What’s next for the Democrats? | The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich

it is the Saturday coffee clutch with Heather loft house and yours truly Robert R Heather a lot of news I mean this was a big week for Democrats this is the this is the beginning of the new beginning it is I am pumped let's get into it let's cover the DNC obviously let's talk about kamla Harris and Tim Walls we'll have to talk about Trump I'm sorry everybody and also RFK Jr's announcement well I was not surprised I don't know if if you were RFK was he was running out of money uh you know a lot of people are still fans of his because of his father because they confused Robert of Kennedy uh Jr with Robert of Kennedy Senor there could be no further difference I mean they are totally different uh I worked for Robert F Kennedy senior and he was a man who really cared about the people cared about working people uh RFK Jr is a crank and he was a crackpot and he uh has now shown that by throwing his weight behind uh Donald Trump who's the biggest crackpot of all I know and his a number of his family members have come out and said we disagree with this we're behind Harris walls but what will his voters I mean what were the his supporters do are they going to hop on I I hope they don't I mean I hope they the supporters understand uh who this man is uh now obviously if they were Trump supporters from the beginning it's not going to make much difference uh but uh look at this is still going to be a very tight election not withstanding all the abulance and excitement and everything that came out of the democratic convention uh let's not fool ourselves uh the election in 2020 and the election in 2016 both of them turned on something like 40 to 50,000 votes in five states uh so this is going to be again an incredibly tight election we've got to work very very hard yep and the Electoral College is part of that can we just take a minute to just I know we have to be realists and there is a big fight ahead but this Democratic National Convention was fantastic I mean I enjoyed almost every minute well I did to I thought it was you know I've seen a lot of con conventions I go back I've been to them I've actually spoken of them I mean they they've I've go back to dakus 1988 um conventions tend to be I mean they are infomercials giant infomercials for a party uh they don't do what conventions used to do and that is there is not a fight over or even competition over who is going to be nominated everything that's done all beforehand because everybody remembers how crazy an open convention was in 1968 the last open convention so it's an infomercial uh and uh but the question is can you do an informercial in a way that is exciting and upbeat that introduces the candidates in ways that people find enjoyable and uh I I think that this was a almost perfect convention in that regard I thought it was fantastic I think whoever directed the thing I mean they started it people went low so that she could go high the culminating speech was incredible I think one of the key goals of this is for us to understand who kamla haris is it was an introduction it was a proof of concept we all knew I mean she's this combination of an incumbent because she's been around the current Administration but then she's got this Outsider energy That's so exciting and I think she nailed that speech yesterday I think it had an undercurrent of Joy but an incredible amount of seriousness and personality and prosecutorial strength and I was just really dug it I really did too Thursday you're talking about the Thursday sorry I you know I I also thought that she um showed and this is something that people don't pay a great deal of attention to but you know she really chose the people who uh picked Tim Walls and who directed the convention and who got her the nomination and made sure that all everything was done well uh and even dealt with what could have been a disaster and that is the issue of the Palestinians and the rift in the party I'm not you know I I'm I'm very sympathetic to the Palestinian cause but in terms of what she needed to do for uh the purpose of the convention uh her decisions were extraordinarily good good and Heather the point I want to make is that a president uh is understood and has to be understood by the the decisions that that president makes and is capable of making a presidential campaign is a kind of rehearsal a microcosm of what an Administration could be and KLA Harris has done it remarkably well right and also I mean it was so interesting to me because it felt so personal um and it felt like we got to know these people in a way that I was surprised about including compared to past conventions I mean the use of video was incredible but seeing who I don't know so many family members and also the range of speaker there were Republicans there were former Trump staffers um and compared to uh the RNC which was really just the TNC because it was the Trump National Convention who had so few laed politicians it had entertainers and business people and not the former vice president and wrestlers and I mean bodybuilders the the Trump convention really was all about Trump that is the Republican party today it's not about policy it's not about families it's not about uh democracy it's not about changing America it's about basically the cult of the celebration of one man and that is Donald Trump giving him full Authority full power uh and I think that the Democratic Convention showed the difference because the Democratic Convention was about families it was about what we want for the future it was what what we want for our children it was not a cult uh at all about anybody although K Harris and Tim Tim Walls both did extraordinarily well they did and it was so again the goals are who is kamla Harris we need to get to know her um could we envision her as president my answer is definitely yes granted a little bias she took the mantle that was part of it right this passing of the torch this appreciating thanking gratitude for President Biden which he deserves on so many levels um and then kind of redefining I think some new themes right so some of the things that I took away from this is reproductive freedom I mean of course we knew this would happen um and that term is so interesting right I studied public health and worked in global Health we did not use that term it is now more popular including because we're not just talking about abortion we're talking about contraception in 202 we're talking about IVs IVF so there were kind of specific takeaways we wanted but then this bigger picture and I read this in the bullwark but BL she didn't use the word Democrat or the Democratic party she was really trying to appeal to all Americans and it felt very authentic it did feel that and authenticity is really the key here uh because the themes of freedom and and family and patriotism uh are well rehearsed themes in the Democratic party and even the Republican party but to give the them the backing the the authenticity of these people uh the people who were not only KLA Harris and uh Tim Walls but also all of the other people who came and spoke uh it was very uplifting and they managed to maintain that uplifting quality at the same time that they were sketching the danger of Donald Trump uh the the the reason that we need to see him as the threat he is and to to pull that off hether the both sides it's going to the split screen both the the positive hopeful energy and at the same time the fear and anger and threat uh of of Donald Trump uh is quite an achievement and I and I think people left the convention feeling that kind of uh energy it was energy and momentum are the keys yeah and I mean with her phrasing of he is an unserious man and there will be serious consequences to him getting back in the White House was a really powerful and Power delivered sentence un serious man you know I heard that and what she's doing is making him smaller and smaller and smaller and and that makes sense but uh the only reservation I have honestly is that he represents an existential threat to the United States I mean he is the first president to mount a a sec essentially an attempted coup on America uh he told his followers uh to attack ATT the capital uh he uh tried to get electors to change their votes uh and also State delegations and he's doing it right now he's doing it again uh we know that we know it from a lot of evidence we've got from Arizona and elsewhere uh and this is not something that is just this is this is a this is treachery this is he is a traitor to the United States so I can understand uh you know the the advantage of Democrats and Comm har is kind of making him smaller and smaller but he is a huge threat and let's not forget that no but this too video was incredibly powerful at this event again how it was produced over the however many days it was last week I mean we have videos of that Doug M Hoff's kid did his son did of him that was felt like personal you know it felt more like a 50th birthday party or a I don't know some a wedding or something seeing getting to know these people intimately but also that you and I know this because we make videos you know in our day jobs but basically showing telling people there's an existential threat and getting people to understand that is really difficult saying it is very very showing those January 6th riots over and over again is critically important for our lizard brains to get it and I think they did that incredibly well too now there's another split screen that they did well but she's going to be hard to sustain and that is KLA Harris is saying I am a new beginning I am not part of the old Democratic party or even part of the Biden Administration but I am I I am building on the foundation laid by the P Administration now what Trump and Republicans are trying to do is say well she's she she can't get away from the P Administration she was part of it and everything the P Administration failed to do is on her as well now that's a delicate Balancing Act for her and for the Democrats to say New Beginning but I'm also adopting everything that the Biden wanted to achieve and did achieve uh it's going to be interesting to see what she does and this is a very compressed schedule as you know Heather 17 days from now is the debate presidential debate everybody is going to be I hope everybody's going to be watching it's going to be as big or a bigger deal than the first presidential B debate with Biden uh and Trump uh and then in 72 days is it we have the election I mean this is you know it's I'm used to I'm used to a kind of a a process that doesn't uh is not accelerated to this degree uh so this is very very complicated work for for the Democrats that's to to organize themselves and for everybody everybody's watching I want to just say to every all of you out there uh I hope you understand of course you do that that this is not and politics is not a spectator sport uh that we need you uh to be out there mobilizing energizing getting people involved uh making sure that anybody you know in one of the Swing States any relative you know in one of the Swing States is actually actively involved uh also in the state of for example our state here in California or in New York state enclaves that are blue enclaves there are key races at the Congressional level uh that really have got to be won by democrats or and in order for the to to to return to control by democrats critically important right you all of you out there have a role to play and she said that as well I think she looked at the camera a lot she didn't mention Biden very many times in Her speech she launched with him and said you know thank you and she had I would say sufficient and genuine gratitude um but I think she just um nailed it and I think Tim Walls has been a terrific choice and getting to know him at this conven ion and how folksy he is did you see him run up to her after the speech and say holy smokes I mean I read his lips it's all it's all folksy I mean and and do did you see the meme about uh dancing the kamla walls uh two steps forward no step back two steps forward no step right but then I saw the ones of his kids giving him bunny ears on national TV and then his terrific son who was so elated and said that's my dad and then the Wright made fun of him because he was so energetic and authentic with his feelings God forbid and you know well let the right make fun of him I mean you see that's that's that's the point uh when the right-wing and right-wing officials and trumpers uh when when they are using ridicule uh and and and really putting people down that is the opposite of what the Democrats and what com Harris was uh pulling people up uh yes there was putting Trump down but that's different from putting down uh half of America right yeah exactly so I think so you've said too you know there aren't haven't been or others have there haven't been enough policy details she hasn't gotten in the weeds what is her plan you know that kind of thing and there needs to be more revealed obviously but you just mentioned this crunch timing I mean the normal Arc of these things is not what we're dealing with so phase one has been who is she can you picture her as president um who's Tim Walls how are they going to do together you know getting to know her foreign policy she's not famous for so we have to have an understanding of what her her processes are going to be and what her thoughts are um but in terms of price gouging I mean we've heard a few things about policy but will there be more I mean obviously there have to be what about the timing I I am a policy nerd I I teach public policy new old news but and I love policy but I think that she's right to avoid a lot of policy detail because if you you you know the Democrats mistake uh every time every election is to put out detailed policies I I think Hillary Clinton had 200 policy details when you put that much policy detail out you are you're exposing yourself uh to a lot of of picking and and and and criticism uh and misunderstanding and and and you're never going to you no president actually accomplishes the details that they set out what what the what what a president wants to do is put out broad ideas and Heather the same thing with press conferences she's being criticized by Trump and others for not having a press conference well you know I I I I love press conferences I think they're important but I understand why she's not doing it because if you have a press conference and you say the wrong thing or you answer uh a question it the wrong way Bingo that's all the Press is going to focus on uh that's the gotta mentality of the press the longer she can avoid detailed policies or even press conferences uh I think in terms of her goals the better for her but also I love this oh she's not having people over to her living room at maralago because that's so compelling his rambling press conference she has been on the road how she has the stamina she does or any of these politicians do I run too many errands in a day and have to take the next day off I mean she it's incredible she was doing an additional rally while the convention was going on in the stadium that Trump tried to fill in Milwaukee I mean come on and I mean this subtle trolling is so terrific and the energy level you just pointed out I I think when she says it's a new beginning and when she separates herself from the Biden Administration she doesn't have to do it uh more than just show the level of energy she has uh and the enthusiasm she's bringing to the job and the possibilities ahead uh that's new that is we haven't seen that level of energy that level of enthusiasm that degree of momentum uh since what since I have a hard time remember remembering let's let's remember too the other title for the job commanderin-chief I'm sorry which one I'm looking at Donald Trump or KLA Harris I feel like I owe KLA Harris an apology too because I she's been here the whole time she has we've seen the clips of her over time when she was vice president I kind of thought I don't know where she is that much I mean I didn't question that she was doing things I just found it interesting that she wasn't really coming to the four of the New York Times and other things but I mean she is so obviously accomplished but ready for this and providing that I mean granted not everyone in the world watched this right it's a lot of preaching to the choir we know that but also we're hoping Adam kinzinger other people have gotten to KLA Harris herself to other persuadables right and people who are on the fence well well she did give you know on that Commander a chief issue uh not only in the speech she gave uh but she also evinced a a kind of a powerful presence uh a strength that is uh is not something that we all assumed about her I mean a vice president is a very very difficult job it's a you know vice presidents as far back as I remember have always complained about the job uh and uh she was she was not very well known she was not very well-liked uh there was a lot of criticism of her and in the past the most astounding thing is that almost the minute that Biden dropped out uh and she took up the reins we saw a different person and that different person Thursday night really did filled the arena and it fil filled millions of Television screens with somebody who was commanding right somebody who was strong and able somebody who uh understood the world in a way that we never understood her and I think it's it's it's uh it's it's it's going to make it the world it's going to make the election far more difficult for Donald Trump Donald Trump doesn't know what to do uh he is uh he's obviously uh just out out of his gourd I mean he he was out of his gourd before but you can see uh he's speaking now to smaller audiences uh he uh is is off-script uh he's calling her a communist he's he's he's he's saying she's not very good-look he's he's picking on her wardrobe he's he's doing things that have nothing to do with anything and hopefully many of the uncommitted or people who are wavering or independent voters who are going to be so critical in the swing States so critical to this election they are seeing the and it's huge right I have to push back CU I don't know if she's a different person or if she's realized her potential that was always there and she's playing the role that she could always play but she was playing a different role before so I think it's it's it's kind of coming to fruition but it was obviously always there um it had to it had to have been there uh but it's interesting that we didn't see it that's now again we don't we didn't see it we don't see it in in any vice president I mean I remember when Al Gore moved from vice president being a a a a presidential candidate that too it was kind of as astounding it wasn't as dramatic as as as coma Harris but it's a different it's a different frame right but what about Trump so he's not getting his attention fixes I mean what's he going to do he's not going to go underground he doesn't even know the only thing that knows underground around him are the Gophers in his golf courses and he's not handling those no but he's going to go underground to the extent that I believe tragically he's trying to put his loyalists in counties uh where in swing States the vote is going to be very very critical so that they will be in charge of deciding such things as which mailin ballots count and who is going which election workers are going to be protected uh and how the count is going to actually be undertaken and ultimately the certification of the counts uh and this is a huge problem Heather I don't know and when we have no good information on the extent to which he is doing this and his underlings are doing it but it may be that he's counting on this throwing the election to him uh by by election day uh it's it's a it's a you know it's another example of the uh the the the really the the treachery of Donald Trump right and you've written about this on your substack this week there's a lot of content on your substack for those who aren't getting it um but he's I mean we'll have to see what he does we have so the next debate the debate which by the way on our calendars was still this is how crunch this timeline is this is what it still said Biden um Trump debate on our Google Calendar until Google Calendar yeah exactly and so our Google Calendar let's let's be clear it's September 10th it's 17 days from now uh and uh it's uh I think if if I were if I were making predictions I think she would eat him for lunch I mean I think she is just she is such a powerful prosecutor uh and that's what he cannot stand he also can't stand a powerful woman and he can't stand a woman of color uh but also a prosecutor gets actually under his skin it's going to be so great and you and I will watch the debate together God help us because we've done that before it was not easy that first and all of you out there we will be with you you told us how how much we help you through the last debate presidential debate that was really hard uh well this one should be a much a much more enjoyable experience I think so I mean still tense and we'll do the factchecking and thank you to Michael on our team who suggested that we try it based on everyone's input so let's do it again um Michael Michael thank you thank you Michael um so let's also talk about so we've talked about Trump how about you mentioned a little bit but RFK Jr I mean one thing leaving the DNC and and having that in the past I'm really excited to see the new polls around undecideds and persuadables as it relates to K Harris but also as it relates to Trump now that RFK is rolling into that you know part of the ticket anything El I think I don't think it's going to help Trump I I really think that people are beginning to see who or they've already decided that RFK is a crackpot as I said before and you can quote me on that uh I think that uh Trump is the kind of person who attracts you know the Elon musks of the world and there are a lot of follow you know Elon Musk is not running for election obviously but he has a lot of people who think he's great uh but he also is a a personal an authoritarian if not Neo fascist personality uh and those are the people who are attracted to Trump uh and and we have to I mean this the stakes are simply huge uh this is an existential question for American democracy let's not forget it right now it wouldn't be one of our coffee clotches if we didn't talk about the economy and the news of the week was Jerome Powell came out the other day and said we might have to make a policy change so he is signaling what is he signaling tell us what's it yesterday had Jackson whole Wyoming at the uh fed's annual conclave uh he did all but say he didn't actually quot say but he all but said that at the September meeting the FED is going to reduce Prime the prime rate uh from 5.3 maybe a quarter point maybe a half a point he didn't say uh but it's no there's no question that given the recent employment numbers we've got we'll have much more information uh very very soon but given the employment revisions that the Bureau of Labor Statistics has made uh showing 880,000 fewer jobs over the LA last year than actually the BLS thought uh that the Fed has been slowing the economy too much uh there's not in my view a great danger of a recession but nevertheless the FED does have to seriously reduce interest rates and those High interest rates have been a very great hardship on many people lower income people who have to pay more in credit card fees uh and indirectly through mortgage rates their rents have gone up uh they also have to pay more for auto loans and so the FED reducing those the prime rate is going to be helpful in many many ways to many many people what percentage do we know what do you think well I from 5.3 I think it's going to be a full half a percent now that may not sound like much but it to the market it signals a lot uh and I think the FED will continue to lower rates and that'll be helpful to KLA Harris wouldn't you say yes uh and and the trumpers will gripe and will gripe that the FED is playing politics but actually it's it's Trump who's playing politics he's the one who's proposing uh to uh in his administration to find ways of controlling or having a seat at the FED table that would be a huge mistake The fed's credibility depends on it being independent of politics and Jerome Powell like previous fed shairs have done their work their their their responsible work to keep the FED out of politics right right right one thing that was so fun for me is watching the DNC and listening to it in the car depending was thinking back to the RNC which I couldn't even remember frankly and thinking how unprofessional it was compared to what we saw at the DNC I mean sort of it was also negative it was just negative testosterone it Bush League minus the bushes I mean I didn't it was just not I mean this was just so Joy filled but also um substance filled and patriotism filled and so well produced I mean it really I love being able to compare the two I mean the Republican again remember the Republican party is a cult it's a cult around Trump and so the Republican the Republican uh national uh committee at the Republican uh conference and and and and the get together is nothing but a rally for Trump that's all it was uh and uh the Democratic uh convention really is about people about families about about Freedom reproductive Freedom uh about all of the issues that people care about right uh do you remember Trump oh I found a check in my pocket I mean I just thinking the things I could remember that I've blocked out most of it from the RNC were just like did that really happen I mean incredible okay so um the other thing oh this was fun I forgot so this week so you I know this but other people don't know it so I'm going to share it which is that you get a lot of direct messages on Instagram and Twitter from people and you liaz with people obviously but so Mina Harris who is kamla Harris's niece um has you and she have written back and forth a couple times and then she sent you this week and said look what I found in my camera roll and it was oh let's let's that's right let's share it with everybody out there because it's it's a it's a photo taken um I think in probably 2008 at the convention Democratic Convention that nominated uh Barack Obama uh and Kam was there and we had uh a lovely time together uh but uh it it does remind remind me uh she has been in and around politics for many years she's she's done her homework uh at that time she was running for I think it was Attorney General of California uh and uh she has uh through confidence uh and I think just True Grit uh she continues to make a political uh Power rise for herself uh and she doesn't talk about being a person of color she doesn't talk about being a woman uh and uh she doesn't need to not only because it's obvious but also because her strengths are are so overwhelming to anybody who has met her right I noted that too and but also everyone else did it for her at the DNC so she didn't have to talk about glass ceilings I mean that's my point about the programming it was just like it was really teed up for her to be exactly what we needed her to be which was the strongest candidate for the president of the United States that we have right now exactly and so the next question is where are the Democrats going in the future and uh we'll get to that uh Heather next week particular in terms let's let's do this again in about a week uh let's do this again in about a week everybody out there thank you for joining us hope you had fun at the convention watching the convention uh but the work is just beginning now this is going to be don't let anybody persuade you any otherwise this is going to be a very tough election it's going to be a very tough fight uh and it is really a fight for the most basic uh values in America having to do with freedom having to do with family but most of all having to do with the future of our democracy thank you Heather thank you see you next week [Music]