I Didn't Say It ... Voices from the DNC

President Joe Biden

"It's been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your president. I love the job, but I love my country more. All this talk about how I'm angry at all those people (who) said I should step down — that's not true. I love my country more, and we need to preserve our democracy in 2024. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you, [but] I believed then and I believe now that progress was and is possible; justice is achievable. And our best days are not behind us — they're before us. Now, it's summer. The winter has passed. And with a grateful heart, I stand before you now on this August night to report that democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered. And now, democracy must be preserved. You cannot say you love your country only when you win. As your president, I've been determined to keep America moving forward, not going back, to stand against hate and violence in all its forms. … Crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon. MAGA Republicans found out the power of women in 2022, and [The Felon] is going to find out the power of women in 2024." 

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Michelle Obama

"Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn't it? We're feeling it here in this arena, but it's spreading all across this country we love. A familiar feeling that's been buried too deep for too long. You know what I'm talking about? It's the contagious power of hope! Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service and always pushing the doors of opportunity open to others, she understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. [But] no matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is still going to be an uphill battle, so we cannot be our own worst enemies. No, the minute something goes wrong, the minute a lie takes hold, we cannot start wringing our hands. We cannot get a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is just right. We cannot indulge our anxieties about whether this country will elect someone like Kamala instead of doing everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected. It's up to us to remember what Kamala's mother told her: Don't just sit around and complain — do something. So if they lie about her, and they will, we've got to do something. If we see a bad poll, and we will, we've got to put down that phone and do something. So consider this to be your official ask: Michelle Obama is asking you — no, I'm telling y'all — to do something!"

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Barack Obama

“Hello Chicago—it’s good to be home… I am feeling hopeful because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is possible; because we have a chance to elect someone who has spent her entire life trying to give people the same chances America gave her, someone who sees you and hears you and will get up every single day and fight for you, the next President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris … And she is running for President with real plans to lower costs even more and protect Medicare and Medicaid and sign a law to guarantee every woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions. In other words, Kamala Harris won’t be focused on her problems, she’ll be focused on yours. As President, she won’t just cater to her own supporters and punish those who refuse to kiss the ring or bend the knee. She’ll work on behalf of every American. That’s who Kamala is  … Now, it won’t be easy. The other side knows it’s easier to play on people’s fears and cynicism … That’s the easy path. We have a different task. Our job is to convince people that democracy can actually deliver. And, and in doing that, we can’t just point to what we’ve already accomplished. We can’t just rely on the ideas of the past. We need to chart a new way forward to meet the challenges of today. And Kamala understands … that if we want to make it easier for more young people to buy a home, we need to build more units and clear away some of the outdated laws and regulations that made it harder to build homes for working people in this country … We have a broader idea of freedom. We believe in the freedom to provide for your family if you’re willing to work hard. The freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and send your kids to school without worrying if they’ll come home. We believe that true freedom gives each of us the right to make decisions about our own life, how we worship, what our family looks like, how many kids we have, who we marry. And we believe that freedom requires us to recognize that other people have the freedom to make choices that are different than ours. That’s okay. That’s the America Kamala Harris and Tim Walz believe in: an America where “we, the people” includes everyone …  And I believe that’s why, if we each do our part over the next 77 days, if we knock on doors, if we make phone calls, if we talk to our friends, if we listen to our neighbors, if we work like we’ve never worked before, if we hold firm to our convictions, we will elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States and Tim Walz as the next Vice President of the United States. We will elect leaders up and down the ballot who will fight for the hopeful, forward-looking America we all believe in. And together, we too will build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal, and more free. So let’s get to work.”

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Hillary Clinton

“In 1972, a fearless Black congresswoman named Shirley Chisholm ran for president, and her determination let me and millions of others dream bigger. Not just because of who she was, but because of who she fought for. Working parents, for children, the last, the least, and the loss. In 1984 I brought my daughter to see Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated for vice president. If we can do this, Gerry said, we can do anything. Then, there was the 2016 when it was the honor of my life to accept our party's nomination for president. And nearly 66 million Americans voted for a future where there are no ceilings on our dreams. Afterwards, we refused to give up on America. Millions marched, many ran for office. We kept our eyes on the future. Well, my friends, the future is here. I wish my mother and Kamala’s mother could see us. They would say, keep going. Shirley and Gerry would say, keep going. Women fighting for reproductive health care are saying, keep going! Families building better lives, parents stretching to afford childcare, young people struggling to pay their rent, they are all asking us to keep going. So, with faith in each other, and joy in our hearts, let's send Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to the White House!”

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Pete Buttigieg

“I’m Pete Buttigieg, and you might recognize me from Fox News. I believe in a better politics—one that finds us at our most decent, and open, and brave—the kind of politics that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are offering. As you’ve felt in the last couple of days, that kind of politics just feels good to be a part of. There is joy in it, as well as power. [And] choosing a guy like J.D. Vance to be America’s next vice president sends a message, and the message is that they are doubling down on negativity and grievance, committing to a concept of campaigning best summed up in one word: darkness. The thing is, I just don’t believe that America today is in the market for darkness. [And] you know, Senator [Vance], when I was deployed to Afghanistan, I didn’t have kids. Some of the men and women who went outside the wire with me did not have kids. But let me tell you, our commitment to the future of this country was nothing if not physical. The makeup of our kitchen table—the existence of my family—is just one example of something that was literally impossible as recently as 25 years ago when an anxious teenager growing up in Indiana wondered if he would ever find belonging in the world. This kind of life went from impossible, to possible; from possible to real; from real to almost ordinary, in less than half a lifetime. But that didn’t just happen. It was brought about. Through idealism and courage. Through organizing and persuasion. And storytelling and, yes, through politics. The right kind of politics. This November we get to choose. We get to choose our President, we get to choose our policies, but most of all, we can choose better politics.”

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Tim Walz

“We're all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason. We love this country … Now, I grew up in Butte, Nebraska, a town of 400 people … But I'll tell you what, growing up in a small town like that, you'll learn how to take care of each other, that that family down the road, they may not think like you do, they may not pray like you do, they may not love like you do, but they're your neighbors and you look out for them and they look out for you. Everybody belongs and everybody has a responsibility to contribute. For me, it was serving in the Army National Guard … and I proudly wore our nation's uniform for 24 years. And thank God for the GI bill that allowed … me to go to college [where] I fell in love with teaching … and coaching football at Mankato West High School … It was those players and my students who inspired me to run for Congress. They saw in me what I had hoped to instill in them. A commitment to the common good, an understanding that we're all in this together, and the belief that a single person can make a real difference for their neighbors … I represented my neighbors in Congress for 12 years and I learned an awful lot. I learned how to work across the aisle on issues like growing the rural economies and taking care of veterans. And I learned how to compromise without compromising my values. Then I came back to serve as governor … making a difference in our neighbor's lives. We cut taxes for the middle class. We passed paid family and medical leave. We invested in fighting crime and affordable housing. We cut the cost of prescription drugs and help people escape the kind of medical debt that nearly sank my family. And we made sure that every kid in our state gets breakfast and lunch every day. So while other states were banning books from their schools, we were banishing hunger from ours. We also protected reproductive freedom because, in Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make. And even if we wouldn't make those same choices for ourselves, we've got a golden rule: Mind your own damn business. And that includes IVF infertility treatments. And this is personal for Gwen and I … I’m letting you in on how we started a family because this is a big part [of] what this election is about. Freedom. When Republicans use the word freedom, they mean that the government should be free to invade your doctor's office. Corporations free to pollute your air and water, and banks free to take advantage of customers. But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people that you love. Freedom to make your own healthcare decisions and yeah, your kid's freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall. Look, I know guns. I'm a veteran. I'm a hunter … but I'm also a dad … I also believe our first responsibility is to keep our kids safe. That's what this is all about … but not everyone has that same sense of responsibility … take [The Felon] and JD Vance, their Project 2025 will make things much, much harder for people who are just trying to live their lives. They spent a lot of time pretending they know nothing about this. But look, I coached high school football long enough to know … when somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they're gonna use it … [And that’s] an agenda nobody asked for … So I don't know about you. I'm ready to turn the page on these guys. So go ahead, say it with me: We're not going back … We've got something better to offer the American people … And as the next president of the United States always says, when we fight, when we fight ... we win.”

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Kamala Harris

Good evening everyone… … … Thank you, thank you, please, thank you, please, thank you so very much … Okay, let’s get to business, let’s get to business … Let me start by thanking my most incredible husband Doug for being an incredible partner to me, an incredible father to Cole and Ella … To our President Joe Biden, when I think about the past that we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude. Your record is extraordinary, as history will show, and your character is inspiring … And to Coach Tim Walz, you are going to be an incredible Vice President. To the delegates and everyone who has put your faith in our campaign, your support is humbling. So, America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected, but I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys.

My mother … had one of her own, and I miss her every day, and especially right now. And I know she’s looking down, smiling. I know that … My mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California with an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer. When she finished school, she was supposed to return home to a traditional arranged marriage, but as fate would have it, she met my father, Donald Harris, a student from Jamaica. They fell in love and got married, and that act of self-determination made my sister, Maya, and me.

My early memories of our parents together are very joyful ones, a home filled with laughter and music … At the park, my mother would say, “Stay close,” but my father would say, as he smiled, “Run, Kamala, run, don’t be afraid, don’t let anything stop you.” From my earliest years, he taught me to be fearless, but the harmony between my parents did not last. When I was in elementary school, they split up, and it was mostly my mother who raised us … she worked long hours, and like many working parents, she leaned on a trusted circle to help raise us. Mrs. Shelton, who ran the daycare below us and became a second mother, Uncle Sherman, Aunt Mary, Uncle Freddy, Auntie Chris, none of them family by blood, and all of them family by love … Families who loved us, believed in us, and told us we could be anything and do anything.

My mother was a brilliant, five-foot-tall, brown woman with an accent … [and] I saw how the world would sometimes treat her. But my mother never lost her cool. She was tough, courageous, a trailblazer in the fight for women’s health, and she taught Maya and me … to never complain about injustice but do something about it. Do something about it. That was my mother … I grew up immersed in the ideals of the civil rights movement … So at a young age, I decided I wanted to do that work. I wanted to be a lawyer … And every day in the courtroom, I stood proudly before a judge, and I said five words: “Kamala Harris for the people.” And to be clear, and to be clear my entire career, I’ve only had one client: the people.

And so, on behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks, on behalf of my mother, and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey, on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams, and look out for one another, on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination to be President of the United States of America.

And with this election … [we have] a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past, a chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans … I promise to be a president for all Americans. You can always trust me to put country above party and self, to hold sacred America’s fundamental principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power.

I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations, a president who leads and listens, who is realistic, practical, and has common sense, and always fights for the American people. From the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life’s work.

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Fellow Americans, this election is not only the most important of our lives, it is one of the most important in the life of our nation. In many ways, [The Felon] is an unserious man. But the consequences of putting [him] back in the White House are extremely serious. Consider not only the chaos and calamity when he was in office, but also the gravity of what has happened since he lost the last election. [He] tried to throw away your votes … he sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol, where they assaulted law enforcement officers. When politicians in his own party begged him to call off the mob and send help, he did the opposite. He fanned the flames.

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And we know, and we know what a second Trump term would look like. It’s all laid out in Project 2025, written by his closest advisors, and its sum total is to pull our country back to the past. But America, we are not going back. We are not going back. We are not going back. We are not going back … to when [The Felon] tried to cut Social Security and Medicare. We are not going back to when he tried to get rid of the Affordable Care Act … We are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools. We are not going to let him end programs like Head Start that provide preschools and childcare for our children … we are charting a new way forward, forward to a future with a strong and growing middle class, because we know a strong middle class has always been critical to America’s success. And building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency … Friends, I believe America cannot truly be prosperous unless Americans are fully able to make their own decisions about their own lives, especially on matters of heart and home. But tonight in America, too many women are not able to make those decisions. And let’s be clear about how we got here. [The Felon] handpicked members of the United States Supreme Court to take away reproductive freedom. And now he brags about it. In his words, “I did it and I’m proud to have done it.” Well, I’ll tell you, over the past two years, I’ve traveled across our country, and women have told me their stories. Husbands and fathers have shared theirs. Stories of women miscarrying in a parking lot, developing sepsis, losing the ability to ever again have children, all because doctors are afraid they may go to jail for caring for their patients. Couples just trying to grow their family, cut off in the middle of IVF treatments. Children who have survived sexual assault, potentially being forced to carry a pregnancy to term. This is what’s happening in our country because of [him].

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In this election, many other fundamental freedoms are at stake. The freedom to live safe from gun violence in our schools, communities, and places of worship. The freedom to love who you love openly and with pride. The freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis. And the freedom that unlocks all the others–the freedom to vote. With this election, we finally have the opportunity to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. And let me be clear, and let me be clear, after decades in law enforcement, I know the importance of safety and security, especially at our border. Last year, Joe and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades. The Border Patrol endorsed it. But [The Felon] believed a border deal would hurt his campaign. So he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal … As President, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed, and I will sign it into law.

And America, we must also be steadfast in advancing our security and values abroad. As Vice President, I have confronted threats to our security, negotiated with foreign leaders, strengthened our alliances, and engaged with our brave troops overseas. As Commander-in-Chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world. And I will fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families. And I will always honor and never disparage their service and their sacrifice.

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With respect to the war in Gaza … and let me be clear, and let me be clear, I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself. And I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7^th … At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost, desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking. President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.

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So fellow Americans, fellow Americans, I love our country with all my heart. Everywhere I go, everywhere I go and everyone I meet, I see a nation that is ready to move forward, ready for the next step in the incredible journey that is America. I see an America where we hold fast to the fearless belief that built our nation and inspired the world, that here, in this country, anything is possible, that nothing is out of reach. An America where we care for one another, look out for one another, and recognize that we have so much more in common than what separates us, that none of us, none of us has to fail for all of us to succeed. And that in unity there is strength … America, let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: Freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness, and endless possibility. We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world.

And on behalf of our children and our grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment. It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done, guided by optimism and faith to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish, and to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on earth, the privilege and pride of being an American.

So let’s get out there. Let’s fight for it. Let’s get out there. Let’s vote for it. And together, let us write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.”

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