Former President Barack Obama spoke on the third day of DNC 2020, emphasizing the importance of presidency amid a “not normal time.”
Barack Obama was next to take the podium on the third day of the virtual 2020 Democratic National Convention. He follows after his wife, Michelle Obama, who gave quite an impression on her opening day speech.
Obama on presidency: “custodian of this democracy”
Barack Obama had his speech filmed in a historical landmark, making his message more meaningful. Per Business Insider, the former president gave his remarks in the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
According to him, this was where the American Constitution was drafted and signed, which was not “a perfect document,” he commented. The news outlet notes that Obama centered his talk on how democracy is in danger.
He pondered on the role of the president, having a “sense of responsibility” to all 330 million Americans—”regardless of what we look like, how we worship, who we love, how much money we have — or who we voted for.”
He emphasized:
“But we should also expect a president to be the custodian of this democracy. We should expect that regardless of ego, ambition, or political beliefs, the president will preserve, protect, and defend the freedoms and ideals that so many Americans marched for and went to jail for; fought for and died for.”
Obama slamming on Trump
Just like most of those who spoke during the event, Barack Obama included his thoughts on the current POTUS, his supposed successor, Donald Trump.
He expressed, “I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies.” Although he did hope that President Trump would “show some interest in taking the job seriously.”
Last night @BarackObama gave America a lesson on and reiterated his belief in the spectacular, unfulfilled promise of United States Constitution, explaining what is at stake in this election.
Trump made his point by starting a Goodyear boycott because of MAGA hats.
VOTE!!!
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) August 20, 2020
Obama further emphasized that Trump failed to show interest in “putting in the work” and had “no interest in finding common ground.” More significantly, the former POTUS exclaimed that Trump had:
“no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.”
Barack Obama’s trust in Biden-Harris team-up
Moreover, Obama shifted his remarks on trusting the future to the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris tag-team. He endorses both of them and their “concrete policies” for a ” better, fairer, stronger country.”
Obama testifies on the ability of Biden to control the pandemic, citing how both of them worked on managing “H1N1 and prevent an Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores.”
Aside from controlling the previous outbreak, Obama also testified how he and Biden strived after the Great Depression, which resulted in the “longest stretch of job growth in history.”
.@JoeBiden made me a better president. I’m asking you to believe in his and Kamala’s ability to help make us a better country. More importantly, I’m asking you to believe in your own and to help them, in this election and beyond. https://t.co/YYEAFxx4nW
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 20, 2020
During former President Bill Clinton’s speech, he emphasized the unemployment statistics which allegedly tripled. Indeed enough, the U.S. economy struggles today, just like all the other countries that are badly affected by the pandemic.
Although, Clinton emphasized that the coronavirus should not have affected the country as much as it did. Both former presidents emphasized the importance of the Oval Office, most especially in times of crisis such as today.
Featured image courtesy of Ron Foster Sharif/Shutterstock