National Elections

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

President Barack Obama delivered an inspirational speech designed to inspire and turn out the coalition of voters who turned out to support him four years ago. This is a choice election: to go forward, or to go backward to "Bushonomics" and the failed faith based supply-side "trickle down" GOP economics that nearly destroyed our economy and left economic devastation in its wake. The choice is clear. Transcript: President Obama's Convention Speech:

This is the choice we now face. This is what the election comes down to. Over and over, we've been told by our opponents that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way, that since government can't do everything, it should do almost nothing. If you can't afford health insurance, hope that you don't get sick. (Murmurs of disapproval.) If a company releases toxic pollution into the air your children breathe, well, that's the price of progress. If you can't afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent's advice and borrow money from your parents. (Laughter, mixed cheers and boos, applause.)

You know what, that's not who we are. That's not what this country is about. As Americans, we believe we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, rights that no man or government can take away. We insist on personal responsibility, and we celebrate individual initiative. We're not entitled to success. We have to earn it. We honor the strivers, the dreamers, the risk- takers, the entrepreneurs who have always been the driving force behind our free enterprise system, the greatest engine of growth and prosperity that the world's ever known.

But we also believe in something called citizenship — (cheers, applause) — citizenship, a word at the very heart of our founding, a word at the very essence of our democracy, the idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations.

* * *

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Vice President Joe Biden delivered a hearfelt, sometimes emotional speech that choked him up and brought tears to his eyes when he spoke about those who have given their lives in service to their country in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The media villagers love to fault Joe Biden for his occasional gaffes, but the man is genuine and wears his heart on his sleeve. I would bet that most, if not all, of the media villagers who like to torment Joe Biden have never experienced the tragedies in their lives that Joe Biden has suffered and survived. It is why he is so empathetic to the families of wounded warriors and fallen service men and women. Military families appreciate Joe Biden and his wife Jill, who works with wounded warriors and veterans. The overpaid malicious media villagers, most of whom have no military service, can go f#%k themselves.

Here is a short snippet from Joe Biden's speech to the convention. Transcript: Vice President Biden's Convention Speech:

You know, I told you the outset the choice is stark, two different visions, two different value sets. But at its core, the difference is able to reduced (sic) to be a fundamental difference. You see, 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. It's the American people. (Cheers, applause.)

As I mentioned at the outset, four years ago we were hit hard. You saw — you saw your retirement accounts drain, the equity in your homes vanish, jobs lost around the line. But what did you do as Americans? What you've always done. You didn't lose faith. You fought back. You didn't give up; you got up. (Cheers, applause.) You're the ones, the American people, you're the ones. You're the reason why we are still better-positioned than any country in the world to lead the 21st century. (Cheers, applause.) You never quit on America. And you deserve a president who will never quit on you. (Cheers, applause.)

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, "where the trees are just the right height," went old school and delivered a barn burner of a speech on President Obama's rescue of the auto industry that had the convention hall rocking before the main speakers of the night. I've never seen her so fired up, she was really feeling it from the delegates.

"Now sure, sure, Mitt Romney loves our lakes and our trees. He loves our cars so much they even have their own elevator. But the people who design and build and sell those cars? Well, in Romney's world the cars get the elevator and the workers get the shaft! You know what I'm saying" (wink).

Granholm brilliantly led a recitation of auto jobs saved in each of the 'battleground" states that brought the convention hall to its feet to a chant of "USA! USA! USA!"

"In your car and on your ballot the 'D' is for drive forward, the 'R' is for reverse. In this election we are driving forward, not back."

Video below the fold.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords led the Pledge of Allegiance at the DNC Convention on Thursday. She received the longest sustained applause of any nonspeaker at either party's convention. The emotional moment moved many convention delegates to tears. Go Gabby!

Video below the fold.