Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz at the center of the third night of the Democratic convention

2024-08-22 15:22:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz at the center of the third night of the

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepted his party's nomination for vice president on the third day of the Democratic National Convention.

VOA correspondent Kane Farabaugh reports from Chicago.

The proceedings of the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago were opened by Senator from New Jersey, Cory Booker.

"Welcome to the third night dedicated to freedom," he said.

While some of the speakers focused on issues such as reproductive rights, the environment and border security, the message of many others emphasized the differences between the alternatives that will be before voters in the November elections.

"Kamala Harris for the people... and the other one, who is proving again, stronger than before, that he will only know about himself," said former President Bill Clinton.

He was one of the main speakers of the evening. Mr. Clinton has attended every party convention since 1972. Drawing on his experience in the White House, he explained why he believes Vice President Harris is the right choice for president.

"Kamala Harris will work to solve our problems, to create more opportunities for us, to ease our fears, and she will work so that every American, regardless of who they vote for, has the opportunity to follow their dreams." he said.

The key moment for the Democrats was the arrival on the stage of the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, who accepted the nomination of the party as a candidate for vice president.

"It is the honor of my life to accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States," Mr. Walz said.

For many in attendance, or for those watching on television, Mr. Walz's speech was like an introduction to voters.

“I grew up in Butte, Nebraska, a town of 400 people. There were 24 kids in our class in high school and none of us went to Yale University. But I can tell you that life in a small town teaches you how to take care of others," he said.

Mr. Walz, an Army veteran, former teacher and high school football and basketball coach, emphasized how these parts of his biography prepared him for a career in politics.

“It was those players and my students who inspired me to run for Congress. They saw in me what I hoped to instill in them, the commitment to the common good, the understanding that we are one and that we believe that even a single person can bring change to his neighbors," he said.

Mr. Walz also spoke about the main theme of the evening, freedom

"When we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people you love. The freedom to make your own health care decisions and the freedom of your children to go to school without fear of being shot dead," he said.

Democrats close the convention tonight with the main moment: the speech of the party's candidate for president, Kamala Harris./ Voa