A TikTok-famous comedian had more screen time at the Democratic National Convention than certain activists, policymakers, and even some failed 2020 Democratic primary candidates.
In case you were wondering how seriously Democrats are taking this.
Sarah Cooper is a self-declared comedian whose current claim to fame is a series of viral videos featuring her lip-syncing President Trump. Her TikTok videos also feature the occasional reaction shot. That is her entire shtick. There are no setups or punch lines. She just lip-syncs.
On Thursday, the fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention, Cooper was introduced by a 41-second video featuring her — you guessed it — lip-syncing the president.
Cooper then had an additional 49 seconds to accuse Trump of trying to steal the election by slowing and hindering the U.S. Postal Service. In total, she had 90 seconds of screen time at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, which is more than some lawmakers, congressional hopefuls, and even one-time Democratic presidential candidates can say.
Cooper had more time, for example, than Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who appeared for only 17 seconds in a video featuring other failed 2020 primary candidates. And to think that the New York senator was, at one point, thought of as the natural successor to the Clinton dynasty. How far the mighty have fallen.
Cooper also had more screen time than Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives and U.S. Senate candidate Sara Gideon, whose screen time was no longer than 46 seconds, 21 of which were dedicated to introducing musician Maggie Rogers. The Chinese spyware app celebrity had more time than Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, whose time ran for 82 seconds. Cooper also had more time than labor leader and activist Bob King, who had 66 seconds to speak.
Then, there are the individuals who were treated with equal or only slightly more importance as the woman whose chief offering is her ability to lip-sync the president.
Democratic Party wunderkind Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, for example, had only eight more seconds of speaking time than the TikTok celebrity. Cooper was given as much speaking time as the trifecta of Republican women, including former New Jersey Gov. Christine Whitman, businesswoman Meg Whitman, and former New York Rep. Susan Molinari, combined.
Lastly, Cooper at least was asked to speak at the Democratic convention, which is more than 2020 primary candidates Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro can say.
Gabbard, who earned two delegates during the 2020 Democratic primary, confirmed this week that convention organizers did not invite her to speak at the nomination of Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Castro, who ran on police reform long before the wrongful death of George Floyd sparked anti-police protests nationwide, likewise was left off the list of invited speakers.
Relatedly, Floyd’s surviving brothers, Philonise and Rodney, had less screen time than Cooper, who now has her own Netflix show deal thanks to her lip-sync routine.
