President Barack Obama Pleads 'Don't Boo, Vote,' Makes 'Birther' Movement Joke in Democratic Convention Speech
Yep, he even managed to sneak in a birth-certificate zinger.
President Barack Obama’s primetime address on Night 3 of the Democratic National Convention contained a pinch of biting criticism for Republican candidate Donald Trump, several teaspoons of recollection about his own policy successes over the last eight years, and copious amounts of praise for his party’s current nominee Hillary Clinton.
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Allow me to dole out a few of the spicier slices of POTUS’ DNC pie, before turning it over to you for your thoughts:
* “As I’ve traveled this country, through all 50 states, as I’ve rejoiced with you and mourned with you, what I’ve also seen, more than anything, is what is right with America. I see people working hard and starting businesses. I see people teaching kids and serving our country. I see engineers inventing stuff, doctors coming up with new cures. I see a younger generation full of energy and new ideas, not constrained by what is, but ready to seize what ought to be. And most of all I see Americans of every part, every background, every faith, who believe we are stronger together. Black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, young, old, gay, straight, men, women, folks with disabilities — all pledging allegiance under the same proud flag to this big bold country that we love. That’s the America I know.”
* “You know, nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office. Until you’ve sat at that desk, you don’t know what it’s like to manage a global crisis or send young people to war. But Hillary’s been in the room; she’s been part of those decisions. She knows what’s at stake in the decisions our government makes — what’s at stake for the working family, for the senior citizen, for the small business owner, for the soldier, for the veteran. Even in the middle of crisis, she listens to people, and keeps her cool, and she treats everybody with respect. And no matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits. That is the Hillary I know. That’s the Hillary I’ve come to admire. And that’s why I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman — not me, not Bill, nobody — more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as President of the United States of America. I hope you don’t mind, Bill, but I was just telling the truth, man.”
* “And then, there’s Donald Trump,” said Obama, as the crowd grumbled its disapproval. “Don’t boo, vote. The Donald is not really a ‘plans’ guy. He’s not really a ‘facts’ guy, either. He calls himself a business guy, which is true. But I have to say, I know plenty of businessmen and -women who’ve achieved remarkable success without leaving behind a trail of lawsuits and unpaid workers and people feeling like they got cheated. Does anyone really believe that a guy who spent his 70 years on this earth showing no regard for working people is suddenly going to be your champion, your voice?”
* “Ronald Reagan called America a shining city on a hill. Donald Trump calls it a divided crime scene that only he can fix. It doesn’t matter to him that illegal immigration and the crime rate are as low as they’ve been in decades — because he’s not actually offering any real solutions to those issues. He’s just offering slogans and he’s offering fear. He’s betting if he scares enough people, he might just score enough votes to win this election.”
* “Hillary knows we can work through racial divides in this country. When we realized the way worried black parents feel when their son leaves the house isn’t so different from what a brave cop’s family feels when he puts on the blue and goes to work.”
* “The American dream is something no wall can ever contain.”
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* “That’s what happens when you’re the kind of citizen that Teddy Roosevelt once described. Not the timid souls who criticize from the sidelines, but someone who is actually in the arena, someone who strives valiantly, who errs, but who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement. Hillary Clinton is that woman in the arena.”
* “My grandparents, they came from the heartland. Their ancestors began settling there around 200 years ago. I don’t know if they had their birth certificates, but they were there.”
What did you think of Barack Obama’s speech? Grade it in our poll below, then sound off in the comments!
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