Obama passes the baton to Clinton
His own legacy on the line, United States President Barack Obama has implored Americans to elect Hillary Clinton to the White House, casting her as a candidate who believes in the optimism that drives the nation’s democracy, and warning against the ‘‘deeply pessimistic vision’’ of her Republican rival Donald Trump.
‘‘America is already great. America is already strong,’’ Obama declared to cheering delegates yesterday at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia. ‘‘And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump.’’
For Democrats, the night was steeped in symbolism, the passing of the baton from a barrierbreaking president to a candidate trying to make history herself. It culminated with Clinton making a surprise appearance on stage to greet Obama with a long embrace, an almost unimaginable image eight years ago, when they battled for the Democratic nomination.
Obama urged Americans to summon the hopefulness of that White House campaign, before recession deepened and new terror threats shook voters’ sense of security. He robustly vouched for Clinton’s readiness to finish the job he started, saying ‘‘no matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits’’.
Obama warned repeatedly that Trump was unprepared for the challenges that would await him in the Oval Office.
The convention’s third night was also a time for Democrats to celebrate Obama’s legacy. Vice President Joe Biden, who decided against running for president this year after the death of his son, called it a ‘‘bittersweet moment’’.
A son of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden appealed directly to the working-class white voters who have been drawn to Trump’s populism, warning them against falling for false promises and exploitation of anxieties. ‘‘This guy doesn’t have a clue about the middle class,’’ he declared.
Earlier, Clinton’s running mate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, introduced himself to the nation as a formidable foil to Trump in his own right. With folksy charm, he tore into Trump, mocking his pledges to build a wall along the Mexican border, asking why he has not released his tax returns, and slamming his business record, including the now-defunct Trump University.
‘‘You cannot believe one word that comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth,’’ Kaine said. ‘‘Our nation is too great to put it in the hands of a slick-talking, empty-promising, self-promoting, one-man wrecking crew.’’
In a move aimed at broadening Clinton’s appeal, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg – an independent who considered launching a third-party bid for president – endorsed her.
A billionaire businessman himself, Bloomberg took aim at Trump’s bankruptcies, reliance on foreign factories and other economic experience. ‘‘The richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy,’’ he said.
Though Obama has six months left in office, his address had the feeling of a political transition. He was emotional as he thanked Americans for sustaining him through difficult stretches.
‘‘Tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me,’’ he said. ‘‘I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me.’’