{The New York Times} – Presiding over his final Democratic National Convention Wednesday night in Philadelphia, President Barack Obama delivered a passionate defense of the ideals which fueled his own campaign and presidency: equality, diversity, hope, and change. Obama was greeted by rapturous applause and shouts of “We love you” as he took the stage to remark upon his own legacy as a Democratic President and offer his endorsement of Hillary Clinton. And while he acknowledged that Clinton has faced her share of fair criticism over the course of her 40-plus years in the public eye, he reiterated that against Donald Trump, she was singularly qualified and the nation’s best hope for a stable, prosperous, and peaceful society.
“She’s been there for us — even if we haven’t always noticed — and if you’re serious about our democracy, you can’t afford to stay home just because she might not align with you on every issue,” he said.
The President also wielded the speech, broadcast to some 25 million viewers across the country, as a tool to discredit Trump, saying he posed a threat to the nation’s values.
“That’s why anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end,” he said.
Obama’s speech followed that of Clinton’s running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who spoke to the crowd in both Spanish and English about Hillary’s ability to increase opportunity for all Americans, as well as speeches by Vice President Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, and Leon Panetta. It was the President, however, who brought the room to tears with his goodbye speech, urging the nation like he did in his first convention speech in 2008 to reject cynicism, reject fear, and optimistically elect Hillary Clinton to be the next president.
Watch the speech below.
