Chicago: The second night of the mega Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois opened to great fervour and excitement as the stage was dominated by the Obamas to raise support for US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is set to take on Donald Trump for a chance at the White House in November. The event also witnessed a heartwarming love story narrated by Harris' husband and the Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff.
"America, in this election, you have to decide who to trust with your family's future. I trusted Kamala with our family's future. It was the best decision I ever made," said Emhoff at the DNC on Wednesday, amid loud applause and cheers from the enthusiastic crowd. "And with your help, she will lead with joy and toughness, with that laugh and that look, with compassion and conviction."
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Emhoff is the first Jewish spouse of a president or a vice president. He described his wife as a "joyful warrior", while also highlighting her background as a "tough" prosecutor and her fight against anti-Semitism and other forms of hate.
Beginning from a blind date...
Emhoff recalled that his love story with Harris began with a blind date, after which he left a long and awkward voicemail for her that she plays on their wedding anniversary every year. "In 2013, I walked into a contentious client meeting. We worked through the issue and, by the end of the meeting, the now happy client offered to set me up on a blind date--which is how I ended up with Kamala Harris's phone number."
“I remember trying to grab the words out of the air and put them back in my mouth. After what seemed like far too many minutes, I hung up. By the way, Kamala saved that voicemail, and she makes me listen to it every anniversary. That message wasn’t the only unusual thing about that day,” he said. "Kamala, who normally would have been working hard at the office, just happened to be waiting at her apartment for a contractor to do some work on her kitchen."
"That's when she called me back. We talked for an hour. We laughed. You know that laugh. I love that laugh. Maybe that counted as our first date, Or, maybe it was that Saturday, when I picked her up and told her "Buckle up-I'm a really bad driver"," he said.
...to becoming 'Momala'
It is worth mentioning that Doug Emhoff had two children, Ella and Cole, from his ex-wife Kerstin. Kerstin, Doug, and Harris seemingly have a good relationship, and their children affectionately refer to the Vice President as 'Momala'. When Harris was attacked by Republicans for not having biological children, Kerstin came to her defence by calling her a "nurturing and fiercely protective" co-parent.
"Those of you who belong to blended families know that they can be a little complicated. But as soon as our kids started calling her 'Momala', I knew we'd be okay. Ella calls us a three-headed parenting machine," said Emhoff at the DNC on Wednesday.
Thursday marks the day when Harris will formally accept the party's nomination for president, and also the couple's 10th marriage anniversary, which means Emhoff is "about to hear the most embarrassing voicemail of my life once again", he joked. "Kamala Harris was exactly the right person for me at an important moment in my life. And at this moment in our nation's history. She is exactly the right president," the Second Gentleman further said.
Barack Obama, the first Black president in US history, insisted the nation is ready to elect Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian heritage and would be the nation's first female president. He and his wife Michelle rallied the crowd to support Harris and criticised Trump for his “divisive,” “old” and “tired” strategy of vision.
Harris' entry into the race has galvanised Democrats, and polls show she has erased the lead Trump had enjoyed over Biden. Just as President Joe Biden did in 2020, Harris is looking to win over a collection of young people, voters of colour, working-class whites, suburban moderates and even anti-Trump Republicans.
(with inputs from agencies)
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