“In her remarks, Obama sought to draw a clear contrast between Harris and Donald Trump, calling the vice-president one of the ‘most dignified’ people to seek the presidency. ‘Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation. Not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service, and always pushing the doors of opportunity open to others,’ she said.”

‍Nia Prater, New York Magazine

“Harris, she said, approaches the task from a mindset that Trump’s own background and nature ensure he never can. Harris ‘understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward’ and ‘will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.’ Most Americans won’t get a ‘second, third, or fourth chance’ if they ‘bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis.’”

‍Jim Newell, Slate

“‘Kamala and Tim understand that when everybody gets a fair shot, we are all better off,’ [Barack Obama] said. ‘Just like we can keep our streets safe while also building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve and eliminating bias that will make it better for everybody.’ He presented this as a contrast to Trump’s zero-sum vision, which implies that we can only help ourselves at the expense of others…

“Toward the end of his speech, Obama aimed an argument squarely at his own party… ‘We start thinking that the only way to win is to scold and shame and out-yell the other side,’ Obama said, ‘And after a while, regular folks just tune out, or they don’t bother to vote.’…

“Obama argues that, despite Trump’s ugliness, most Americans are still decent and good. If you appeal to them in a smart and empathetic way, they will recognize their commonalities.”

‍Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine