Kamala Harris Delivers — And Communicates — Like The Best Of Them
August 20, 2020
Karl Malone, the great Utah Jazz (and one year as a Los Angeles Laker) power forward, was affectionately called “The Mailman,” because he always delivers.
Well, Karl, you’d better meet Senator Kamala Harris (D-California), the Democratic Party’s 2020 nominee for Vice President of the United States of America.
Kamala Harris gave one of the best political speeches in a generation on Wednesday from Wilmington, Delaware at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As for Joe Biden — he’s got a tough act to follow.
I’m okay with that. I’m even sure Joe’s okay with that. And it’s okay for Kamala Harris, too.
I’ve worked for six prominent California elected officials in my lifetime. I won’t say I’m jaded, but I’ve seen quite a lot. I know how hard it is to do the work, to get re-elected, to inspire others, and to deliver riveting speeches in a hall full of conventioneers. I can’t even imagine how much harder it is to deliver the same speech in a socially-distanced hall completely devoid of them.
In 17 minutes at the podium, Kamala Harris just assured her place in history, win or lose.
It’s not because of who she was, or even so much what she said. Sure, those factors both count, but they don’t tip the scale.
It was HOW she said it.
Here’s how Kamala Harris excelled in her Democratic Vice-Presidential nomination acceptance speech on Wednesday, August 19:
1. She’s absolutely genuine. She emotes for the precise moment she’s in. She smiles. It’s not forced. It’s not nervous. It’s genuine and infectious. Watch her speech. Watch it again. I’ll bet you the change in my pocket that her smile, were it to be analyzed by facial recognition software, is hitting all the right points, physically and emotionally. We all know a fake smile when we see one. We sure as hell didn’t see one on Wednesday night.
2. She’s not afraid to open up and tell her story. She lays it all on the table. Her challenging upbringing, her parents’ divorce, her values instilled in her with “stroller’s eye view” in Oakland and Berkeley. She paints a picture with words about herself so that those who don’t know her can get to know her, and that those who know her can know her even better.
3. She’s passionate. She recognizes the gravitas of the situation our nation faces — pandemic, economic peril, racial justice — and wants to uplift us all. It shows on so many levels, and it even brought my 11-year-old daughter to tears. Rest assured — there are plenty of 5-year-old, 11 year-old, 12-year-old, 18-year-old girls, Black, Brown, Asian, and Anglo and every other color of the rainbow and every age in between, who connected with her on a fundamental level. Whether they saw her live, DVRed, or highlighted this week, they’ll remember this moment for the rest of their lives. Ultimately, she will have inspired many of them to pursue careers in public service, to fight for economic justice, and to make our nation a better place. It’s not just girls — she’ll inspire plenty of boys, too.
4. She stays away from dry facts and figures. She was factual — don’t get me wrong. She only had four — four! — points of data in the entire 17 minutes she had the floor. They were:
a. 100 — The 100th Anniversary of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote
b. 19 — the age of her mother when she emigrated from India to study at UC Berkeley
c. 25 — the age of her mother when she gave birth to Kamala
d. 5 — the age of Kamala when her parents divorced
That’s not just IT — for a 17-minute speech, that’s remarkable. Blending hard evidence like data with “soft” evidence like anecdotes and stories is a fundamental tenet of delivering effective, persuasive oral remarks for business presentations. And while this wasn’t a “business” presentation, she did have an audience of “investors” — the American electorate who invest their time and energy into supporting one candidate over the others.
5. She’s ready. Her preparation and practice for this speech alone cannot be overstated. Great oratory is tremendously hard, taxing work that is physically and emotionally draining. It’s also tedious and repetitive. She took it all in, she did the work, and she delivered every which way until Sunday. She didn’t give this good of a speech merely because she has “natural talent” or is a “great orator,” though I wouldn’t argue with both of those characterizations. She gave that good of a speech because she did the work, she prepared, and she stepped up to the moment when she knew a nation’s eyes were upon her. Do you want someone with a strong work ethic to help combat coronavirus and bring back our battered economy? You better believe it. And this person sure as hell better demonstrate that level of preparation, of seriousness, of work ethic beforehand, when it counts the most. Kamala gave it her level best, and it showed.
6. She’s gracious. In giving credit to others — her family, her extended family, her college sorority — she showed thankfulness and gratitude so clearly lacking in the family that currently occupies Pennsylvania Ave. public housing. We all know that stark contrast exists. But with Kamala being able to draw that contrast simply by naming names, by acknowledging her sources of strength, she demonstrates in no uncertain terms she’s human, just like us. For a United States Senator — the most elite club in the United States after NFL team owners and former Presidents — to connect with us so directly is, simply, stunning.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care who you vote for this November, because I certainly do. But I also care about you knowing just why Kamala Harris earned her place in history in Wilmington, Delaware on Wednesday, August 19, 2020. It’s because she communicated effectively and connected with all of us virtually, remotely, through a screen in one of our country’s darkest hours.
Senator Harris: it’s going to be amazing watching you continue to be a great communicator through November 3 — and beyond.
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David Gershwin Consulting can help you communicate more effectively, even if you’re not running for Vice President of the United States. Whether you’re a public company, private company, a non-profit, or a government agency, I can help you persuade your audience at every level. Find out more at www.davidgershwin.com
