Democrats on Tuesday night officially nominated a former vice president, Joe Biden, to contest with incumbent President Donald Trump in the November 3, U.S. presidential election.
Biden’s nomination came on the second night of the party’s virtual national convention under the theme, “Leadership Matters”.
His emergence followed the announcement of votes by party delegates from across the country via video messages.
The candidate immediately took to the Twitter to accept his nomination, saying it was the “honour of my life”.
A former President, Barack Obama, responded to the tweet with a congratulatory message. “I’m proud of you,” wrote Obama, under whom Biden served as Vice President between 2009 and 2017.
In a keynote address, Biden’s wife, Jill, underscored her husband’s humanity, love, understanding and character. Speaking from Delaware, Biden’s home state, Jill said his purpose had always propelled him, “his strength of will unstoppable and his faith unshakable”.
Jill said Americans needed a leader like her husband worthy of them and the nation. “We need honest leadership to bring us back together to recover from this pandemic and prepare for whatever else is next.
We need leadership to re-imagine what our nation will be. That’s Joe. He and Kalama Harris will work as hard as you do every day to make this nation better”
Earlier in desperate messages, former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter said Biden had the experience and will to build the country back better.
Just as speakers in the first night, Clinton attacked Trump’s response to the COVID-19 and the alleged lack of coordination from the White House. “At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command centre. Instead, it’s a storm centre. There’s only chaos. Just one thing never changes, his determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame,” he said of Trump.
Republicans, who spoke across party lines to support Biden, included former U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell. He said Biden’s presidency will restore America’s leadership and moral authority.
“Today, we are a country divided, and we have a president doing everything in his power to make it that way and keep us that way. What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul.
I still believe that in our hearts, we are the same America that brought my parents to our shores, an America that inspires freedom around the world. That’s the America Joe Biden will lead as our next president”.
