President Obama's DNC Address

Good evening everybody!

As you've seen by now this isn't a normal Convention. It's not a normal time. So, tonight I want to talk as plainly as I can about the stakes in this election. Because, what we do these next 76 days will echo through generations to come.

I am in Philadelphia where our Constitution was drafted and signed. It wasn't a perfect document. It allowed for the inhumanity of slavery, and failed to guarantee women even men (...) the right to participate in the political process.

But, embedded in this document, was a North Star that will guide future generations. A system of representative government. A democracy through which we could better realize our highest ideals.

Through civil war and bitter struggles, we improved this Constitution to include the voices of those who once have been left out. And, gradually we made this country more just and more equal and more free.

But, one Constitutional office elected by all of the people is the presidency. So, to a minimum, we should expect that a president to feel a sense of responsibility for the safety and welfare of all 330 million of us, regardless of how we look like, how we worship, who we love, how much money we have or who we voted for.

We should also expect a president to be the custodian of this democracy. We should expect, that regardless of ego, ambition, and political beliefs, the president will preserve, protect and defend the freedom and ideals that so many Americans marched for, went to jail for, fought for and died for.

I sat in the Oval Office with both men running for president. I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies. I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously. That he might come to feel the weight of the office, and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care. But, he never did.

For close to four years now, he has shown no interest in putting in the work, no interest in finding common ground, no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends. No interest in treating the presidency as anything, but one more Reality Show that he can use to get the attention he craves.

Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job, because he can't, and the consequences of that failure are severe: 170,000 Americans dead! Millions of jobs gone, while those at the top, taking more than ever!

Our worse impulses unleashed ! Our proud reputation around the world, badly diminished! And our democratic institutions threatened like never before.

Now, I know that a time as polarized as this, most of you have already made up your mind. But, maybe you are still not sure which candidate you will vote for or whether you'll vote at all. Maybe you are tired of the direction we're headed. But, you can't see a better path yet or you just don't know enough about the person who wants to lead us there.

So, let me tell you about my friend.