CNN commentator Van Jones apparently said on Wednesday that Republicans had a “cheaper patriotism” while Democrats showed a “deeper” and “stronger” devotion to their country.
“I feel like there’s a difference between what I would call a cheap patriotism and a deeper patriotism. This is about a deeper patriotism, it’s not just about cheers,” Jones said on CNN, reacting to the third night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
“They claim that the value of freedom is not just not paying taxes or saying ‘get off my lawn,’ but living a fulfilling life,” he continued. “And to live a fulfilling life, we need each other, we need intelligent government.”
“I haven’t heard that many ‘USA, USA’ chants… Kamala Harris has a muscular patriotism. There’s something muscular about what she’s saying. She wants to fight, she’s not afraid. She wants to fight for it. (She says), ‘I believe in this country, I believe in this particular vision of freedom and I’m going to fight for it.’ And I think that’s a very interesting new combination that I’ve never seen before.”
Jones struck a different note Wednesday than he did a month ago at the Republican National Convention, when he described the room as having a palpable “spirit” and a unique enthusiasm reminiscent of former President Obama’s first nomination in 2008.
“The last time I was at a convention where it felt like this was Obama in 2008. Something is happening,” he said at the time.
On Wednesday, the CNN commentator praised the energy at the DNC and thanked Democrats for “bringing the party back to the Democratic Party” by highlighting a younger generation of leaders and supporters at the convention.
“They have a completely different feeling because the new generation is taking over the scene,” he said.
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He also reacted emotionally to speeches by former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday night, calling them a “masterful act of leadership.”
“It was a sacred task. They handled it well. I didn’t realize I was in a spiritual desert until they created this oasis on the stage. I didn’t realize how much I missed it,” he said at the time. “I missed that.”
“Biden handed the party machine over to Kamala Harris,” Jones continued. “The Obamas renewed the magic of the movement. That’s what they transmitted. They did it beautifully. They did it powerfully. Obama used nostalgia beautifully.”
