CHARLOTTE, NC — Thursday night Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama laid out the clear choice for America in this year’s election. We can fall back into the failed policies that got our country in a mess in the first place; or continue the journey forward on the road to recovery of our economy and our nation.
Vice President Joe Biden accepted his nomination first.
“My fellow Americans, four years ago a battered nation turned away from the failed policies of the past and turned to a leader who they knew would lift our nation out of the crisis — a journey — a journey we haven’t finished yet. We know we still have more to do. But today I say to my fellow citizens: In the face of the deepest economic crisis in our lifetime, this generation of Americans has proven itself as worthy as any generation before us. For we present that same grit, that same determination, that same courage that has always defined what it means to be an American, has always defined all of you. Together we’re on a mission. We’re on a mission to move this nation forward from doubt and downturn to promise and prosperity, a mission I guarantee you we will complete — a mission we will complete.”
“You know, when I look back — when I look back now, when I look back on the president’s decision (to bail out the automobile industry), I think of another son of another automobile man, Mitt Romney. Mitt — no, no — Mitt Romney — Mitt Romney grew up in Detroit. My dad managed, his dad owned — well, his dad ran an entire automobile company, American Motors. Yes, what I don’t understand is in spite of that, he was willing to let the — Detroit go bankrupt.
No, no. I don’t think he’s a bad guy. I’m sure he grew up loving cars as much as I did. But what I don’t understand, what I don’t think he understood, I don’t think he understood that saving the automobile worker, saving the industry, what it meant to all of America, not just autoworkers. I think he saw it the Bain way. Now, I mean this sincerely. I think he saw it in terms of balance sheets and write-offs.
Folks, the Bain way may bring your firm the highest profits. But it’s not the way to lead our country from the highest office.
When things — when things — when things hung in the balance — when things hung in the balance — I mean, literally hung in the balance — the president understood this was about a lot more than the automobile industry. This was about restoring America’s pride. He understood — he understood in his gut what it would mean to leave a million people without hope or work if he didn’t act. And he also knew — he also knew — he intuitively understood the message it would have sent around the world if the United States gave up on an industry that helped put America on the map in the first place. Conviction, resolve, Barack Obama — that’s what saved the automobile industry. Conviction, resolve, Barack Obama.
Speaking of tough decisions — speaking of tough calls — last week we heard at the Republican convention — we heard our opponents — we heard them pledge that they too — they too heard the courage to make the tough calls.
That’s what they said.
But folks, in case you didn’t notice — and I say to my fellow Americans, in case you didn’t notice, they didn’t have the courage to tell you what calls they’d make. They never mentioned any of that.
You heard them talk so much about how they cared so much about Medicare, how much they wanted to preserve it. That’s what they told you.
But let’s look at what they didn’t tell you. What they didn’t tell you is that the plan they have already put down on paper would immediately cut benefits for more than 30 million seniors already on Medicare. What they didn’t tell you — what they didn’t tell you is the plan they’re proposing would cause Medicare to go bankrupt by 2016. And what they really didn’t tell you is they — if you want to know — if you want to know — they’re not for preserving Medicare at all. They’re for a new plan. It’s called “Vouchercare.”
Governor Romney believes in this global economy — it doesn’t matter much where American companies invest and put their money or where they create jobs. As a matter of fact, in his budget proposal, in his tax proposal, he calls for a new tax. It’s called a territorial tax, which the experts have looked at, and they acknowledge it will create 800,000 new jobs — all of them overseas, all of them.
And what I’ve found — what I found fascinating, the most fascinating thing I found last week was when Governor Romney said that as president, he would take a jobs tour. Well, with his support for outsourcing, it’s going to have to be a foreign trip. It will.
Folks, Governor Romney believes it’s OK to raise taxes on middle classes by $2,000 in order to pay for another — literally another trillion-dollar tax cut for the very wealthy. President Obama knows that there’s nothing decent or fair about asking people with more to do less and with less to do more.
Governor Romney believes — he believes that kids, kids like our “DREAMers” — those immigrant children — those immigrant children who were brought to America’s shores through no fault of their own — he thinks they’re a drag on the American economy. President Obama believes that even though those “DREAMers,” those kids, didn’t choose to come here, they have chosen to do right by America. And it’s time for us to do right by them.
Governor Romney looks at the notion of equal pay in terms of a company’s bottom line. President Obama — he knows that making sure our daughters get the same pay for the same jobs as our son is every father’s bottom line.
Folks, there’s one more thing, one more thing our Republican opponents are just dead wrong about. America is not in decline. America is not in decline. (Applause.) I’ve got news for Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan: Gentlemen, never ever — it never makes sense, it’s never been a good bet to bet against the American people. Never!
My fellow Americans, America is coming back. And we’re not going back. And we have no intention of downsizing the American dream. Never. Never a good bet.
My fellow Americans, we now — we now — and we now find ourselves at the hinge of history. And the direction we turn is not figuratively, is literally in your hands. It has been a truly great honor to serve you and to serve with Barack, who has always stood up with you for the past four years. I’ve seen him tested. I know his strength, his command, his faith. And I also know the incredible confidence he has in all of you. I know this man. Yes, the work of recovery is not yet — not yet complete. But we are on our way. The journey of hope is not yet finished, but we are on our way. And the cause of change is not fully accomplished, but we are on our way.
So I say to you tonight with absolute confidence, America’s best days are ahead, and yes, we are on our way. And in light — in light of that horizon, for the values that define us, for the ideals that inspire us, there is only one choice. That choice is to move forward, boldly forward, and finish the job and re-elect President Barack Obama.”
Here is the video of his entire speech.
It hurts all of us that Joe Biden has never held a regular job with real accountability for consequences, or that he has never run a business, or even wanted to run or work in one. He could learn from former Democratic presidential candidate, George McGovern, who recently admitted that his own lack of business experience made him unready to handle the country’s economic issues. McGovern learned this from trying and failing at building a business. Add in President Obama’s inexperience and lack of qualifications, and you are left with the recipe for hope, as in “I hope”.
Romney may be infinitely more qualified and experienced, and may successfully re-ignite our economy, build jobs, and re-establish our standing in the world but some question whether he’s someone you could have a beer with.