Biden: We have no intention of downsizing the American Dream

This transcript is automatically generated

News.

And -- Democrat.

Joseph.

I want to know that I don't blow in time national -- were so incredibly proud you kittens.

You know.

We admire the way yeah.

Where -- -- every single solitary young person and they're not all young.

Walked into your classroom.

You're not only teach them you give them confidence.

He give me confidence.

In the passion the passion she brings.

To trying to ease the burden.

On the families of our warriors.

-- they know you understand.

And that makes a gigantic difference.

I'd say a -- It was worth the trip.

The here and my wife say it but I've never heard her say before.

She's always loved -- They've classic case why in the -- did it take five.

Times the -- -- and that's true.

Five times.

I don't know what noted Doug kiddo read -- on -- fifth time said no.

I love you.

You're the love of my life and the life my.

We've got three incredible kids.

Limbo.

I want to thank you for putting my name in nomination.

To be vice president of the United States.

I have said.

The -- Thank you.

And I say to my fellow American.

My fellow Americans.

Four years ago.

A battered nation.

Turned away from the failed policies of the past and turn your 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 -- as any generation before us.

-- we possess.

That same great.

That same determination.

That same courage error that is always defined.

What it means.

To be in America here.

Has always defined.

All of you.

Together.

Weren't -- mission.

-- on -- mission to move this nation forward.

From -- -- downturn.

To promise to prosperity there.

A Michigan.

I guarantee you we will complete.

A mission we well com play.

-- Tonight what I really want to do it.

Is -- about.

My friend.

Barack Obama.

It.

Could tell it -- well for zealot who is Michelle.

As you did last night show Monday night.

But I know him to state the obvious from a different perspective.

I know him.

And I want to show you.

I want to show you the character of -- leader.

Who had routed to -- un American the American people.

Literally stood on the brink.

Of a new depression.

The leader.

Who has what it takes to lead this over the next four years to a future.

As great as our people.

I want to take you inside the White House to see the president as I see him every day.

Because I don't -- Soundbites.

I walked thirty paces down the hall into the Oval Office and I see and I watch him in action.

Forty years ago.

The middle class.

Was already losing ground and -- and the bottom fell out.

The financial crisis hit a day like a sledgehammer.

And all the people I grew up -- -- You remember the headlines.

You saw some amendment free news.

Highlight.

Highest job losses in sixty years.

Headlinenews.

Economy on the break.

Markets -- -- why.

From the very moment.

President Obama sat behind the desk resolute in the Oval Office he no better.

He knew -- had not only to restore the confidence of a nation.

But he.

Had to restore the confidence of the whole world.

They also knew.

They also do.

-- -- One false move.

Could -- run on the banks.

Or credit collapse.

-- -- another -- million people.

Out of work.

America error in the world.

Needed a strong president with a steady he.

And with the judgment and vision to see us through.

Day after day.

Night after night.

I sat beside him is he made one gutsy decision.

After the other.

To stop.

The slide and -- I watched.

I watched him stand out.

I watched him stand up to intense pressure.

And stared down enormous.

Enormous challenges.

The consequences of which.

-- -- But most of all.

I got to see first -- What drove this man.

-- profound.

Concern.

For the average American.

He knew -- he knew that no matter how tough this decisions.

He had to make were in that Oval Office.

She knew that families all over America.

-- -- kitchen tables.

We're literally making.

Decisions sure there -- -- when there were equally as consequential.

You know Barack and I.

We -- through a lot together these four years.

We learned about one another a lot about one another.

Who want things I learned about Barack is the enormity of his hard.

And I think he learned about me the depth of my -- -- -- The woman who.

Another -- it is bound us together these past four years.

We had a pretty good idea.

What all those families all you Americans.

In trouble.

For going through.

In part because our own families.

Had gone through similar struggles.

Iraq as a young man.

-- to sit at the end of his mother's hospital bed.

You want your fight.

For their insurance company.

At the very same time she was fighting for -- life.

When I was a young kid in third grade armor my dad come on the stairs in my -- -- house or relive it.

City the end of my -- Decision Joey.

I'm gonna have to leave for what.

Can't get down to Wilmington Delaware -- uncle frank.

For good jobs out there -- And a little while a little while I'll be able to -- for you when moment.

Jimmie in -- And everything is going to be fine.

For the rest of our lives my sister and my Brothers for the rest of our life.

My dad never fail to remind us that the job.

Is about a lot more than a paycheck.

It's about it's about your dignity.

It's about.

It's about being able look at your child and the guy inside finally.

It's going to be okay.

-- -- There was an implicit understanding -- America.

-- if you took responsibility.

You get a fair shot at a better life.

And the values.

The values behind that bargain.

Where the values and shaking both of us and many many -- you.

It today.

Those same values.

-- rocks guiding star.

Folks I've watched him.

He has never wavered.

He never never.

-- backs down.

He always steps solve any always ask and every one of those critical maybe the same fundamental question.

How is this going to affect the average American how is this going to affect people's.

-- Yeah.

It's what's inside.

This agency is made it.

Is being credible strands of the American people.

America has turned the corner the worst job loss since the Great Depression.

We -- created for pouring.

Five million private sector jobs.

In the past twenties I -- tornado in my.

President Obama and governor Romney they're both.

They're both loving husband works for both devoted fathers.

Let's be strange.

They bring the vastly.

Different.

Vision.

And a vastly different value set to the job.

And tonight.

Tonight although you heard people talk about.

I wanna talk about two things from a slightly different perspective.

From -- respect.

I like to focus on two crisis.

And show you Sherri the character of the leadership.

They each man will bring you this job.

He's -- set I've had a ring side seat.

The first of these a lot's been talked about and god love Jennifer grand home when she great.

-- I'm.

Okay.

Right.

The first story I want to talking about.

Is the rescue of the automobile industry and let me tell you.

Let me tell you from this man is ringside seat let me tell you about how Barack Obama.

Save more than a million American jobs.

In the first in the first days of the -- the first -- -- That we took office.

General Motors and Chrysler were literally on the verge of liquidation.

If the president didn't act.

If he didn't act immediately.

There wouldn't be any industry left to say.

So we sat.

Hour after hour in the Oval Office Michelle remembers our most of what he must've thought when she -- he came back upstairs.

We sat.

We -- hour after hour.

We listen to senators.

Congressmen.

Outside advisors.

Even some -- our -- bars and we listened to say some of the following things they said well we should step up.

The risks the risks -- -- -- the outcome.

Was to a certain.

And the president.

He patiently sat there in unison.

But he didn't see the way they did.

He understood something they didn't get and one of the reasons I love -- he understood.

That this wasn't just about cars.

It was about the people who build and made those cars.

But -- America those people well.

-- -- those meetings often thought about my dad.

My dad was a little MobileMe.

He would have of one of those guys all the way down the line not the factory floor.

Not long supplied single one of those guys who were selling American cars to American people.

I thought about.

I thought about what this crisis would have meant.

For the mechanics and the secretaries.

In the sales people who were dead -- for over 35 years.

And I know for certain.

I know for certain.

But my dad were here today.

He'd be fighting like -- for the president.

Because the president fought to save the jobs.

Of those people my -- cared so much about.

Ladies and gentlemen.

My dad.

My dad respective Barack Obama would have respect to Barack Obama had he been around.

For having had the guts.

To stand up for the -- -- that all mobile industry when so many others just -- prepared to walk away.

You know when I look back.

When I look back now.

When I look back on the prince's decision.

I think of another son of another automobile -- Mitt Romney.

Mitt new Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney grew up in Detroit.

My dad managed his dad -- and what his dad ran.

In the entire automobile company American motors.

Yes.

But I don't understand.

Is despite that he was willing to let to Detroit go bankrupt.

Could -- I don't think he's in Baghdad.

No I don't think he's -- bad guys aren't sure grew up.

Woman cars as much as I did 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 auto workers.

I think he saw at the -- way.

I mean this -- -- I think he saw it in terms of balance sheets and write -- folks -- The Bain way it may bring your firm.

The highest profits.

But it's not the way to lead our country from the highest office.

-- -- in the balance.

I have a balance -- in literally hung in the balance.

The president understood.

This -- about a lot more than -- automobile industry.

This is about restoring America's pride.

He understood.

He understood in this guy.

What it would mean.

To leave a million people.

Without hope or work if he didn't act.

And you also know.

He also who eat intuitively understood.

The message 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.

Barack Obama.

That's what saved me -- a lot better.

Am.

I.

Hurt my friend John Kerry.

This president.

This president has shown the same resolve the same steady hand.

In his role as commander in chief.

Look -- which brings me to the next illustration I wanted to tell you about the next crisis he had to face.

The 2008.

2008 before he was president.

Barack Obama made a promise.

To the American people.

-- It's spy have been with we have Ben laden in our sites.

We will move.

We will take you -- He went on to -- You an -- say that Haston be our biggest.

National security priority.

Barack understood that the search for bin Laden.

Was about a lot more than taking a monstrous leader off the battlefield.

It was about so much more than that.

-- about writing.

An unspeakable.

Wrong.

It was about Clinton literally it was about it was -- Healy.

Wouldn't terrible wound and -- nearly unbearable wound.

In America's hard.

And he also knew.

He also knew the message we had descended around the world.

This you attacked innocent as Americans we will follow you into the end.

-- -- -- Am.

Okay.

Most of all President Obama.

Hadn't aren't yield -- state.

In the capacity.

And the capability of our special forces.

Literally the finest warriors in the history of the World.

Cup fine.

Errors in the history of the war.

We said originally five in the.

We sat in -- situation began didn't fall of the year before.

We listen we talked.

We heard.

And he listened to the risks and reservations.

About the raid.

He asked again the tough questions.

He listened to the doubts.

There were expressed.

What -- -- crave it.

Looked him in the and said sir.

We can get this job done.

I sit next to.

And looked at your husband.

And I knew at that moment.

He had made his decision.

And his response -- decisive he said doing.

And just this why is -- -- I didn't see things that way.

When he was asked.

About -- in 2007 years -- he said.

He said it's not worth moving heaven -- nerves.

And spending billions of dollars just to catch one person.

But here is draw around the he was -- cool because if you understood.

-- America's heart had to be healed and you would've gone exactly what the president did and you would remove that man and heard the -- -- down and and to bring to justice.

Forty years.

A four years ago.

Only listen at this convention this year is my mom four years ago my mom was still where where this.

City -- from the stadium in Denver.

I quoted her.

I quoted her when her favorite expressions.

She used to say to -- our children she should Joey.

Bravery who resides in every hard.

And the time will come.

When it must be some.

Ladies and gentlemen.

I'm here to tell you.

What I think you already know.

And I watch it up close.

Bravery resides in the heart of Barack Obama in time and time again I witnessed him some and.

This man has courage it is all compassion it is hard and that's why -- -- steel.

-- -- Cause he day.

Let me say the last six months.

Old -- in my -- -- Right.

We now.

We know we have more work to do we know we're not there yet.

But not a day has gone by in the last four years.

When I hadn't been grateful.

As an American step Barack Obama as our president -- he always has the courage to make it tough decision.

-- -- a tough calls the last week.

We heard it Republican Convention we heard our opponents.

We've heard them pledge that date to.

They -- had the courage to make the tough calls.

Today said.

The folks.

In case you didn't notice.

I say that my fellow Americans in case you didn't notice.

They didn't have the courage to tell you what calls they make.

Yeah.

Mrs.

Robinson.

All right you have you watched from home I guess from White House.

-- you heard them talk so much about how they cared.

So much about Medicare.

How much they wanted to preserve it.

-- should I told you.

Well let's look at what they didn't tell him.

What they didn't tell you this.

That the plan they have already put down on paper would immediately cut benefits for more than thirty million seniors already on Medicare.

What they didn't tell you but didn't tell you is the planned there are proposing.

Would cause Medicare to go bag dropped by 26.

Tees and what they really didn't tell you is.

The day if you want to know.

If you want to know they're not clippers every Medicare at all there for a new client.

It's called -- care.

-- -- That's not courage.

That's not even truthful.

-- that's not even truthful.

In Tampa.

They talked -- great urgency.

About the nation's debt.

And the need to act to act now.

But not once.

Not one single time -- tell you that they rejected it every plan put forward by us.

By the bipartisan.

Simpson Bowles commission -- reference.

Or by any other respected group.

To reduce the national day.

There were not for -- Why because they're not prepared.

To do anything about the -- If -- contain even one dollar and not exaggerating even one dollar or one cent in new taxes for millionaires.

Folks.

That's not courage and that's not fair.

The innocence.

This can be -- reduced to single notion.

The two men seeking to lead this country over the next four years.

As I said at the outset of fundamentally.

Different visions and can't completely different values.

Governor Romney believes in this global economy it doesn't matter much where American companies invest and put their money or they.

-- jobs.

As a matter of fact.

In his budget proposal.

It is tax proposal he calls for a new tax.

It's called a territorial tax.

Which the experts have looked -- And they acknowledged it we'll trade you 800000.

New jobs all of them oversees.

All of them.

-- what -- What I found fascinating.

Most fascinating thing I've found last week was what governor Romney said today that as president.

He would take a jobs tour.

-- this support crowd sourcing its gonna have to be a foreign trip.

President Obama knows that.

-- jobs in America.

Keeping jobs in America bringing jobs back to America is what the president is -- is all about.

That's what presidents do -- supposed to do.

Folks.

Governor Romney believes its okay to raise taxes on middle class by 2000 dollars in order to pay for another literally another trillion dollar tax cut for the very wealthy.

President Obama knows that there's nothing decent -- fair.

About asking people with more to do -- -- -- less to do more.

Governor Romney believes he believes that kids kids like are dreamers and those -- -- And children those immigrant children were brought to American shores through no fault of their.

He thinks there are dragging on the American economy.

President Obama believe that even -- those dreamers those kids.

Didn't choose to come here they had chosen to do right by America -- -- -- did you -- right now.

-- at the notion of equal pay in terms of -- company's bottom wanted.

President Obama.

He knows that making sure our daughters.

Get the same pay for the same jobs and our son -- every.

The bottom -- I kind of expected all that from.

-- one thing truly perplexed me at their convention.

The thing to protect me most.

Was this idea they kept talking about about the culture.

Of dependency.

They seem to think.

You create a culture of dependence and would you provide a bright young qualified kid from a working class family.

Alone to get to college or fall when you provided job training program in a new industry.

For dad who lost his job because it was outsource.

Folks.

That's not how we look -- that's not how America's ever looked at it.

What he doesn't understand.

-- all these men and women are looking for is a chance.

Just a chance to acquire the skills to be able to provide for your premise so they can once again hold their heads high.

And lead independent lies with dignity.

That's all they're looking for.

-- maybe they don't understand that but you know.

I told you the outset the choice is stark.

Two different -- Two different value cents.

But at its core the differs is able to reduced to be a fundamental difference.

-- -- -- You we most Americans.

Have incredible faith in the decency and hard work of the American people.

And we know what has made this country she it's the American.

He -- and as I mentioned the outset for years ago we were hit hard.

You saw.

You saw your retirement accounts drained the equity in your homes -- jobs lost around the line.

But what -- you know as Americans what you've always done you can lose faith if all the facts he didn't give up -- -- -- -- -- Wal-Mart thing.

Our Republican opponents are just dead wrong about.

America.

Is not in decline in America is not in decline.

I've got news for governor Romney thanked congress Iran and general -- Never ever.

It never makes sense it's never Bennett good -- -- -- against the American Red Bull.

And.

Am.

Ladies and gentlemen.

In a moment.

And -- we're gonna hear from the man.

Whose whole life.

Is a testament.

To the power of that dream and his presidency.

Is the best hope to secure that dream for our children.

For -- -- he's saying.

We see a future.

We really honest to god do we see -- future.

Were everywhere -- important.

Does their part.

And has a part of future.

Or depend more on clean energy from.

Home and less on oil from abroad the future former number one in the world again in college graduation for future.

Where we've -- the private sector not the privilege sector and the future.

It.

For all -- Own choice since they're destined.

Okay.

Pictures in our.

-- where no one.

No one is -- to live in the shadows of intolerance.

Am.

I.

We see a future.

-- American.

We're America.

Leads not only by the power -- the example of our power before the power -- example.

Or remove your troops home -- of Afghanistan if she asked as we proudly did from Iraq.

-- future.

The future.

We fulfill.

The only truly.

Sacred obligation we have as a nation.

The only truly sacred obligation we have.

-- to prepare those who we send to war.

And care for them when they come home from war and tonight.

Tonight.

-- tonight.

I want to acknowledge.

Because we should every night.

Incredible debt.

We -- the families of those who.

6473.

Fallen angels.

Those 49000.

746.

Wounded.

Thousands critically.

Thousands who need our help for the rest of their lives.

Folks.

We never.

We must never ever forget their sacrifice.

And always keep -- -- -- care.

And in our prayers.

My fellow Americans.

And we know.

We -- and we now find ourselves.

But to hinge of history.

The new direction we turn.

Does not figuratively as literally in your hands.

It has been.

A truly great honor.

To serve you -- to serve with Veronica.

-- always stood up for -- for the past four years.

I've seen and tested.

I know strength is commands his face.

And I also know.

The incredible confidence he has -- all of you.

I know this man.

Yes.

The worker recoveries -- yet not yet complete but.

We are on our way back.

The journey of hope.

Is not yet finished but we are on our way and the cause -- change there's not fully accomplished but we are on our way.

So I say.

-- -- -- And inspire -- there's only one choice maximize.

Good job.

-- -- -- Okay.

-- You know.

The -- -- -- Sitting on -- journey of hope is not yet finished.

Telling the crowd -- the we're not there yet had time veering off script using one of his favorite words literally quite a few times.

It didn't want to -- but -- really caught our attention.

With a crowd booed in response to comment about it.

He stopped deficit now it's that I don't think he's a bad guy.

Have shifted -- a bit from what we've seen of the campaign.

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