— 2:15 p.m.: Representative Nikki Budzinski (D-IL.) 
— 2:30 p.m.: Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI.) 
— 3:00 p.m.: Senator Laphonza Butler (D-CA.)
— 3:20 p.m.: Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg 
Programming will be live-streamed on POLITICO.com and across POLITICO’s social channels. Follow our coverage at politico.com/dnc
Other events:
— 2 p.m.: National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Black Women’s Roundtable; DNC Day Party; theWit Hotel
—5 p.m.: Unidos US Latino Leadership, Happy Hour, Barrio
— 5:30 p.m.: Everytown for Gun Safety hosts a “Toast to Gun Violence Prevention Mayors” at Mayors Pub, United Center
— 7 p.m.: Higher Heights for America; The Real MP Watch Party and After Party; Epiphany Center for the Arts, til 1 a.m. 
— 8 p.m.: El Party, VOTO Latino bash at House of Blues 
— 9 p.m.: Impactful, THE Party, Remove Theater, til 3 a.m
— Global Playbook will be in your inbox Friday morning at 7 a.m. Chicago time bringing you all the latest from the Democratic National Convention.
— Thanks to editor Jones Hayden and producer Jeanette Minns.
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