Biden pledges to end ‘American darkness’
In his closing speech, the Democratic presidential candidate spoke of hope and a new chapter of light
‘I give you my word: if you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst’
DONALD TRUMP yesterday accused Joe Biden of painting a “grim” vision of America after the Democratic presidential candidate used his closing convention speech to frame the election as an epic battle between “light” and “dark”.
In comments pushing back on Mr Biden’s address and this week’s speeches, Mr Trump accused his political rivals of putting on the “darkest, angriest and gloomiest convention in American history”. The rebuttal came after Mr Biden won plaudits from commentators on both Left-leaning CNN and Right-leaning Fox News for his delivery of a speech which sought to lay out the big picture of what is at stake at the Nov 3 election.
Closing a four-day convention that has seen fierce attacks on Mr Trump, Mr Biden did not name the president once as he used his speech – which has been called the biggest of his political career – to cast the decision before America as one of morality.
“The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division,” he said in a passage near the start of his address, delivered in his home town of Wilmington, Delaware. “Here and now, I give you my word: if you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. I will be an ally of the light not of the darkness.”
He added a little later: “For make no mistake. United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America. We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege.”
Mr Biden used the words “dark” and “light” no fewer than 19 times. It was a new framing of the election, one that grew out from the “saving the soul of America” theme of his campaign launch early last year.
There were some sharp words about his opponent. Mr Biden warned that Mr Trump’s re-election would result in coronavirus deaths and cases remaining “too high” and more small businesses going under.
A substantial part of the 25-minute speech was spent on Covid-19 as well as Mr Trump’s character, building on criticism voiced throughout the convention that the US president is too flawed to be a good leader. Mr Biden called Mr Trump “a president who takes no responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cosies up to dictators, and fans the flames of hate and division”.
“He will wake up every day believing the job is all about him. Never about you. Is that the America you want for you, your family, your children?”
Mr Biden ended the address by quoting the Irish poet Seamus Heaney on how there are moments when “justice can rise up”. “This is our moment to make hope and history rhyme,” Mr Biden said, adding later: “May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here, tonight.” Mr Biden’s acceptance of the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday comes 32 years after he first sought the White House.
Mr Trump said yesterday: “Joe Biden grimly declared a season of American darkness and yet look at what we accomplished until the plague came in.”
The Republicans will hold their convention next week.
♦ The US postmaster general promised yesterday that the Postal Service will be able to deliver mail-in ballots on time, dismissing as “outrageous” claims efficiency reforms are designed to delay postal ballots. Louis Dejoy said he never discussed the changes with Mr Trump.