Barack Obama headlines DNC on Tuesday, will campaign for Harris

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00:00Now it's the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

00:04This evening the headline speaker is to be the former President Barack Obama

00:09who remains a popular and influential figure within the party.

00:13He's expected to hail Kamala Harris as the future of the Democratic Party.

00:18But before the convention looks to the future,

00:21last night President Biden gave his farewell speech, honoured with a standing ovation.

00:30She's tough. She's experienced.

00:33And she has enormous integrity. Enormous integrity.

00:37Her story represents the best American story.

00:42And like many of our best Presidents, she was also Vice President.

00:48Well let's go to Chicago on the program then.

00:51Fraser Jackson is our correspondent covering the convention.

00:54And Fraser, take us to the speeches this evening then.

00:58In particular, Barack Obama's speech.

01:01How important is the message that the former President gives tonight?

01:10Well day two of the DNC is all about Illinois really.

01:13We're going to be hearing from the current Governor of Illinois,

01:16somebody that Kamala Harris had on her shortlist as VP.

01:19Ultimately of course not making it.

01:22But also her friend of 20 years, Barack Obama,

01:25who is still extremely influential within the Democratic Party.

01:29Somebody that also still has a lot of favorability among likely voters for the Democratic Party.

01:35So his endorsement really meaning very much to Kamala Harris.

01:39Not only have they been campaigning together on various political platforms

01:44over the course of the last 20 years.

01:46They first met when Barack Obama was running for Senate here in Illinois.

01:50That was well before he became President in 2008.

01:54But also today Barack Obama is now going to bat for her.

01:59Now we are expecting to hear him talk about how important it is that Kamala Harris gets into office

02:06to defend democracy, to defend a woman's right to choose.

02:10And also for the economy and also for migration and other key issues that are affecting this election.

02:17Like I said though, that sway that Barack Obama has with a significant chunk of the Democratic Party

02:23will play to his base but also to those more moderate Republicans as well

02:28who the Democratic Party are hoping to get on side.

02:31Because this is a very close election and it's an election about margins.

02:35So there are Democrats hoping they can take some of those would-be Republicans.

02:39Those Republicans who voted for Obama and then voted for Trump.

02:43Trying to get those to come back home to Kamala Harris this November.

02:46And Fraser, we're also expecting to hear this evening from Doug Emhoff.

02:51That's the husband of Kamala Harris, the second gentleman as he's called in the United States.

02:56He's not a hugely well-known figure abroad. Tell us a bit about him.

03:04Yeah, he's not somebody who really gets much of the limelight.

03:08But of course he is actually the first second gentleman of the United States.

03:13And his role really has been more of an activism kind of role.

03:18Somebody who can try to drum up support in the battleground states,

03:22especially in the grassroots movements of the party.

03:25That is where he's really been important.

03:28But he's also been, of course, important as a rock to Kamala Harris.

03:31They've been married for quite some years now.

03:33And she really sees him as being a lifelong partner and somebody that is a confidant

03:39and somebody she can rely on.

03:41There was a story that Doug Emhoff told a couple of weeks ago

03:44about when Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

03:47And it then became apparent that Kamala Harris would be the most forefront runner for the nomination.

03:53He was actually away at that time and was back in California

03:57when he received a call from Kamala saying simply,

03:59you need to come home, I need you.

04:01So that shows how tight a bond the two have.

04:04Of course, he is also one of the surrogates who was campaigning for his wife

04:08in the battleground states and elsewhere in the United States.

04:12And he will also make history once again if Kamala Harris does indeed

04:16become president of the United States in November

04:18by becoming the first ever second gentleman of the United States

04:22as he supports his wife in what would then be her role as president.

04:26So somebody to look out for and somebody that will be seen a lot more of

04:29over the next couple of months.

04:31Fraser Jackson in Chicago for now.

04:34Thanks very much indeed.

04:35There'll be plenty more from Fraser as the second day of the Democratic convention

04:41gets properly underway later on.

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