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Former Obama Advisor Van Jones Says Excitement At RNC Is Similar To Barack’s In 2008: ‘There’s Something Happening’
A former advisor to Barack Obama suggests the excitement generated from the Republican National Convention is comparable to when his boss had the political world abuzz in 2008.
Van Jones, now a contributor to CNN, made the remarks Thursday night following commentary from fellow panel member Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist.
Jennings was fired up. Jones suggested the “spirit” he exuded was not an anomaly.
“This spirit that this guy [Jennings] has, you guys think it’s because he’s drunk, he’s not, this whole thing is like this,” Jones said.
He added, “The last time I was at a convention that felt like this was Obama 2008. There’s something happening.”
Van Jones Says Trump RNC Is Like Obama In 2008
Considering the disaster and detriment Obama became, it might be difficult to remember that Barack in his 2008 iteration was actually a solid orator who delivered incredible speeches.
Regardless of how you feel about him, his political talent is undeniable.
He put himself on the map with his ‘red states and blue states’ speech at the previous DNC convention in 2004. The “spirit” and excitement Van Jones is referring to is what propelled him to victory over John McCain.
Now, sixteen years later, Jones is getting the same vibes from Trump and the RNC. And it’s kind of hard to argue following rousing speeches from wrestler Hulk Hogan, UFC President Dana White, and a performance by rocker Kid Rock.
The energy, the momentum, are all clearly on Trump’s side right now. The attempt on the former President’s life took the enthusiasm to unheard-of heights.
Hogan, after all, delivered a speech at the RNC that, once he was done, made you want to eat a bowl of rusted nails … without any milk.
Hulk Hogan rips off his shirt at the RNC to USA chants: "What happened last week when they took a shot at my hero and they tried to kill the next President of the United States, enough was enough!!!!" pic.twitter.com/XK91TCkTgi
Steeling Himself For What’s To Come
It seems Van Jones is finally accepting reality. The energy shift is real. Voters are saying enough is enough. The witchhunt, the violence. It’s time for a new direction.
Jones, in a previous stage of denial weeks ago, was almost in tears after watching President Biden in the debate against Trump.
“That was not what we needed from Joe Biden,” he lamented.
Of course, Van Jones was sounding the alarm much longer than most of his media cohorts. In 2022, following a press conference in which Biden was thoroughly lost, Jones called the President “foggy” and “meandering”, even going so far as to compare him to President Ronald Reagan toward the end of his life. Reagan suffered from Alzheimer’s.
Jones, surprisingly, has also lauded Trump in the past, saying he “doesn’t get enough credit” for the “good stuff he has done” for the black community.
Earlier this week, Jones contrasted Biden’s response to testing positive with COVID to Trump getting back up and fighting after nearly being killed.
“Today is a terrible day. If you pull back and look at this thing, strength versus weakness, a bullet couldn’t stop Trump. A virus just stopped Biden,” he said in a devastating comment for the DNC.
Jennings is excited. Hulk Hogan is excited. The whole RNC was excited. And now, even Van Jones is feeling it. Hopefully, the results for Trump in the November election will also look like Obama’s in 2008.