The stars are coming out for Kamala Harris at the DNC with a healthy dose of joy
CHICAGO — The line was long along Chicago’s South Michigan Avenue as Democratic National Convention attendees were waiting to see their favorite vice president.
Fictional vice president, that is.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Selina Meyer for seven seasons on HBO’s “Veep,” was one of the hottest tickets in town Wednesday as she hosted a panel of eight female governors presented by the Democratic Governors Assn.
The lineup consisted of rising Democratic Party stars Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
In her introduction, Louis-Dreyfus said former President Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, would describe them as “a coven of semi-menstruating witches.”
During her 35-year career on television, Julia Louis-Dreyfus developed a reputation for fearlessness, with nothing being off limits.
The afternoon appearance at Venue Six10 was the kind of on-target use of Hollywood stars that has been a signature of the convention that celebrated Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the party’s 2024 nominees for the White House.
“It’s less Hollywood box office and more the individual stars who are utterly relatable,” said Tammy Haddad, a former political producer for MSNBC who also served as a consultant on “Veep.”
“You’ve got Tony Goldwyn who thrilled everyone as president in ‘Scandal’ and has kept himself involved in the political community,” Haddad added, citing one of the convention’s celebrity hosts. “You’ve got another ‘Scandal’ star, Kerry Washington, who is beloved by all, not just by her acting but her activism and her engagement online.”
As for Louis-Dreyfus, Haddad said, “She brings joy to everything she does,” using the top buzzword of the Harris campaign.
Some celebrities, such as actor Eva Longoria, have a long history of being involved in Democratic politics. While the DNC has been supercharged by the enthusiastic response to Harris being suddenly thrust into the top of the ticket, Longoria, an active fundraiser for the party, told The Times that she had planned on attending even if President Biden had remained the nominee.
But lifting the pessimism that surrounded Biden’s prospects before he dropped out of the race has made it easier to go for laughs.
Louis-Dreyfus, who won multiple Emmys for portraying one of the great comedic political TV characters, adeptly integrated the campaign messaging of vice presidential nominee Walz when she questioned the governors onstage.
Citing a question from a listener to her podcast, Louis-Dreyfus asked the panel, “Why is the GOP so f— weird?”
Los Angeles Times photojournalists Robert Gauthier and Myung J. Chun are on the ground in Chicago to capture behind-the-scenes visuals and candid moments.
The impact of Walz will also be apparent Wednesday when singer John Legend welcomes him to the DNC stage at the United Center with a tribute to late rock and soul superstar Prince, a favorite son of Minnesota.
The panelists emphasized their commitment to reproductive rights, which is expected to drive Democratic and independent female voters to the polls after Trump’s Supreme Court appointments led to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.
“My character in ‘Veep’ once said if men could get pregnant, you could get an abortion at an ATM,” Louis-Dreyfus said. “Which I stand by. As a human being, I think that’s true.”
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