they note that the health of our people goes hand-in-hand with the strength of our economy. they know action begets action. over the past few months, we have learned what is essential. rising to the challenge, not denying it. we have learned who is

essential too. not just the wealthiest among us. not a president who fights his fellow americans rather than fight the virus that is killing us and our economy. it is the people who put their own health at risk to care for the rest of us. they are the mvps. the nurses and the doctors, the utility workers, truck drivers and grocery clerks. the childcare workers, parents, teachers. the mail carriers and the autoworkers. so many of these essential workers have lost their lives to covid-19. nearly 1000 healthcare workers, more than 170,000 people across america. including a 5-year-old girl named skyler from detroit who his mom is a police officer and dad is a firefighter. generation after generation, our nation has been defined by what we do or what we fail to

do. so, for skyler, for her parents, and in the memory of all those we have lost, let us act. let us heal as one nation. let us find strength to do the work. [music] [music]

[music] [music] we, the people, means all the people. even those with whom we might not agree. even those we might not expect to see at a democratic convention. joe biden is a guy who has earned the respect he commands across the world and across the aisle. the stakes in this election call for that kind of leadership. we have to think about more than one party. we have to think about the very core of our democracy. that is why you are about to hear from some unexpected voices. i am a governor. i am a lifelong republican. my parents were introduced to

the republicans from their parents. this is not about republican or democrat. it's about a person. a person decent enough cost table enough, strong enough to get our economy back on track. a person who can work with everyone, democrats and republicans to get things done. donald trump is not that person. joe biden is. >> i am a longtime republican and a longtime ceo. let me tell you, donald trump has no clue how to run a business let alone an economy. joe biden on the other hand has a plan that will strengthen our economy for working people and small business owners. for me, the choice is simple. i am with joe. >> hello. i am a former republican member of congress from new york city. i have no donald trump for most of my political career. so disappointing and lately, so disturbing. i have also got to know and work with joe biden on issues

related to women that are so important to all of us. women in business, violence against women. that's why i am so proud to call him my friend and honor to's join in supporting his candidacy for president. he is a really good man and he is exactly what this nation needs at this time. now i am delighted and honored to introduce a former colleague of mine. the former congressman from ohio, the former governor of ohio, john kasich. struck america is at a crossroads. sometimes elections represent a real choice, a choice we make as individuals and as a nation. about which path we want to take when we have come to challenging times. america is at the crossroads today. the stakes in this election are greater than any in modern times. many of us have been deeply concerned about the current path we have been following for the past four years. it's a path that has led to division, dysfunction, irresponsibility, and growing vitriol between our citizens. continuing to follow that path will have terrible consequences

for america's soul because we are being taken down the wrong road by a president who has pitted one against the other. he is unlike all of our best leaders before him who worked to unitas and bridge howard differences and lead us to a united america. i am a lifelong republican but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country. that is why i have chosen to appear at this convention. in normal times, something like this would probably never happen. but these are not normal times. i am proud of my republican heritage, it is the party of lincoln who reflected its founding principles of unity and a higher purpose. but what i have witnessed these past four years belies those principles. many of us can't imagine for more years going down this path. that is why i am asking you to join with me in choosing a better way forward. i believe the best of america

lies ahead, but only when we rediscover our shared belief in the united states of america for our children's future what can be bright, hopeful and inspired if we choose to make it so. i have known joe biden for 30 years. i know his story of profound grief that is so deeply affected his character. i know joe is a good man, a man of faith, a unifier. someone who understands the hopes, dreams, of the common man and the common woman. a man who can help us to see the humanity in each other. he knows that the path to a resort and rejuvenated america lies and respect and unity and a common purpose for everyone. yes, there are areas where joe and i absolutely disagree but that is okay because that is america. because whatever our differences, we respect one another as human beings. each of us searching for

justice and for purpose. we can all see what is going on in our country today and all the questions that are facing us and no one person or party has all the answers. but what we do know is that we can do better than what we have seen today for sure and they know that joe biden with his experience and his wisdom and his decency can bring us together to help us find that better way. i am sure there are republicans and independents who could not imagine crossing over to support a democrat. they fear joe may turn sharp left and leave them behind. i don't believe that. is i know the measure of the man, reasonable, faithful, respectful, and no one pushes joe around. joe biden is a man for our times. times that call for all of us to take off our partisans hats and put our nation first for ourselves and of course for our

children. when america chooses the right path and pulls together like we have done so may times before, we can dream big dreams and we can see the top of the mountain as a united states of america with a soul that is a beacon of freedom for the entire world. hello, i have been in republican for my whole life. >> a lifetime republican. >> a long-standing republican. i am telling you, you got to vote for joe biden. >> i have voted for and campaigned for publicans since the reagan years but i will not be voting for donald trump in november. >> we need a positive leader. someone who can work with both sides. publicans and the democrats. >> we can't deal with the person we have in the white house any longer.

>> joe biden is just the person to ensure we get our lives back to normal. >> joe biden is a decent man with a long history of service to america. >> he will restore justice to the executive branch. >> we hope to turn our country's clinical discourse back to decency. >> i am absolutely sure he will help us bring this country together once again. >> now from alabama, senator doug jones. i am doug jones from the great state of alabama. growing up in the south meant growing up in the midst of stark divisions but it was here in alabama where rosa parks ignited a movement by refusing to give up her seat on the bus. where freedom riders of different races came together in the pursuit of equality. it was here for john lewis march to cross the bridge

towards freedom. from a young age i knew the hope that came from seeing good people work to heal our divisions. it's what led me to become the united states attorney where i convicted to klansmen who murdered for young black girls in a 1963 birmingham church bombing and delivered long overdue justice. i am standing in front of an exhibit cut dedicated to their memory. alabama has shown me that even our deepest divisions can be overcome because each of us want the same thing, to be treated fairly and given the same opportunities and the freedom to live with dignity and respect. some politicians try to pit us against each other. but i believe that americans have more in common than what divides us. in november we have a chance to elect a president who believes that too. i have known joe for more than 40 years. i met him as a law student and he has been my friend and

champion ever since. the joe i know is exactly the leader our country needs right now. he can bring people together to find common ground while standing up for what he believes is right. after years of bitter partisanship he can unite our country. it's not about what side of the aisle we are on. it's about whether or not we are on the side of the people. the great john lewis would often quote the old african proverb, when you pray, move your feet. then challenge us to do just that. as a nation he said, if we care for the 11th community we must move our feet, our hands, our resources to build and not tear down. to love and not to hate. to heal and not to kill. in the final analysis, we are one people, one family, one house. the american house. the american family. vice president biden understands that and he is who we need as our next president. here we are on a monday

night. we need to talk about the post office. the u.s. postal service. it is central to so much of our lives. veterans count on the post office to get their prescriptions. social security beneficiaries count on the post office to get their checks. grandparents depend on the post office to send birthday cards to their grandkids. small businesses need the post office to do business. guess what, the post office is also one of the ways we cast our votes. to find out how to exercise that right this november whether by mail or in person context vote to the number on your screen. i am here to say more is the first latina elected to the united states senate, senator catherine cortez. hello.

i am senator cortez from nevada. this year more americans than ever before are going to vote from rooms just like this, can their ballots at the kitchen table and exercising one of the most fundamental rights for home. despite with the president says, voting by mail has been a secure proven option for decades. in 2016, 33 million americans voted by mail. even donald trump has requested an absentee ballot twice this year. this fall, some americans will choose to vote in a voting booth with a mask on while many of us will choose to vote by mail. my home state took the advice of scientists and medical experts and listen to the people of nevada to put in place a vote by mail system so boaters have a lot of options this fall. donald trump is trying to divide us by undermining that right. he has been to withhold federal funding to nevada because of our vote by mail system. that

is funding our schools and seniors rely on. hillary has challenged us in court with a meritless lawsuit, one that a republican secretary of state has asked the judge to dismiss. now he is putting the lives of nevada seniors at risk by trying to defund the post office. here's what that means. seniors will not be able to get their prescriptions because he wants to win an election. mr. president, nevada is not intimidated by you. america is not intimidated by you. we are united by shared values, shared history, and shared rights including a fundamental right to vote. this fall, we will send joe biden to the white house and we will flip the u.s. senate. with mitch mcconnell out of power, and a democratic majority in the senate, he will expand voting access and protect voting rights. to do this, america, we need you on our side. so go to our website to cheapen

and then head over to flip the senate to help us take back the senate. donald trump and mitch mcconnell know how to divide that we know how to stand together and turn this country around. this year we had an historic yield of presidential candidates. an historic number of women including our vice presidential nominee, kamala harris. more candidates of color than any primary ever, and the first openly man to win a caucus. this party, the democratic party, welcomes everyone, encourages everyone to lead and invite everyone's ideas to ensure this country builds back better. this is what our next speaker believes too. senator amy klobuchar. hello america. like my friend catherine, i

believe that the right to vote is fundamental and the post office is essential. you know the president may hate the post office but he is still going to have to send them a change of address card come january. donald trump just happens to be in my state today trying to divide people instead of responding to the pandemic and the significant needs of our economy. but democrats, independents and many republicans have had enough of his divisiveness. tonight my friends in contrast, we have heard a lot about how we can unite as americans, about our shared values, dreams and how we come together in the face of crisis. but i want to be clear. unity is it about settling. it's about striving for something more. it is not the end, it is how we get stuff done. unity is about reaching out towards a higher purpose, a

better future for all of us. e pluribus unum, out of many, one. is more than a model, it is the north star for our democracy. now more than ever we need a president who will unite this country. we need a president who in george floyd's memory, instead of using the bible as a prop, will heat its words, to act justly. we need a president for the workers who have lost their jobs because this administration is selling american workers out when we need to buy american. for the farmers and manufacturers and the people of rural america who are sick and tired of reaping what he has sown. we need a president who will look out for the seniors like my dad whose family is now missing through glass windows, never knowing if it will be the last time they see them. we need a president for all of

america. i come from the middle of this country where we believe in people joining together to solve problems. we seek common ground to reach higher ground. that has been joe biden's life's work. he is a man of scrappy, working- class roots. a man whose own hardships have only made him more determined to lift up those who have been left out. he understands redemption and he knows resilience. joe biden's a man of deep experience. barrack obama, better known tonight as michelle's husband, he leaned on joe for his strength and decency and you can too. you know most candidates, when they and their campaign a day is a hard one. for me it was a moment filled with great joy because the day i ended my presidential campaign was also the day i endorsed joe biden. joe ran for the same reasons i did when i announced my

campaign in the middle of that blizzard on the banks of the mississippi river. to cross the river of our divides, to bring this nation together, to be a president for all of america. as i said the day i endorsed him, if you feel stuck in the middle of the extremes in our politics, if you are tired of the noise and the nonsense, you have a home with me and you have a home with joe biden. that is why i was so proud to stand with him then and across this great country. that's why we're all now standing united behind joe and my friend kamala harris. our nation's motto is out of many, one. and as you are about to see, it is also the story of the democratic primary. thank you america. we all want a president

motivated by the same reasons. as i watched president trump divide this country more and more i thought to myself, what are you willing to do to stop him? >> you have the most destructive, hateful, racist president in the history of this country who is literally tearing apart the fabric of the united states of america. >> donald trump is a failed businessperson and desperately failed us as a president. >> i ran for president because i tickets urgent that we heal the divisions in the station. >> we are still in control of our own future and we need to provide millions of americans a real path forward. >> the green jobs program, increasing the minimum wage, student loan debt, mental health, reproductive justice, economic justice, racial justice, and there is so much a new president can do to bring us together. >> it's time to get up. starting a presidential

campaign is daunting. you need to reach hundreds of millions of people. >> you have these incredibly long days, often kept off by these evening events that go on for hours and hours. >> your challenge as a candidate is to be true to yourself and true to why you ran in the first place. >> that is something by the way that i really admire about joe biden. he really is his own man. he knows who he is. >> joe biden is somebody who deeply cares about people. people who are marginalized, or are left behind. >> i owe you everything. >> he has had some hard times in his life. he has had some losses in his life. i think that is something that people relate to. >> are you okay? >> close to 15 years cancer free. >> i was in the service and i saw those families who who suffered.

>> i still remember standing side-by-side on the debate stage and we are having a go of it. but what was required applicable to me is during the commercial break he puts his arm around me and starts telling me how good my ideas are. the next thing i know he is giving me a pep talk. he was literally telling me how important it is, how really important it is i am on that stage. >> joe called the night i suspended and was extraordinarily gracious and comforting and he told me i should be proud of my self so i did myself and my family a real service in the country a service. that meant a lot coming from joe. >> is not easy to unite the democratic party. we are a rambunctious group. joe biden has pulled it off. >> he was to get the best ideas on the table so we can move forward in the best way possible. >> he has included my family.

>> he has unified our group around the cream energy strategy. >> this is a guy that will walk into the oval office and have already honed into the instruments you need to lead the most powerful nation on earth through a crisis. >> donald trump does not understand we are as americans. he really doesn't. >> this is a guy that blames everyone for everything. he blames the city of baltimore. he blames the country of denmark. he blames the prime minister of canada for cutting him out at the canadian version of home alone to. who does that? >> there are no silence. there is no sitting this one out. >> we are the cavalry.

the moment has found the person. that person is joe biden. >> he will bring dignity back to the white house. >> we have one shop to make donald trump a one term president. >> that shot is now. >> >> we understand that things are tough economically. if you can chip in five dollars, $10, to find the change we need, to save our democracy, is every bit matters, and it will take all of us to make this happen, and no one knows that within our next speaker, the biden here is campaign cochair, representative cedric wichman from orleans, louisiana. >> think about the places that make your neighborhood feel like home. the barbershop where you catch up on the latest news.

you get your hair cut. the restaurant where they know the order by heart. or this studio where a creative guy with a great idea and a ton of has altered an abandoned building into a vacant home for the entire community. you know, economists tell you small businesses like this one are critically important to our recovery. there also just plain important. without them, the places we call home would not be the same . that is the thing joe biden understands and donald trump never has and never will. when we talk about the economy, it is not just about the stock market. it is about whether you can find work that really means something to you. instead of feeling like you're supposed to be grateful to get a paycheck. it is about whether people who did not inherit millions from their parents, can build a business from the ground up, and have a real chance to compete. and it is about whether, in the richest country on earth, everyone, including women and people of color, feel included

and empowered. economists will also tell you, joe biden's plan to rebuild our economy will create leads of jobs. but, joe will tell you, his plan is about more than that. he has seen the world from a different perspective than most politicians. he knows what it is like to live in a real neighborhood, not just penthouse apartments. he knows what it is like to take the train to work, not just a chauffeured limousine. that is why he looks at the economic challenges the same way working people do. and he will solve them in a way that puts working people first. joe biden respects america's workers. he truly understands the dignity of work. >> it was mostly small talk when we met. >> i would collect the ticket and time went on, i learned more and more about him as our friendship grew. i think he is most comfortable around the everyday working- class people.

he makes you feel like you belong. >> [ music playing ] >> for over 30 years, joe biden took the train to work. as a single father, he promised to get home to kiss the boys every night. and to make them breakfast every morning. >> on the train, everyone is equal. you have time for everybody. >> joe was a regular. he purchased rounds of coffee for fellow passengers and the crew. he got to know the people he traveled with. >> these guys are always keeping the balance, rocking, collecting tickets, helping people with baggage. they do this for hours. they became good friends.

>> he was interested in my life and my children's. as time went on, my grandchildren. people do not do that today. people do not take the time to say hello or not their head to a working person. he looked at us like we were important. >> he would treat the conductor, the same as he with the president of the united states. that is what dad taught us, that everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. >> after joe became vice president, he cut down on his commute. but he kept in touch. >> when greg weaver had a heart attack, he got a phone call. >> i was in a barbershop in new york city. the phone rings. it was vice president biden asking me how i am doing, he wanted to know the whole story. it is kind of funny. you talk to the vice president of the united states. if i told the people in the shop, they would not believe me. i am not saying like i was

anything special. everybody was special to him. we have euros all over this country. a lot of the essential workers out there that we do not see, that are behind the scenes. they keep this country going. he understands that. >> the average guy is important to him. the average guy is important to him. >> [ music playing ] >> good evening. our great nation is now living in an unprecedented moment. we are facing the worst public health crisis in 100 years and the worst economic collapse since the great depression. we are confronting systemic racism and enormous threat to our planet of climate change. in the midst of all of this, we have a president who is not only incapable of addressing these crises, but is leading us down

the path of authoritarianism. this selection is the most important in the modern history of this country. in response to the unprecedented crises we face, we need an unprecedented response, a movement like never before of people who are prepared to stand up and fight for democracy and decency. and against greed, oligarchy, and bigotry. and we need joe biden as our next president. let me take this opportunity to say a word to the millions of people who supported my campaign this year and in 2016. my friends, thank you for your trust, your support, and the love you showed jane, me, and our family. together, we have moves this country in a bold new

direction. showing that all of us black and white and latino, native american, asian american, a and straight, nativeborn and immigrant, they yearn for a nation based on the principles of justice, love and compassion. our campaign ended several months ago. our movement continues. it is getting stronger every day. many of the ideas we fought for, that just a few years ago, were considered radical, are now mainstream. let us be clear. if donald trump is reelected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy. at its most e-cig, this election is about preserving our democracy.

at its most basic, this election is about preserving our democracy. the unthinkable has become normal. he has tried to prevent people from voting, undermining the u.s. postal service. deploying the military and federal agents against peaceful protesters. threatened to delay the election . and suggested that he will not leave office if he loses. this is not normal. and we must never treat it like it is. under this administration, authoritarianism has taken root in our country. i and my family, and many of yours, know the insidious way authoritarianism destroys democracy, decency, and humanity. as long as i am here, i will work with progressives, with moderates, and, yes, with conservatives, to preserve this nation from a threat that so many of our heroes fought and died to defeat. this president

is not just a threat to our democracy. but, by rejecting science, he has put our lives and health in jeopardy. trump has attacked doctors and scientists trying to protect us from the pandemic. while refusing to take strong action to produce the masks, gowns and gloves our healthcare workers desperately need. nero fiddled while rome burned. trump his actions golfs. and his pandemic resulting in over 170,000 deaths and a nation still unprepared to protect its people. furthermore, trump's negligence has exacerbated the economic crisis we are now experiencing. since this pandemic began, over 30 million people have lost their jobs, and many have lost

their health insurance. millions of working families are wondering, how they will feed their kids. they are worried that they will be evicted from their homes. and how has trump responded? instead of containing the $600 per week unemployment supplements that workers were receiving, and the $1200 emergency checks that many of you received, instead of helping small businesses, trump concocted fraudulent executive orders that do virtually nothing to address the crisis, while threatening the very future of social security and medicare. but, the truth is, even before trump's negligent response to this pandemic, too many hard- working families have been caught on an economic treadmill with no hope of ever getting ahead. together, we must build a nation that is more equitable

, more compassionate, and more inclusive. i know that joe biden will begin that fight on date 1. let me offer you just a few examples of how joe will move us forward. he will raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. it will give 40 million workers a pay raise and push the wage scale up for everyone else. joe will also make it easier for workers to join unions, create 12 weeks of paid family leave, fund universal prekindergarten for 3 in a row stand4heroes and make childcare affordable for millions of families. joe will rebuild our crumley infrastructure and fight the threat of climate change while transitioning us to 100% clean electricity over the next 15 years.

these initiatives will create millions of good paying jobs all across our country. as you know, we are the only industrialized nation not to guarantee healthcare for all people. while joe and i disagree on the best path to get universal coverage, he has a plan that will greatly expand healthcare and cut the cost of prescription drugs. further, he will lower the eligibility age of medicare from 65 down to 60. to help reform our broken criminal justice system, joe will end private prisons and detention centers, cash bail, and the school to prison pipeline. and to of our nation, joe biden

will end the hate and division trump has created. he will stop the demonization of immigrants, the calling of white nationalists, the racist heal the soul dog whistling, religious bigotry, and the ugly attacks on women. my friends, i say to you, to everyone who supported other entities in the primary, and to those who may have voted for donald trump in the last election, the future of our democracy is at stake. the future of our economy is at stake. the future of our planet is at stake. we must come together, defeat donald trump, and elect joe biden and kamala harris as our next president and vice president. my friends, the price of a year is just too great to imagine. thank you. >> [ applause ]

>> my friends, the price of failure is just too great to imagine. thank you. >> [ applause ] >> [ music playing ] >> my american dream to is to have an america where we have people in affordable housing. >> for every human being in this country to have access to quality healthcare and economic means to care for themselves and families. >> access to equality and equitable education. >> a system of government that protects workers and their families. >> joe biden, throughout his career, has focused on rebuilding the middle class. >> a leader that actually supports our unions for hard- working people. >> real leadership with support for small businesses during this downturn due to the covid crisis. >> i believe joe biden has the experience, the platform, and the empathy to build america

back better. >> he wants good things for all americans, not just a select few. >> [ music playing ] >> the voices we long to hear right now are the ones that speak with courage and kindness. strength and wisdom. love and compassion. they are unafraid to speak the truth and talk about their own uncertainties and struggles. they make us feel inspire us to be the best versions of ourselves. seen and our next picker does that for all of us. it is my honor and privilege to introduce the former first lady, michelle obama . our next speaker, the former first lady. >> good evening, everyone. it is a hard time. everyone is feeling it in different ways. i know a lot of folks are

reluctant to tune into a medical convention right now. or to politics in general. believe me, i get that. but, i am here tonight because i love this country with all my heart. and it pains me to see so many people hurting. i have met so many of you, i have heard your stories, and through you, i have seen this country's promise. thanks to so many who came before me, thanks to their toil and sweat and blood, i have been able to live that promise myself. that is the story of america. all those folks who sacrificed and overcame so much in their own times, because they wanted something more, something that are for their kids. there is a lot of beauty in that story. there is a lot of pain in it, too. a lot of struggle and injustice and work left to do.

and, who we choose as our president in this election will determine whether or not we honor that struggle and chip away at that injustice and keep alive the very possibility of finishing that work. i am one a handful of people living today who have seen firsthand the immense weight and awesome power of the presidency. let me, once again, tell you this: the job is hard. it requires clear headed judgment, a mastery of complex and competing issues, a devotion to facts and history, a moral compass, and an ability to listen. and, an abiding belief that each of the 330 million lives in this country has meaning and worth. a

president's words have the power to move markets. they can start wars or broker peace. they can summon our better angels. or, a weekend our worst instincts. or awaken our worst instincts. you cannot simply think your way through this job. as i said before, being president does not change who you are. it reveals who you are. well, a presidential election can reveal who we are, too. and, 4 years ago, too many people chose to believe that their votes did not matter. maybe they were fed up. to be a thought the outcome would not be closed. maybe the barriers felt too steep. whatever the reason, in the end, those choices send someone to the oval office who lost the national popular vote by nearly 3 million votes.

in one of the state that determined the outcome, the winning margin averaged out to just 2 votes per precinct. 2 votes. and we have all been living with the consequences. when my husband left office with joe biden at his side, we had a record-breaking stretch of job creation. we had secured the right to healthcare for 20 million people. we were respected around the world, rallying our allies to confront climate change. and, our leaders had worked hand-in-hand with scientists to help prevent an ebola outbreak in becoming a gobel pandemic. 4 years later, the state of this nation is very different. more than 150,000 people have died. our economy is in shambles because of a virus

that this president downplayed for too long. it has left millions of people jobless. too many have lost their healthcare. too many are struggling to take care of a sick necessities like food and rent. too many communities have been left in the lurch to grapple with weather and how to open our schools safely. with our schools safely. whether and how to open there are alliances championed by presidents like reagan and eisenhower. here at home, as george floyd, rhianna taylor, and eight never ending list of innocent people of color continue to be murdered, stating the simple fact that a black life matters is still met with derision from the nation's highest office.

whenever we look to this white house for readership, or consolation, or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy. empathy. that is something i have been thinking a lot about lately. the ability to walk in someone else's shoes. the recognition that someone else's experience has value, too. most of us practice this without a second thought. if we see someone suffering or struggling, we do not stand in judgment. we reach out. there but for the grace of god go i. it is not a hard concept to grasp. it is what we teach our children. on and like so many of you, my

husband and i have tried her best to instill in our girls a strong moral foundation, to carry forward the values that our parents and grandparents poured into us. but, right now, kids in this country are seeing what happens when we stop requiring empathy of one another. they are looking around wondering if we have been lacking to them this whole time about who we are and what we truly value. they see people shouting in grocery stores. they're unwilling to wear a mask to keep us all safe. they see people calling the police on folks minding their own business just because of the color of their skin. they see an entitlement that says, only certain people belong here. that greed is good. and winning is everything. as long as you come out on top, it does not matter what happens to everyone else. and they see what happens when that lack of empathy is up into

outright disdain. there are people labeled enemies of the state ginned while they emboldened torch bearing white supremacist. they watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into the cages and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protesters for a photo op. sadly, this is the america that is on display for the next generation. a nation that is underperforming not simply on matters of policy, but on matters of character. and that is not just disappointing. it is downright infuriating. because, i know the goodness and the grace that is out there in households and neighborhoods all across this nation. and i know, that, regardless of

our race, age, religion, or politics, when we close out the noise and the fear, and truly open our hearts, we know that what is going on in this country is just not right. this is not who we want to be. so, what do we do now? what is our strategy? over the past 4 years, a lot of people have asked me, when others are going solo really work? so low, does going high i say yes. when we, using the tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, go low we are part of the noise drowning out everyone else. we degrade ourselves.

we degrade the causes for which we fight. but, let's be clear. going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. means taking the harder path. it means scraping and clawing going high our way to the mountaintop. standing fears against hatred. remembering we are one nation under god. if we want to survive, going high means we have to find a way to live together and work together across our differences. means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing going high that can truly set us free: the cold hard truth. that maybe as honest and clear as i possibly can. donald trump is the wrong

resident for our country. he has had more than enough time to prove he can do the job. he is clearly in over his head. he cannot meet this moment. he simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. it is what it is. now, i understand that my message will not be heard by some people. we live in a nation that is deeply divided, and i am a black woman, speaking at the democratic national convention. but, enough of you know me by now. you know that i tell you exactly what i am feeling. you know i hate politics. but, you also know that i care about this nation. you know how much i care about all of our children. so, if you take one thing on my words tonight, it is this : if you think things cannot possibly

get worse, trust me. they can, and they will, we do not make a change in this election. if we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for joe biden like our lives depend on it. i know joe. he is a profoundly decent man guided by faith. he was a terrific vice president. he knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic, and lead our country. and he listens. he will tell the truth. and trust science. he will make smart plans and manage a good team. and he will govern as someone who has lived a life that the rest of us can recognize. when he was a kid, joe's father lost his job. when he was a

young senator, joe lost his wife and baby daughter. when he was vice president, he lost his beloved son. so, joe knows the anguish of sitting at a table with an empty chair. which is why he gives his time so freely to grieving parents. joe knows what it is like to struggle. it is why he gives his personal phone number kids overcoming a stutter of their own. his life is a testament to getting back up. and he is going to channel that same grits and passion to to pick us up. to help us grit and passion. to help us forward. there is no perfect candidate. no perfect heal and guide us president. his ability to learn and grow, we find in that, the kind of humility and maturity that so many of us yearn for right now.

because, joe biden has served this nation his entire life without ever losing sight of who he is. more than that, he has never lost sight of who we are. all of us. joe biden wants all of our kids to go to a good school, the see a doctor when they are sick, live on a healthy planet. he has got plans to make all of that happened. joe biden wants all of our kids , no matter what they look like, to be able to walk out the door, without worrying about being harassed or arrested or killed. he wants all of our kids to be able to go to a movie or a mathematics class without being afraid of getting shot. he wants all our kids to grow up with leaders who will not just serve themselves and their wealthy

provide a safety net for people facing hard times. if we want a chance to get any of these goals, peers, but will any of these most basic requirements for a functioning society, we have to vote for joe biden in numbers that cannot be ignored. because, right now, folks who know they cannot win fair and square, at the ballot box, are doing everything they can to stop us from voting. they are closing down polling places in minority never hurts. they are purging voter rolls. they are sending people out to intimidate voters and they are lying about the security of our the lates. these tactics are not new. but, this is not the time to withhold our votes and protest or play games with candidates who have no chance of winning. we have got to vote like we did in 2008 and