agreement that could save this planet for our children. we put policies in place to help students with loans, protect consumers from fraud, cut veterans homelessness almost in half. and through countless as of neurage, american learned that ndve has no limits and marriage equality is now a reality across the land. [ cheering and applause ] by so many measures, our country is stronger and more prosperous than it was when we started. and through every victory and every setback, i have insisted that change is never easy and never quick, but we wouldn't meet all of our challenges in

one term or one presidency. or even in one lifetime. but tonight i'm here to tell you that, yes, we've still got more work to do. more work to do for every american still in need of a good job or a raise, paid leave or a decent retirement. for every child who needs to get out of poverty or world class education, for everyone who has not yet felt the progress of lfese past seven and a half years. we need to keep making our streets safer and our criminal justice system fair, our homeland more secure, our world more peaceful and sustainable for the next generation. we're not done perfecting our union or living up to our founding creed. but all of us are created equal. all of us are free in the eyes of god.

and that work involves a big choice this november. i they it's fair to say this is not your typical election. it's not just a choice between parties or policies, the usual debates between left and right. this is a more fundamental choice about who we are as a people. and whether we stay true to this great american experiment and sub-government. we democrats have always had plenty of differences with the republican party. and there's nothing wrong with that. it's precise three contest of idea that pushes our country forward. but what we heard in cleveland last week wasn't particularly

republican. and it sure wasn't conservative. what we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other and turn away from the rest of the world. there were no serious solutions to pressing problems. just resentment and blame and anger and hate. and that is not the america i know. the america i know is full of courage, and optimism, and ingenuity. the america i know is decent and generous. sure, we have real anxieties - about paying the bills, protecting our kids, caring for a sick parent. we get frustrated with political gridlock, worry about racial divisions; are shocked and

saddened by the madness of orlando or nice. there are pockets of america that never recovered from factory closures; men who took pride in hard work and providing for their families who now feel forgotten. parents who wonder whether their kids will have the same opportunities we have. all that is real, we're challenged to do better; to be better. but as i've traveled this country, through all fifty states; as i've rejoiced with you and mourned with you, what i've also seen, more than anything, is what is right with america. i see people working hard and starting businesses; people teaching kids and serving our country.

i see engineers, doctors coming up with new cures. i see a younger generation full of energy and new ideas, not constrained by what is, and ready to seize what ought to be. most of all, i see americans of every party, every background, every faith who believes that we are stronger together. black, white, latino, asian, native american, young, old, gay, straight, men, women, folks with disabilities, all pledging allegiance under the same proud flag to this country that we love. that's what i see. that's the america i know! [ cheering and applause ] and there is only one candidate in this race who believes in that future, has devoted her life to that future. a mother and a grandmother who would do anything to help our children thrive.

a leader with real plans to break down barriers. ssd blast through glass ceilings. and widen the circle of opportunity to every single american, the next president of the united states, hillary clinton! [ cheers and applause ] now, eight years ago -- right. let me tell you, eight years ago you may remember hillary and i were rifles for the democratic nomination.

we battled for a year and a half. let me tell you it was tough. because hillary was tough. i was worn out. she was doing everything i was doing, but just like ginger rogers it was backwards in heels. and every time i thought i might have had the race won, hillary just came back stronger. but after it was all over i asked hillary to join my team. and she was a little surprised. some of my staff was surprised. but ultimately she said, yes. because she knew that what was

at stake was bigger than either of us. and for four years i had a front row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline. i came to realize that her unbelievable work ethic, wasn't for praise, wasn't for attention, that she was in this for everyone who needs a champion. i even said that after all these years she has never forgotten just who she is fighting for. hillary's still got the tenacity that she had as a young woman working at the children's defense fund, going door to door to ultimately make sure that kids with disability could get a quality education. she's still got the heart she showed as our first lady, working with congress to help

push through a children's health insurance program that to this day protects millions of kids. she seared with the memory of every american who lost loved ones on 9/11. which is why as senator from new york, she fought so hard for funding to help first responders, to help the city rebuild. why as secretary of state she sat with me in the situation program and forcefully argued in favor of the mission that took out bin laden. you know, nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the oval office. you can read about it, you can study it. but until you've sat at that desk, you don't know what it's like to

manage a global crisis or send young people to war. but hillary's been in the room; she's been part of those decisions. she knows what's at stake in the decisions our government makes what's at stake for the working family, the senior citizen, the small business owner, the soldier, and the veteran. even in the midst of crisis, she listens to people, and keeps her cool, and treats everybody with respect. and no matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits. [ cheering and applause ] that is the hillary i know. that is the hillary i've come to admire. and that's why i can say with

confidence there has never been a man or woman, not me, not bill, nobody, more qualified than hillary clinton to serve as president of the united states of america [ cheering and applause ] i hope you don't mind, bill, built i was just telling the truth, man. and by the way, in case you're wondering about a judgments take a look at her choice of running mates. tim kaine is as good a man, as humble and as committed a public servant as anybody that i know. i know his family. i love anne, i love hire kids.

he will be a great vice president. he will make hillary a better president. just like my dear friend and brother, joe biden, has made me a better president. now, hillary has real plans to address the concerns she's heard from you. on the campaign trail. she's got specific ideas to invest in new jobs. help workers share in their company's profits. help put kids in preschool and put kids in college without taking on a ton of debt. that's what leaders do. then there's donald trump. don't boo, vote.

the donald is not really a planned guy. he's not really a fact guy, either. he calls himself a business guy, which is true, but i have to say, i know plenty of businessmen and women who achieved remarkable success without leaving a trail of lawsuits and unpaid workers and people feeling like they got cheated. does anyone really believe that a guy who spent his seven years on this earth showing no regard for working people, suddenly going to be your champion, your voice. if so, you should vote for him. but if you're someone who is truly concerned about paying your bills, if you are really

concerned about pocketbook issues and seeing the economy grow and creating more opportunity for anybody, then the choice isn't even close. if you want someone with a life long track record of fighting for higher wages and better benefits and a fair tax code and a bigger voice for workers and stronger regulations hon wall street then you should vote for hillary clinton. [ cheering and applause ] and, if you're rightly concern ld about who is going to keep you and your family safe in a dangerous world, well the choice is clear. hillary clinton is respected around the world. not just by leaders, but by the people they serve.

i have to say this, people outside of the united states do not understand what's going on in this election. they really don't. because they know hillary, they have seen her work, she's worked closely with our intelligence team, our diplomats, our military. she has the judgment and the experience and the temperament to meet the threat from terrorists, it's not new to her. our troops have pounded isil without mercy, taking back territory and i know hillary won't prelent until isil is destroyed. she will finish the job. and she will do it without resorting to torture or banning entire religions from entering our country. she is fit and she is ready to be the next commander in chief.

meanwhile, donald trump calls our military a disaster. apparently he doesn't know the men and women who make up the strongest fighting force the world has ever known. he suggests that america is weak. he must not hear the billions of men and women and children from the baltics to burma, who still look to america to be the light of freedom and dignity and human rights. praises saddam hussein. tells our nato allies that stood by our side after 9/11 that they have to pay up if they want our protection.

well, america's promises do not come with a price tag. we meet our commitments. we bear our burdens. that's one of the reasons why almost every country on earth sees america as stronger and more respected today than they did eight years ago when i took office. america is already great. america is already strong. and i promise you our strength, our greatness does not depend on donald trump. in fact it doesn't depend on any one person. and that may be the biggest difference in this election. the meaning much our democracy,

ronald reagan called america a l.ining city on a hill. donald trump calls it divided crime scene that only he can fix. it doesn't matter toe him that illegal immigration and the crime rates are as low as they have been in decades. because he's not actually offering any real solutions to those issues. just offering slogans. and he's offering fear. he's betting that if you scares enough people he might score just enough votes to twin this election. and that's another bet that donald trump will lose. isd the reason he'll lose it, is because he's selling the american people short. we're not a fragile people.

we're not a frightful people. our power doesn't come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. we don't look to be ruled. our power comes from those immortal declarations first put to paper right here in philadelphia all those years ago. we choose to be self evident all men are created equal, that we, the people, can form a more perfect union. that's who we are. that's our birthright. the capacity to shape our own destiny. that's what drove patriot to

choose revolution over tyranny and our g.i.s to liberate. that's what gave women the courage to reach for the ballot. and marchers to cross a bridge in selma. and workers to organize and fight for collective bargaining and better wages. america has never been about what one person says he'll do for us it's about what can be achieved by us, together. through the hard and slow and sometimes frustrating, but setimately enduring work of self government. and that's what hillary clinton understands. she knows that this is saw big diverse country, she has seen it, she's traveled, she's talked

to folks and she understands that most issues are rarely black and white. she understands that even when you're 100% right, gettings things done requires compromise. that democracy doesn't work if we constant ly demonize each other. she knows for progress to happen we have to listen to each other and see ourselves in each other. and fight for our principles but also fight to find common ground no matter how illusive that may sometimes be. hillary knows we can work through racial divides, like when their son leaves the house, this is no different when brave cop family that we can honor police and treat every community

fairly. we can do that. and she knows that acknowledging problems that have festered for decades isn't making race relations worse, it's creating the possibility for people of goodwill to join and make things better. hillary knows we can insist on a lawful and orderly immigration system while still seeing students and toiling parents as loving families, not criminals or rapists. families that came here for the same reason our forebearers came, to work and to study and to make a better life. in a place where we can talk and worship and love as we please.

she knows their dream is quintessentially american's. and the american dream is something no law will ever contain. something that no wall will ever contain. these are the things that hillary knows. it can be frustrating this business of democracy. trust me, i know. hillary knows, too. when the other side refuses to compromise, progress can stall. people are hurt by the inaction. supporters can grow impatient and worry that you're not trying hard enough. that you've made sold out, but i promise you, when we keep at it, when we change enough minds, when we deliver enough votes

then progress does happen. and if you doubt that just ask the 20 million more people who have health care today, just ask the marine who proudly serves his country without hiding the husband that he loves. democracy works, america. but we got to want it. not just during an election year, but all the days in between. so if you agree that there's too much inequality in our economy and too much money in our politics, we all need to be as vocal and as organized and as persistent as bernie sanders supporters have been during this election.

we all need to get out and vote for democrats up and down the ticket. and then hold them accountable until they get the job done. feel the bern! if you want more justice in the justice system, we've all got to vote not just for a president, but for mayors and sheriffs and state's attorney and state legislators that's where the criminal law is made and we have got to work with police and protesters until laws and practices are changed. that's how democracy works. if you want to fight climate change, we've got to engage not

only young people on college campuses, we've got to reach out to the coal miner who is worried about taking care of his family. the single mom worried about gas prices. if you want to protect our kids and our cops from gun violence, we've got to get the vast majority of americans, including gun owners who agree on things like background checks, to be just as vocal and just as determined as the gun lobby that brought change to every funeral that we hold. that is how change happens. hillary's got her share of critics. she has been caricatured by the

right and by some on the left. she has been accused of everything you can imagine and some things that you cannot. but she knows that's what happens when you're under a microscope for 40 years. she knows sometimes in those four years she's made mistakes just like i have. just like we all do. that's what happens when we try. that's what happens when your the kind of citizen teddy roosevelt, not timid souls who complain from the sidelines but someone who is actually in the arena. who is trying valiantly, but who at the best knows in the end

high achievement. hillary clinton is that woman in the arena. she's been there for us, even if ic haven't always noticed. and if you're serious about our democracy you can't afford to stay home just because she might not align with you on every issue. you've got to get in the arena with her. because democracy isn't a spectator sport, america isn't about "yes, he will" it's about "yes, we can" and we're going to carry hillary to victory this fall because that's what the moment demands. [ cheering and applause ] yes, we can. not yes, she can. not yes, i can. it's yes, we can.

you know, there's been a lot of talk in this campaign about what america has lost. people who tell us that our way of life is being undermined by pernicious changes and dark forces beyond our control. they tell voters there's a real america out there that must be restored. this isn't an idea that started with donald trump. it's been told by politicians for a long time, probably from the start of our republic. and it's gotten me thinking about the story i told you 12 years ago tonight. about my kansas grandparents and

the things they taught me when i was growing up. see my grandparents they came from the heartland. their ancestors began settling there about 200 years ago. i don't know if they had their birth certificates, but they were there. they were scotch-irish mostly, farmers, teachers, ranch hands, pharmacists, oil rig workers. hardy, small town folk. some are democrats, but a lot of them maybe even most were republicans. party of lincoln. and my grandparents explained

that folks in these parts they didn't like show-offs. they didn't admire braggarts or bullies. they didn't respect mean-spiritedness, folks who were always looking for shortcuts in life. instead what they valued were traits like honesty and hard work. kindness, courtesy, humility, responsibility. helping each other out. that's what they believed in. true things. things that last. the things we try to teach our kids. and what my grandparents understood was that these values were limited to kansas, they weren't limited to small towns. these values could travel to

hawaii. they could travel even to the other side of the world where my mother would end up working to help poor women get a better life. trying to apply those values. my grandparents knew these values weren't reserved for one race. they could be passed down to a half kenyan grandson or half-asian granddaughter. in fact, they were the same values michelle's parents the descendants of slaves taught their own kids living in a bungle on the south side of chicago. what it's drew immigrants here. and they believed that the children of those immigrants were just as mesh as their own. whether they wore a cowboy hat or yarmulke.

a baseball cap or a hejob. america has changed over the years. but these values that my grandparents taught me, they haven't gone anywhere. they are as strong as ever, still cherished by people of every party, every race, every faith. they live on in each of us. what makes us america, what makes us patriots is what's in here. that's what matters and that's why we can take the food and music and mom days of other

countries and blend it in to something uniquely ours. that's why we can attract strivers and entrepreneurs from around the globe to build factories and create new industries here. that's why our mull terry can look the way it -- our military can look the way it does, every shade of humanity, forged into common service. that's why anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihaddists or home grown demagogues will always fail in the end. that is america. those that common creed. we don't fear the future, we shape it. we embrace it as one people. stronger together than we are on

our own. that's what hillary clinton understands. this fighter, this woman, this mother and grandmother, this public servant, this patriot, that is the america she's tighting for. that's the america she's fighting for. [ cheering and applause ] and that is why i have confidence as i leave this stage tonight, that the democratic party is in good hands. my time in this office, it hasn't fixed everything. as much as we have done, there's still so much i want to do. but for all the tough lessons i've had to learn, for all