Historian says Dems should recall FDR's 'fireside chats' to reach homebound voters during convention

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Democrats need to strike tone of fireside chat to have a successful DNC, historian says

Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin breaks down the unprecedented virtual event on 'Your World.'

Presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin urged Democrats to tap into the "conversational" tone of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's radio "fireside chats" ahead of the second night of the virtual Democratic National Convention.

"I think the key for the speakers — I think that is why Michelle’s [Obama's] worked last night -- is, you almost have to make it like a fireside chat," Goodwin told "Your World" on Tuesday.

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"FDR, he [was] just talking into a microphone, and people feel that it is conversational, that you are speaking to them in your living room."

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Critics described the first night of the Democrats' quadrennial gathering as having the feel of a "telethon" as both parties work to build up enthusiasm and effectively reach voters at home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Goodwin urged Democrats to model their remarks after FDR's famous radio broadcasts, which reached millions of households and helped Roosevelt build popular support for his New Deal policies as the nation struggled with the Great Depression.

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"You can’t scream," she said. "You can’t have this one passionate one-minuter ... you have to think that you are talking to them individually ...  I think the tone will be much more moderate, and that is the important thing for them, to project unity."