While chatting with her friend and Obama hack Valerie Jarrett on Wednesday’s CBS This Morning, Democratic Party donor and Obama vacation buddy Gayle King confessed that she “can’t stop thinking about” how wonderful Michelle Obama’s speech was at the Democratic National Convention Monday night. The two of them just hoped voters would back Joe Biden in November and not “disappoint” the former First Lady.
Early in the DNC strategy session disguised as news, fellow co-host Anthony Mason teed up Jarrett to gush over Mrs. Obama’s address: “What did you think of Michelle Obama’s speech?” Predictably, Jarrett was awed: “It was quite powerful and I think she spoke from the heart forthrightly, as she always does. And think about the arc of her time speaking at conventions, going from being a victim of sexist and racist tropes herself back in 2008 to earning the trust and confidence and respect of people all around our country...”
Despite Jarrett’s assertion of Michelle Obama being a “victim,” in reality, she’s been one of the most pampered political figures in history by an adoring media.
Minutes later, King made sure to keep the sycophantic Obama praise going: “Valerie Jarrett, I want to go back to Michelle Obama for just a second. You know, she’s known for ‘When they go low’ – ” Knowing what a supporter King was, Jarrett interjected: “I thought you might.” King laughed as she admitted to being a partisan toady:
I know, I can’t stop thinking about it, to be honest with you. You know, we – her phrase, “When they go low, we go high,” is very well known. I’d like to add also, “We go in, we go all the way there.” Were you surprised, as someone who knows her very well, that she was that candid, that she wanted to make it clear what she feels was at stake?
Jarrett proclaimed that what the former First Lady “prides herself on is being very honest with the American people” and lamented that “she was so disappointed at the turnout in the 2016 election.”
King wanted to make sure Obama would not be “disappointed” again in 2020: “Yeah, I felt it was eight years – eight years and she was finally saying, ‘Listen, please pay attention to this. This is important.’ I think her message was heard loud and clear.”
On Tuesday, King applauded the “elegant shade” Michelle Obama threw at President Trump.
Looking ahead to the third night of the Democratic Convention, on Wednesday, King eagerly asked Jarrett for a preview of former President Barack Obama’s upcoming address: "You know Barack Obama very well, too. What do you expect from him tonight? And I’m wondering if he’s feeling pressure because Michelle Obama seemed to have knocked it out of the park. What do you think?” Jarrett predicted:
I think President Obama’s looking forward to describing the person he knows so well, having worked with him up close for eight years, seeing how he helped President Obama restore the economy, pass the Affordable Care Act, have the gravitas on the world stage that the world is hungry for right now, that we have lost....And I think he can speak to that character issue, temperament, and make a case for how profoundly troubled he is in the direction our country is going right now. So I think he’ll be very clear on that point, too.
On Wednesday, all three network morning shows rushed to help the Biden campaign by providing friendly forums for Jill Biden. The media are so in the tank for the Democratic Party that there’s no difference between hosts and DNC surrogates at this point.
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Here is a full transcript of the August 19 segment:
8:03 AM ET
ANTHONY MASON: Valerie Jarrett, former senior adviser to President Obama, joins us. Valerie, good morning, thanks for being with us. No one quite knew what to expect with this unconventional convention this year. Do you think it’s delivering on what the Democrats need to do?
VALERIE JARRETT: Oh, absolutely. The first two nights have been terrific. I think that the convention has reflected the rich diversity of our country, the combination of leaders, for example, last night, such as Colin Powell or former President Bill Clinton. But also amazing people – I was so struck last night by Jacqueline Brittany, the elevator operator who got to know Vice President Biden and who said he saw her. He paid attention to her. And so both the experience and the character of Vice President Biden has already come through. But also just the broad range of people who support him and want to move in a new direction.
MASON: Yeah, you mentioned Jacqueline Brittany, who placed Joe Biden’s name into nomination last night. And there’s a – there was a very large supporting cast of just ordinary folks who – normally at a convention you do see ordinary people, but they give speeches, which is a little different than this. Do you think having so many ordinary people, do they resonate more than the political leaders?
JARRETT: I think so because I think the American people want to hear from people who have shared their experiences. And so folks who – the most powerful, I think, ordinary person the first night was the woman who lost her father to COVID-19. And she said his pre-existing condition was President Trump. So I think these stories resonate, they touch people very deeply. But then we also have people like Michelle Obama who, obviously the most popular person in the country. And to have her really validate both his intellect, his competency, his character, and his empathy, all of it, I think, together has made a very strong case for Vice President Biden and Senator Harris.
MASON: What did you think of Michelle Obama’s speech?
JARRETT: It was quite powerful and I think she spoke from the heart forthrightly, as she always does. And think about the arc of her time speaking at conventions, going from being a victim of sexist and racist tropes herself back in 2008 to earning the trust and confidence and respect of people all around our country, red states, blue states alike. And gave her a chance to really validate somebody who she knows so well and speak to his qualities for president. So I thought it was a home run and I’m looking forward to tonight.
MASON: There was grumbling among progressives that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was just given a minute and thirty-six seconds to place Bernie Sanders’ name into nomination. It was – it was a formal role that she was actually asked to do, but there was a lot of grumbling about it. What will did you make of that?
JARRETT: Well, so, Senator Sanders asked her to do, to put his name in nomination. And all of the folks who did the nominations did it the exact same length of time. And so, that’s the role that Senator Sanders wanted her to have, and it was important to her, I think, to speak in his support.
MASON: Do you think – I mean, as I said, the party’s trying to draw up from a broad base of support, including progressives. Do you think it would have benefitted from giving her more time or a more prominent role?
JARRETT: I think that there are many progressives who spoke on behalf of Vice President Biden, and I think Senator Sanders’ speech, who represents that progressive movement, and his full-bodied endorsement, and saying, “Look, I’m going to work with progressives, I’m also going to work with conservatives,” sent a very important message about the direction we need to go.
GAYLE KING: Valerie Jarrett, I want to go back to Michelle Obama for just a second. You know, she’s known for “When they go low” –
JARRETT: I thought you might. Yes. [Laughter]
KING: I know, I can’t stop thinking about it, to be honest with you. You know, we – her phrase, “When they go low, we go high,” is very well known. I’d like to add also, “We go in, we go all the way there.” Were you surprised, as someone who knows her very well, that she was that candid, that she wanted to make it clear what she feels was at stake?
JARRETT: Not at all. And Gayle, look, you know her well, too. And what she prides herself on is being very honest with the American people. She loves our country. She said clearly she hates politics.
KING: Yes.
JARRETT: But she also wanted to explain why Vice President Biden is the person for this moment. And how President Trump is not. And she feels this deeply and she thought that for the people who trust her, it was important for them to hear directly from her what she thinks at stake – what she thinks is at stake and how important it is for everybody to vote. You know she was so disappointed at the turnout in the 2016 election. She’s been working very hard to get people registered to vote. And that was also the clarion call at the end – just not to inspire people, Gayle, but to motivate them to actually get out and vote for Joe Biden.
KING: Yeah, I felt it was eight years – eight years and she was finally saying, “Listen, please pay attention to this. This is important.” I think her message was heard loud and clear. You know Barack Obama very well, too. What do you expect from him tonight? And I’m wondering if he’s feeling pressure because Michelle Obama seemed to have knocked it out of the park. What do you think?
JARRETT: A little friendly family competition, you think?
KING: Yeah.
JARRETT: Well, I think – yeah. So I think President Obama’s looking forward to describing the person he knows so well, having worked with him up close for eight years, seeing how he helped President Obama restore the economy, pass the Affordable Care Act, have the gravitas on the world stage that the world is hungry for right now, that we have lost. But also the man, the person he knows so well that he’d have lunch with, who he comforted after Beau’s death, painful death. And I think he can speak to that character issue, temperament, and make a case for how profoundly troubled he is in the direction our country is going right now. So I think he’ll be very clear on that point, too.
KING: Alright, well, we’ll all be watching. Good to see you, Valerie Jarrett.
JARRETT: Stay tuned.
