Theres no question hes bee the current president has just a short time from now biden will accept the democratic nomination for president and cloaked american darkness for the president strikes. Give the most important and much too long. Closely watched speech of his lets turn to senator claire life. Mccaskill of missouri, a democrat herself. Too much fear, too much division. A chance to reintroduce himself what do you think joe biden has to do here, and what do you think of this conversation were here and now i give you my word, to American Voters and lay out having . Is it about policy or is it if you entrust me with the his rigs fvision for a biden presidency, i will draw on the about personality . Presidency. Everything weve seen this week i think its about both but has been building up to this best of us, not the worst. Moment. Mostly about personality at this and we are fortunate to have point. Ill be an ally of the light, and joe biden has to do a couple moderator of meet the press of things. Not the darkness. Chuck todd along with us along with senior washington one, hes going to give a relatively short speech for joe correspondent Andrea Mitchell biden. Standing by to help us walk i think hes going to speak its time for us, for we the about 20 minutes. Through tonights events. People, to come together. Chuck, ill start with you. Those of us who know joe know he and make no mistake, united we this is bidens night. Likes to talk a lot longer than that. He has literally been waiting i also think hes going to do for this night for about 50 years having run for president a some policy stuff that is safe season of darkness in america. Few times, but hes reached the in that big tent that chuck just referred to. Mountaintop tonight. We will choose hope over fear, what does he have to do . But maybe the most important facts over fiction, fairness i can tell you what they thing he has to do, savannah, is over privilege. Think they need to do and its step out of Barack Obamas shadow. To answer a question that our im a proud democrat, and ill good friend, peter hart, one of hes got to be president ial. Be proud to carry the banner of hes got to show the country our party into the general that he is someone they can be election. Comfortable with, with some of so its with great honor and street journal poll said. The most difficult decisions our country faces. Humility, i accept this nomination for president of the joe biden is a well known figure do you think the isolation, but hes not known well and that the relative isolation that the United States of america. Is the point. You know of joe biden, hes been pandemic has brought on has been but while ill be a democratic a presence, but who is this somewhat helpful to him in person. So they have decided what joe maintaining a lead . Candidate, i will be an american president. Biden needs to do tonight is get ill work hard for those who people to know him better, know didnt support me. Him more personally. As hard for them as i did for its certainly more of a comfort zone there. Has become more and more unhinged. Those who did vote for me. I will just put one cautious i mean were to the point now thats the job of a president , note here about that strategy. That hes whining about whether to represent all of us, not just we saw in our poll that theres still a lot of voters that want people can wear their hats to i our base or our party. To hear a lot more substance from biden. This is not a partisan moment. What is he going to do . But if you think about this with a wacko conspiracy theory. Convention this week, guys, its this must be an american moment. He is really showing himself to some with the calls for hope and be even more unstable than he light and love. Been a huge tent, from aoc to john kasich. Has been for most of his hope for our future, light to and its possible that the biden presidency. Folks have decided the more they so i think joe biden keeping a see our way forward, and love for one another. Talk about policy, the harder it low profile and trump being so america isnt just a collection is to pitch that big tent. Nervous is a good combination the less they talk about policy of clashing interests, of red for the democratic ticket in and the more they talk about november. Donald trump or joe bidens were Just Moments Away now from the first live speaker decency, then suddenly, boy, tonight. That tent can just get stretched and stretched and stretched. At least as far as this hour is concerned. Were so much better than that. Andrea, how high is the bar . As always, we like to reminding folks on the top right youre nearly a century ago, franklin seeing the actual live feed that the Democratic National roosevelt pledged a new deal at committee is putting out in this a time of massive unemployment, virtual convention. Theyre playing a taped piece uncertainty and fear. Now. Weve gotten used to this stricken by a disease, stricken now, not being in an arena and by a virus, fdr insisted that he im looking at it and it feels normal now. Would recover and prevail, and he believed america could as if youre just tuning in tonight thats what youre well, and he did and we can as seeing. Theyre playing a taped piece well. About military families leading this campaign isnt just about up to Tammy Duckworth, a winning votes, its about decorated veteran herself. Winning the heart and, yes, the soul of america. Winning it for the generous lets listen to her remarks. Good evening. Among us, not the selfish. Im Tammy Duckworth. Winning it for workers who keep when i first enlisted in the this country going, not just the privileged f those communities army, i was eager to serve my country, yet anxious whether id be able to earn my way into the ranks. Who have known the injustice of but i earned my wings and later a knee on the neck. Commanded my own air assault for all the young people who unit, learning that serving and leading in the military is both have known only america being a privilege and a sacrifice. To be a commander you must always put your troops first, rising inequity and shrinking because one day you may order opportunity. Them to sacrifice everything for they deserve the experience of americas promise. Our great nation. To do that, leaders must command they deserve to experience it in their troops respect and be full. You know, no generation ever worthy of their pledge to knows what history will ask of protect and defend our it. Constitution, no matter the cost. All we can ever know is whether but military service doesnt were ready when that moment just take sacrifice from those arrives. In uniform. Its required from their and now history has delivered us families too. To one of the most difficult my husband, brian, was the one who rushed to walter reed after i was wounded in iraq. Moments america has ever faced. He was the one holding my hand four, four historic crises all waiting for me to wake up. At the same time. When i finally did, he was my a perfect storm. Rock, getting me through those the worst pandemic in over 100 hours, weeks, months of years, the worst economic crisis unspeakable pain and unending since the great depression, the surgeries. Most compelling call for racial he was my anchor as i relearned to walk, helping me through every step and every stumble. Justice since the 60s, and the undeniable realities and just our military spouses hold their accelerating threats of climate families together, praying for change. Their loved ones safety so the question for us is simple. Wherever theyre deployed and serving as caregivers to our are we ready . Disabled Service Members and i believe we are. Then picking up the pieces and we must be. Starting again whenever the next you know, all elections are important. Tour or the next war arises. We know in our bones this one is joe biden understands these more consequential. Sacrifices, because hes made them himself. As many have said, america is at when his son, beau, deployed to an Inflection Point, a time of iraq, his burden was also shouldered by his family. Real peril, but also of extraordinary possibilities. Joe knows the fear military families live because hes felt we can choose a path of becoming that dread of never knowing if angrier, less hopeful, more your deployed loved one is safe. He understands their bravery divided, a path of shadow and because he has had to muster suspicion, or, or we can choose a different path and together that same strength every hour of every day beau was overseas. Take this chance to heal, to reform, to unite. Thats the kind of leader our Service Members deserve, one who a path of hope and light. Understands the risks they face and who would actually protect this is a lifechanging election. This will determine what a goin them by doing his job as commander in chief. Instead, they have a coward in long, long time. Chief who wont stand up to character is on the ballot. Vladimir putin, read his daily compassion is on the ballot. Intelligence briefings or even decency, science, democracy, publicly admonish adversaries theyre all on the ballot. For reportedly putting bounties who we are as a nation, what we on our troops heads. Stand for, most importantly who as president , joe biden would never let tyrants manipulate him we want to be, thats all on the like a puppet. Ballot. The choice could not be more he would never pervert our clear. Military to stroke his own ego. He would never turn his back on no rhetoric is needed. Our troops or threaten them just judge this president on the against americans peacefully facts. Exercising their constitutional rights. 5 million americans infected by joe biden would stand up for covid19. Whats right, stand tall for our troops, and stand strong against more than 170,000 americans have died. By far the worst performance of our enemies, because unlike trump, joe biden has common any nation on earth. Decency. More than 50 Million People have he has common sense. Filed for unemployment this he can command, both from year. More than 10 Million People are experience and from strength. Going to lose their Health Donald Trump doesnt deserve to call himself commander in chief insurance this year. For another four minutes, let nearly 1 in 6 Small Businesses alone another four years. Have closed this year. Our troops deserve better. And this president , if hes our country deserves better. Close their doors and this time for good. If you agree, text more to 30330 working families will struggle to get by. To elect joe biden, a leader who actually cares enough about and yet the wealthiest 1 will get tens of billions of dollars america, to lead. In new tax breaks. And the assault on the that was senator Tammy Duckworth of illinois, a veteran herself. Affordable care act will obviously paid a very dear price for her military service. Continue until its destroyed, as we turn to Kristen Welker, taking insurance away from more than 20 Million People, our white house correspondent, kristen, we heard her mention including more than 15 million and several speakers mention beau biden, the Vice President s people on medicaid. And getting rid of the son who of course passed away from brain cancer and his spirit protections that president obama is certainly a part of tonights worked so hard to get passed for program. People who have a hundred reporter it absolutely is, million more people who have savannah. Preexisting conditions. Theres going to be a taped and speaking of president obama, tribute to him and then he is a man i was honored to serve alongside for eight years as going to introduce his father, Vice President , let me take this audio and video captured of beau moment to Say Something we dont biden along with his two say nearly enough. Surviving siblings, hunter and thank you, mr. President. You were a great president. Ashley, so thats going to be a real emotional Inflection Point a president that our children here tonight, savannah. And thats a part of what we could and did look up to. No one is going to say that about the current occupant of expect to see when joe biden the white house. Does give his most consequential speech of his fivedecade what we know about this political career. He is going to try to president is that if hes given reintroduce himself to parts of four more years, hell be what hes been for the last four years. The country, younger voters, independents, disaffected trump the president who takes no voters who may not be familiar with his record in the senate, responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cozies up to who may not be familiar with what he feels he accomplished dictators and fans the flames of during his eight years in the hate and division. White house, but more hell wake up every day importantly, his struggles as a believing the job is all about father. The fact that hes had to him, never about you. Rebuild his family not once, but is that the america you want for twice, savannah. Of course his first wife and you, your family, your children . Young daughter were killed in a car accident years ago, and so i see a different america. He had to rebuild his family then. One thats generous and strong, and more recently when beau selfless and humble. Biden passed away, and that is its an america we can rebuild together. Part of the argument that he is as president the first step i going to make tonight, that he will take will be to get control is the right person to help to move this country forward. Of the virus that has ruined so i am told in terms of tone hes many lives, because i understand something this president hasnt going to try to strike a from the beginning. Balance. We will never get our economy he will of course contrast himself with president trump, back on track, we will never ge but i am told this is going to be a forwardlooking, optimistic speechbo back, until we deal with this virus. The tragedy of where we are thats the feed of the program today is it didnt have to be this bad. Just look around. Gathering to watch this . Reporter there are. Its not this bad in canada or europe or japan or almost a very different feeling here tonight, lester. Anywhere else in the world. This is essentially a drivein and the president keeps telling convention. About 150 cars behind me. Us the virus is going to disappear. I can tell you the feeling here really electric. The people inside the cars he keeps waiting for a miracle. Honking. Well, i have news for him. You can hear them now. Ill pause so you can hear them. No miracle is coming. Every time they hear something we lead the world in confirmed cases. That they like, that they feel we lead the world in deaths. Energized by, so theres a real our economy is in tatters. Sense here of electricity and energy. When biden speaks, though, with black, latino, asian american, native american lester, hes going to be inside the chase center essentially communities bearing the brunt of it. N and after all this time, the so that could be a challenge, president still does not have a well have to see how he deals plan. With that, lester. Well, i do. Weve got mayor Pete Buttigieg who was one of the primary rivals of joe biden if im your president , on day earlier this year, someone who one well implement the national served in the military. Hes going to talk about his military service. Strategy ive been layinmah. Hes also going to talk about the fact that he is able to be a well develop and deploy rapid gay man running for office and tests with results available immediately. What that trail blazing has well make the medical supplies meant for him personally. And protective equipment that hes expected to speak any moment now. Our country needs. Well make them here in america right now we see in the feed julia louisdreyfus. She is the actress whos kind of so we will never again be at the the mistress of ceremonies. Mercy of china or other Foreign Countries in order to protect hes been adding some comedy our own people. To the program tonight. We havent seen any of it here well make sure our schools have but she has tried to bring some the resources they need to be levity to what has been a very open, safe, and effective. Well put politics aside. Serious piece of business. Good evening. Well take the muzzle off our experts so the public gets the beau biden lived a life of information they need and service, in office and in uniform. When you put your life on the line for this country, you do it deserve, honest, unvarnished truth. Not because its the country you they can handle it. Live in, but because its the well have a National Mandate to wear a mask not as a burden but country you believe in. I believe in this country, as a patriotic duty to protect because america uniquely h one another. The promise of a place where in short, well do what we should have done from the very beginning. We know that for too many and our current president has failed for too long, that promise has been denied. In his most basic duty to the nation. But we also know america is at hes failed to protect us. Its best when we make that hes failed to protect america. Circle of belonging wider. Just over ten years ago, i and my fellow americans, that is unforgivable. Joined a military where firing as president , ill make you a me because of who i am wasnt promise. Ill protect america, i will just possible, it was policy. Defend us from every attack, now in 2020, it is unlawful in seen and unseen, always, without america to fire someone because of who they are or who they love. Exception, every time. The very ring on my finger, a look, i understand. I understand how hard it is to wedding we celebrated, here have any hope right now. Where im standing, reflects how on this summer night, let me this country can change. Take a moment to speak to those of you who have lost the most. I have some idea how it feels to lose someone you love. I know that deep black hole that opens up in the middle of your love makes my marriage real. But political courage made it possible. Chest and you feel like youre including that of joe biden, who stepped out ahead even of this party when he said that marriage being sucked into it. Equality ought to be the law of the land. I know how mean and cruel and there is a long way to go, but if this much can change between unfair life can be sometimes. 2010 and 2020, imagine what could change between now and 2030. Left this earth, but theyll imagine what we could achieve, this coalition we are building never leave your heart. This very season, gathering theyll always be with you. Progressives and moderates, youll always hear them. Independents and even what i and second, i found the best way like to call future former through pain and loss and grief republicans standing for an is to find purpose. America where everyone belongs. As gods children, each of us joe biden is right, this is a have a purpose in our lives. Contest for the soul of the we have a great purpose as a nation. And to me, that contest is not nation, to open the doors of between good americans and evil opportunity to all americans, to americans. Save our democracy, to be a its the struggle to call out light to the world once again. What is good in every american. And finally, to live up to and make real the words written in its up to us. Will america be a place where the sacred documents that founded this nation, that all faith is about healing and nonexclusion . Can we become a country that men and women are created equal, endowed by their creator with lives up to the truth that black lives matter . Certain unalienable rights, will we handle questions of among them, life, liberty and science and medicine by turning the pursuit of happiness. To scientists and doctors . You know, my dad was an honorable, decent man. Will we see to it that no one r he got knocked down a few times pretty hard, but he always got better future, because ive seen back up. He worked hard and he built a up close their empathy and their great middle class life for our capacity. Family. Just as ive seen my fellow he used to say, joey, i dont expect the government to solve americans capacity to support and include one another in new my problems but i sure in hell ways and do better by the expect them to understand them. Promise of america. And then hed say, joey, a job the day i was born, the idea of an out candidate seeking any federal office at all was laughable, yet earlier this year, i campaigned for the presidency, often with my husband, chasten at my side, winning delegates to this very convention. I come proudly supporting joe biden and kamala harris, joining fellow democrats who were squaring off in competition just a few months ago. A number of us recently got together to talk about the joe we know. Pete buttigieg speaking there. This is a big night for joe biden, but theres a bigger one to come, election night, november 3rd. I think were 74 days away. It will be a statebystate battle to reach the threshold, 270 electoral votes. That was the path four years ago. Hillary clinton came up short against donald trump. Joe biden hopes to change that. Chuck todd has been looking at his map. This is for those who havent been necessarily following it as closely as you, chuck. Show folks what the map the states that would have to flip in order for joe biden to be victorious in november. Well, so heres what ive got here. The six states that you see in gray, wisconsin, michigan, pennsylvania in the north, north carolina, florida, arizona in the south, these are the six states that both campaigns agree are the six most important states, and its some combination of these states in a fairly close election, five points or less in the popular vote, that is the path, right . Donald trump won all six of those states and thats what got him to 300 plus electoral votes. Obviously whats path number one . The state where this convention was supposed to be, so theres wisconsin. Michigan is another state that they believe theyre doing much better in and you can see his numbers growing. Theres the boy from scranton. So you can see in some ways we talk about what is the joe just hold states that barack obama carried before and make sure you win the three that you lost in 16 that democrats hadnt lost in a decade or so. You win those and hes there. He wouldnt need florida, he wouldnt need north carolina, he wouldnt need arizona. And thats what, i think, gives joe biden this feeling of a leg up, guys, because he does have multiple realistic paths to 270. Donald trump right now basically has to win the same way he won the last time, and it was an inside straight last time. This time his Approval Rating is a bit lower. We did see in the allimportant state of pennsylvania a poll today, chuck, that really tightened up the race and made it a fourpoint race. Youre going to see a lot of this. Theres two types of ways to see this poll. Importannumber to understand about this president ial election is the president s job rating, whether its the National Number or a state number. President s anymore do not usually get any votes above their job rating. Right now in our poll hes sitting at 44 , 45 , depending on the week but hes been sitting there. In his ballot tests, hes at 41 . What i tell people is guess what, joe biden is not up nine or ten points right now. Hell probably be up four or five, because trump will get his approval number. The number to watch is if trumps job rating goes to 47 or 48, then we know this is a real race. The 2016 poll numbers still getting beaten around. What has changed in the way things are being viewed this time around . Well, a few things. Number one is id like to think that a lot of us looked at our pollsters. We did some internal stuff with and state pollsters an we think wer it was the rural, noneduca undersampling. That was the bottom line. If people wanting to know the specifics there, it was that. I do think on the National Poll level and what weve done, we all feel a lot better at least about understanding the Trump Coalition than we did four years ago. Were watching the dnc feed on the top right of your screen and its featuring a taped piece with some of the many, many former primary opponents that joe biden had. I think there was a 20plus democratic primary. Remember the debate . Two nights, ten candidates each night. It a candidate who entered late, Michael Bloomberg. We expect him to speak at any moment. He of course was one time a republican, the mayor of new york city, then an independent, and then running in the democratic primary. And he met a force in those debates. Prior to that he had been relying on that very expensive national campaign. You know, theres so now about some of the promises peter, are democrats surprised that Michael Bloomberg is getting a big chunk of time in primetime on the biggest night of the convention . Reporter i think as evidenced by what weve seen so far, theyre honking their approval for everybody they hear. We are here in the parking lot. The closest thing we will see to the Convention Floor at this convention this year. Theres a real energy for the first time. It kind of feels like a campaign for the first time in this convention. You can see the signs here, the cars that are spread out. 150 cars that are here in this parking lot watching on a giant screen, enjoying this night. A flag in the distance there. We saw joe biden a little bit earlier. The surprise may be if he comes out to greet the crowd tonight, savannah. Even the cars are socially distanced we should note. Drivein theaters having a bit of a moment now in the midst of a pandemic. Well, we are ready to hear from mayor bloomberg. Here he is. Good evening. Ive never been much for partisan politics. Ive supported democrats, republicans, and independents. Hell, ive even been a democrat, republican and independent. Its all about people, and the two people running for president couldnt be more different. One believes in facts, one does not. One listens to experts, the other thinks he knows everything. One looks forward and sees strength in am the other looks backwards sees immigrants as enemies and White Supremacists as allies. Heres another difference. One has proven he knows how to handle a crisis by helping to lead the economic turnaround after the 2008 recession, while the other has not only failed to lead, he has made the Current Crisis much worse. When confronted with the biggest calamity any president has faced in the modern era, donald trump spent the year downplaying the threat, ignoring science, and recommending quack cures which let covid19 spread much faster than it should have, leaving hundreds of thousands needlessly sick or dead. He has failed the American People catastrophically. Four years ago i came before this very convention and said new yorkers know a con when we see one. But tonight, im not asking you to vote against donald trump because hes a bad guy. Im urging you to vote against him because hes done a bad job. Today unemployment is at historic highs and Small Businesses are struggling just to survive. It didnt have to be this way. Before i ran foror 20 years running a business i started from scratch, so i want to ask Small Business owners and their employees one question, and its a question for everyone. Would you rehire or work for someone who ran your business into the ground, and who always does whats best for him or her, even when it hurts the company . And whose reckless decisions put you in danger . And who spends more time tweeting than working . If the answer is no, why the hell would we ever rehire donald trump for another four years . Trump says we should vote for him because hes a great businessman. Really . He drove his companies into bankruptcy six times, always leaving behind customers and contractors who were cheated and swindled and stopped doing business with him. Well, this time all of us are paying the price, and we cant let him get away with it again. Donald says we should vote for him because the economy was great before the virus. Huh . Biden and obama created more jobs over their last three years than the Trump Administration did over their first three. And Economic Growth was higher under booiden and obama than unr trump. In fact while biden helped save 1 million Auto Industry jobs, trump has lost 250,000 manufacturing jobs. So when trump says he wants to make America Great again, hes making a pretty good case for joe biden. Look, our goal shouldnt be to bring back the pandemic economy, it should be, as joe says, to build back better. Joes economic plan will create Clean Energy Jobs that help fight another crisis that trump is ignoring, climate change. And joe will rebuild our crumbling roads and bridges, something trump has incessantly talked about doing, but in the hasnt done anything. What a joke. And let me tell you a little secret. Donald trumps economic plan was to give a huge tax cut to guys like me who didnt need it, and then lie about it to everyone else. Well, joe will roll back that tax cut that i got so we can fund things our whole country needs, like training for adults who have lost jobs and making college more affordable, and investing in American Research and development so that the products of tomorrow are made today by american workers. You know, growing up i was taught to believe that america is the greatest country in the world, not because we won the second world war, but because of why we fought it, for freedom, democracy, and equality. My favorite childhood book was called johnny tremayne about a boston boy who joins the sons of liberty at the dawn of the american revolution. At the end of the book johnny stands on lexington commons and sees a nation that is, quote, green with spring, dreaming of the future. Thats the america i know and love and thats the america we are in danger of losing under this president. So lets put an end to this whole sorry chapter in American History and elect leaders who will bring integrity and stability, sanity and competence back to the white house. Joe and kamala, go get em, for all of us. Mike bloomberg offering kind of a businessmantobusinessman takedown of donald trump. Let me bring in andrea right now. Andrea, explain where Michael Bloomberg kind of stands with this party right now. Obviously he spent heavily for the nomination. He kind of hit a buzz saw during the debates. Why does he stand . He spent heavily. He spent a billion dollars on that shortlived candidacy and ran right into Elizabeth Warren principally in the debates. Look, he has already donated 18 million to the party in march, now has pledged another 50 million to the party, not to biden. But he is there tonight not because of his dollars, but because he has credibility as a businessman and the one factor that donald trump has in the polling, the one issue on his handling of anything is the handling of the economy. Trump over biden, and he hasnt been able biden hasnt been able to penetrate that. The credibility of Mike Bloomberg is what this is all about for joe biden. Lets take a quick break here, sneak it in, because when we come back, the main event, joe biden accepting the nomination. Stay with us. You must go and i must bide but come ye back when su mom, dad. Whys jamie here . Its sunday. Sunday sing along. And he helped us get a home and auto bundle. Hes been our insurance guy for five years now. He makes us feel like were worth protecting. [ gasps ] why didnt you tell us about these savings, flo . Ive literally told you a thousand times. Oh, danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling im just gonna. From glen to glen im just gonna. Crankypated a bad mood related to a sluggish gut. Miralax is different. Free your gut, and your mood will follow. Im looking for my client. Imim so sorry. Nt. Hey hey man, youre here you dont trust me here in vegas, do you . Uh, well, i thought we had a breakthrough with the volkswagen. We did, yeah we broke through. Thats the volkswagen . Thats the cross sport. Wow. Seatbelts please just tell me where were going. Its more than just fast. It keeps all your devices running smoothly. With builtin security that protects your kids. No matter what theyre up to. It protects your info. And gives you 24 7 peace of mind. That if its connected, its protected. Even that that petcamera thingy. [ whines ] can your internet do that . Xfinity xfi can because its. Simple, easy, awesome. [ barking ] we are back and were just minutes away from the biggest moment of joe bidens political life so far. He is about to accept, formally accept the democratic president ial nomination and speak to a national and International Audience of millions. Hes had a lot of highprofile help in the form of the other speakers this week but this is his big night, his chance to close the sale. Hell be speaking live from wilmington, delaware, an that is where we find Kristen Welker for us tonight. I know you have some reporting about just how long hes been working on this speech. Some might say decades, but you say a few weeks at least. For sure, savannah. I think youre absolutely right. To your first point, hes probably had some version of this speech in his head for the past three decades. This is, of course, the third time he has run for president but only the first time that he has earned his partys nomination. But we are told that this speech was largely finished this summer. That is just remarkable for any politician. As you know, savannah, a lot of times these speeches come together in the final days. But were told that hes been practicing vigorously with a number of his chief advisers, because he does see this as the most consequential speech that he has ever given. En with this speech. He wants to lay out the stakes. Hes going to talk about the urgent need to address this covid crisis, to address the economic crisis, so in order to do that he wants to make sure that the tone and the words and the delivery are absolutely right. Now, we continue to stress this point, he does also see this as a chance to reintroduce himself to the American People, so there will be a part of this that is autobiographical and reinforce his core reason to get into this race. He says hes fighting for the soul of the nation. Of course that sharp contrast with president trump. Dont expect the type of speech we saw by president obama. This speech is going to be forward looking and largely optimistic. Let me bring in claire mccaskill, former missouri senator and nbc political analyst. He will be on a teleprompter tonight but in many of those videos he loves to live in that extempor he knows this is an important speech and hes worked hard on it. He needs to deliver it as hes written it. I think what hes really going to try to show america tonight is that he and jill biden, to paraphrase michelle obama, have lived a life the rest of us recognize. She also stressed in her speech about humility and maturity. And i think that those two qualities are going to be presenting in joe bidens delivery tonight, showing his humility, showing his maturity, and his optimism. As i turn to Andrea Mitchell, one thing we heard earlier in the night tonight was an extended speech all about his faith, just about his faith. Faith and loss and grief and his personal story and how that has then formed his values. I imagine well hear more of that from the candidate himself. You will be, and its a deep fait martin of the catholic magazine America Today and senator coons, chris coons who has been involved with prayer meetings, prayer breakfasts with joe biden. Hes a deeply religious man. So is jill biden. But she did say in her book that after beau died she lost her faith and only rediscovered it through deep introspection and some real work to bring it back after this terrible tragedy that they suffered. So faith has really bound this family together. First of course when he lost his first wife and infant daughter, his toddler daughter, and then again when he lost beau. It has been so important. We should point out that if he is elected, he would be the second catholic president. The first since john f. Kennedy. Claire, has biden done a good job of really clarifying what he wants to do and how he will do it . For example, the covid outbreak, restoring the economy, making it better. Has it been more broad strokes, and is this a chance to really get any minutia or is it not appropriate for tonight . I dont think hell get into minut minutia, but i think he will make sure that america understands what his priorities are. Those have been talked about during this unconventional convention. Climate change, equality, fixing the problem with covid, Building Back better. I think youll hear a lot about that. I really think he will go broad stroke tonight, but then during the campaign, i think youll see more effort to drill down and get to specifics, especially on health care. Chuck, is this about persuading independents, undecided voters whoever they may be, however many there may be anymore in this political environment, or is it about really exciting your base, turning out your base and thats what this election will turn on . Look, i think for joe biden, i think its the former on that one. I think that they have done a lot of talking to the base, they have done a lot of firing up on that. I do think tonight its about its about joe biden. I think its about joe biden talking to that suburban sort of independent or College Educated white guy who was possibly a trump voter but maybe married to somebody that is no longer a trump voter. Its sort of this and i think its sending the message that, hey, you know, im not going to scare you or any of that. Im not going you know, im not going to go way left or way right, youre tired of that instability. I think thats the voter hes got to talk to. We are watching the dnc feed. Julia louisdreyfus doing the honors as the moderator. What well see before his speech is a taped piece, an introduction, a lot of family telling joe bidens story. Lets take a listen. Honest. Caring and principled. Hell listen. Hell be there when you need him. Hell tell you the truth even when you dont want to hear it. Hell never let you down. Hell be rock steady. The strongest shoulder you can ever lean on. Hell beam with pride every time you succeed. Hell make your grandkids feel that what they have got to say matters. Hell treat everyone with respect, no matter who you are. Hell get up no matter how bully ever saw. Hell be the best friend youve ever had. Hell love you with all of his heart. And if you give him your cell phone number hes going to call it. How do we know . Because hes been that way our whole lives. Hes been a great father. And we think hell be a great president. Beau isnt with us any longer. But he is still very much alive in our hearts. And we can still hear his strong voice. Just like it was yesterday. Just like it was yesterday. In 2008 and 2012 he introduced our dad at those conventions. And if he was here, were pretty sure wed know what hed say. So before we show you a film about our dads journey, we wanted to give beau the last word. Beau. Beau, take it away. In moments both public and private, hes the father ive always known, the grandfather my children love and adore, my father, my hero, joe biden. Our lives have been turne shattered and shaken. But the american story has had moments like this before, and he was there, answering the call. When we came into office in 2009, we were going through what was then the worst financial and economic crisis since the great depression. The economy was hemorrhaging hundreds of thousands of jobs a week. People were losing their homes to foreclosure. The Financial System was in tatters. Auto sales had dropped to near zero levels. The Auto Companies faced bankruptcy. Many said let them fail. But joe remembered his father and what it meant to lose a job. The finnegans and bidens were irish catholic. Joe was their first. And then his sister, valerie. From the moment i opened my eyes, my big brother was there. The thing that was most important was family and family and family. As the post war boom faded, joes father struggled to find work in scranton. But 140 miles south, there was a job cleaning boilers in wilmington. There was a long stairway up to the second floor. Dad went up to joey in our bedroom and saying, joey, youve got to be a big boy. For the first time, joe saw the heavy burden on a father. And it was a lesson he would never forget. The job is a lot more than a paycheck. Its about dignity. The country was losing tens of thousands of jobs a day, and they needed three votes to pass the economic rescue package. Joe biden was handed the task of going to get those three republican votes. Joe returned to the place where he had been so effective. Passionate argument, sympathetic listening, a willingness to make adjustments and accommodations to bring people onboard. When the law finally passed, the president tapped his partner to run the program. Joe tracked every dollar, calling mayors and governors. Talking to them on the phone one on one. He gave all of them his cell phone. And i watched him bring his heart to that job. It matters that you have in your mind the family that youre trying to reach, the neighborhood that youre trying to reach, the people whose lives are affected by what you do. The skills that had made him so effective had not come easy. When he entered school, there was a problem. Joe had a stutter. And its mortifying. It allows that child to become an object of ridicule. When his te and joe ran home from school, his mother drove him back. Did you say to my son, mr. , bbbiden. The nun said i was just trying to make a point. My mother stood up, all 52 of her. If you ever talk to my son like that again, ill come and rip that damn bonnet off your head. Joe, get back to class. He worked hard to overcome his stutter. I used to get up at night and stand in front of the mirror with a flashlight and practice. Shed make me look her in the eye, look at me. Remember, joey, youre the smartest boy in that class. Nobody is better than you, joey. From having to deal with stuttering, it gave me insight into other peoples pain, other peoples suffering. At 19, joe sought out a summer job that few of his peers considered taking. He was a lifeguard along with the black lifeguards. Thats when i first seen joe. And we became friends. It was one of the best things ive ever done because it gave me a sense that we really didnt know one another. After Martin Luther king jr. Was assassinated, riots broke out in wilmington. And the National Guard stayed for almost a year. I quit the law firm and asked for a job to become a public defender. Thats what got me involved in politics. J. K. La bogs was a popular war hero in a solidly republican state, and few took joes campaign seriously. In delaware, the Democratic Party was nonfunctional. When it got time to put up a candidate, they didnt want to touch it. This young upstart, joe biden, who had a lot of ideas and no money, no influence, the party said, okay, well go ahead, biden, give it a whirl. If you like what you see, help me out. Wed have a coffee and come out and have five more coffees. He was very articulate on the issues. He brought people to say not just i agree with what youre doing, what can i do to help . J. K. La boggs being challenged by joseph biden. Biden, a democrat, is 29 years of age. But exhiliration soon turned to tragedy. It was clear he had decided that im not going to be a senator. The boys need me too much. I was prepared to walk away in 1973. Men like ted kennedy and Mike Mansfield and Hubert Humphrey and fritz hollings, they convinced me to stay. Just stay six months, joe, remember, danny . Just stay six months. He couldnt allow the suffering to debill at a tiitat. Just like he couldnt let the stuttering define him. Thats the backbone, theres something bigger than joes suffering. The senate turned out to be a wonderful place for him. He had a real gift for bringing the three of them had a bond that was forged in sorrow and expanded into joy when jill entered. They had built this beautiful family, this circle of trust. And then the extra gift of ashley. Growing up, it was full of adventure, laughter. We do everything as a family. Weve always done everything as a family. He was always a good, loving father. I mean theres nothing more important to joe than his children. Its hard to explain how eve everpresent he was in their lives. You dont have to guess what my dad believes. The great benefit of being my father is that he doesnt have to contort himself into different people at different times. Beau is going to do fine things. He had it all. And then he got sick. The whole world tilted and it felt like we were all falling off. Once again, joe faced the unimaginable. My mother, she said, bravery resides in every heart, and some day it will be summoned. The way he survived losing my mom and my sister, and then losing my brother, is understanding that you have to have purpose. Every day i get up, i ask myself i hope hes proud of me, because thats the thing that makes me move on. From his time in the senate and then the white house, joe always found a way forward, forging unlikely friendships and alliances. And time after time, he made struggles of
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