Category Archives: Democrats 2020

Biden-Harris 2020, Democratic National Convention 2020, Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features

Barack Obama Tells DNC 2020: ‘Do not let them take away your power. Don’t let them take away your democracy. Vote’

President Barack Obama’s speech to the 2020 Democratic National Convention in an uncharacteristically offensive speech in which he chastised the inadequacy of Donald Trump. “Do not let them take away your power. Don’t let them take away your democracy. Make a plan right now for how you’re going to get involved and vote.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

President Barack Obama’s speech to the 2020 Democratic National Convention was extraordinary not because of its clarity, thoughtfulness, intelligence, honesty and message so perfectly targeted, but because it was uncharacteristically aggressive in taking on forthrightly the incompetence, inadequacy, and corruption of Donald Trump and sounding the alarm that voting is crucial this November, with nothing short of protecting democracy at stake.

“For close to four years now, he’s 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…

“… this president and those in power – those who benefit from keeping things the way they are – they are counting on your cynicism. They know they can’t win you over with their policies. So they’re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter. That’s how they win. That’s how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That’s how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That’s how a democracy withers, until it’s no democracy at all.

“We can’t let that happen. Do not let them take away your power. Don’t let them take away your democracy. Make a plan right now for how you’re going to get involved and vote. Do it as early as you can and tell your family and friends how they can vote too. Do what Americans have done for over two centuries when faced with even tougher times than this – all those quiet heroes who found the courage to keep marching, keep pushing in the face of hardship and injustice.”

Here is Barack Obama’s speech, highlighted:

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’m 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 – and even men who didn’t own property – the right to participate in the political process. But embedded in this document was a North Star that would 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’d once been left out. And gradually, we made this country more just, more equal, and more free.

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

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

I have sat in the Oval Office with both of the men who are 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’s 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 take in more than ever. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.

Now, I know that in times as polarized as these, most of you have already made up your mind. But maybe you’re still not sure which candidate you’ll vote for – or whether you’ll vote at all. Maybe you’re 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 Joe Biden.

Twelve years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I didn’t know I’d end up finding a brother. Joe and I came from different places and different generations. But what I quickly came to admire about him is his resilience, born of too much struggle; his empathy, born of too much grief. Joe’s a man who learned – early on – to treat every person he meets with respect and dignity, living by the words his parents taught him: “No one’s better than you, Joe, but you’re better than nobody.”

That empathy, that decency, the belief that everybody counts – that’s who Joe is.

When he talks with someone who’s lost her job, Joe remembers the night his father sat him down to say that he’d lost his.

When Joe listens to a parent who’s trying to hold it all together right now, he does it as the single dad who took the train back to Wilmington each and every night so he could tuck his kids into bed. 

When he meets with military families who’ve lost their hero, he does it as a kindred spirit; the parent of an American soldier; somebody whose faith has endured the hardest loss there is.

For eight years, Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision. He made me a better president – and he’s got the character and the experience to make us a better country.

And in my friend Kamala Harris, he’s chosen an ideal partner who’s more than prepared for the job; someone who knows what it’s like to overcome barriers and who’s made a career fighting to help others live out their own American dream.

Along with the experience needed to get things done, Joe and Kamala have concrete policies that will turn their vision of a better, fairer, stronger country into reality.

They’ll get this pandemic under control, like Joe did when he helped me manage H1N1 and prevent an Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores.

They’ll expand health care to more Americans, like Joe and I did ten years ago when he helped craft the Affordable Care Act and nail down the votes to make it the law.

They’ll rescue the economy, like Joe helped me do after the Great Recession. I asked him to manage the Recovery Act, which jumpstarted the longest stretch of job growth in history. And he sees this moment now not as a chance to get back to where we were, but to make long-overdue changes so that our economy actually makes life a little easier for everybody – whether it’s the waitress trying to raise a kid on her own, or the shift worker always on the edge of getting laid off, or the student figuring out how to pay for next semester’s classes.

Joe and Kamala will restore our standing in the world – and as we’ve learned from this pandemic, that matters. Joe knows the world, and the world knows him. He knows that our true strength comes from setting an example the world wants to follow. A nation that stands with democracy, not dictators. A nation that can inspire and mobilize others to overcome threats like climate change, terrorism, poverty, and disease.

But more than anything, what I know about Joe and Kamala is that they actually care about every American. And they care deeply about this democracy.

They believe that in a democracy, the right to vote is sacred, and we should be making it easier for people to cast their ballot, not harder.

They believe that no one – including the president – is above the law, and that no public official – including the president – should use their office to enrich themselves or their supporters.

They understand that in this democracy, the Commander-in-Chief doesn’t use the men and women of our military, who are willing to risk everything to protect our nation, as political props to deploy against peaceful protesters on our own soil. They understand that political opponents aren’t “un-American” just because they disagree with you; that a free press isn’t the “enemy” but the way we hold officials accountable; that our ability to work together to solve big problems like a pandemic depends on a fidelity to facts and science and logic and not just making stuff up.

None of this should be controversial. These shouldn’t be Republican principles or Democratic principles. They’re American principles. But at this moment, this president and those who enable him, have shown they don’t believe in these things.

Tonight, I am asking you to believe in Joe and Kamala’s ability to lead this country out of these dark times and build it back better. But here’s the thing: no single American can fix this country alone. Not even a president. Democracy was never meant to be transactional – you give me your vote; I make everything better. It requires an active and informed citizenry. So I am also asking you to believe in your own ability – to embrace your own responsibility as citizens – to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure.

Because that’s what at stake right now. Our democracy.

Look, I understand why many Americans are down on government. The way the rules have been set up and abused in Congress make it easy for special interests to stop progress. Believe me, I know. I understand why a white factory worker who’s seen his wages cut or his job shipped overseas might feel like the government no longer looks out for him, and why a Black mother might feel like it never looked out for her at all. I understand why a new immigrant might look around this country and wonder whether there’s still a place for him here; why a young person might look at politics right now, the circus of it all, the meanness and the lies and crazy conspiracy theories and think, what’s the point?

Well, here’s the point: this president and those in power – those who benefit from keeping things the way they are – they are counting on your cynicism. They know they can’t win you over with their policies. So they’re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter. That’s how they win. That’s how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That’s how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That’s how a democracy withers, until it’s no democracy at all.

We can’t let that happen. Do not let them take away your power. Don’t let them take away your democracy. Make a plan right now for how you’re going to get involved and vote. Do it as early as you can and tell your family and friends how they can vote too. Do what Americans have done for over two centuries when faced with even tougher times than this – all those quiet heroes who found the courage to keep marching, keep pushing in the face of hardship and injustice.

Last month, we lost a giant of American democracy in John Lewis. Some years ago, I sat down with John and the few remaining leaders of the early Civil Rights Movement. One of them told me he never imagined he’d walk into the White House and see a president who looked like his grandson. Then he told me that he’d looked it up, and it turned out that on the very day that I was born, he was marching into a jail cell, trying to end Jim Crow segregation in the South.

What we do echoes through the generations.

Whatever our backgrounds, we’re all the children of Americans who fought the good fight. Great grandparents working in firetraps and sweatshops without rights or representation. Farmers losing their dreams to dust. Irish and Italians and Asians and Latinos told to go back where they came from. Jews and Catholics, Muslims and Sikhs, made to feel suspect for the way they worshipped. Black Americans chained and whipped and hanged. Spit on for trying to sit at lunch counters. Beaten for trying to vote.

If anyone had a right to believe that this democracy did not work, and could not work, it was those Americans. Our ancestors. They were on the receiving end of a democracy that had fallen short all their lives. They knew how far the daily reality of America strayed from the myth. And yet, instead of giving up, they joined together and said somehow, some way, we are going to make this work. We are going to bring those words, in our founding documents, to life.

I’ve seen that same spirit rising these past few years. Folks of every age and background who packed city centers and airports and rural roads so that families wouldn’t be separated. So that another classroom wouldn’t get shot up. So that our kids won’t grow up on an uninhabitable planet. Americans of all races joining together to declare, in the face of injustice and brutality at the hands of the state, that Black Lives Matter, no more, but no less, so that no child in this country feels the continuing sting of racism.

To the young people who led us this summer, telling us we need to be better – in so many ways, you are this country’s dreams fulfilled. Earlier generations had to be persuaded that everyone has equal worth. For you, it’s a given – a conviction. And what I want you to know is that for all its messiness and frustrations, your system of self-government can be harnessed to help you realize those convictions.

You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place. You’re the missing ingredient – the ones who will decide whether or not America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed.

That work will continue long after this election. But any chance of success depends entirely on the outcome of this election. This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win. So we have to get busy building it up – by pouring all our effort into these 76 days, and by voting like never before – for Joe and Kamala, and candidates up and down the ticket, so that we leave no doubt about what this country we love stands for – today and for all our days to come.

Stay safe. God bless. 

Biden-Harris 2020, Democratic National Convention 2020, Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, News & Photo Features

Hillary Clinton to DNC2020: ‘No Matter What, Vote’

Historic nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton for President by Democratic party, at Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 2016. Despite winning the popular vote by 3 million, and making 65 million cracks in the glass ceiling, Donald Trump eked out victory in the Electoral College with as few as two votes per precinct in a battleground state. Clinton’s message to the Democratic National Convention in 2020: “No matter what, vote. And convince everyone you know to vote.” (c) Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton knows a thing or two about the importance that every vote counts. The first woman to run for president on a major party ticket, she racked up 65 million votes (that’s 65 million cracks in the glass ceiling), more votes than any white male candidate before her. But despite winning an unprecedented 3 million more votes than Donald Trump, he managed to snatch victory through the Electoral College with just 77,000 votes spread across three battleground states.

“This can’t be another woulda-coulda-shoulda election. If you’re voting by mail, request your ballot now, and send it back as soon as you can. If you vote in person, do it early. Bring a friend and wear a mask. Become a poll worker. Most of all, no matter what, vote. And convince everyone you know to vote.”

Here are her highlighted remarks to the 2020 Democratic National Convention was a call to action:

Good evening.

After the last election, I said, “We owe Donald Trump an open mind and the chance to lead.” I really meant it. Every president deserves that. And Trump walked into the Oval Office with so much set up for him: A strong economy. Plans for managing crises—like a pandemic.

Yes, we Democrats would have disagreed with him on many, many things. But if he had put his own interests and ego aside—if he could have seen the humanity in a child ripped from her parents at the border or a protester calling for justice or a family whose home was destroyed by a wildfire who happened to live in a blue state—if he had even tried to govern well and lead us all—he might have proved us wrong. And that would have been a good thing, for America and the world.

I wish Donald Trump had been a better president. Because America needs a better president than this.

America needs a president who shows the same compassion, determination, and leadership in the White House that we see in our communities. Throughout this crisis, Americans have kept going—checking on neighbors, showing up to jobs at grocery stores and nursing homes. Because it still takes a village.

We need leaders equal to this moment. We need Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Everyone has a story about Joe’s thoughtfulness and empathy. I remember him calling after my mother, Dorothy, died. We talked about being raised by strong, no-nonsense women. When I walked with him through the house where he grew up in Scranton, he remembered every detail—about the house, the neighborhood, the people who lived there, and the values they shared. There is no better testament to Joe’s character than his family—including his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, who has said she will keep her teaching job as First Lady. That’s outstanding.

And boy, did Joe, pick the right partner in Kamala Harris—another daughter of an extraordinary mother. Kamala is relentless in the pursuit of justice, and uncommonly kind. When her press secretary Tyrone Gayle, a remarkable young man who had also worked on my campaign, was dying of cancer, she dropped everything to be with him in his final moments. Because that’s who she is.

I know a thing or two about the slings and arrows coming her way. Kamala can handle them all.

This is the team to pull our nation back from the brink and build back better. But they can’t do it
without all of us.

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.” “I should have voted.” This can’t be another woulda-coulda-shoulda election. If you’re voting by mail, request your ballot now, and send it back as soon as you can. If you vote in person, do it early. Bring a friend and wear a mask. Become a poll worker.

Most of all, no matter what, vote. And convince everyone you know to vote.

Remember in 2016 when Trump asked: “What do you have to lose?” Well, now we know: our health, our jobs, even our lives. Our leadership in the world and, yes, our post office. As Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders warned us on Monday: If Trump is re-elected, it will get even worse. My friends, we need unity now more than ever.

But let’s set our sights higher than getting one man out of the White House. Let’s vote for the jobs Joe will create, and for emergency relief that lifts small businesses and hardworking people. Because it’s wrong that the wealthiest Americans got $400 billion richer during the pandemic while 40 million people lost their jobs.

Vote for parents struggling to balance their child’s education and their safety. And for health care workers fighting COVID-19 with no help from the White House. Vote for paid family leave and health care for everyone. Vote to protect Social Security, Medicare, reproductive rights, and our planet.

Vote for DREAMers and their families. For law enforcement that serves and respects communities of color. Vote for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, because Black Lives Matter.

Vote to make sure we—not a foreign adversary—choose our president.

Vote for the America we saw in the roll call last night: diverse, compassionate, full of energy and hope. Vote like our lives and livelihoods are on the line, because they are.

Remember: Joe and Kamala can win 3 million more votes and still lose. Take. It. From. Me. We need numbers so overwhelming Trump can’t sneak or steal his way to victory. So text VOTE to 30330 and let’s go win.

One hundred years ago yesterday, the 19th Amendment was ratified. It took seven decades of suffragists marching, picketing, and going to jail to push us closer to that more perfect union. Fifty-five years ago, John Lewis marched and bled in Selma because that work was unfinished.

Tonight I am 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 of the United States. This is our country’s story: breaking down barriers and expanding the circle of possibility.

So to all the young people: Don’t give up on America. Despite our flaws and problems, we have come so far. And we can still be a more just and equal country, full of opportunities previous generations could never have imagined.

There’s a lot of heartbreak in America right now—and the truth is, many things were broken before the pandemic. But, as the saying goes, the world breaks everyone at one point or another, and afterward, many are stronger in the broken places. Joe Biden knows how to heal, because he’s done it himself.

So come November, we will be strong together. We will heal together. We will redeem the soul and promise of this country together. We will elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris—together.

Biden-Harris 2020, Democratic National Convention 2020, Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden

You’re Invited! Star-Studded Democratic Convention After-Party

A very different ending to a very unconventional convention than the confetti which rained down to end the 2012 convention in Charlotte, NC: The Democratic National Convention Committee is inviting everyone to a star-studded after-party (c) Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

MILWAUKEE—The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) will close a historic week with a star studded convention after party, happening on Thursday, August 20, at 11:00pm ET.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning host, producer, and author, Andy Cohen, the event will be dropping into the homes of A-list celebrities and activists across the country for several segments, and the after party will be headlined by a never-before seen set for a special musical performance by Grammy Award-winning artist, record producer and DJ Diplo, one of the most dynamic forces in music today.

Other big names attending the after party include Alyssa Milano, Aubrey Plaza, Cat and Nicole Ehrlich Cora, Jaime Camil, Jason George, Elena Delle Donne, Keith Powell, Liza Koshy, Neil Casey, Michelle Kwan, and Zooey Deschanel.

DNC Chair Tom Perez, Sen. Chris Coons, and Biden for President Senior Adviser Symone Sanders are also expected to make an appearance.

The event will feature curated content that includes a call to action to bring awareness to important issues and to engage voters.

Where to Watch  This will be carried on the official livestream following the convention on all social platforms across the Biden campaign, DNC, and DNCC including official Facebook, Youtube, Twitter accounts, joebiden.com, and Twitch. 

Democratic National Convention 2020, Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features

Kamala Harris Has Place in History as Democratic Nominee for Vice President

Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for President, selected Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, a historic pick since she would be the first African American/Asian American woman to serve as Vice President. On the third night of the Democratic National Convention, the nation will have a chance to be introduced to Harris, who brings a life story that many will be able to relate to, and see as a role model. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for President, selected Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, a historic pick since she would be the first African American/Asian American woman to serve as Vice President. Harris was briefly his rival for the nomination, which was one of the assets Biden considered in choosing her from among a dozen highly qualified women. On the third night of the Democratic National Convention, the nation will have a chance to be introduced to Harris, who brings a life story that many will be able to relate to, and see as a role model. This is from the Biden Harris campaign:

Vice President Joe Biden is running to restore the soul of the nation and unite the country to move us forward.  Joe knows more about the importance of the Vice Presidency than just about anyone, and he is confident that Kamala Harris will be the best partner for him to finally get the country back on track.
 
Since Donald Trump became president, he has made everything worse. He has pursued economic policies that reward wealth over work and benefited corporations and his buddies over working families. He has walked away from American leadership on the national stage. He has used division and stoked hatred for political purposes to pit Americans against one another.
 
Joe knows that we can’t just return to the way things were – we have to build back better. From her track record of managing through multiple crises to standing up for the people who need it most, Joe knows that Kamala will be ready to tackle the work that is needed to heal our country on Day One of the Biden-Harris Administration. 
 
KAMALA’S BIO


The first Black and Indian American woman to represent California in the United States Senate, Kamala Harris grew up believing in the promise of America and fighting to make sure that promise is fulfilled for all Americans. Kamala’s father immigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica to study economics and her mother immigrated from India. Kamala’s mother told her growing up “Don’t sit around and complain about things, do something,” which is what drives Kamala every single day.
 
Kamala started fighting for working families  in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, where she focused on prosecuting child sexual assault cases. From there, she became the first Black woman elected as San Francisco’s District Attorney. In this position, she started a program to provide first-time drug offenders second chances with the opportunity to earn a high school degree and find a job.
 
In 2010, Kamala became the first Black woman to be elected California Attorney General, overseeing the country’s second largest Justice Department, only behind the U.S. Department of Justice. In this capacity, she managed a $735 million budget and oversaw more than 4,800 attorneys and other employees. As California Attorney General, Kamala fought for families and won a $20 billion settlement for California homeowners against big banks that were unfairly foreclosing on homes.
 
Kamala worked to protect Obamacare, helped win marriage equality for all, defended California’s landmark climate change law and won a $1.1 billion settlement against a for-profit education company that scammed students and veterans. Kamala also fought for California communities and prosecuted transnational gangs who drove human trafficking, gun smuggling and drug rings.
 
Since being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, Kamala has introduced and co-sponsored legislation to help the middle class, increase the minimum wage to $15, reform cash bail, and defend the legal rights of refugees and immigrants.
 
Kamala serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that deals with the nation’s most sensitive national security and international threats.  She also serves on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee where she oversees the federal government’s response to natural disasters and emergencies, including the Trump administration’s response to COVID-19.
 
On the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kamala has held Trump administration officials accountable and was a powerful voice against Trump’s conservative judicial nominations.
 
Kamala graduated from Howard University, where she was in the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and earned a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.
 
Kamala has been married to her husband Doug for the past six years. She is the stepmother of two children, Ella and Cole who are her “endless source of love and pure joy.”
 
KAMALA’S PARTNERSHIP WITH JOE BIDEN

  • Kamala Harris served as California’s Attorney General at the same time as Joe Biden’s son, Beau, was serving as Attorney General for Delaware. The two grew close while fighting to take on the banking industry. Through her friendship with Beau, she got to know Joe Biden.
  • From hearing about Kamala from Beau, to seeing her fight for others directly, Joe has long been impressed by how tough Kamala is.
  • Particularly on the Senate Judiciary Committee – which Joe used to lead – Kamala has distinguished herself as a fighter on behalf of the American people, on issues ranging from corruption, to women’s rights and election interference.
  • Kamala doesn’t hesitate to take on powerful people and powerful interests, and that’s exactly the kind of leader Joe wants by his side to rebuild this country and restore the soul of the nation.

KAMALA’S RECORD OF RESULTS FOR WORKING FAMILIES
 
COVID-19 and Health Care

  • Kamala has worked to address the racial and ethnic disparities resulting from  the Trump’s administration’s failed response to the pandemic by introducing the COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act. Kamala’s legislation would establish a team of policy experts, regional leaders, and federal officials to develop policy and funding prescriptions based on demographic data to combat issues facing minority and underserved communities.
  • Kamala has a record of taking on corporations who are defrauding the health care system. As Attorney General, she oversaw a $241 million settlement against Quest Diagnostics, for overbilling California’s insurance program for 15-plus years.

 Economy & Workers

  • Kamala took on the big banks on behalf of California homeowners and won a $20 billion settlement, the largest settlement of any attorney general in America.
  • As District Attorney , she prosecuted companies that cheated workers out of their earnings  and jeopardized their safety on the job. As Attorney General, she fought for California’s public employee unions. And as Senator, she stood against the harmful Janus decision.
  • Kamala supports a $15 minimum wage, cosponsoring legislation to raise wages for underpaid Americans. 

 Criminal Justice

  • Kamala, as San Francisco DA, championed a leading re-entry program to direct young people arrested for drug crimes into training and counseling programs instead of jail.
  • Kamala’s Department of Justice was the first statewide agency to mandate a body camera program, launched  implicit bias and procedural justice trainings, and created a public database, including data on deaths in police custody and arrest rates.
  • As Senator, Kamala has championed sentencing reform, ending the cash bail system, and giving proper funding to public defenders.

 Education

  • As Attorney General, Kamala obtained a $1.1 billion judgement against for-profit Corinthian Colleges for predatory practices that saddled students with debt and useless degrees.
  • Kamala co-sponsored Senator Elizabeth Warren’s bill to allow students with existing debt to refinance at the interest rates available to new borrowers.

 Environment

  • As Attorney General, Kamala took on big oil companies and went to court to defend the Obama-Biden Clean Power Plan and New Source Standards.
  • As Attorney General, Kamala sued corporations like Chevron and BP for damaging the environment, and won. And, she sued corporations for their role in exposing Californians to excessive levels of diesel.
  • As San Francisco District Attorney, Kamala created the first-ever unit focused on environmental justice.

 Kamala Fighting for Women

  • Kamala was the first woman elected to serve as both San Francisco DA and California AG.
  • As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Kamala has grilled Trump’s extreme anti-choice judicial nominees, like Brett Kavanaugh.
  • As Attorney General, Kamala cracked down on the sex trafficking of women into California and prosecuted sexual assaults.  In her year in office, she eliminated the backlog of untested rape kits.
  • And, as District Attorney, she worked with community leaders to establish a safe house for victims of human trafficking — the first of its kind in San Francisco.

 Kamala Fighting for the Black Community

  • As a student at Howard University, Kamala was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) – the oldest Greek-letter sorority for black women. It was during her time at Howard that she joined protests on the National Mall against apartheid in South Africa.
  • Kamala was the first Black woman to be elected San Francisco District Attorney and Attorney General of California, and only the second Black woman elected to the United States Senate.
  • In the Senate, Kamala championed a bill to make lynching a federal crime.

 Kamala Fighting for the Latino Community

  • Kamala joined Congresswoman Veronica Escobar in leading the charge to demand that migrant children be released from HHS and DHS custody during the pandemic.
  • While Attorney General, she ensured unaccompanied minors seeking refuge in the U.S. had access to pro-bono counsel.
  • After Hurricane Maria, Kamala sponsored the COUNT Victims Act that provides FEMA more resources to calculate the death toll from a natural disaster.

 Kamala Fighting for the LGBTQ+ Community

  • As San Francisco District Attorney, Kamala established an LGBT hate crimes unit, dedicated to pursuing hate crimes against LGBTQ+ students.
  • As Attorney General, Kamala refused to defend Proposition 8 in court.  She also officiated the first same-sex wedding in California after the U.S. Supreme Court ended Proposition 8.
  • Kamala has a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign.
Democratic National Convention 2020, Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, News & Photo Features

Barack Obama, Kamala Harris Headline Night 3 of Democratic National Convention

Senator Kamala Harris will formally accept the nomination for Vice President on Night 3 of the Democratic National Convention © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

President Barack Obama headlines Night Three of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, when the nation will also be introduced to the nominee for Vice President, Kamala Harris. Other prominent speakers addressing the night’s theme, “A More Perfect Union,” include Secretary Hillary Clinton, the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket; Senator Elizabeth Warren;  Speaker Nancy Pelosi,  former Congresswoman turned gun violence prevention activist Gabrielle Giffords; Senator Elizabeth Warren; and Senator Kamala Harris. The unconventional mostly virtual convention takes place from 9-11 pm.

The theme of Wednesday’s program is “A More Perfect Union.” America is not going back to normal, because normal wasn’t good enough. As he leads us out of crisis, Joe Biden will help us build back better. An economy that helps working families and small businesses rise up. A climate change plan that is one of the most ambitious ever proposed. He will reform our broken immigration system, fight for sane gun laws, and ensure equal pay and strong health protections for women. And he will have a historic partner in these efforts: the first female vice president. 

Highlights in tonight’s program:

A MORE PERFECT UNION

Welcome to Wisconsin
The Honorable Tony Evers
Governor of Wisconsin
 

A MORE PERFECT SOCIETY

Introduction
Kerry Washington
American actress

A More Perfect Union Means…Ending Gun Violence

“America Rising: March for our Lives”
Featuring activist and Parkland survivor Emma Gonzalez, whose generation has risen up to say enough to gun violence. 

Remarks
DeAndra Dycus
A mother whose son was left paralyzed by a stray bullet at the age of 13.

Remarks
The Honorable Gabrielle Giffords
Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Arizona

A More Perfect Union…Means Tackling Climate Change

Remarks
The Honorable Michelle Lujan Grisham
Governor of New Mexico

The Biden Plan: Climate Change 
A video focused on Joe Biden’s plan to combat climate change and secure a clean-energy future, narrated by an IBEW union worker from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 

A Conversation with Young Climate Activists
Young organizers talk about how they’re taking control of their future, and why they need a president like Joe Biden who will work with them.

Performance
Billie Eilish
American singer-songwriter

A More Perfect Union…Means Keeping Immigrant Families Together

“A Letter to Trump on Immigration”
“Mr. President, you tore our world apart.”

Remarks
The Sanchez Family
Silvia Sanchez, an undocumented immigrant in North Carolina, with her daughters Jessica, who is a Dreamer, and Lucy.

America Rising: Immigrants Rebuilding America
We can never say it often or loudly enough: immigrants and refugees revitalize and renew America. Immigrants built this country, and immigrants will rebuild this country. 

Performance
Prince Royce
Dominican-American singer-songwriter

A More Perfect Union…Means Women Lead

America Rising: From Women’s Suffrage to the Women’s March
It has been 100 years this week since women won the right to vote, and they’ve been leading ever since. 

Remarks
The Honorable Hillary Clinton
2016 Democratic Nominee for President of the United States
Former United States Secretary of State
Former United States Senator, New York

Remarks
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

Remarks
Mariska Hargitay
American actress and advocate
Ruth Glenn
CEO and President of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Carly Dryden
At-Large Regional Advisor, “It’s On Us”

“When You See Something Wrong”
A video highlighting Joe Biden’s leadership on the Violence Against Women Act and its legacy.

A MORE PERFECT ECONOMY

Remarks
The Honorable Hilda Solis
Los Angeles County Supervisor
Former United States Secretary of Labor

“You Built America” – A More Perfect Union: A Conversation on the Economy with Vice President Biden
Joe Biden listens to, and engages with, union workers around how to build back better a new economy for our families and the next generation.

“America Recovering”
Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and U.S. Representative from Iowa Cindy Axne talk to small business owners in their communities about how they’re struggling in Donald Trump’s economy.

Remarks
The Honorable Elizabeth Warren
United States Senator, Massachusetts

MORE PERFECT LEADERSHIP

Remarks
The Honorable Barack Obama
44th President of the United States

Nominating Speech
Maya Harris, Meena Harris, and Ella Emhoff

Remarks
The Honorable Kamala Harris
2020 Democratic Nominee for Vice President of the United States
United States Senator, California

Performance
Jennifer Hudson
American singer and actress

How to Watch the 2020 Democratic National Convention

Viewers will have more than a dozen options for watching the 2020 Democratic National Convention, ensuring that this year’s convention will reach viewers where they are, however they prefer to watch, all across the nation. 

With an unprecedented number of ways to tune in, this year’s convention will engage voters in new, innovative ways and unite the country around our shared values. The convention will take place over four nights from August 17-20, 2020. Convention programming will air live from 9:00-11:00 PM Eastern each night.

The official live stream for the 2020 Democratic National Convention will be hosted on DemConvention.com, where viewers can also find the full convention schedule, a digital toolkit to get involved, more resources for viewers, delegates and the media and additional plans and details. 

In addition, the DNC is organizing watch parties all over the country, hosted with prominent leaders, as well as drive-in watch parties, like drive in movie theater where you watch on big screens – in Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Delaware.

The convention airs from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time. There are a variety of ways to watch:

  • The official livestream will be here. It will also be available on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch.
  • C-SPAN, CNN, MSNBC and PBS will cover the full two hours each night. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News will carry the convention from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night. 
  • The New York Times will stream the full convention every day, accompanied by chat-based live analysis from reporters and real-time highlights from the speeches.
  • Streams will be available on Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV by searching “Democratic National Convention” or “2020 DNC,” and on Amazon Prime Video by searching “DNC.”
  • The convention will air on AT&T U-verse (channels 212 and 1212) and AT&T DirectTV (channel 201). It will also air on Comcast Xfinity Flex and Comcast X1 (say “DNC” into your voice remote).
  • You can watch on a PlayStation 4 or PSVR through the Littlstar app.
  • If you have an Alexa device, you can say “Alexa, play the Democratic National Convention.”
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DNC: National Security Advisors Testify to Joe Biden’s Leadership Qualities to Address Nation’s Historic Challenges

Sally Yates, the former acting Attorney General who refused to enact Trump’s unconstitutional Muslim Travel Ban and alerted the White House to a compromised Michael Flynn, told the Democratic National Convention, “Public servants promise to defend our Constitution. Uphold our laws. And work on behalf of the American people. But from the moment President Trump took office, he has used his position to benefit himself rather than our country. He’s trampled the rule of law, trying to weaponize our Justice Department to attack his enemies and protect his friends.” (c) Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The second night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention was themed “Leadership Matters” drawing a stark contrast between the lack of leadership of the incumbent, and the experience, integrity, competence and compassion to address the historic challenges facing the nation that former Vice President Joe Biden brings to the office of president.

“A moment like now demands real leadership. A leader who has the experience and character to meet the moment. A leader who will unite us, tell us the truth, take responsibility, listen to experts and be an example for the nation. Strong people and strong countries rise up during crises, don’t shy away from what is tough, and lead with competence. With Joe Biden as our president, we will restore honesty and integrity to our government, and stake out a renewed leadership role in the world. And we will create more justice, more fairness and more equality for all.”

Here are highlights from the evening’s speakers:

FORMER SECOND LADY OF THE UNITED STATES DR. JILL BIDEN

“You can hear the anxiety that echoes down empty hallways. There’s no scent of new notebooks or freshly waxed floors. The rooms are dark and the bright young faces that should fill them are confined to boxes on a computer screen.”

“How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole. With love and understanding—and with small acts of compassion. With bravery. With unwavering faith.” 

“There are times when I couldn’t imagine how he did it—how he put one foot in front of the other and kept going. But I’ve always understood why he did it…He does it for you.” 

FORMER ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL SALLY YATES

“Public servants promise to defend our Constitution. Uphold our laws. And work on behalf of the American people. But from the moment President Trump took office, he has used his position to benefit himself rather than our country. He’s trampled the rule of law, trying to weaponize our Justice Department to attack his enemies and protect his friends.”

“We need a president who respects our laws and the privilege of public service. Who reflects our values and cares about our people. We need a president who will restore the soul of America.” 

SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER (New York)

“But if we’re going to win this battle for the soul of our nation, Joe can’t do it alone. Democrats must take back the Senate. We will stay united, from Sanders and Warren to Manchin and Warner—and together, we will bring bold and dramatic change to our country.”

 FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES JIMMY CARTER

“Joe has the experience, character, and decency to bring us together and restore America’s greatness. We deserve a person with integrity and judgment, someone who is honest and fair, someone who is committed to what is best for the American people.”

FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BILL CLINTON

“Donald Trump says we’re leading the world. Well, we are the only major industrial economy to have its unemployment rate triple. 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—his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. The buck never stops there.”

“Our party is united in offering you a very different choice: a go-to-work president. A down-to-earth, get-the-job-done guy. A man with a mission: to take responsibility, not shift the blame; concentrate, not distract; unite, not divide. Our choice is Joe Biden.”

ADY BARKAN, HEALTHCARE ACTIVIST

“Even during this terrible crisis, Donald Trump and Republican politicians are trying to take away millions of people’s health insurance. With the existential threat of another four years of this president, we all have a profound obligation to act, not only to vote, but to make sure that our friends, family, and neighbors vote as well.”

FORMER UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY

“Donald Trump pretends Russia didn’t attack our elections. And now, he does nothing about Russia putting a bounty on our troops. So he won’t defend our country. He doesn’t know how to defend our troops. The only person he’s interested in defending is himself.”

“Joe’s moral compass has always pointed in the right direction, from the fight to break the back of apartheid to the struggle to wake up the world to genocide in the Balkans. Joe understands that none of the issues of this world—not nuclear weapons, not the challenge of building back better after COVID, not terrorism and certainly not the climate crisis—none can be resolved without bringing nations together.”

Other speakers testifying to Biden’s leadership and presidential qualities included Colin Powell and a gaggle of national security advisors who have served in prior administrations, and Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John F. Kennedy and former Ambassador to Japan, and her son, Jack Schlossberg, JFK’s grandson.

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Stacy Abrams Leads United Call to Action From Rising Stars in Democratic Party at 2020 DNC

Stacy Abrams, former Georgia State House Minority Leader, Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, voting rights activist (Atlanta, GA) led 17 Democratic Party rising stars in calling for unity, saying, “In a time of voter suppression at home and authoritarians abroad, Joe Biden will be a champion for free and fair elections, for a public health system that keeps us safe, for an economy that we build back better than before, and for accountability and integrity in our system of justice. We stand with Joe Biden because this isn’t just about defeating Donald Trump. We are in this to win for America. So let’s get it done.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

MILWAUKEE—Reimagined for a convention that will look and feel different than anything ever before, the Keynote Address for the second night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, themed “Leadership Matters,” wove together powerful and diverse voices from the next generation of party leaders into a unified pledge to step up and lead in this critical moment for the nation.

The address featured not one, but 17 of the Democratic Party’s rising stars from all across the country—ranging from state representatives, to mayors, to a Navajo Nation President, to members of Congress. These young electeds offered a diversity of different ideas and perspectives on how to move America forward, but they also spoke to the future our party is building together—a future with Joe Biden at the helm, but Stacy Abrams, former Georgia State House Minority Leader, Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, voting rights activist (Atlanta, GA), brought home the unique challenges and urgency of voting this year.

Here are Abrams’ remarks:

This nation belongs to all of us. And in every election, we choose how we will create a more perfect union, not by taking sides but by taking stock of where we are and what we need.

This year’s choice could not be more clear. America faces a triple threat: a public health catastrophe, an economic collapse, and a reckoning with racial justice and inequality. So our choice is clear: a steady, experienced public servant who can lead us out of this crisis just like he’s done before, or a man who only knows how to deny and distract; a leader who cares about our families or a president who only cares about himself.

We know Joe Biden. America, we need Joe Biden. To make your voice heard text Vote to 30330.

In a democracy, we do not elect saviors. We cast our ballots for those who see our struggles and pledge to serve; who hear our dreams and work to make them real; who defend our way of life by protecting our right to vote. Faced with a president of cowardice, Joe Biden is a man of proven courage. He will restore our moral compass by confronting our challenges, not by hiding from them or undermining our elections to keep his job.

In a time of voter suppression at home and authoritarians abroad, Joe Biden will be a champion for free and fair elections, for a public health system that keeps us safe, for an economy that we build back better than before, and for accountability and integrity in our system of justice. We stand with Joe Biden because this isn’t just about defeating Donald Trump. We are in this to win for America. So let’s get it done.

Other participants included:

  • State Senator Raumesh Akbari; Tennessee (Memphis, TN) 
  • Congressman Colin Allred; TX-32 (Washington D.C.)
  • Congressman Brendan Boyle; PA-2 (Pittsburgh, PA)
  • State Senator Yvanna Cancela; Nevada (Las Vegas, NV)
  • Former State Rep. Kathleen Clyde; County Commissioner, Portage County, OH (Kent, OH)
  • Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried; Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Tallahassee, FL)
  • Mayor Robert Garcia; (Long Beach, CA) 
  • State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta; Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
  • State Senator Marlon Kimpson; South Carolina (Charleston, SC)
  • Congressman Conor Lamb; PA-17 (Pittsburgh, PA)
  • State Rep. Mari Manoogian; Michigan (Birmingham, MI)
  • State Rep. Victoria Neave; Texas (Dallas, TX)
  • President Jonathan Nez; Navajo Nation President (Widow Rock, AZ)
  • State Rep. Sam Park; Georgia (Lawrenceville, GA)
  • State Rep. Denny Ruprecht; New Hampshire (Landaff, NH) 
  • Mayor Randall Woodfin; (Birmingham, AL)
Democratic National Convention 2020, Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, News & Photo Features

Bernie Sanders at DNC Issues Call to Arms to Supporters: ‘We need Joe Biden as our next President. The price of failure is just too great to imagine’

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 2020, a featured speaker on the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, urged his supporters to back Joe Biden and end Donald Trump’s march toward authoritarianism, saying “the price of failure is just too great to imagine.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 2020, a featured speaker on the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, urged his supporters to back Joe Biden and end Donald Trump’s march toward authoritarianism, saying “the price of failure is just too great to imagine.” Here is a highlighted transcript of his remarks:

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 the enormous threat to our planet of climate change. And, 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 election 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 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 moved this country in a bold new direction showing that all of us—Black and white, Latino, Native American, Asian American, gay and straight, native born and immigrant—yearn for a nation based on the principles of justice, love, and compassion.

Our campaign ended several months ago, but our movement continues and is getting stronger every day. Many of the ideas we fought for, that just a few years ago were considered “radical,” are now mainstream. But, let us be clear, if Donald Trump is re-elected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy.

Defending Democracy

At its most basic, this election is about preserving our democracy. During this president’s term, the unthinkable has become normal. He has tried to prevent people from voting, undermined the U.S. Postal Service, deployed 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.

The Pandemic

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 health care workers desperately need.

Nero fiddled while Rome burned; Trump golfs. His actions fanned this pandemic resulting in over 170,000 deaths and a nation still unprepared to protect its people.

The Economic Crisis

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’ll feed their kids and worried that they will be evicted from their homes.

And how has Trump responded? Instead of maintaining the $600 a week unemployment supplement that workers were receiving, and the $1,200 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.

Trump the Fraud

My friends, the American people have caught on that this president and his administration are, to put it bluntly, frauds.

In 2016, Trump promised he would stand with working families. He said that he would “drain the swamp,” take on Wall Street and powerful special interests. He would protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and, by the way, he would provide health care to “everybody.” Well. None of it was true.

Instead, he filled his administration with billionaires and gave trillions to the top 1 percent and large corporations. He tried to throw 32 million people off of their health insurance, eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions, and submitted budgets that proposed slashing Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.

Joe Biden

But the truth is that, 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 day one.

Let me offer you just a few examples of how Joe will move us forward.

Joe supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. This 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 pre-K for 3- and 4-year olds, and make child care affordable for millions of families.

Joe will rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and fight the threat of climate change by transitioning us to 100 percent clean electricity over the next fifteen years. These initiatives will create millions of good paying jobs all across the country.

As you know, we are the only industrialized nation not to guarantee health care for all people. While Joe and I disagree on the best path to get to universal coverage, he has a plan that will greatly expand health care and cut the cost of prescription drugs. Further, he will lower the eligibility age of Medicare from 65 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 heal the soul of our nation, Joe Biden will end the hate and division Trump has created. He will stop the demonization of immigrants, the coddling of white nationalists, the racist dog whistling, the religious bigotry, and the ugly attacks on women.

My friends, I say to you, to everyone who supported other candidates 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 failure is just too great to imagine.

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Michelle Obama at DNC:’ To keep the possibility of progress alive, elect Joe Biden President’

Speaking to the 2020 Democratic National Convention, former First Lady Michelle Obama makes the argument that Donald Trump is not fit to be president, but Joe Biden, the former Vice President, has been proven and tested: “If we want to keep the possibility of progress alive in our time, if we want to be able to look our children in the eye after this election, we have got to reassert our place in American history. And we have got to do everything we can to elect my friend, Joe Biden, as the next president of the United States.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Former First Lady Michelle Obama gave a powerful, impassioned speech that struck at the heart of the momentous juncture the United States is at coming into the 2020 Election. She laid it on the line. Here is a highlighted transcript:

Good evening, everyone. It’s a hard time, and everyone’s feeling it in different ways. And I know a lot of folks are reluctant to tune into a political 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’ve met so many of you. I’ve heard your stories. And through you, I have seen this country’s promise. And thanks to so many who came before me, thanks to their toil and sweat and blood, I’ve been able to live that promise myself.

That’s the story of America. All those folks who sacrificed and overcame so much in their own times because they wanted something more, something better for their kids.

There’s a lot of beauty in that story. There’s 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 of a handful of people living today who have seen firsthand the immense weight and awesome power of the presidency. And 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 330,000,000 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 awaken our worst instincts. You simply cannot fake your way through this job.

As I’ve said before, being president doesn’t change who you are; it reveals who you are. Well, a presidential election can reveal who we are, too. And four years ago, too many people chose to believe that their votes didn’t matter. Maybe they were fed up. Maybe they thought the outcome wouldn’t be close. Maybe the barriers felt too steep. Whatever the reason, in the end, those choices sent someone to the Oval Office who lost the national popular vote by nearly 3,000,000 votes.

In one of the states that determined the outcome, the winning margin averaged out to just two votes per precinct—two votes. And we’ve 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’d secured the right to health care for 20,000,000 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 from becoming a global pandemic.

Four years later, the state of this nation is very different. More than 150,000 people have died, and 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 health care; too many are struggling to take care of basic necessities like food and rent; too many communities have been left in the lurch to grapple with whether and how to open our schools safely. Internationally, we’ve turned our back, not just on agreements forged by my husband, but on alliances championed by presidents like Reagan and Eisenhower.

And here at home, as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and a 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.

Because whenever we look to this White House for some leadership or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy.

Empathy: that’s something I’ve 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 don’t stand in judgment. We reach out because, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” It is not a hard concept to grasp. It’s what we teach our children.

And like so many of you, Barack and I have tried our 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’re looking around wondering if we’ve been lying to them this whole time about who we are and what we truly value.

They see people shouting in grocery stores, 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 because as long as you come out on top, it doesn’t matter what happens to everyone else. And they see what happens when that lack of empathy is ginned up into outright disdain.

They see our leaders labeling fellow citizens enemies of the state while emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists. They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages, and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protestors for a photo-op.

Sadly, this is the America that is on display for the next generation. A nation that’s underperforming not simply on matters of policy but on matters of character. And that’s not just disappointing; it’s 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’s going on in this country is just not right. This is not who we want to be.

So what do we do now? What’s our strategy? Over the past four years, a lot of people have asked me, “When others are going so low, does going high still really work?” My answer: going high is the only thing that works, because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise that’s drowning out everything else. We degrade ourselves. We degrade the very 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. Going high means taking the harder path. It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top. Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we’ve got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences.

And going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free: the cold hard truth.

So let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but 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 won’t be heard by some people. We live in a nation that is deeply divided, and I am a Black woman speaking at the Democratic Convention. But enough of you know me by now. You know that I tell you exactly what I’m 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 from my words tonight, it is this: if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don’t 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’s 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 his baby daughter. And 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’s like to struggle, which is why he gives his personal phone number to kids overcoming a stutter of their own.

His life is a testament to getting back up, and he is going to channel that same grit and passion to pick us all up, to help us heal and guide us forward.

Now, Joe is not perfect. And he’d be the first to tell you that. But there is no perfect candidate, no perfect president. And 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; but 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, see a doctor when they’re sick, live on a healthy planet. And he’s got plans to make all of that happen. 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 math class without being afraid of getting shot. He wants all our kids to grow up with leaders who won’t just serve themselves and their wealthy peers but will provide a safety net for people facing hard times.

And if we want a chance to pursue any of these goals, 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’re closing down polling places in minority neighborhoods. They’re purging voter rolls. They’re sending people out to intimidate voters, and they’re lying about the security of our ballots. These tactics are not new.

But this is not the time to withhold our votes in protest or play games with candidates who have no chance of winning. We have got to vote like we did in 2008 and 2012. We’ve got to show up with the same level of passion and hope for Joe Biden. We’ve got to vote early, in person if we can. We’ve got to request our mail-in ballots right now, tonight, and send them back immediately and follow-up to make sure they’re received. And then, make sure our friends and families do the same.

We have got to grab our comfortable shoes, put on our masks, pack a brown bag dinner and maybe breakfast too, because we’ve got to be willing to stand in line all night if we have to.

Look, we have already sacrificed so much this year. So many of you are already going that extra mile. Even when you’re exhausted, you’re mustering up unimaginable courage to put on those scrubs and give our loved ones a fighting chance. Even when you’re anxious, you’re delivering those packages, stocking those shelves, and doing all that essential work so that all of us can keep moving forward.

Even when it all feels so overwhelming, working parents are somehow piecing it all together without child care. Teachers are getting creative so that our kids can still learn and grow. Our young people are desperately fighting to pursue their dreams.

And when the horrors of systemic racism shook our country and our consciences, millions of Americans of every age, every background rose up to march for each other, crying out for justice and progress.

This is who we still are: compassionate, resilient, decent people whose fortunes are bound up with one another. And it is well past time for our leaders to once again reflect our truth.

So, it is up to us to add our voices and our votes to the course of history, echoing heroes like John Lewis who said, “When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something.” That is the truest form of empathy: not just feeling, but doing; not just for ourselves or our kids, but for everyone, for all our kids.

And if we want to keep the possibility of progress alive in our time, if we want to be able to look our children in the eye after this election, we have got to reassert our place in American history. And we have got to do everything we can to elect my friend, Joe Biden, as the next president of the United States.

Thank you all. God bless

Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features

Delegates to 2020 DNC Delegates To Cast Nominating Votes from Cities, Locations, Landmarks Across Nation in Roll Call Unlike Any Other

Activist Khizr Khan will reflect on the racial violence that claimed a life in his beloved home city of Charlottesville when he joins the Roll Call nominating Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate for president. Delegates will cast nominating votes from cities, locations and landmarks across the nation in a roll call unlike any other © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

MILWAUKEE—The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today announced some of the everyday Americans who will cast their official nominating votes for president of the United States during tonight’s “Roll Call Across America.” The roll call vote will take place under tonight’s theme, “Leadership Matters,” and spotlight those who are stepping up in this moment of crisis to play their part in the democratic process.

“A moment like this demands leadership—not just from those we’ve elected, but from all of us,” said Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee. “All across the nation Americans are answering that call to action, and tonight we hope viewers are inspired to see their neighbors overcoming Donald Trump’s chaos and joining Joe Biden in his battle for the soul of our nation.”

Over the course of 30 minutes, the reimagined roll call process will take convention viewers to all 57 states and territories. Democrats will tell a story about the strength of the American people in overcoming the chaos and crisis of Donald Trump and fighting for a better America. Viewers will hear from delegates, parents, teachers, small business owners, essential workers, activists and elected leaders in the Democratic Party as they officially cast votes to nominate Joe Biden to become the next president. And viewers will see these votes cast not on a convention floor, but at businesses, inside living rooms, and in front of iconic landmarks in cities and towns nationwide.

Participants include:

ALABAMA 
Rep. Terri Sewell will invoke the memory of Rep. John Lewis to advocate for restoring the Voting Rights Act.

ALASKA
Veteran, fisherman, and party activist Chuck Degnan will discuss the impact of climate change on tribal waters.

AMERICAN SAMOA
Party leaders Aliitama Sotoa and Patti Matila will celebrate American Samoa’s legacy of military service—and Joe Biden’s work to improve the territory’s infrastructure.

ARIZONA
Middle school social studies teacher Marisol Garcia will discuss remote learning from the perspective of teachers, parents, and activists.

ARKANSAS
Chef Gilbert Alaquinez will describe his work delivering meals prepared at the Clinton Presidential Center to local families via food trucks.

CALIFORNIA
Sec. Hilda Solis and Rep. Barbara Lee will highlight the importance of Joe Biden’s clean energy plan for communities of color.

COLORADO
Immigrant and party activist Howard Chou and his family will discuss the challenges facing working parents during the pandemic.

CONNECTICUT
Veteran firefighter Peter Carozza will explain why he and his fellow first responders trust in Joe Biden’s courage and commitment to working Americans.

DELAWARE
Gov. John Carney and Sen. Tom Carper will share a local perspective on Delaware’s favorite son.

DEMOCRATS ABROAD
Organizer Julia Bryan will offer a call to action for Americans living abroad to get involved in this election.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Mayor Muriel Bowser will issue a call for DC statehood.

FLORIDA
Gun safety activist Fred Guttenberg will describe Joe Biden’s compassion in the wake of his daughter’s murder in Parkland and commitment to defeating the NRA.

GEORGIA
State Sen. Nikema Williams, candidate for John Lewis’s seat in Congress, will urge viewers to overcome voter suppression.

GUAM
Party chair Sarah Thomas-Nededog will celebrate the 70th anniversary of Guam citizens becoming American citizens.

HAWAII
Civil rights activist Dr. Amy Agbayani will offer a special personal message to American immigrants.

IDAHO
Mayor Lauren McLean will share her city’s bold response to climate change.

ILLINOIS
Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun will discuss the Biden plan for racial justice in housing.

INDIANA
Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg will describe his city’s revitalization and the Biden plan to do the same nationwide.

IOWA
Secretary Tom Vilsack will take a moment to share best wishes for Iowans suffering after last week’s storm.

KANSAS
Fourth-generation family farmer Mark Pringle will share his concern about the future of rural America and his confidence in the Biden plan for revitalizing rural communities.

KENTUCKY
Education advocate Colmon Elridge will share a personal story about Joe Biden’s commitment to improving American health care.

LOUISIANA
Rep. Cedric Richmond and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell will visit a thriving independent art studio to highlight the importance of small businesses to cities.

MAINE
State Rep. Craig Hickman, the first openly gay African American to serve in the Maine House of Representatives, will take us inside his American dream.

MARYLAND
City Council President Brandon Scott and college student Bianca Shah will describe the Biden plan for racial justice in the economy.

MASSACHUSETTS
State Rep. Claire Cronin will highlight the Biden plan to help our economy recover from the pandemic.

MICHIGAN
Sen. Gary Peters and UAW auto worker Ray Curry will discuss how Joe Biden saved the Michigan auto industry and his plan to create a million new auto jobs.

MINNESOTA
Sen. Amy Klobuchar will discuss Joe Biden’s ability to bring people together before throwing it across the Mississippi River to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.

MISSISSIPPI
College president Dr. Carmen Walters will discuss the history of the HBCU she leads and the Biden plan to invest in these important institutions.

MISSOURI
Bricklayer Reuben Gill will praise the contributions of his fellow working men and women and the Biden plan to invest in infrastructure.

MONTANA
Recent college graduate Rachel Prevost will describe her senior year of remote learning and highlights the importance of rural broadband.

NEBRASKA
Meatpacking plant employee Geraldine Waller will share a personal perspective on the dangers facing essential workers during the pandemic.

NEVADA
Backed by an array of working Nevadans, Rep. Dina Titus will describe the Biden plan for putting workers first in our economy.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Gov. John Lynch will offer his personal endorsement of Joe Biden’s leadership skills.

NEW JERSEY
Gov. Phil Murphy will mark the impact of the pandemic on his state and explains why Joe Biden is the right leader to help us recover.

NEW MEXICO
Tribal member and state Rep. Derrick Lente will celebrate his state’s diversity and commitment to preserving natural and cultural resources.

NEW YORK
Registered nurse and a member of 1199SEIU Scheena Iyande Tannis will offer a raw personal perspective on the dangers facing health care workers.

NORTH CAROLINA
Longtime Democratic activist Cozzie Watkins will offer a call to action for Black women.

*NORTH DAKOTA
Tribal citizen and advocate Cesar Alvarez will discuss his unique path to college and Joe Biden’s plan to open up educational opportunity.

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
Party chair Nola Kileleman Hix will describe her organizing efforts as the young leader of the party in the NMI.

OHIO
Rep. Tim Ryan and IBEW organizer Josh Abernathy will describe Donald Trump’s broken promises to Ohio workers and the Biden plan to invest in America.

OKLAHOMA
Party chair Alicia Andrews will reflect on the lessons of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

OREGON
Activist Dr. Rosa Colquitt and registered nurse Travis Nelson will discuss racial disparities in health care.

PENNSYLVANIA
Sen. Bob Casey, a fellow Scranton native, will talk about how Joe Biden’s childhood in Scranton formed his commitment to working families.

PUERTO RICO
Sen. Carmelo Rios-Santiago, will highlight Donald Trump’s abandonment of Americans in Puerto Rico.

RHODE ISLAND
State Rep. Joseph McNamara will discuss the impact of the pandemic on his state’s restaurants and fisherman and shows off the mouth-watering flavors of Rhode Island seafood.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Senate candidate Jaime Harrison will speak from the alma mater of Rep. Jim Clyburn and his late wife Emily.

SOUTH DAKOTA
Tribal activist Kellen Returns From Scout will issue a plea for forward-looking leadership.

TENNESSEE
On the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, college student Keely Sage will visit the headquarters of the suffragists to discuss her own first vote for President and the role of women in this election.

TEXAS
Rep. Veronica Escobar will reflect on the lessons of the August 2019 massacre in El Paso.

UTAH
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson will debunk misinformation about mail-in voting.

VERMONT
Gubernatorial candidate and Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, joined by Jane and Bernie Sanders and other Vermont activists, will speak out for justice.

VIRGIN ISLANDS
Chair Cecil Benjamin will lead a colorful tribute to Joe Biden’s leadership.

VIRGINIA
Activist Khizr Khan will reflect on the racial violence that claimed a life in his beloved home city of Charlottesville.

WASHINGTON
State Rep. My-Linh Thai, a former refugee, will share her commitment to the public schools that gave her a chance to contribute to her new home.

WEST VIRGINIA
Veteran educator and union organizer Fred Albert will discuss how teachers and parents can work together to create change.

WISCONSIN
Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes will share his personal story and a call to action for a brighter future.

WYOMING
Activists Judy and Dennis Shepherd will discuss Joe Biden’s leadership to stop hate crimes against LGBTQ Americans in the wake of their son Matthew’s murder.