home

DNC Announces Additional Speakers

Hillary Clinton is doing a good job of keeping people guessing as to her Vice Presidential choice.

The DNC today announced this list of additional speakers for the Convention. The previously released list of headliner speakers for the convention is here (and includes Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders, Obama and Biden and DREAMer Astrid Silva. Today's announcement says more speakers will be named in the coming days. [More...]

The list is different than the RNC speaker list in that it is filled with Democratic elected officials from across the country. In other words: we have a unified party. But it's similar in that it includes prominent victim voices (instead of survivors of those killed at Benghazi, we will get Trayvon Martin's mother and a Sandy Hook victim's relative. Flip side of the same coin and a shameless pull at emotion.)

Some of those supposedly on the VP shortlist are on the new speaker list -- which according to some media sources, does not mean they won't be the VP pick. Listed as speakers: Senator Tim Kaine (Virginia); Senator Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts); Congressman Joaquin Castro (Texas); Senator Cory Booker (New Jersey); Governor John Hickenlooper (Colorado);Former Governor Martin O’Malley (Maryland);

The DNC website is here. The latest draft of the party platform is here.

< Thursday Open Thread | Trump's Dark and Stormy Speech >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    Yeah (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by RCBadger on Thu Jul 21, 2016 at 09:56:01 PM EST
    I've been told that I should be sympathetic to a grieving mother, but as far as I'm concerned, being a grieving mother doesn't give you carte blanche to lie.  I guess this is the Democratic version of the Benghazi mom.

    I would be surprised (5.00 / 3) (#5)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Jul 21, 2016 at 10:02:04 PM EST
    If she says Donald is personally responsible

    Parent
    Why do you assume ... (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 09:38:31 AM EST
    ... that these mothers are going to lie?

    Parent
    Who said it gave you carte blanche (none / 0) (#12)
    by Yman on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 09:36:56 AM EST
    ... to lie, and how do you know what she's going to say?

    Parent
    "What kind of times are these.. (5.00 / 2) (#8)
    by jondee on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 07:18:46 AM EST
    when to talk about trees is almost a crime, because it implies silence about so many horrors?"

    Did the Republicans mention the importance of the health of the water, air, soil, and biosphere even ONCE during that entire convention?

    Hopefully the Democrats will do a little  better.  

    Will Rep. (D) Cummings speak? Hope so (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by oculus on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 04:33:04 PM EST


    He's not (none / 0) (#35)
    by Nemi on Sat Jul 23, 2016 at 07:07:32 AM EST
    on the 'additional speakers'-list ... yet. But surely he will be included in the coming updates?

    Parent
    The Philadelphia police union (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by Chuck0 on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 08:22:57 PM EST
    Is sniveling about the mothers of police violence having a voice at the DNC. Wah effing wah! These reprobates are more thin skinned Donald Drumpf. I feel sorry the residents of Philadelphia for having such wusses for police.

    This guy (none / 0) (#30)
    by TrevorBolder on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 08:28:31 PM EST
    Did the city of Philadelphia proud. One tough SOB.

    http://tinyurl.com/j92z3e4

    The suspect fired about a dozen times, emptying the 9 mm handgun in his hand, Ross said.
    "I'm bleeding heavily!" Hartnett shouted into his police radio when he called for backup.

    The 18th District officer, who was hit three times in the left arm, was able to jump out of his car and return fire. Archer was struck in the buttocks as he ran from the scene. He was apprehended a short distance away.
    "This guy tried to execute the officer," Ross said. "I don't know how this officer survived."
    'I'm Shot': Philly Officer's Calls for Help
    Hartnett suffered a broken arm and nerve damage, Ross said. He underwent surgery shortly after the shooting. Friday morning, he was out of surgery, talking and in "good spirits." Ross said the officer's injuries are considered "very serious" and will require multiple surgeries.

    Parent

    Does he have (none / 0) (#31)
    by Chuck0 on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 09:24:59 PM EST
    his panties in wad too?

    Parent
    What, no washed up football coaches? (none / 0) (#1)
    by desertswine on Thu Jul 21, 2016 at 08:52:04 PM EST


    Better yet (none / 0) (#2)
    by RCBadger on Thu Jul 21, 2016 at 09:15:49 PM EST
    They're having the moms of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Sandra Bland speaking.

    In what universe is this even remotely a good idea?

    seems (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by linea on Thu Jul 21, 2016 at 09:41:55 PM EST
    the politicians are content to push a false narative if it furthers their ends. you would hope they would be more grownup. but no.

    Parent
    Said without irony (none / 0) (#6)
    by MKS on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 12:49:45 AM EST
    False narratives.....heard a lot about that.

    Parent
    Don't think (none / 0) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 07:14:37 AM EST
    They do irony.  

    Parent
    What "false narrative" (none / 0) (#14)
    by Yman on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 09:39:40 AM EST
    ... would that be?

    Parent
    How about this one (none / 0) (#18)
    by RCBadger on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 12:31:26 PM EST
    The one where Trayvon was a little child walking home with Skittles and a cold drink when he was accosted by an evil racist who shot him because of "Stand your Ground."

    Parent
    Actually, that would be a STRAWMAN (none / 0) (#19)
    by Yman on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 01:07:53 PM EST
    ... narrative. Which politicians are pushing those claims, as linea claimed?

    BTW - "False" in your own opinion is not remotely the same as actually false.

    Parent

    It's A Calculation (none / 0) (#9)
    by RickyJim on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 09:07:18 AM EST
    But I think a mistaken one.  Open support of BLM will lose more votes than it gains.  If a speaker at the convention says "All lives matter." and gets booed for that, it is even worse for the Dems.  "If I had a son he would  ...." was Obama's worst PR fiasco.

    Parent
    For purposes of full disclosure, I'm a middle-aged white male who supports the Black Lives Matter movement. These repeated attempts to demonize BLM advocates, as a means to marginalize and silence the otherwise legitimate public expression of very real minority grievances, have got to stop.

    Most white people don't have a fckn clue what it's like to live as a person of color in America, and to have to put up with latent and overt bigotry on a daily basis.

    My Latina daughter was stopped earlier this week in downtown Honolulu by two white tourists who were lost and seeking directions, and the very first thing they asked her was if she spoke English. Do you have any idea how demeaning that is, to have some white person simply assume that you probably don't speak English because of the color and complexion of your skin?

    Nothing good can come from this continued pandering to white ignorance, prejudice and fear. If you have issues with BLM, then that's your problem and not theirs, and you simply need to get over yourself and at least try to picture what's going on from their perspective.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I personally don't see the situation you (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by vml68 on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 01:14:44 PM EST
    describe as demeaning. I am brown (not Hispanic) but everybody (white, black and brown) assumes I am Latina. I have yet to have a Hispanic person NOT speak to me in Spanish first. They only switch to English when I ask them to.
    Was in Mexico a short while ago. At the hotel, everybody from the people at the front desk to the bell hop addressed the white people in English but I was always addressed in Spanish first.

    Not all assumptions are because a person is being racist or demeaning. Someone else could look at the situation that happened with your daughter and say it is racist to assume that just because she is in the US, she has to/does speak English.

    Now, what I do find a little racist/ignorant is when people say, "But, you don't have an accent" or "But, you speak English so well" when they find out I was not born and raised in the US!

    Parent

    Wrong again. (none / 0) (#16)
    by ruffian on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 09:51:57 AM EST
    It's Politics (none / 0) (#36)
    by McBain on Tue Jul 26, 2016 at 11:47:08 PM EST
    They want to appeal to certain demographics. I'm not sure it's a good idea.  Kinda goes to the trust issue.  

    Parent
    This is a political convention, Jeralyn. (none / 0) (#10)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 09:08:11 AM EST
    Jeralyn: "But it's similar in that it includes prominent victim voices (instead of survivors of those killed at Benghazi, we will get Trayvon Martin's mother and a Sandy Hook victim's relative. Flip side of the same coin and a shameless pull at emotion.)"

    The entire raison d'etre for these conventions nowadays is to fire up the party base. If you want to listen instead to a lecture series, then check out who's currently speaking at your local colleges and universities.

    ;-)

    Plus these speakers are related to policy (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by ruffian on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 09:51:15 AM EST
    about police reform, de-escalation training, etc. I expect them to talk about positive steps that can be taken to prevent further needless deaths. I expect them to do that because I have seen some of them speak int he past, and that is what they do. They are not hate-mongers.

    Parent
    Trayvon, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Mike Brown (none / 0) (#17)
    by NycNate on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 10:51:14 AM EST
    Man this is amazing!  Mike Brown had robbed a store and fought a cop. Eric Garner was illegally selling cigarettes.  

    What about Hadiya Pendleton?  She was killed near The Obamas home in Chicago. She was innocent. Why isn't her mom speaking.

    What does it say about black people that these are the mothers speaking?  It's embarrassing. My mom worked two jobs most of her life. And to think these women will be speaking for black mothers is disgraceful.

    holy hell, can you wait to see what they (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by ruffian on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 02:23:01 PM EST
    have to say and then critique if you want?

    Parent
    I approve totally (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 04:20:12 PM EST
    Of having these people speak about their dead children. As, I believe, you said.   This is about a policy issue.  A very very important policy issue.   Another black man was shot yesterday laying on the ground with his hands raised.  IMO there is no comparison to having the Benghazi mother.  Which was clearly a political stunt and had absolutely nothing to do with policy.

    Parent
    These black women (none / 0) (#24)
    by NycNate on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 03:46:47 PM EST
    raised criminals.  Trayvon, Eric Garner, and Mike Brown were criminals.  One had just robbed a store.  What could they have to say that's worth hearing?  The McSpadden lady called for the people in Ferguson to 'Burn this B---h Down'.  

    Again, why not invite some of the mothers killed by blacks?  Is this only to point fingers at the white police officers or other whites that have killed blacks?

    I think Mrs. Mcbath is a decent woman.  I do not understand why she is speaking though.

    Parent

    That issue (none / 0) (#25)
    by TrevorBolder on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 04:13:00 PM EST
    Again, why not invite some of the mothers killed by blacks?  Is this only to point fingers at the white police officers or other whites that have killed blacks?

    Is not to be discussed!!!!

    But, BLM, imo , would get more traction and respect if they addressed that issue as well as police brutality against blacks.

    As far as I know, they refuse to address it, even though young black males are far more likely to be killed by another young black male than by a cop.

    Parent

    Ridiculous (none / 0) (#27)
    by Yman on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 04:30:23 PM EST
    Because some of their sons were convicted of minor crimes, you think their opinions have no value?

    Wow.

    Well,  at least you dropped Sandra Bland'so name from your list while attacking the rest of these mothers.

    I guess that's progress.

    Parent

    Sandra killed herself (none / 0) (#32)
    by NycNate on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 11:06:27 PM EST
    And? (none / 0) (#33)
    by Yman on Sat Jul 23, 2016 at 07:05:22 AM EST
    Is that why you dropped her from the list or why you included her in the list of people who's mothers you think shouldn't be allowed to speak?

    BTW - Isn't that the case where the cop was fired and indicted for perjury for lying to the grand jury about why he arrested her?

    Parent

    BTW - Way to skip past the point (none / 0) (#34)
    by Yman on Sat Jul 23, 2016 at 07:06:29 AM EST
    Can't blame you, though.

    Parent
    They're not "speaking for black mothers" (none / 0) (#21)
    by Yman on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 01:16:01 PM EST
    They're speaking for themselves.  Not sure what your mother working two jobs has to do with anything,  but you have no idea what jobs these mothers have worked - not that it's even relevant.   But if some people have a problem with there mothers speaking ...

    Oh, ...

    ... well.

    Parent

    As I had anticipated (none / 0) (#23)
    by Nemi on Fri Jul 22, 2016 at 03:25:02 PM EST
    The Democratic Convention App is so much more informative -- even now -- easy to navigate and professional than the Republicans'. Hope they keep it up throughout the Convention.