Obama calls on US voters to carry Clinton to White House
HAILS HILLARY AS HIS POLITICAL HEIR AND DEMOCRATS’ BEST HOPE TO PROTECT DEMOCRACY
P resident Barack Obama delivered a stirring valedictory address at the Democratic convention Wednesday night, hailing Hillary Clinton as his rightful political heir and the party’s best hope to protect democracy from “homegrown demagogues” like the Republican Donald Trump.
Taking the stage to rapturous roars, Obama acknowledged that Democrats were still divided after a bruising nomination fight and that Clinton had made “mistakes”.
But he vouched passionately for Clinton as a trusted and reliable ally not just for him but for all Americans who need a fighter to improve their lives and keep them safe.
Obama offered an optimistic portrait of America and a strong defence of his policies but also unleashed by far his most ferocious attack yet on Trump, even portraying the Republican nominee as a threat to the country. “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.
In the most unmistakable declaration yet by Clinton that she is effectively seeking Obama’s third term, she strolled on stage after his speech and embraced the president. It was a tableau of continuity and a vivid illustration of how dependent the two former rivals are on each other now.
While acknowledging that Clinton has “her share of critics” on the right and the left, the president sought to transfer his prestige and political appeal to his long ago rival.
‘Yes we can’
“Tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me. I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me.
“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. You’ve got to get in the arena with her, because democracy isn’t a spectator sport. America isn’t about ‘Yes he will.’ It’s about ‘Yes we can.’”