This week, the Democratic Party held its first ever virtual nominating convention. The convention is an important moment in the long road toward the presidential election: its purpose is to formally nominate the Democratic candidates for president and vice president. In practice, though, the convention is really an opportunity for long-time Democratic leaders, up-and-comers in the party, and everyone in between to inspire and energize Democratic voters ahead of election season.
This year’s convention featured the nominations of former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris, and four full nights of speeches and appearances by our favorites from up and down the ballot. Missed any or all of the convention? Check out these ten quotable moments to get fired up and ready to go GOTV this fall:
- “We’ve got to vote early, in person if we can. We’ve got to request our mail-in ballots right now, tonight, and send them back immediately and follow-up to make sure they’re received. And then, make sure our friends and families do the same.” — Michelle Obama, 8.17.20
- “How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole. With love. And understanding. And small acts of kindness.” — Dr. Jill Biden, 8.17.20
- “I’ve discovered that when I get informed and participate, my fear gets smaller. Voting is a big part of that.” — Tracee Ellis Ross, 8.18.20
- “Whether you’re planning to vote wearing a mask or vote by mail, please, take out your phone right now and text VOTE to 30330” — Senator Elizabeth Warren, 8.19.20
- “They know they can’t win you over with their policies. So they’re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter. That’s how they win. That’s how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That’s how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That’s how a democracy withers, until it’s no democracy at all.” — former President Barack Obama, 8.19.20
- “There is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work…. For George Floyd. For Breonna Taylor. For the lives of too many others to name. For our children. For all of us.” — Senator Kamala Harris, 8.19.20
- “Let’s fight with conviction. Let’s fight with hope. Let’s fight with confidence in ourselves and a commitment to each other, to the America we know is possible, the America we love. And years from now, this moment will have passed and our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and they’re going to ask us, ‘Where were you when the stakes were so high?’ They will ask us, ‘What was it like?’ And we will tell them. We will tell them not just how we felt. We will tell them what we did.” — Senator Kamala Harris, 8.19.20
- “Character is on the ballot. Compassion is on the ballot. Decency, science, democracy: they are all on the ballot. Who we are as a nation. What we stand for. And, most importantly, who we want to be. That’s all on the ballot.” — former Vice President Joe Biden, 8.21.20
- “America’s history tells us that it has been in our darkest moments that we’ve made our greatest progress. That we’ve found the light. And in this dark moment, I believe we are poised to make great progress again. That we can find the light once more.” — former Vice President Joe Biden, 8.21.20
- “Love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. Light is more powerful than dark. This is our moment. This is our mission. May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here tonight as love and hope and light joined in the battle for the soul of the nation. And this is a battle that we, together, will win.” — former Vice President Joe Biden, 8.21.20
