2020 Election! Conversation with Valerie Jarrett

Barack Obama, author, lawyer, mother, and businesswoman Valerie Jarrett. Welcome Valerie to Positively gam. I am so excited, Thank you, thank you for taking the time. I'm delighted to be here. I've been looking forward to it. How are you doing. I'm fine, I'm so excited. Is everyone good? Fine? Yeah, everybody is fine. And during this time in COVID and I've pray that all of your families is well. They are. And when you ask people that, now you really mean it,

because so many people are not fine. I know, I know, I just I'm so excited to have you here because I'm not a political person I never have been, and I just think that it's so important right now, and I just think you are the perfect person to talk to. But I want to go back a little bit and just have you give us a little story about yourself and your career path, because you really started out as

a boss too. Michelle Obama. Yes, back in a long time ago, I was a deputy chief of staff from Mayor Daily in Chicago, and I interviewed this bright young

woman whose name was Michelle Robinson. So she wasn't even Michelle Obama back there, and she had been practicing law of big law firm as I had to before I joined local government, and I should say I joined when Mayor Harold Washington, the first black mayor of Chicago, had just been re elected and four years later in Marks's elegant, oh before her years, striking, le gorgeous woman and I'll never forget her, and she just pulled me over, offered

her a job on the spot. She was so impressive. Wow, wow, you know, tell me then how you got to be a senior advisor for President Obama And what did that mean? What what is your job description or what was your job description in that role? So we met, I met the Obama's n one and in fact, before she agreed to take that job, offer I gave her. She said,

my fiance doesn't think it's such a good idea. We have dinner with us, and I did, and that was the beginning of not only a work relationship that I had with her, but a friendship I had with the With them, we clicked and she and I worked together for a couple of years at city Hall. She went to the University of Chicago after running public Allies. I

was on the board there. I chaired his finance committee for his campaign when he ran for Senate after I tried to talk him out of running for senate, so he forgave me for that and gave me the chairman of the finance committee. And we lived in the same neighborhood. They watched my daughter grow up. I was there for their wedding, and they enjoyed the births and seeing their two amazing daughters grow up. So we were really inextractably

LinkedIn I think. When President Obama was elected, and obviously I had worked on his campaign, I was a senior advisor on the campaign and shared was one of the co chairs of his transition and he said, look, I want you to come with me. I had run a business I had that experience. We were in the middle

of this recession. I had worked at both state and regional government, and he wanted to make sure that he had the pulse of where people were on the ground, and our mayors and our governors, all the elected officials who weren't members of Congress were in my portfolio. And then I also ran the Office of Public Engagement, which was the gateway through which the American people interface with

the White House. And then I chaired the White House Counsel and Women and Girls, which allowed me to continue my lifelong passion for gender equity. So he gave me a portfolio responsibilities in addition to senior Advisor. And what that means is every decision that went onto his desk came through his senior team first, and as one of his three senior advisors, got to weigh in on every single issue, every decision that he made. Wow, I know it was daunting. It was quite daunting. I was terrified

every single day for eight years. I stayed all eight years, the only person in history, which kind of surprises me that stayed all eight years. In fact, I weighed goodbye when he and Michelle went off to the inauguration. So I was there longer than they were, But you know what, I was old enough to appreciate the awesomeness of my responsibility to serve not only our country, but for a

president that I both respect and love. Consider him my younger brother, although I'm gonna stop saying that because his hair is just too great right now. I gotta call him my big brother pretty soon. But our relationship was so close, and so to have a chance to be there and help him in any way that I could was just you know, he was an honor. Yeah. And obviously you guys are are still close because you and Michelle are still very good friends. Michelle is your good girlfriend. Absolutely,

the three of us are still close. Yeah, and you sit on the board of Michelle's nonprofit, the when we all vote. Yeah, And voting is, like we said at the top of the show, that the election is right around the corner. Why do you feel like it's so important for people to vote. I've been voting, of course, my entire life. And though I'm not politically inclined and I don't always know who are the best people to vote for, I asked, and I talked to people that

I feel close to, and people that I trust. I remember when I first started voting, I would have conversations with my parents, and even as I got older, I would rely on my husband's but I understood the importance of the vote. And it's just baffling to me that we're still trying to encourage people and make people understand

how important their vote is. I know, and we shouldn't. Well, it is hard to imagine that in the last presidential election, a hundred million people who were eligible to vote did not vote. And that's what really got Michelle thinking about how do we change the culture around voting in our country. And when I was growing up, my parents took me to the polls with them before the elections. We discussed

the candidates even when I was a young person. They wanted me to be informed and I watched them and they were great role models. Not everybody has that, And so our thought was, how do we reach people where they are with people who they look up to in trust? And since Michelle Obama is the most popular person in our country, who's a better ambassador for this than she?

But she has brought together a broad array of co chairs and ambassadors to go out there and talk about what are the issues you care about and who are the people that can affect those issues in a positive way, And challenge people to do just what you said you do, which is asked questions, become informed, do your homework, and in a sense, this excruciating year we've all been through with the COVID nineteen and the racial unrest, and which

to me, the positive force of demonstrations that are out there, non violent demonstrations pushing for change. It's been a bit of a civics lesson, right. If you don't think that the police chief is doing a good job, who's the mayor who pointed that police chief? If you think that the prosecutors aren't being fair, you get to vote for

your prosecutors. If you think that the governors aren't giving proper information about the COVID nineteen and how to protect yourself and doing everything they can to keep their states safe, you should vote for the governor. And then obviously the President and Congress are important offices as well. So we're trying to talk about it from the perspective of challenging people to think about the issues that they care about as a way of getting them to see the connection. Yes,

demonstrations are fabulous. It's how we've seen change in our lifetime. The civil rights movement, the women's rights movement, that l g B t Q rights movement, all of those came from activism coupled with voting. Yeah, and right now people still feel powerless. They still feel like their vote doesn't matter, and it's just such an I almost feel like it's a betrayal not to vote when you think about it.

In the year where we lost Congressman John Lewis, an icon of the civil rights movement who put himself in harm's way and suffered greatly walking across that Edmund pettes Bridge, I was hit in the head when news went from under me. I thought I was going to down Bridge. He is the most abigious person I've ever met. Two

people struggle and s to make it possible. Right to go, And I think we have to share our history with our children so they'll appreciate that we stand on the shoulders of people who gave up much in order for us to have this right. And look, nobody's asking us to count the number of jelly beans in a jar, or take a literacy task or pole tax. Now we are seeing voter suppression in parts of our country, and

that should make us angry. Somebody tells me I can't do something that I have a right to do, it's gonna make me want to do it even more. And which is why we see a record number of people standing in line waiting, bringing their holding share and their picnic basket and some music and just sit there and wait. I do believe this is the most important election of

our lifetime. It really is. It really is value. And I listened to one of an interview you did with someone else, but you said, don't abdicate your responsibility and disenfranchise yourself. And it's just so important because this process is all we have right now. I believe that so many things about the government and the way and politics and the way that it's run needs to change, but right now, this is what we have. And when you

don't participate, you're taking away all of your power. And if you if your vote doesn't matter, then why are all these measures being taken to keep us from Well, that's the question I want people to ask yourself. If they didn't appreciate the fact that you are a threat to their power, they wouldn't be working so hard to disenfantise you, and we were seeing laws in the past, We've seen policies and practices. We've seen even the presidents calling on his supporters to go to the polls and

inevitably try to intimidate voters. That should make us more determined than ever to vote. Absolutely, And I know here in California recently there were the Republicans admitted to putting out these ballot boxes that were not official. That's against the law. They got busted then, and but nobody seems to be like nobody's who's taking responsibility for that? Like why are there no that's elite? And I hope they're

going to be some consequences. I hope that the local law enforcement are looking at that, because that is absolutely illegal, interfering with an election. You're not allowed to do that, and there should be some consequences because one of the real pillars of our democracy is an open and fair election, an election with integrity where we know that we can count on the results. That's what a democracy is all about.

And when we start to erote it that, which frankly is I think what the president was doing when he started saying that absentee ballots were fraudulent. No, they're not. His own FBI director said that's not the case. We have a history of a smooth transition of power, and we need to demand that this time. And I know the thing I will also mention here because so many people are voting absentee ballots, and our postal service has a hard time as it is, let alone, with this

huge influx that they're going to see. We may not know on election night the result of the election, so we have to so we have to be patient and make sure every ballot is counted and not just jumped to a conclusion based on what we see that night. We need every single ballot count and be patient because that's the way democracy works. Yeah, and I also want to mention in California, someone set some of the official ballot boxes on fire. That is not okay. You don't

get to do that. You don't get to do that. You don't get to do that. And I have to keep my eye out on that and find out with the results because it's targeted in the black community, of course, and that shouldn't sense us. And then you mentioned it's going to take a couple of days or however long it takes. For us to get all of the ballots counted because everybody or many people are using the mail in ballot because of COVID. Yeah, and I did that.

I voted by absentee two weeks ago. And in Chicago, you get a notice when your ballot has been received and marked as fulfilling the requirements. And so I breathed a sigh of relief. But I didn't wait till the last minute because I didn't want to take a chance. But then my mom, who's ninety one, she's been hearing all this talk about the mail and ballots being a problem.

She insisted on going in first and last Saturday and voting. Unfortunately, because she's a very senior citizen, they moved her up and she only had to wait a half an hour, but she just insisted on doing it in person. And and I would far rather she'd done an absentee ballot. But what we want everybody to do is make a plan, figure out what you feel comfortable doing. But sitting this out is not an option, everybody. It is not. It is not. I've been voting since I was eighteen. I

got an opportunity to vote for President Obama. Are you prepared to take the old Senator, I Barack Hussain Obama. I problem swear, I Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will execute the office of President to the United States faithfully, that I will execute the faithfully the President officer President of the President United States faithfully and will to the best of my ability, and will to the best of my abuilding, preserve, protect, and defend the

Constitution of the United States. Preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help you, God, So help me God. Congratulations, Mr Pragnice. And because we're going to have have to wait to get the results, President Trump has implied that he will not easily leave the White House. What are your thoughts about that. It's the first time in history we've had our president imply that

perhaps he's not going to go nicely. And again, we as this beacon of hope for the world, have gone around and pointed fingers at other countries when they didn't have a smooth transition of power. And basically, what President Trump is saying is it unless he wins, then the election couldn't have been legitimate. How about Joe Biden just got more votes than he did, right, How about that as a possibility, a likely possibility if you look at

the polls. But I hastened to add, do not pay it too much attention, because say it again, do not, because you know what, Hillary Clinton was ahead in the polls. And I even look back to when President Obama lost in the primary New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton, we were up by twelve points, boom gone, just like that. We can't take it for granted, which is why President Obama is out there. It's why you're gonna see Joe Biden, who's working hard now preparing for his debate coming up this week.

It's why Senator Harris is back out on the campaign trail. They are not taking a single vote for granted. But the point you made is a good one in that you have two candidates on the ballot. Pick one, pick pick one, and in this case, to me, the contrast between the two is just enormous. It's so stark, it is so stark, and I'm just glad that I don't have young children because I don't think I let them

look at television these days. And then social media is being weaponized, and I think part of what the message that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have that resonates with me as a mom and now as a grandmother, is that they are role models. It's really like Michelle Obama said, when they go low, we have to go high because the children are watching. And I want to have a president and of vice president who we can all be

proud of. And one of the things Joe said the other day that really red sinated with me too, as he said, Look, I'm running as a Democrat, but I will be president for all of America. Yes, And frankly, I haven't felt in the last four years that I had a president looking out for me. Of course not. And this election is really going to be telling as

far as where we stand as a country. Unfortunately, it may really tell us who we really are, and it may not be what most people believe and what most people want to hear, because right now, the country's moral fabric's fraid, to say the very least, and it has been fueled from the highest office in the land. But this is what I I still believe. It was a lot long ago that this country elected Barack Obama, not once,

but twice. And I think most Americans are good and decent people and they're just trying to get through the day and provide for their families and retire and dignity and love their children, love their families. And what we're hearing is the toxicity. And it's in the airways, it's on social media, it's coming from the highest office. And part of my message is that we all have the ability.

When you say people sometimes feel powerless, No, we actually have the ability to be good and decent and to treat each other well and to feel like I am my sister's keeper, I am my brother's keeper. And to heal this division, I think it comes from the ground and it comes from sending a strong message to the leaders about who we are. We define who we are. Yeah, that's exactly what's gonna be. My next question to you is how do we heal? How do we heal as

a nation? It begins with each one of us. Are you Are we going about our day treating people and being decent? Are we electing people who reflect our values and our priorities? And so sitting at home isn't an option. You have to send a strong message. And I say this to people even if you live in like I'm in New York right now a very blue city, but it's important that we send a strong message of where the pulse of the American people are. Regardless of blue state,

red state. Every vote matters when you're sending a signal, and you want people going in with the wind at their back and knowing that this is to your question, this is who our country actually is, right hopefully, prayerfully, hope, hope, hopefully you know what I know it is. I actually do know it is. I think the quest The only question in my mind is are people going to actually

show up and vote? Because I know they're good, I know they're decent, I know they want to do the right thing, and many of them are afraid in the middle of this pandemic. And so put your mask on, wash your hands, keep your distance, but go vote. What do you say about the length of time that people are having to stand and wait in life. It's outrageous. It's outrageous from We're supposed to be the most advanced

country in the world. Figure on that one. And this is why one of the things we've been asking for is for employers to give people a day off to go vote, not just two hours, because you may not be able to do it into hours, and you shouldn't have to choose between getting paid and exercising this right to vote. So we're asking every employer in the country give your workers a break, let them go vote, and let's tell them as long as it takes now, is

it outrageous? Yes, and which is why if you were in a state where you have had to wait for twelve hours, you need a different secretary of state. That's who oversees the election in your state. So you need to do better than that by holding that person accountable. Again, we're not powerless here. We shouldn't stand for that. So be prepared, bring your stuff, go with somebody so one of you can get out of line and go to the bathroom if you have to come back and save

your spot in line. And then many states also have drop boxes where you can fill out your ballot and just drop it and then you don't have to stand in line. But that means you've got to request it now. So today, make your plan. Man, you mentioned Kamala. Let's talk about Kamala Harris because she is an amazing can to it. I'm so excited about her. But the news media is often so critical of women in power, and specifically with Kamala Harris as the first black VP candidate.

From her looks, her dress, dance, her tone of voice, or have strong thoughts on that look. A group of women from around the country got together before Joe Biden even selected Kamala Harris, and we sent a letter to the media and we said, look, you better do this differently this time. We were so sick and tired of seeing double standards, women treated differently, misogynistic or racist comments

directed at women who are vying for higher office. And look, Senator Harris has been up against us since the first election that she ran, and it's an uneven playing field and she has mastered that uneven playing field. But she shouldn't have to. So we sent out this letter and we said we have her back. We knew he was going to pick a woman, whoever that woman was. We wanted to say we have that person's back, and now

we stand with her firmly. But the point is that women are shouldn't have to be in the position of defending themselves. There should be other voices out there that call it, call people on it when we see it. We saw it just the other day we saw the senator from Georgia's spewing out mispronouncing her name. Now he

knows how to pronounce her name. He serves with her in the Senate, and what it is intended to do is to make her look like another different And we've seen this with black people all the time, where people pretend like they can't pronounce our name. It's disrespectful, it's diminishing, and it needs to stop. And he was called out and immediately, and we've been telling the press stop talking

about her clothes. This is the standard. Is really the simple would just say the same thing about a man when they say, for example, she's ambitious, that is intended to be an insult. You tell me this, what man who is vice president is a vice presidential nominee or vice president doesn't want to be president? What person being considered for vice president is an ambitious? In our Asians history, they've all been ambitious. And then it's a good thing.

I want the person who wants the most important job in the country and second most important job in the country to be ambitious. I don't want you to be ambivalent. I want you all in exactly. And so I think, look, she brushes it off because she's used to it. But I think we have to be mindful that it sets women up to be disrespected if we treat them differently than men. She can compete on any substantive issue you

bring our way. We saw her in the debate. She was outstanding, She was prepared, She seemed like she was enjoying it. She wanted to be there, she was ready to mix it up. But when Vice President Pence interrupted her, she said, excuse me, I'm speaking. She's not going to take that. But we also have to pile on so that she's not out there by herself. And then when I say we, I don't mean just women. Men should be allies in this effort as well. So what are some of the changes that you hope to see from

either administration come November three? Well, let's just say, if Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are elected, and I sure hope they will be, everything will change. I think on day one, Joe Biden will sign on a series of executive orders reversing everything that President Trump did. He'll pull out of the lawsuit trying to in the affordable care acter. We are in the middle of a global pandemic, and they're in the Supreme Court of trying to repeal the

Affordable Care Act. So twenty million people who have insurance will lose it, women who get preventive care without a copay will lose it. Hundred plus million people who have pre existing conditions, myself included, will be at risk of our insurance going up or getting dropped. Lifetime and annual caps, those will be off the table. So all of the benefits in the affordable character will just go away. So

I think he will pull out of that lawsuit. I think all of the steps of the Obama Biden administer aation took to prevent our environment, like the climate deal we have with two under other countries. President Biden will get right back in on that deal, making sure that all of the environmental protections that the Trump administration through by the wayside, those will come back. He will let

science dictate how we manage this COVID nineteen crisis. Anthony Faucci, with whom we had the honor of working all eight years when we were in Washington, he will be right there by Joe Biden's side, advising him on the science, and as the science evolves, as it should be with a noble virus. We've never had one like this before. Joe Biden will make modifications to our approach. We have to get this virus under control, and then we have

to rebuild the economy. And what he said is he's going to rebuild it better, not just back to where we were. Trump always wanted to go backwards. Why would we want to go back when we want to go forward and make sure that as it gets rebuilt, nobody gets left behind. And so protections for workers, for example, and opposed to protections from big corporations and billionaires. One more question before we move on, what is your feeling about,

hopefully President Biden about extending the Supreme Court? You know what I think rightly, So he is saying, look, let's not left the Republicans off the hook. What they did by considering Judge Amy Connie Barrett right now when people are already voting going on right now, that's outrageous, particularly given what they did with Marrick Garland when President Obama

nominated him in March of the prior year. So I think what we have to do is put the spotlight out there on that and recognize what she will do if she takes the seat, and so he does not want to distract people from the issue at hand, which is her nomination, by speculating about what he might do in the future. So it's naptime for my favorite segment. Wouldn't you like to know? That's the name of the segment where you the three rapid fire questions with the

first phrase that comes to your mind. My first question to you is what book are you reading right now? I am in the midst of a book by Cecilian Munio said, she wrote who she served in our administration, and it's directed at women of color. So you're already ready, You're already prepared, and so I'm reading it for a second time because it's got all these pearls of wisdom and so many women of color. We hold ourselves back when we're already ready to do everything we need to do.

What's the model you live by? The motto I live by is to those who much has given, much has expected. So true. I love that. Okay, one thing you want to get off your chest? I want to get off my chest. Why every single person is not there voting right this minute. That's it. That's it. Thank you, so much. We appreciate you. Okay, you all, You're wonderful. Thank you so much, and I hope I can come back another time. Okay,

thank you. My takeaway from my conversation with Valerie Jarrett division is what the current administration has been promoting from day one. We want an administration that unites us as a nation. We are supporting the Biden Harris campaign. Your vote is important. Every vote is important. Please use your power, use your voice and vote. Thank you to my guest,

Valerie Jarrett. I couldn't have been more honored to have her on as my first guest for Positively Gam and go pick up a copy of her books, Finding My Voice. When the Perfect Plan crumbles, the adventure begins. Show your support by following the show and leaving a review on Apple. Follow me on my Instagram at Adrian ban jil Nuri's using the hashtag positively gam. I'm here, I'm talking, and I'm listening. Don't forget to vote and stay grateful y'all.

Positively Gam is produced by Westbrook Audio Executive producers Adrian Vanfield, Naris, Jada Pinkett Smith, Amanda Brown, and Fallon jethro Co Executive producer sim Hoti segment producer Ash Francis, associate producer Erica Ron, editor and mixer Calvin Bayliss. Positively gam Is in partnership with Art nineteen