Joe Biden really delivered. In one of the most powerful speeches, any candidate running for president has given this year, The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart remarked, “Biden reminded all of us of what a presidential president would sound like.” Biden was in Burlington, Iowa Wednesday to deliver a pre-planned speech on agriculture policy and unions, but he said he scrapped those topics saying:
“Too much has happened in the recent past and you all know the words of a president matter. They can bring peace, they can calm a nation in turmoil, they can console, and confront and comfort those who have faced tragedy. They can inspire us to literally reach for the moon, they can encourage us to appeal to our better angels, to our better nature, but they can also unleash the deepest, darkest forces in this nation and that’s what I believe Donald Trump has chosen to do.”
He added:
“We are in a battle for the soul of this nation, that’s why primarily I’m running for president.” We have a president with a toxic tongue, whose publicly and unapologetically embraced a political strategy of hate, racism, and division.”
“We’re living through a rare moment in this nation’s history. Where our president isn’t up to the moment. Where our president lacks the moral authority to lead. Where our president has more in common with George Wallace than George Washington.”
“I won’t let this man be re-elected president of America.”
“Biden explained that the real choice is between Trump and American democracy, between Trump and objective truth and between Trump and someone with a basic understanding of what makes America “great.” The speech was intended to and succeeded in making the case that Biden could be that better alternative, but in another sense it should serve as a provocation to Republicans.”
Conservative analyst Bill Kristol said: “Biden‘s speech should lead decent Republicans to abandon the notion that Trump is ‘fine’ except for all those tweets and comments….What and who are Republicans supporting?”
If you haven’t seen it yet, watch Biden’s speech above.