Wanting to get a jump start on the inevitable media adulation that will be heaped on California Senator Kamala Harris when she formerly accepts the vice presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention, Wednesday’s CBS This Morning celebrated “the rise of Kamala Harris” as co-host Gayle King proclaimed that just about everyone was “cheering for” the left-wing lawmaker.
“The unconventional Democratic National Convention will make history tonight as California Senator Kamala Harris accepts the party’s vice presidential nomination,” touted co-host Tony Dokoupil in the 8:00 a.m. ET hour, adding moments later, “but her political career had already broken barriers before this one.”
Turning to correspondent Nikole Killion, Dokoupil welcomed a puff piece about Harris, rather than any serious analysis of her leftist record and support for a radical policy agenda: “This is obviously a huge moment, but help us understand what it means to the people, and especially the women, who have helped Harris get this far.”
Killion happily obliged:
Well, Tony, a lot of women have been instrumental in laying the groundwork to get to this moment, whether it’s recruiting more women of color in politics or petitioning for a black woman to be on the ticket. And so, those that I spoke to say they really want to hear a message of hope, leadership, and unity when Senator Harris speaks tonight here at the Chase Center.
In case there was any doubt how sycophantic the alleged “news” report was going to be, Killion started with this: “When Senator Kamala Harris was picked as Joe Biden’s running mate, there was a collective scream – ” A soundbite followed of former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile shouting, “Hallelujah!”
The headline on screen throughout the segment read like a title for Harris’s autobiography: “The Rise of Kamala Harris; Daughter of Immigrants, First Woman of Color on Major Party Ticket.”
After talking to various female Democratic politicians who had a “sense of pride” about Harris being on the ticket, Killion turned to left-wing activist and She the People founder Aimee Allison for comment, who declared: “This is a watershed moment....Women of color, particular black women, have moved from the periphery to the center of American politics. We’re the queen makers. That’s progress.”
As the propaganda piece wrapped up, reliable Democratic Party mouthpiece and donor Gayle King gushed:
You know, Nikole, what I think is so lovely about this story, it’s not just women of color who are celebrating Kamala Harris, it’s women of all colors who are cheering her on. And she seems to check a lot of boxes. I find the Jamaican community’s cheering for her, the Indian community’s cheering for her, the Asian community’s cheering for her, and certainly black America is cheering for her. But I’ve had a lot of white women, too, who have reached out to me and said this is just a great look, as they say, for women all over the world.
Everyone King talks to loves Harris, go figure.
This entire fawning segment could really just be shown at the DNC to introduce Harris.
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Here is a full transcript of the August 19 segment:
8:16 AM ET
TONY DOKOUPIL: The unconventional Democratic National Convention will make history tonight as California Senator Kamala Harris accepts the party’s vice presidential nomination. She is the first black woman and first Asian American on a major party ticket, but her political career had already broken barriers before this one.
Nikole Killion is in Wilmington, Delaware for us, where Harris will speak tonight to the convention. Nikole, good morning. This is obviously a huge moment, but help us understand what it means to the people, and especially the women, who have helped Harris get this far.
NIKOLE KILLION: Well, Tony, a lot of women have been instrumental in laying the groundwork to get to this moment, whether it’s recruiting more women of color in politics or petitioning for a black woman to be on the ticket. And so, those that I spoke to say they really want to hear a message of hope, leadership, and unity when Senator Harris speaks tonight here at the Chase Center.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: The Rise of Kamala Harris; Daughter of Immigrants, First Woman of Color on Major Party Ticket]
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS [D-CA]: I’m so proud to stand with you. And I do so mindful of all the heroic and ambitious women before me.
KILLION: When Senator Kamala Harris was picked as Joe Biden’s running mate, there was a collective scream –
DONNA BRAZILE: Hallelujah!
KILLION: And for many women of color, a sense of pride.
JILL LOUIS: Of the few number of people that have actually served as vice president, every last one has been a white male. And so, to have a woman of color and what it says in terms of validation.
KILLION: Jill Louis has known Harris for more than 30 years. They both pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority as students at historically black Howard University.
LOUIS: She was not, “Day one, I plan to run for office.” But she was very interested in justice. She was very interested in being impactful.
KILLION: Harris was born in Oakland at the height of the civil rights movement to immigrant parents. Her father is from Jamaica and an economist. Her mother a cancer researcher from India.
HARRIS: My mother, who raised me and my sister, was a proud woman.
KILLION: It’s a lineage celebrated by women as diverse as Jamaican American Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who calls Harris her sister in service, to Washington State Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.
REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL [D-WA]: We were elected on the same night and each of us becoming the first south Asian American woman elected to our respective chamber. The reason representation matters and diversity matters is because it actually affects policy, and it affects the people who look at their futures and see different possibilities when they see us there.
KILLION: Like Dimple Ajmera, the first Indian American on the city council in Charlotte, North Carolina. What part of Senator Harris’s story do you identify with most?
DIMPLE AJMERA: Being raised by immigrants. How her mother didn’t get promotions that she deserved because of her accent, because of the way she looked, and because of the color of her skin. She represents the American dream, paving the way for millions of black and brown girls.
KILLION: A path paved by the likes of Shirley Chisholm.
REP. SHIRLEY CHISHOLM [D-NY]: And my presence before you now symbolizes a new era in American political history.
KILLION: The first black woman elected to Congress and to run for president as a major party candidate.
AIMEE ALLISON [SHE THE PEOPLE FOUNDER]: This is a watershed moment.
KILLION: Aimee Allison founded She the People to elevate women of color to political power.
ALLISON: Women of color, particular black women, have moved from the periphery to the center of American politics. We’re the queen makers. That’s progress.
KILLION: Well, Senator Harris is getting some encouragement from former First Lady Michelle Obama, who delivered a powerful speech in her own right this week. She tweeted to Harris, “You got this.” And she’s not the only one looking forward to tonight. There are a number of virtual watch parties around the country to celebrate Harris’s historic speech. Gayle?
GAYLE KING: You know, Nikole, what I think is so lovely about this story, it’s not just women of color who are celebrating Kamala Harris, it’s women of all colors who are cheering her on. And she seems to check a lot of boxes. I find the Jamaican community’s cheering for her, the Indian community’s cheering for her, the Asian community’s cheering for her, and certainly black America is cheering for her. But I’ve had a lot of white women, too, who have reached out to me and said this is just a great look, as they say, for women all over the world. Are you hearing that, too?
KILLION: Well, at the end of the day, it comes down to we all stand on someone’s shoulders. And in this moment, so does Senator Harris. And I would expect she may acknowledge that tonight. Gayle?
KING: Yeah, it’s a big moment for her tonight, and we will be watching. Thank you, Nikole, good to see you.
