{"id":2328769,"date":"2024-08-21T19:56:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T23:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-at-the-dnc-urge-voters-to-put-country-over-party-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-21T19:59:04","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T23:59:04","slug":"republicans-at-the-dnc-urge-voters-to-put-country-over-party-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-at-the-dnc-urge-voters-to-put-country-over-party-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans at the DNC urge voters to put \u2018country over party\u2019 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublicans-at-the-dnc-urge-voters-to-put-country-over-party-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2328769&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; rel=&#8221;noopener&#8221;>Emerson College \u2062poll<\/a>. This shift\u200b indicates that the Harris\u2064 campaign&#8217;s outreach efforts, particularly among unions and moderate voters, are gaining traction.<\/p>\n<p>As election season heats up, strategists on both sides are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-fla-authorities-investigating-hack-on-pinellas-county-water-supply\/\" title=\"FBI, Fla. authorities investigating hack on Pinellas County water supply\">paying close attention<\/a> to how independent and moderate Republicans respond to these \u200cmessages. The landscape is characterized by an increasing number of Republicans who\u2062 view the current political climate under Trump as unsustainable and \u2062are seeking a viable alternative.<\/p>\n<p>In\u2064 a\u2064 notable move \u2062at \u2062the Democratic National Convention\u2062 (DNC), \u2064various high-profile Republicans have\u200d voiced their \u2063endorsement for Harris, \u200daiming to attract voters who may feel \u2064alienated by the current rhetoric and policies of the Republican Party. As different factions within the\u2062 GOP grapple with their identity and direction, the Democratic campaign is strategically positioning itself as a \u200bwelcoming alternative\u2014a place \u200dwhere disenchanted Republicans and independents can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-gop-defectors-shoot-down-defense-spending-bill-for-second-time-2\/\" title=\"House GOP defectors reject defense spending bill again.\">find \u2064common\u2064 ground<\/a> against \u2062what \u200bthey perceive\u2064 as extremism within the Trump-led GOP.<\/p>\n<p>In this\u200b context, key Democratic figures are highlighting the urgency of coalition-building among mainstream and moderate \u200bvoters. The prevailing sentiment among many who \u2064switched allegiances reflects a desire for stable governance and effective leadership, rather than the chaos that they associate \u200cwith Trump\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n<p>The DNC is leveraging this climate to amplify its message\u2064 and boost Harris&#8217;s\u200c candidacy. By inviting\u2064 Republican voices\u200d to the \u200dstage \u200band facilitating discussions around shared\u2064 values and collaborative\u2064 governance, the Democratic Party hopes to broaden its appeal\u2063 and\u200d make inroads in traditionally \u200dRepublican areas. The upcoming elections will thus test the effectiveness of this approach and whether it can consolidate \u200bthe\u200d support of departing Republicans looking for \u2062change.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Republicans at the DNC urge anti-Trump voters to put &lsquo;country over party&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1734990\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>CHICAGO &mdash; <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Republicans\">Republicans<\/a> are showing up on and off the stage at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dnc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Democratic National Convention\">Democratic National Convention<\/a> to urge their peers to support <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Vice President Kamala Harris\">Vice President Kamala Harris<\/a> for president over former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p>A mayor in a battleground state, a former Trump voter, and a former Trump White House official have already addressed the convention to explain why they cannot support the former president&rsquo;s return to the White House as they seek to appeal to those in the middle of the political spectrum.&nbsp;More high-profile Republicans will take the stage on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>On the sidelines, there are a number of Republicans sitting in the stands of the United Center who are actively working to get Harris elected. Joe Walsh, a former GOP congressman from Illinois, said he reached over 70,000 people over Zoom in his Republicans for Harris effort, along with former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who was part of the House committee that was in charge of investigating the former president&rsquo;s actions during the Jan. 6 attack.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It continues to grow and more high-profile national people join me and Adam Kinzinger and others. And you know this election is going to come down to 12 people in four states, and if we can just help give enough courage to some local Republicans in the battleground states, it&rsquo;ll help,&rdquo; Walsh told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>at the Democratic National Convention.<\/p>\n<p>Craig Snyder is the director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haleyvotersforharris.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Haley Voters for Harris\">Haley Voters for Harris<\/a>, a PAC of like-minded Republicans who voted for former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley in this year&rsquo;s Republican primaries. He believes there&rsquo;s a sizable number of Republicans who could be swayed, pointing to the tens of thousands of primary voters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/2977192\/haley-protest-vote-biden-outreach-swing-state-pennsylvania\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"who chose Haley\">who chose Haley<\/a> even after she dropped out of the primary race.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There could easily be a third of registered Republicans who really want to move on from Donald Trump,&rdquo; Snyder explained in an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>ahead of a planned happy hour with Republicans attending the DNC on Wednesday. &ldquo;The only way to move on from Donald Trump is to defeat him.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In the weeks following Harris&rsquo;s rise to the top of the ticket, the Trump campaign has struggled to define Harris. In their most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3123559\/swing-state-kamala-harris-primetime-tv-ads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"recent attack ads \">recent attack ads <\/a>airing in swing states, they call her a &ldquo;soft-on-crime radical who is too dangerous for the White House.&rdquo; Snyder doesn&rsquo;t think that branding is effective.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Look, she&rsquo;s going to be labeled as Mao Zedong by the Trump campaign but the truth is they would say that about any Democrat, that&rsquo;s the playbook,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The reality is that she was a tough prosecutor, tough on crime, for most of her career, the political criticism from the Left.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When she ran for president in 2019, she took a bunch of positions that were, in fact, pretty far left. She is renouncing those positions in this campaign. I think people can criticize that, I think it&rsquo;s a sign of growth,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>Stephanie Sharp is also working to court a similar group of voters as the co-founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.women4us.org\/co-founders\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Women4U.S.\">Women4U.S.<\/a>, an organization of center-right women working to defeat Trump. Sharp describes herself as a lifelong Republican who served in the Kansas legislature.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stephanie Sharp attends a happy hour, huddling with Republicans organizing for Harris in Chicago. (Samantha-Jo Roth\/ Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve talked to three different state party people this week that have said, &lsquo;we have women walking through the doors of the Georgia Democratic Party and saying, &lsquo;I&rsquo;m a lifelong Republican, but you have to activate me&rsquo;,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Renee Lafair, a co-founder of the group, said there are a lot of Republicans who are helping them organize behind the scenes, specifically targeting women in swing states.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a real cost for people to publicly say they&rsquo;re not supporting the top of the ticket on the Republican side,&rdquo; Lafair said. &ldquo;There are a lot of people who are helping us quietly organize, and we&rsquo;ve been happy with the response. <\/p>\n<p>The Trump campaign said they continue to make inroads with disaffected Democrats and Independents, pointing to speculation that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/rfk-jr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a>&nbsp;may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3129695\/rfk-jr-address-campaign-future-trump-appearance-arizona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"drop out\">drop out<\/a> of the 2024 race and endorse Trump.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;President Trump continues to build a historic and unified political movement to make America strong, wealthy, and safe again,&rdquo; said Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign national <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/media-say-bidens-female-led-comms-is-a-first-trump-has-that-now\/\" title=\"Media Say Biden&#039;s Female-Led Comms Is A First. Trump Has That Now\">press secretary<\/a>, in a statement to the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em> &ldquo;Comrade Kamala Harris is the most unpopular Vice President in history and our campaign will spend every day until Nov. 5 ensuring every voter understands how dangerously liberal Kamala is.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, GOP Mayor John Giles, of Mesa, Arizona, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3114629\/republicans-harris-john-mccain-battleground-arizona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>pleaded with fellow Republicans<\/a> to &ldquo;put country first&rdquo; in a prime-time speech at the convention and commended the Biden-Harris administration for &ldquo;reaching across the aisle&rdquo; to get things done.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going to ribbon cuttings every single week all because Joe Biden and Kamala Harris reached across the aisle and they delivered for my conservative community,&rdquo; Giles said in a speech on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mesa, Arizona, Mayor John Giles speaking during the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Giles invoked the name of the late Sen. John McCain in his speech and the Arizona senator&rsquo;s famous motto of &ldquo;country over party.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;John McCain&rsquo;s party is gone, and we don&rsquo;t owe a damn thing to what&rsquo;s been left behind,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Stephanie Grisham, former White House press secretary for Trump, gets a standing ovation from delegates on the floor. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/778ktejTVG\">pic.twitter.com\/778ktejTVG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SamanthaJoRoth\/status\/1826034230184521956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 20, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Democratic delegates on the convention floor gave former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SamanthaJoRoth\/status\/1826034230184521956\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>a standing ovation<\/a> as she shared what it was like to work for the former president.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I saw him when the cameras were off, behind closed doors. Trump mocks his supporters. He calls them basement dwellers,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>After serving as Trump&rsquo;s press secretary for nine months, Grisham was named first lady Melania Trump&rsquo;s chief of staff. She said the last straw for her was the Jan. 6 insurrection when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, seeking to stop the certification of Joe Biden&rsquo;s electoral win.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stephanie Grisham, former Trump White House Press Secretary, speaking at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;On Jan. 6, I asked Melania if we could at least tweet that while peaceful protest is the right of every American, there&rsquo;s no place for lawlessness and violence. She replied with one word: &lsquo;No,&rsquo;&rdquo; Grisham said, as a picture of the alleged text chain appeared on the jumbotron.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Cross-party endorsements are not new in U.S. politics and Republicans have played prominent roles in previous Democratic conventions in the past. In 2020, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich endorsed Biden in a recorded speech. Democrats were not regularly featured at last month&rsquo;s Republican convention, although Trump counts on support and advice from former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, who once served as a congresswoman from Hawaii.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Harris&rsquo;s campaign is seeking to court disaffected Republicans and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3114629\/republicans-harris-john-mccain-battleground-arizona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>recently unveiled <\/a>a GOP task force for the vice president across the country through outreach to current and former GOP voters in the state &ldquo;who feel marginalized by the MAGA movement.&rdquo; The group is working to poach an existing network of anti-Trump Republicans who have opposed the former president&rsquo;s bid for a third presidential cycle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats appear to understand the benefits of courting conservative and moderate voters outweigh the risks of offending their progressive flank. Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), the former House majority whip and one of the most influential voices in Congress, praised Republicans who are at the DNC and those who are taking the stage.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I really applaud [Republicans] for doing this for the American people and letting them know what is at stake here is in fact our democracy and not Democrats or Republicans or Independents &ndash; but it&rsquo;s for everybody,&rdquo; Clyburn said, speaking to reporters Monday night after he took the stage. &ldquo;So many Republicans in my home state, believe it or not, of South Carolina, are now speaking out.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s good for us to give a platform to these people while they are tuning in and trying to find out who Kamala Harris is, so I think this is a good time to do that,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Before Republicans took to the stage this week, Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) contended that Republicans and &ldquo;everybody else&rdquo; are welcome in the Harris campaign and &ldquo;space&rdquo; in a potential administration that Harris &ldquo;would put together.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So many people feel that they&rsquo;ve been left out and left behind by the extremism that is Donald Trump,&rdquo; Beshear told reporters Tuesday after addressing the Democratic National Committee&rsquo;s Rural Council. &ldquo;We can be a party that works with everyone, that believes that our job is to create a better life for every single American, not to spend our time on vengeance or retribution, but to spend time moving our country forward.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;At the end of the day, people care most about how their family is doing, how their neighbors are doing, and yes, their neighbors may be of a different party, but you still care about your neighbor and you want them to do well,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>When asked about prickly issues such as immigration, Beshear predicted the public will &ldquo;get thoughtful answers from her, answers that are based on policy, and answers that recognize the complexity that yes, we need strong borders, and border security is national security, but we&rsquo;re still talking about human beings&rdquo;.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You can believe in both, and then we can get real immigration reform that they were working on until Donald Trump killed it,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;So yes, she&rsquo;s going to be able to talk to all voters.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>For former North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, Republican outreach cannot be patronizing.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;No one likes to be told that they made a mistake when they voted, right?&rdquo; Heitkamp told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> after the same Rural Council meeting. &ldquo;What you will hear from so many people in rural America is, &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t like the guy, I don&rsquo;t like how he talks to people, I don&rsquo;t like how he represents, you know, himself, but I like his ideas.&rsquo; And that&rsquo;s an opening to talk about what those ideas are and how our ideas are better.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The day before, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) agreed about drawing a contrast for Republicans between Harris and Trump.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think what Pennsylvanians want to know is how is the next president going to impact their lives and Donald Trump has a history of bringing chaos into people&rsquo;s lives, less jobs, less freedom,&rdquo; Shapiro told reporters after addressing the Labor Council. &ldquo;Kamala Harris has been on the side of the people, and I think Pennsylvanians are less concerned about where she grew up, as opposed to what direction she wants to take the country in the future, and what she&rsquo;s talking about, bringing down costs, increasing job opportunities, particularly in the energy sector.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats are aggressively courting rank-and<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-promises-booming-economy-and-seeks-uaw-endorsement-in-michigan\/\" title=\"Trump vows strong economy, courts UAW support in Michigan.\">-file union members<\/a> who had drifted over to Trump in the 2016 election, believing he&rsquo;d be a champion for the working class. While the former president led with union voters in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania 50% to 45% in July, Pennsylvania likely voters in unions are now breaking&nbsp;for Harris by 15 points, according to an <a href=\"https:\/\/emersoncollegepolling.com\/pennsylvania-2024-poll-trump-49-harris-48\/\">Emerson College poll <\/a>released last week.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Unions are a critical element of any kind of electoral coalition. We care deeply as Democrats about unions and the right to collectively bargain,&rdquo; said Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), speaking with reporters on Tuesday. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Kamala Harris is part of the Biden Harris administration that was, without question, the most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/critical-lapse-in-judgment-house-committee-chair-blasts-biden-for-picket-line-visit\/\" title=\"House Committee Chair Criticizes Biden&#039;s Picket Line Visit as &#039;Critical Judgment Lapse&#039;\">pro-union administration<\/a> we have seen in the presidency,&rdquo; Peters said.<\/p>\n<p>In former President Barack Obama&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3127523\/obama-shines-spotlight-harris-dnc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"speech \">speech <\/a>to the convention on Tuesday night, he urged Democrats to appeal to a large swath of voters, which includes outreach to Republicans and independents alike.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;To make progress on the things we care about, the things that really affect people&rsquo;s lives, we need to remember that we&rsquo;ve all got our blind spots and contradictions and prejudices; and that if we want to win over those who aren&rsquo;t yet ready to support our candidate, we need to listen to their concerns &mdash; and maybe learn something in the process,&rdquo; Obama said.<\/p>\n<p><em>Marisa Schultz contributed to this report. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1734990\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1734990\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republicans at the DNC call for anti-Trump voters to prioritize &#8216;country over party&#8217; <\/p>\n<p>CHICAGO \u2014 At the Democratic National Convention, Republicans are taking both the stage and a supportive role in the audience, encouraging their fellow party members to back Vice President Kamala Harris instead of former President Donald Trump. Speakers have included a mayor from a key state, a previous Trump supporter, and an ex-Trump administration official who have all shared their reasons for opposing Trump&#8217;s return to power in an effort to reach moderate voters. More prominent Republicans are scheduled to speak on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>In the audience at Chicago&#8217;s United Center, several Republicans are actively campaigning for Harris&#8217;s election. Joe Walsh, a former GOP congressman from Illinois involved in &#8220;Republicans for Harris,&#8221; reported reaching over 70,000 people via Zoom alongside former GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who was part of the House committee investigating Trump&#8217;s actions during the January 6 insurrection. Walsh emphasized that this election will hinge on just a few individuals in four states and expressed hope that local Republicans could be inspired to act.<\/p>\n<p>Craig Snyder leads Haley Voters for Harris\u2014a PAC formed by Republicans who supported Nikki Haley during this year&#8217;s primaries\u2014and believes many registered Republicans may be open to change. He noted that tens of thousands continued supporting Haley even after her withdrawal from the race: \u201cThere could easily be a third of registered Republicans who really want to move on from Donald Trump,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n<p>As Harris has gained prominence as the Democratic candidate, Trump&#8217;s campaign has struggled with how best to portray her; recent ads label her as &#8220;soft-on-crime&#8221; and too radical for office\u2014branding Snyder finds ineffective given her history as a tough prosecutor.<\/p>\n<p>Stephanie Sharp co-founded Women4U.S., which aims at rallying center-right women against Trump. She shared insights about lifelong Republican women expressing interest in joining Democrats if activated properly.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump campaign claims it is making strides with disillusioned Democrats and Independents while asserting that Kamala Harris is historically unpopular as vice president. In contrast, Mesa Mayor John Giles urged his fellow Republicans during his speech at DNC events this week to prioritize national interests over party loyalty while praising Biden-Harris efforts across political lines.<\/p>\n<p>Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham received applause when she recounted her experiences working under Trump and criticized him harshly following January 6th events when she felt compelled but was denied permission by Melania Trump even just to tweet against violence.<\/p>\n<p>Cross-party endorsements aren&#8217;t new; past conventions have seen similar support exchanges between parties\u2014like John Kasich endorsing Biden in 2020\u2014but current outreach efforts aim specifically at anti-Trump factions within Republican ranks through initiatives like establishing task forces targeting disaffected GOP voters feeling marginalized by extreme elements within their own party.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats recognize courting conservative votes can outweigh potential backlash from progressives; influential figures like Rep. James Clyburn praised those crossing party lines as vital defenders of democracy rather than mere partisan interests.<\/p>\n<p>Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) welcomed all into Harris\u2019s campaign space while emphasizing unity among Americans regardless of political affiliation\u2014highlighting common concerns about family welfare transcending partisan divides.<\/p>\n<p>Former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp stressed outreach must avoid condescension towards those whose votes differ: \u201cNo one likes being told they made mistakes.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Overall sentiment among Democrats appears focused on drawing contrasts between candidates\u2019 approaches rather than merely attacking opponents\u2014a strategy aimed particularly toward union members previously swayed by Trump&#8217;s promises but now leaning toward supporting Harris according recent polling data indicating significant shifts among union households favoring her candidacy.<\/p>\n<p>In his address Tuesday night, Barack Obama encouraged Democrats not only appeal broadly\u2014including reaching out beyond traditional bases\u2014but also listen earnestly so they might better understand diverse voter concerns moving forward into elections ahead<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2328770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_2278-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7705,3756,4223],"class_list":["post-2328769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-dnc","tag-republicans","tag-voters"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_2278-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2328769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328769\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2328770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2328769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2328769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2328769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}