Tonight’s event will feature a tribute to John Lewis
From CNN’s Terence Burlij
In addition to event-closing speech from Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, the final night of the Democratic National Convention will feature tributes to Biden’s late son Beau and Congressman John Lewis.
Lewis, a longtime US congressman from Georgia and civil rights icon, died in July after a six-month battle with cancer. Beau Biden, who served as the Delaware attorney general and was an Iraq war veteran, died of brain cancer in 2015.
Among the speakers Thursday night will be former primary foes of Biden: Andrew Yang, Sen. Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg and Mike Bloomberg, as well as women who were reportedly on the short list of potential running mates: Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Senators Tammy Duckworth and Tammy Baldwin.
Thursday’s theme is “America’s Promise,” and the evening will also feature remarks from Hunter and Ashley Biden, and musical performances from John Legend and Common.
Read excerpts from some of tonight’s big speeches
The Democratic National Convention has released text excerpts of remarks coming tonight from former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, businessman Andrew Yang, Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Yang will urge Americans to give Democratic nominee Joe Biden and running mate Kamala Harris a chance.
“I have gotten to know both Joe and Kamala on the trail over the past year —the way you really get to know a person when the cameras are off, the crowds are gone, and it’s just you and them. They understand the problems we face. They are parents and patriots who want the best for our country. And if we give them the chance, they will fight for us and our families every single day.”
Bottoms will galvanize voters to follow in the footsteps of civil rights giants:
“People often think they can’t make a difference like our Civil Rights icons, but every person in the movement mattered—those who made the sandwiches, swept the church floors, stuffed the envelopes. They, too, changed America.”
“We have cried out for justice, we have gathered in our streets to demand change, and now, we must pass on the gift John Lewis sacrificed to give us, we must register and we must vote.”
Baldwin will tout Biden’s and Harris’ ability to lead a “nation that builds back”:
“We all have stories like this. Stories about a time when the system was rigged against us. When we were counted out, left out, pushed out. Just think of what we’ve heard these past four days.”
“That’s the America we will be with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the White House. A nation that plans. A nation that builds. A nation that builds back.”
Buttigieg will call on Americans vote for the country they want:
“Just over ten years ago, I joined a military where firing me because of who I am wasn’t just possible—it was policy. Now in 2020, it is unlawful in America to fire anyone because of who they are or who they love. The very ring on my finger reflects how this country can change.”
“Every American must now decide. Can America be a place where faith is about healing and not exclusion? Can we become a country that lives up to the truth that Black lives matter? Will we handle questions of science and medicine by turning to scientists and doctors? What will we do to make America into a land where no one who works full time can live in poverty?”
Missed the third night of the convention? Here are some highlights
From CNN’s Kate Sullivan
Kamala Harris introduced herself to the nation Wednesday night, leaning into her place in history and noting that her nomination was “a testament to the dedication of generations before me.”
The California senator ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination last year, but much of the nation was introduced to her personal story for the first time on Wednesday. She is the daughter of immigrants — an Indian mother and Jamaican father — and a graduate of a historically Black university.
Former President Barack Obama delivered his speech from Philadelphia, where the Constitution was written, to warn America’s democracy was under grave threat. Obama unleashed an unprecedented rebuke of President Donald Trump, who stepped onto the national political scene advancing the racist birther conspiracy theory aimed at undermining Obama’s presidency.
“I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care,” Obama said. “But he never did.”
2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton also spoke, warning against November becoming a “woulda, coulda, shoulda” election and reminded people that Biden and Harris could win the popular vote and lose the election, just like she did.
Read seven takeaways from last night’s event here.
Biden will formally accept Democratic presidential nomination tonight
From CNN’s Dan Merica and Eric Bradner
The fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention will culminate with Joe Biden giving the speech he has been hoping to deliver for decades when he accepts his party’s presidential nomination.
A nominee’s acceptance speech is a critical moment of any presidential campaign. But this speech may carry more weight, given most campaigning has been halted by the coronavirus. That lack of regular contact with the Biden himself puts even more pressure on a primetime address that could shape the way voters see both the Democratic Party and Biden’s candidacy.
Viewers will watch what Biden says — especially how he frames his campaign against President Trump before a national audience — with Republicans set to spend much of the following week at the Republican National Convention casting the former vice president as old and out-of-touch.
But don’t expect Biden’s speech to be centered on Trump, a senior adviser told CNN. Instead the former vice president, while sharply criticizing the President, will seek to look beyond the Trump presidency and strike a more aspirational and optimistic tone.
Biden will be far from alone in attacking Trump and defending Democrats, though, joined by three women he vetted to be vice president over the last two months and four Democrats who ran against him in the Democratic primary.
The first three nights of the convention have been a successful, albeit unconventional, affair. But event organizers know that the final night — and Biden’s speech —will largely shape the way voters see the success or failure of the four-night event.
