Wednesday’s Democratic National Convention presentation — titled “A More Perfect Union” — focused on how to “build back better,” with Hillary Rodham Clinton returning to the DNC’s virtual stage four years after becoming the first woman to win the nomination of a major party. Now, she’s honoring Kamala Harris’ historic VP nomination.
“I know something about the slings and arrows she’ll face. Believe me, this former district attorney and attorney general can handle them all,” she said. “Tonight I’m thinking of the girls and boys who see themselves in America’s future because of Kamala Harris, a Black woman, the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants and our nominee for vice president. This is our country’s story: Breaking down barriers and expanding the circle of possibility.”
The former secretary of state — who beat out Joe Biden for the nomination in 2016 and won a popular vote majority, only to lose the Electoral College and presidency to Donald Trump — also used her time in equal parts to praise Biden and admonish Trump.
“I wish Donald Trump knew how to be a president, because America needs a president right now,” she said. “Throughout this time of crisis, Americans keep going, checking on neighbors, showing up to jobs as first responders, hospitals, grocery stores, nursing homes. Yes, it still takes a village. And we need leaders equal to this moment of sacrifice and service.”
As for Biden, “Everyone has a story about Joe’s caring and empathy.”
“For four years, people have said to me, ‘I didn’t realize how dangerous he was.’ ‘I wish I could go back and do it over.’ Or worst, ‘I should have voted,'” Clinton stated. “This can’t be another woulda coulda shoulda election. If you vote by mail, request your ballot now, and send it back as soon as you can. If you vote in person, do it early. Become a poll worker. Most of all, no matter what, vote. Vote like our lives and livelihoods are on the line, because they are.”
Clinton also called back to her popular vote victory, which did not lead to her eventual election, as another reason why voting is so important.
“Remember: Joe and Kamala can win 3 million more votes and still lose,” Clinton said. “Take. It. From. Me. We need numbers so overwhelming Trump can’t sneak or steal his way to victory.”
Biden officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president — which he called “the honor of my life” — on Tuesday, following DNC speeches from former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. The latter advocated for a “go to work president” while targeting Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When asked about the surge in deaths, he shrugged and said, ‘It is what it is,'” Clinton said. “But did it have to be this way? No… At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command center. Instead, it’s a storm center. There’s only chaos. Just one thing never changes: [Trump’s] determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there.”
