November 5, 2024 • 10 mins
Vice President and Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris is hosting a relatively small election night event in Washington DC tonight - far smaller than that of Barack Obama in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016/.
NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan is there and told Nick Mills attendance is restricted, and Harris isn't expected until much later in the evening.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Joining US now live from Kamala Harris's HQ in Washington, DC,
as New Zealand Herald Deputy political editor Thomas Coglan, Good.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Morning, Thomas, Good morning.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I'm doing really well. Paint us the mood. Tell us
what's going on. Give us the field. You've been over
there for a few days. What's the buzz.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Yeah, I've been over here for about a week. The
buzz changes to been. It's such a divided country, you know, Nick,
And that's really obvious wherever you are in the world.
It's the vibe change is depending on we are. Last night,
I was in Philadelphia at Kamala Harris's last rally of
the entire election campaign. The buzz was sort of nervous.
You know, the poles a pretty tight, pretty tight, but
(00:55):
they're also pretty joyous and excited that they loves here
and they're pretty happy to be in that rally. A
couple of days before that, I was in North Carolina
brings through North Carolina, another swing state, but in a
pretty trumpy area of it, and were kind of feeling
the same but but but the Donald Trump and they
were sort of feeling a bit anxious that the Democrats
might might steal the election. But they were feeling pretty
tough to be able to see to see the man.
(01:16):
So so I guess that the picture is that the
the vibe really depends on on whose side you're on
and whether you are whether you're surrounded by people that
are on the same part as you.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
How many people are where you are right now, and
what's you know, what, what what are they expecting?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
How many are they expecting?
Speaker 4 (01:33):
It's actually it's a very small, very small group of
people where I am at the moment. They've not just
for quite an intimate reality. I think, you know, many
New Zealanders will remember I suppose the Obama that they
grant park on thousand and eight thousands of people there.
This is a bit. This is a bit like a university.
It's in her former university, Howard University in Washington, DC.
(01:54):
The location of it is in the quad, so it
is it's it's I suppose in Wellington terms, it feels
that like Frank Kett's Park against so or maybe white
any park. So it's even smaller than that. Perhaps it's very,
very small. I believe all the members of the public
who are coming here of affiliated in some way with
(02:14):
the Harris campaign and they had to had to be
accredited in some way. That was certainly the case last
night in Philadelphia, and in quite a full contingent of
media too. It was quite hard to get accreditation to
get into this event. So there is a tiny number
of media here as well. So's she's opted for something small,
which I think is interesting.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
So you got the credication, Thomas, You're there right to
the end.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
I'm here into the bittery and had to I spend
the whole day lining up. My legs are quite sore.
I'm sending myself from a vending machine, and I'm just
I'm just sort of sitting here for ten hours until
we see it. So yeah, not much report at the moment.
If I'm on his next But it's pretty early in
the day over here. What is it. I think it's
four forty five over here, so so we've got a
(03:00):
wee while before before something actually happens. But I'd say,
you know, maybe in the next three four hours we'll
see some people.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
I want to know when you think that we'll get there.
What whose show on news talks there be will get
the first sort of results coming through.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yeah, there's a question for you.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Yes, that's a good one. Honestly, it might it might be.
I mean, here's a real question, like what whose show
on what day? You know? Oh oh, and actually you know,
because it could be it could be you know, it
could be your show could be this time tomorrow. I'm
not sure where you've seen it. But Barack Obama just
put up a tweet and he he sort of said, remember,
(03:35):
in twenty twenty, took a couple of days for them
to count Pennsylvania votes. That's normal. Takes long time to
count votes in some states. Pennsylvania is one of those states.
In Pennsylvania is a crucial muscle win state. So so,
but Barack Obama and actually other sort of significant people
in the United States are going around saying hey, look,
you know, just managing expectations and saying, hey, look, you know,
(03:57):
if we don't get a clear result tonight, don't worry.
It's not a sign of the sky falling in. That's
not a sign of the electoral system failing. That's not
a sign of rank corruption and and electoral fraud. That
is just a symptom of the fact that there are
going to be you know, one hundred and eighty million
votes or so class today and it's going to take
an awful lot of times to count them, especially in
some of those crucial states. So the real question has
(04:20):
is what day.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Oh you don't think we'll know tomorrow, even I just
don't know.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
I mean, I think last election that was three or
four days before Pennsylvania came. But but who knows, you know,
were the poles are so close at the moment is
another interesting theories. The pole was so close at the
moment that if the polls are all out by roughly
a similar amount, you know, three or four points, which
(04:46):
is that's a that's a historically historically normal amount of
the poles to be out by, then they're all wrong
in the same direction. It could be quite a clear
result in electoral college terms, still quite close by the
New Zealand standards, they mean, but in the electoral college
gems in America you might Agencyson like, oh, you know, one,
if the poles are all wrong and and they all
(05:07):
bet against they're all wrong against Donald Trumps as they
have been in the past, then you actually might see
then you actually might see a clera result. If they
all go his way. Likewise, the field go Harris's way
and the pulse was off over correctors over the last
few years, then then you might see Excia Harris as welt.
But again, but just being honest with your listeners, Nick,
no one really knows just going on in this country.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
What do you say to the people.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
What do you say to the people that think that
in the last twenty four hours that it's Trumps to lose.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Honestly, I just there are you know, there are three
hundred and thirty forty million people in this country, and
there are many, many very intelligent pots and political commentators,
and basically everyone I am reading is saying like, there
are some interesting ideas on either side. And honestly, anyone
(05:58):
who tells you they know what's going on is probably
you know, they have a lot of gut encourage that
they probably don't know what's going on. And I think
it's just impossible. It really is impossible to say at
this stage they're so close. I've read some really interesting
stuff publishing the local media today. The New York Times
basically said, look, you know, here is a case to
why it might actually be obviously Carvala Harris is going
(06:20):
to win. But actually here's also a case for why
obviously it might be Donald Trump is going to win. Yeah,
it's funny, it's it's quite dissatisfying for all of us.
But but really, but the truth is said, no one
really knows what's going on. It's the honest truth.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Well, it seems to have been going on for months
and months and months, really, every every rally that we've
seen on TV. Here it feels like it was going
to be tomorrow the election, wasn't it. It's always it's
been going on for so damn long. We just want
to an answer, don't we.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Well, I know, here's something I was reasoning I was
doing about effect checking before publishing the story to though,
just checking when when Donald Trump announced he was going
to run again, and when when effectively the campaign began
because you had someone who's you know, anmounted and they're
going to run. He announced after the midterms and thousand
and two at the end of twenty and twenty two
(07:08):
at the end of that year, and then then then
this challenger, Nikky Haley, the main challenger announce announced early
in twenty three, so that like, this is honestly, but
this is this is an election that has taken the years,
you know, and and let's when you think about it,
Our terms in New Zealand are only three years long
and Donald Trump's really been campaigning for two. Tell me
what you think is going to exhausting process?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I mean, I bet you it is for especially for
guys like you and the in the actual trade.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
I mean, what do you think is going to happen?
Speaker 4 (07:35):
But I like it, But I think it's exhausting for America.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Yeah, I know you quite like it.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I mean, I'm working at a newsroom wherever I's on
fire and buzzing around and I'm looking at them, say
what the hell? What doesn't change my bloody day tomorrow?
Whoever gets in? But tell me what do you think
will happen? And this is a conspiracy theorist in me,
What do you think is going to happen? If Trump
this miss is just misses out.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
I think that is that is a that is the one.
I think that is the that is probably the most
sort of ominous scenario in terms of unrisk. Obviously the
country has had civil unrest before. Obviously the January and
the general insurrection, and so I think people here are
kind of braced for it and prepared for it, and
(08:18):
these agencies are probably probably prepared for it as well.
You know, the unthinkable is now thinkable, and therefore you
know you can prepare for it. But Donald Trump has
sort of been laying the groundwork where he has been
laying the groundwork, has the campaign has been laying the
groundwork over the last few days to actually, you know,
effectively effectively contest a close results. So I think that
(08:39):
is there is a chance that would have to happen,
you would see the same thing happened courts and many
counties around the country. I think there are about three
thousand counties where they do the vote counting at the
most at the level. So I think it's a wave
of litigation and counties and swing states where it was close.
And then obviously many of Donald Trump supporters. And this
(09:00):
is one thing that's really surprised me arriving in this country.
I short of thought the election denialism New Zealand was
was a fringe kind of thing that that that only
some very rostered on Trump supporters believe. And I've actually
been surprised that just how widespread you know, your your
uber driver, people are you know you overhear at the
hotels and cafes. A lot of people really, you know,
(09:25):
not everyone, not everyone on the on the Trump side
thinks that the election was stolen, but a lot of
people are are not convinced that that the result was entirely,
entirely fairly won by by Joe Biden, which which to
be clear, is what basically every every observer and and
you know, official and media and whatever thinks he did win.
(09:46):
It's a very widespread dis Beauty's fascinating to me.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Okay, one word answer, all right, who who wins?
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Who wins?
Speaker 3 (09:58):
You don't you can take the fifth on on me
if you want.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
The Harris rally. I want to see here to night,
so I'll just say Harris just purely selfish reasons. Yeah,
I don't want to have her twenty sixteen repeat. And
for Hillary Clinton. You know she said she didn't come
out that night. She did know it saw us, So
I've been waiting here for ten hours, so I want
to see someone, So I'll say Harris for purely selfish.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Thanks Thomasin.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I appreciate you taking the time to talk to us
this morning on Wenington Mornings to Night. I've picked the
same one I picked up, but I went really early.
I went really early. Thanks Thomas. Appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Joining US now live from Kamala Harris's HQ in Washington, DC,
as New Zealand Herald Deputy political editor Thomas Coglan, Good.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
Morning, Thomas, Good morning.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
How are you.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
I'm doing really well. Paint us the mood. Tell us
what's going on. Give us the field. You've been over
there for a few days. What's the buzz.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Yeah, I've been over here for about a week. The
buzz changes to been. It's such a divided country, you know, Nick,
And that's really obvious wherever you are in the world.
It's the vibe change is depending on we are. Last night,
I was in Philadelphia at Kamala Harris's last rally of
the entire election campaign. The buzz was sort of nervous.
You know, the poles a pretty tight, pretty tight, but
(00:55):
they're also pretty joyous and excited that they loves here
and they're pretty happy to be in that rally. A
couple of days before that, I was in North Carolina
brings through North Carolina, another swing state, but in a
pretty trumpy area of it, and were kind of feeling
the same but but but the Donald Trump and they
were sort of feeling a bit anxious that the Democrats
might might steal the election. But they were feeling pretty
tough to be able to see to see the man.
(01:16):
So so I guess that the picture is that the
the vibe really depends on on whose side you're on
and whether you are whether you're surrounded by people that
are on the same part as you.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
How many people are where you are right now, and
what's you know, what, what what are they expecting?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
How many are they expecting?
Speaker 4 (01:33):
It's actually it's a very small, very small group of
people where I am at the moment. They've not just
for quite an intimate reality. I think, you know, many
New Zealanders will remember I suppose the Obama that they
grant park on thousand and eight thousands of people there.
This is a bit. This is a bit like a university.
It's in her former university, Howard University in Washington, DC.
(01:54):
The location of it is in the quad, so it
is it's it's I suppose in Wellington terms, it feels
that like Frank Kett's Park against so or maybe white
any park. So it's even smaller than that. Perhaps it's very,
very small. I believe all the members of the public
who are coming here of affiliated in some way with
(02:14):
the Harris campaign and they had to had to be
accredited in some way. That was certainly the case last
night in Philadelphia, and in quite a full contingent of
media too. It was quite hard to get accreditation to
get into this event. So there is a tiny number
of media here as well. So's she's opted for something small,
which I think is interesting.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
So you got the credication, Thomas, You're there right to
the end.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
I'm here into the bittery and had to I spend
the whole day lining up. My legs are quite sore.
I'm sending myself from a vending machine, and I'm just
I'm just sort of sitting here for ten hours until
we see it. So yeah, not much report at the moment.
If I'm on his next But it's pretty early in
the day over here. What is it. I think it's
four forty five over here, so so we've got a
(03:00):
wee while before before something actually happens. But I'd say,
you know, maybe in the next three four hours we'll
see some people.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
I want to know when you think that we'll get there.
What whose show on news talks there be will get
the first sort of results coming through.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yeah, there's a question for you.
Speaker 4 (03:15):
Yes, that's a good one. Honestly, it might it might be.
I mean, here's a real question, like what whose show
on what day? You know? Oh oh, and actually you know,
because it could be it could be you know, it
could be your show could be this time tomorrow. I'm
not sure where you've seen it. But Barack Obama just
put up a tweet and he he sort of said, remember,
(03:35):
in twenty twenty, took a couple of days for them
to count Pennsylvania votes. That's normal. Takes long time to
count votes in some states. Pennsylvania is one of those states.
In Pennsylvania is a crucial muscle win state. So so,
but Barack Obama and actually other sort of significant people
in the United States are going around saying hey, look,
you know, just managing expectations and saying, hey, look, you know,
(03:57):
if we don't get a clear result tonight, don't worry.
It's not a sign of the sky falling in. That's
not a sign of the electoral system failing. That's not
a sign of rank corruption and and electoral fraud. That
is just a symptom of the fact that there are
going to be you know, one hundred and eighty million
votes or so class today and it's going to take
an awful lot of times to count them, especially in
some of those crucial states. So the real question has
(04:20):
is what day.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Oh you don't think we'll know tomorrow, even I just
don't know.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
I mean, I think last election that was three or
four days before Pennsylvania came. But but who knows, you know,
were the poles are so close at the moment is
another interesting theories. The pole was so close at the
moment that if the polls are all out by roughly
a similar amount, you know, three or four points, which
(04:46):
is that's a that's a historically historically normal amount of
the poles to be out by, then they're all wrong
in the same direction. It could be quite a clear
result in electoral college terms, still quite close by the
New Zealand standards, they mean, but in the electoral college
gems in America you might Agencyson like, oh, you know, one,
if the poles are all wrong and and they all
(05:07):
bet against they're all wrong against Donald Trumps as they
have been in the past, then you actually might see
then you actually might see a clera result. If they
all go his way. Likewise, the field go Harris's way
and the pulse was off over correctors over the last
few years, then then you might see Excia Harris as welt.
But again, but just being honest with your listeners, Nick,
no one really knows just going on in this country.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
What do you say to the people.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
What do you say to the people that think that
in the last twenty four hours that it's Trumps to lose.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
Honestly, I just there are you know, there are three
hundred and thirty forty million people in this country, and
there are many, many very intelligent pots and political commentators,
and basically everyone I am reading is saying like, there
are some interesting ideas on either side. And honestly, anyone
(05:58):
who tells you they know what's going on is probably
you know, they have a lot of gut encourage that
they probably don't know what's going on. And I think
it's just impossible. It really is impossible to say at
this stage they're so close. I've read some really interesting
stuff publishing the local media today. The New York Times
basically said, look, you know, here is a case to
why it might actually be obviously Carvala Harris is going
(06:20):
to win. But actually here's also a case for why
obviously it might be Donald Trump is going to win. Yeah,
it's funny, it's it's quite dissatisfying for all of us.
But but really, but the truth is said, no one
really knows what's going on. It's the honest truth.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Well, it seems to have been going on for months
and months and months, really, every every rally that we've
seen on TV. Here it feels like it was going
to be tomorrow the election, wasn't it. It's always it's
been going on for so damn long. We just want
to an answer, don't we.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Well, I know, here's something I was reasoning I was
doing about effect checking before publishing the story to though,
just checking when when Donald Trump announced he was going
to run again, and when when effectively the campaign began
because you had someone who's you know, anmounted and they're
going to run. He announced after the midterms and thousand
and two at the end of twenty and twenty two
(07:08):
at the end of that year, and then then then
this challenger, Nikky Haley, the main challenger announce announced early
in twenty three, so that like, this is honestly, but
this is this is an election that has taken the years,
you know, and and let's when you think about it,
Our terms in New Zealand are only three years long
and Donald Trump's really been campaigning for two. Tell me
what you think is going to exhausting process?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
I mean, I bet you it is for especially for
guys like you and the in the actual trade.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
I mean, what do you think is going to happen?
Speaker 4 (07:35):
But I like it, But I think it's exhausting for America.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Yeah, I know you quite like it.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
I mean, I'm working at a newsroom wherever I's on
fire and buzzing around and I'm looking at them, say
what the hell? What doesn't change my bloody day tomorrow?
Whoever gets in? But tell me what do you think
will happen? And this is a conspiracy theorist in me,
What do you think is going to happen? If Trump
this miss is just misses out.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
I think that is that is a that is the one.
I think that is the that is probably the most
sort of ominous scenario in terms of unrisk. Obviously the
country has had civil unrest before. Obviously the January and
the general insurrection, and so I think people here are
kind of braced for it and prepared for it, and
(08:18):
these agencies are probably probably prepared for it as well.
You know, the unthinkable is now thinkable, and therefore you
know you can prepare for it. But Donald Trump has
sort of been laying the groundwork where he has been
laying the groundwork, has the campaign has been laying the
groundwork over the last few days to actually, you know,
effectively effectively contest a close results. So I think that
(08:39):
is there is a chance that would have to happen,
you would see the same thing happened courts and many
counties around the country. I think there are about three
thousand counties where they do the vote counting at the
most at the level. So I think it's a wave
of litigation and counties and swing states where it was close.
And then obviously many of Donald Trump supporters. And this
(09:00):
is one thing that's really surprised me arriving in this country.
I short of thought the election denialism New Zealand was
was a fringe kind of thing that that that only
some very rostered on Trump supporters believe. And I've actually
been surprised that just how widespread you know, your your
uber driver, people are you know you overhear at the
hotels and cafes. A lot of people really, you know,
(09:25):
not everyone, not everyone on the on the Trump side
thinks that the election was stolen, but a lot of
people are are not convinced that that the result was entirely,
entirely fairly won by by Joe Biden, which which to
be clear, is what basically every every observer and and
you know, official and media and whatever thinks he did win.
(09:46):
It's a very widespread dis Beauty's fascinating to me.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Okay, one word answer, all right, who who wins?
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Who wins?
Speaker 3 (09:58):
You don't you can take the fifth on on me
if you want.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
The Harris rally. I want to see here to night,
so I'll just say Harris just purely selfish reasons. Yeah,
I don't want to have her twenty sixteen repeat. And
for Hillary Clinton. You know she said she didn't come
out that night. She did know it saw us, So
I've been waiting here for ten hours, so I want
to see someone, So I'll say Harris for purely selfish.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Thanks Thomasin.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I appreciate you taking the time to talk to us
this morning on Wenington Mornings to Night. I've picked the
same one I picked up, but I went really early.
I went really early. Thanks Thomas. Appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd Be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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