Former president Bill Clinton announced the Democratic Party’s nomination of President Barack Obama Wednesday night during the second day of the Democratic National Convention.
Addressing a crowd of 35,000, Clinton outlined the success of Obama’s term, saying he saved the U.S. from slipping into a depression and revitalizing jobs.
“We Democrats believe the economy works better with a strong middle class,” Clinton said. “We believe that we’re all in this together is a far better philosophy than you’re on your own.”
Clinton criticized last week’s Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., saying the Republican’s rhetoric will not result in sound policy.
“In Tampa, a few days ago, we heard a lot of talk,” Clinton said. “In Tampa, the Republican argument was simple: We left [Obama] a total mess, he didn’t clean it up fast enough, so fire him and put us back in. But they said it well. They looked good, they sounded good.”
Clinton said the Republicans convinced him they were committed to improving the nation.
“We just need to pay attention to what those commitments are,” Clinton said. “They want to go back to the same policies that got us into trouble in the first place.”
Though Clinton focused his speech on criticizing the GOP, he also praised the president for his efforts to bridge party gaps.
“Why does cooperation work better than constant conflict?” Clinton asked the cheering crowd. “[The republicans] think government is always the enemy, and comprise is weakness. You don’t have to hate the president to disagree with him. One of the reasons to re-elect President Obama is because he is still committed to constructive cooperation…he chose a vice president who ran against him in 2008. President Obama appointed several members of his cabinet though they supported Hilary in the primary. Heck, he even appointed Hilary.”
Clinton said Washington, D.C. needs more partnership over partisanship, and that Obama needs another four years for his plans to come to fruition.
“No president—not me, not any of my predecessors—no one could have fully repaired all the damage [Obama] found in just four years,” Clinton said.
Clinton commended the president’s efforts on creating the Affordable Care Act, creating jobs, improving energy security and making college more affordable, saying he believes in all his heart in Obama.
“On all these issues, I know we’re better off because President Obama made the decisions he did,” Clinton said. “Is the president satisfied? Of course not, but are we better off than we were four years ago.”
Ending his speech on a wary note, Clinton said he fears that if the Republicans take power, they will strip Medicaid and Medicare of their functional budgets.
“We cannot afford to give the reigns of government to someone will double down on trickle down,” Clinton said. “My fellow Americans…you must vote, and you must reelect President Barack Obama.”