Dems close ranks against Trump as Michelle Obama leads charge, calls him fake

WASHINGTON: Democrats kicked off an unprecedented virtual convention on Monday night to formally nominate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House race by presenting a united front after a bruising months long primary run-up, rolling out a range of endorsements from Bernie Sanders on the left to several Republican anti-Trumpers on the right.
But it was former First Lady, Michelle Obama, who despite her well-known distaste for politics came out swinging against Donald Trump in a sharp speech that portrayed the President as a fluke who was out of his depth in an office her husband elevated for eight years.
In a withering takedown of the incumbent, she ridiculed his tenure in office saying instead of leadership, he has offered only “chaos, division and a total and utter lack of empathy” for America while diminishing the country.
“Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can: Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment,” she said, adding in a stinging ironic twist, “It is what it is,” – words Trump used to dismiss more than 150,000 covid-19 deaths.
The former First Lady conspicuously did not refer to vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris while lavishing praise on Biden, calling him a “profoundly decent man” who "listens" and who will tell the truth and trust science. Wearing a custom made gold pendant that said “VOTE,” which set social media afire, she also warned of Republican efforts to steal the election by “lying about the security of our ballots,” urging supporters to vote early, vote in person if they can, and vote for Biden in numbers that cannot be ignored.
Biden also got warm testimonials from his former Senate colleague Bernie Sanders, who lost a second bid for the party's nomination, as Democrats closed ranks after months of rancor during the primaries. “Nero fiddled while Rome burned; Trump golfs,” Sanders said, describing the President as a “fraud” who instead of draining the swamp as he had promised, "filled his administration with billionaires and gave trillions to the top 1 percent and large corporations."
Biden also received endorsements from four prominent Republicans, including former President candidate John Kasich and former Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman. “I'm sure there are Republicans and independents who couldn't imagine crossing over to support a Democrat, they fear Joe may turn sharp left and leave them behind. I don't believe that. I know the measure of the man - reasonable, faithful, respectful and you know, no one pushes Joe around,” Kasich said, while Whitman, who was a victim of spiteful sexist attacks from Trump, mocked him, saying "he has no clue how to run a business let alone an economy."
While the two-hour online event lacked the raucous participation of party faithfuls who flock to in-person conventions and pump up adrenaline that speakers feed on, it was nevertheless notable for slick packaging and presentation, including short endorsements from those affected by the pandemic and the racial tensions that have run concurrently. Trump Republicans will have their turn at a similar digital convention starting August 24.
In one of the more poignant moments, a California woman told viewers how her 65-year-old father voted for Trump, believed his guidance on the coronavirus, and died after catching covid-19. “His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life,” Kristin Urquiza said, adding, “One of the last things that my father said to me was that he felt betrayed by the likes of Donald Trump. And so, when I cast my vote for Joe Biden, I will do it for my dad.”
Brothers of George Floyd, whose murder by the police highlighted racist highhandednes and sparked off nationwide unrest, also spoke of the hot button issue that has polarized the country. In fact, a white couple in St Louis who pointed guns at mostly black demonstrators are now scheduled to speak at the Republican convention.
The virtual Democratic convention will see and hear speeches from former President Bill Clinton and firebrand lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio Cortez on Tuesday night, culminating in an address by Jill Biden, the nominee’s wife. Vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris is slated to speak on Wednesday, between speeches by party heavyweights Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and on Thursday night Joe Biden will deliver his acceptance speech to bring the curtain down.