Oprah, Clinton and the coach: Takeaways from Walz Night at the DNC

• "Hope, Gus and Gwen: You are my entire world, and I love you," Walz addressed his daughter, son and wife as he recounted the family's journey with fertility treatments.
• "I'm letting you in on how we started a family because this is a big part about what this election is about: Freedom!" Walz declared to the crowd of dewy-eyed Democrats.

4 takeaways from Walz's big night

1. Wednesday Night Lights

• Walz's experience as a high school football coach dominated virtually every aspect of his speech: an introductory pep rally starring former players, an ocean of "Coach Walz" signs in the audience, and metaphors from start to finish.
• Seeking to tie Donald Trump to Project 2025, for example, Walz declared: "I coached high school football long enough to know ... when somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they're going to use it."
• And with the crowd building to a roar, he cast Democrats as underdogs: "It's the fourth quarter. We're down a field goal. But we're on offense and we've got the ball. We're driving down the field. And, boy, do we have the right team."

2. Oprah's surprise

• On a night that featured Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Mindy Kaling, Kenan Thompson and poet Amanda Gorman, it was Oprah Winfrey who stole the show with her first-ever speech at a national political convention.
• A daughter of Chicago who rarely has ventured into politics since endorsing Barack Obama in 2008, Winfrey called on Americans to vote for Harris and Walz's "optimism over cynicism" and "inclusion over retribution."
• "When a house is on fire, we don't ask about the homeowner's race or religion. We don't wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No. We just try to do the best we can to save them," Winfrey said.
• Then, thrilling the audience with a not-so-subtle jab at Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Winfrey added: "And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out, too."

3. Clinton's full circle

• In 1988, then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton drew impatient grumbles and boos from Democratic delegates — and nearly sank his career — with a rambling convention speech that lasted well beyond the intended 15 minutes.

• Clinton, a generational talent as a politician, went on to be a two-term president. But Wednesday night, the former president, now 78, blew past his 12-minute allotment with a lengthy, hoarse speech that featured some memorable zingers blasting Trump, but otherwise left the DNC crowd restless.
• Today's Democratic Party has little tolerance for Clinton's Third Way centrism or checkered history — but he finished on a high note: "Take it from a man who once had the honor to be called 'The Man from Hope': We need Kamala Harris, the president of joy, to lead us."

4. Dems' rising stars

• If Harris loses to Trump in November, one consolation prize may be the deep bench of potential 2028 candidates who shined on Night 3 the DNC.
• Pete Buttigieg — after acknowledging his reputation as a master of rebuttal on Fox News — delivered a searing takedown of Vance and called on America to "end Trump's politics of darkness once and for all."
• Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro electrified the crowd with his patriotic stump speech. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore showed off the charisma that has made him one of the convention's hottest tickets.

What to watch: For three days, the Democratic Party has enjoyed remarkable unity and energy. But new protests are erupting over the decision not to allow a Palestinian American to speak from the main stage.

• That has surfaced some tension within the party, threatening to cloud the convention's Thursday finale and Harris' history-making acceptance of the Democratic nomination.