On Tuesday, August 20th, former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama delivered powerful speeches at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), endorsing presidential candidate Kamala Harris to take over the White House.
Around 10 p.m. that night, Obama took the stage at the United Center in Chicago, embracing his wife Michelle before commencing nearly a 40-minute speech amid thunderous applause.
Obama began by paying tribute to outgoing President Joe Biden, who had delivered a farewell speech at the convention the day before and had since left Chicago.
“Historically, Joe Biden will be remembered as a president who defended democracy at an extremely dangerous moment… I am proud to call him my president, but prouder to call him my friend,” Obama stated.
He then mentioned that the torch has been passed and that “America is ready for a better narrative. We are prepared for President Kamala Harris.”
Describing Harris as someone who is “prepared for the job” and as “someone who has fought their entire life for those who need a voice and supporters,” Obama praised the series of economic proposals Harris had put forth, including addressing the U.S. housing crisis, limiting out-of-pocket healthcare costs, reducing college tuition fees, and plans to support workers.
At the same time, Obama urged the Democratic Party to listen to voices outside the party to win the support of moderate voters. He emphasized, “We need to remember that we all have our blind spots, contradictions, and biases; if we want to win the support of those who are not yet prepared to support our candidates, we need to listen to their concerns—perhaps learning something in the process.”
After his speech, Obama elaborated on his understanding of “democracy” in a post on the social media platform X, stating, “Democracy is not just a bunch of abstract principles and dusty laws in a book. It is the values of our lives, how we treat each other—including those who don’t look like us, don’t pray like us, don’t view the world like us.”
In another post, Obama called on the entire party to act and give their all in the remaining 77 days to help Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, take over the White House.
Before Obama’s speech, former First Lady Michelle took the stage and delivered a nearly 20-minute speech.
In her opening remarks, she stated, “A familiar feeling has been buried too deep for too long… this is the infectious power of hope!” and added, “America, hope is making a comeback!”
Michelle strongly implied that Harris’s candidacy reignited hope among Democrats.
She said that Harris’s story is “your story, my story. It’s the story of most Americans trying to create a better life.”
In November 2008, Barack Obama, a federal senator from Illinois, won the U.S. presidential election and became the 44th president of the United States. He also made history as the first African American to be elected president in the country’s history.