Barack Obama has often described the presidency as a relay race: “You take the baton from someone, you run your leg as hard and as well as you can, and then you hand it off to someone else.” On Tuesday night, Obama stepped on stage in front of thousands of delegates at the 2024 Democratic National Convention to anoint a party leader he hopes will carry that baton next: Kamala Harris.
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00:00Chicago, it's good to be home.
00:15It is good to be home, and I don't know about you, but I'm feeling fired up.
00:25I am feeling ready to go.
00:37I am feeling hopeful, because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names
00:47who believe in a country where anything is possible.
00:55Because we have a chance to elect someone who has spent her entire life trying to give people the same chances America gave her.
01:06Someone who sees you, and hears you, and will get up every single day and fight for you.
01:16The next president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris.
01:23At a time when the other party had turned into a cult of personality, we needed a leader who was steady,
01:34and brought people together, and was selfless enough to do the rarest thing there is in politics,
01:42putting his own ambition aside for the sake of the country.
01:52History will remember Joe Biden as an outstanding president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger.
02:04And I am proud to call him my president, but I am even prouder to call him my friend.
02:13The torch has been passed.
02:16Now it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in.
02:25And make no mistake, it will be a fight.
02:29For all the incredible energy we've been able to generate over the last few weeks, for all the rallies and the memes,
02:38this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country.
02:46A country where too many Americans are still struggling, where a lot of Americans don't believe government can help.
02:56It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that's actually been getting worse now that he's afraid of losing to Kamala.
03:10There's the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes.
03:20We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos.
03:35We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse.
03:47America's ready for a new chapter. America's ready for a better story.
03:54We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.
03:59Tim is the kind of person who should be in politics.
04:04Born in a small town, served his country, taught kids, coached football, took care of his neighbors.
04:14He knows who he is, and he knows what's important.
04:20You can tell those flannel shirts he wears don't come from some political consultant.
04:25They come from his closet, and they have been through some stuff.
04:33The other side knows it's easier to play on people's fears and cynicism, always has been.
04:41They will tell you that government is inherently corrupt, that sacrifice and generosity are for suckers.
04:49And since the game is rigged, it's okay to take what you want and just look after your own.
04:57That's the easy path.
05:00We have a different task.
05:02Our job is to convince people that democracy can actually deliver.
05:08And in doing that, we can't just point to what we've already accomplished.
05:14We can't just rely on the ideas of the past.
05:16We need to chart a new way forward to meet the challenges of today.
05:22And Kamala understands this.
05:24Our politics have become so polarized these days that all of us across the political spectrum seem so quick to assume the worst in others.
05:35Unless they agree with us on every single issue, we start thinking that the only way to win is to scold and shame and out-yell the other side.
05:46And after a while, regular folks just tune out.
05:50Or they don't bother to vote.
05:54Now, that approach may work for the politicians who just want attention and thrive on division.
06:03But it won't work for us to make progress on the things we care about, the things that really affect people's lives.
06:14We need to remember that we've all got our blind spots and contradictions and prejudices,
06:21and that if we want to win over those who aren't yet ready to support our candidates, we need to listen to their concerns and maybe learn something in the process.
06:32We recognize that the world is moving fast, that they need time and maybe a little encouragement to catch up.
06:41Our fellow citizens deserve the same grace we hope they'll extend to us.
06:47That's how we can build a true democratic majority, one that can get things done.
07:03We shouldn't be the world's policemen, and we can't eradicate every cruelty and injustice in the world.
07:09But America can be and must be a force for good.
07:14Discouraging conflict. Fighting disease. Promoting human rights.
07:20Protecting the planet from climate change. Defending freedom. Brokering peace.
07:27That's what Kamala Harris believes, and so do most Americans.
07:34If we hold firm to our convictions, we will elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States,
07:44and Tim Walz as the next Vice President of the United States.
07:50We will elect leaders up and down the ballot who will fight for the hopeful, forward-looking America we all believe in.
08:00And together, we too will build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal and more free.
08:10So let's get to work. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.