Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Big guns for Clinton
Obama, Biden urge Americans to elect Dem nominee
President Obama urged voters to steer Hillary Clinton to victory. His address was seen as a barrier-breaking president passing the baton to a candidate trying to make history herself. Other speakers praised Clinton’s national security credentials.
PHILADELPHIA — Their political fates now entwined, President Barack Obama is imploring voters to elect Hillary Clinton to the White House, appealing to the women, minorities and young people who powered his rise and are now crucial to hers.
Obama’s address Wednesday night at the Democratic convention is a moment steeped in symbolism, the passing of the baton from a barrier-breaking president to a candidate trying to make history herself. Obama’s robust support for Clinton, his political foe-turned-friend, is also driven by deep concern that Republican Donald Trump might win in November and unravel the president’s eight years in office.
In excerpts released ahead of his speech, Obama acknowledged the economic and security anxieties that have helped fuel Trump’s rise, but he argued they don’t define the country. “The America I know is full of courage and optimism and ingenuity,” Obama said.
Trump fueled more controversy Wednesday when he encouraged Russia to meddle in the presidential campaign — even as he dismissed suggestions from Obama and other Democrats that Moscow was already acting on his behalf.
On the heels of reports that Russia may have hacked Democratic Party emails, Trump said, “Russia, if you’re listening,” it would be desirable to see Moscow find the thousands of emails Clinton says she deleted during her years as secretary of state. At about the same time, Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, declared there would be “serious consequences” if Russia interfered in U.S. politics.
In a Wednesday night convention speech, Vice President Joe Biden gave a forceful argument for Clinton and strongly condemned Trump — saying Trump is belittling U.S. allies while embracing “dictators like Vladimir Putin.”
He brought delegates to their feet when he condemned Trump for his economic policies and foreign policy positions.
“He says he cares about the middle class? Give me a break,” Biden said. “That’s a bunch of malarkey!”
Biden joined other speakers of the night with an ominous warning: that Trump would make the country less safe. “No major party nominee in the history of this nation has ever known less or has ever been less prepared to deal with our national security,” Biden said in a near whisper to a nearly silent hall.
To Obama and Clinton, Trump’s comments fed their contention that the businessman is unqualified to be commander in chief. Trump has no national security experience and few ties to the norms that have governed U.S. foreign policy under presidents from both parties, including standing by NATO allies threatened by countries including Russia.
“This has to be the first time that a major presidential candidate has actively encouraged a foreign power to conduct espionage against his political opponent,” said Clinton adviser Jake Sullivan.
Wednesday night’s Democratic lineup was aimed at emphasizing Clinton’s own national security credentials, a shift from two nights focused more on re-introducing her to voters as a champion for women’s issues, children and families. Among those taking the stage is former Pentagon and CIA chief Leon Panetta, who served alongside Clinton in Obama’s Cabinet.
Obama, too, was vouching for Clinton’s national security experience, recalling their work together during trying times.
“Even in the middle of crisis, she listens to people, and keeps her cool, and treats everybody with respect,” he said in speech experts. “And no matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits.”
Obama was closing a night that featured Biden and Clinton’s running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine.
In a move aimed at broadening Clinton’s appeal, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg — an independent who considered launching a third party bid for president — endorsed the Democratic nominee.
Clinton’s campaign believes Trump’s unorthodox candidacy will turn off moderate Republicans, particularly women, who worry he’s too unpredictable to take the helm in a turbulent world. They recognize that Republicans, as well as many Democrats, have questions about Clinton’s character but hope to ease those concerns.
Still, the core of Clinton’s strategy is putting back together Obama’s winning White House coalition. In both his campaigns, Obama carried over 90 percent of black voters, the overwhelming majority of Hispanics, and more than half of young people and women.
That coalition was on display the first two nights of the convention in Philadelphia.
Female lawmakers were prominently featured, along with young activists, immigrants, and mothers whose black children were victims of gun violence or killed during encounters with law enforcement.