President Obama tells Democrats "don't boo, vote"

by Lauren Dow
Journalism Intern

President Barack Obama spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton Wednesday night.

The President’s speech was a cry for Democrats to rally around Hillary Clinton as their candidate. He was introduced to the stage by a video highlighting his time in office, and showcased his dedication to justice as he was “always willing to lose to do the right thing” and that he was a “calm presence under pressure.”

President Obama walked onto the stage for his address to an electrified crowd. Remembering his own race for the presidency, the President said he “was filled with faith, faith in America, the generous country that made my story and all our stories possible. I stand before you again tonight to tell you I am more optimistic about America than ever before, how could I not be after all we have achieved together.”

After a brief summary of the strides the Democratic Party has made in the past eight years, he went on to remind the convention that the Democrats' work is not done.

He said, “We’re not living up to our union or our founding creed that all men are created equal,” calling forth the images of America’s founding fathers that have been the focal point of many speeches at the convention.

Barack Obama then went on to directly call out Donald Trump’s rhetoric, and said, “What we heard in Cleveland was not Republican or conservative,” but was instead “a deeply pessimistic vision of how we turn away from the world.” He explained that this was not the America he knows, and said “the America I know I full of courage optimism; the America I know is decent and generous.”

Obama told the audience that Hillary Clinton is the one to carry on this work in the speech that followed, highlighting Clinton’s same dedication to the issues he has championed throughout his presidency.

He said of Clinton, “Nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office. Until you’ve sat at that desk, you don’t know what it’s like to manage a global crisis or what it’s like to send young people into war, but she has been in the room. No matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits. That’s the Hillary I know and have come to admire.”

The president praised Clinton's natural leadership ability, her demeanor and her dedication to the American people. He said, “There has never been a man or woman; not me, not Bill," to laughter, "Nobody has been more qualified to be the President of the United States.” He continued, explaining that she has “real plans” that you can access on her website and reminded the audience of Trump’s lack of policies. The crowd booed loudly at this.

President Obama deviated from his speech to tell the crowd, “Don’t boo, vote.” His speech was personal and passionate. He pointed out the drastic divide between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s ideologies and asked, “Does anyone really believe that a guy who has spent 70 years on this earth showing no regard for other people is going to be your champion?”

The crowd reached deafening levels when Obama said, “We don’t look to be ruled. Our power comes from those immortal declarations first put to paper all those years ago here in Philadelphia.”

Barack Obama acknowledged Bernie Sanders and his supporters' efforts to create change, and asked them to continue that effort after the election. He gave advice to all Democrats and said, “Democracy works America, but we gotta want it, not just during an election year, but all the days in between. If you believe that there is too much money in our politics, then we all need to be as organized as Bernie supporters. Then we all need to vote for Democrats up and down the ticket, then we need to hold them accountable.”

The President continued this call to action for the remainder of his address, telling America that Hillary is there for them and that he trusts her with America’s future going forward. He said, in his most emotional appeal of the speech, “Time and again you’ve picked me up, and I hope sometimes I pick you up too, and tonight I ask you to do for Hillary what you did for me. I ask you to carry her like you carried me.”

Finally, he thanked the American people and the change they made possible; calling it the “audacity of hope” and telling the convention that he is “ready to pass the baton and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation.”

Sara Ritsch contributed to this report.
Copyright - The Gayly – 7/71/2016 @ 11:30 p.m. CDT