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President Barack Obama passes the torch to Hillary Clinton, calls out Donald Trump

 
President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton wave to the crowd after Obama’s speech Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention.
President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton wave to the crowd after Obama’s speech Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention.
Published July 28, 2016

PHILADELPHIA

Twelve years to the day after giving a speech at the Democratic convention that thrust him into the national spotlight, President Barack Obama on Wednesday night passionately vouched for Hillary Clinton while culminating a night of acerbic attacks on Donald Trump as dangerous and unprepared on national security.

"I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America," Obama said.

"Nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office. Until you've sat at that desk, you don't know what it's like to manage a global crisis or send young people to war. But Hillary's been in the room; she's been part of those decisions. . . . And no matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits."

Obama's speech, a farewell of sorts for the 44th president and a passing of the torch to his 2008 campaign adversary, capped the third day of the convention, which also featured Clinton's running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, and tearful pleas from people who lost family members to gun violence, including the massacre in Orlando.

Democrats largely avoided national security in the first two days of the convention — ISIS was not mentioned once Monday, a dramatic contrast with the GOP convention last week — but Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others used the issue to level a forceful and focused case against Trump.

At one point, a video was played featuring Republicans such as Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio warning about the GOP nominee, an attempt to shake the confidence of Republican voters and attract independents to Clinton.

Speakers hammered Trump on all fronts: his business career, his controversial statements about immigrants, his embrace of torture in the fight on terrorism. They portrayed Clinton as a steady leader and Trump as a narcissistic loose cannon.

"This guy doesn't have a clue about the middle class. Not a clue. Actually, he has no clue, period," Biden said. The crowd broke into a raucous chant: "Not a clue. Not a clue." Biden said no major party nominee has ever been less prepared on national security. "We cannot elect a man who exploits our fears."

Former CIA director and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said, "Today, Donald Trump once again took Russia's side. He asked the Russians to interfere in American politics. Think about that for a moment. Donald Trump is asking one of our adversaries to engage in hacking or intelligence efforts against the United States to affect our election.

"As someone who was responsible for protecting our nation from cyberattacks, it's inconceivable to me that any presidential candidate would be this irresponsible. Donald Trump cannot become our commander in chief."

Obama, introduced by the mother of solider killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, said, "Ronald Reagan called America 'a shining city on a hill.' Donald Trump calls it 'a divided crime scene' that only he can fix. It doesn't matter to him that illegal immigration and the crime rate are as low as they've been in decades, because he's not offering any real solutions to those issues. He's just offering slogans, and he's offering fear. He's betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes to win this election."

Hitting the national security theme, Obama said, "I know Hillary won't relent until ISIL is destroyed. She'll finish the job — and she'll do it without resorting to torture, or banning entire religions from entering our country. She is fit to be the next commander in chief.

"Meanwhile, Donald Trump calls our military a disaster. Apparently, he doesn't know the men and women who make up the strongest fighting force the world has ever known. He suggests America is weak. . . . He cozies up to Putin, praises Saddam Hussein, tells our NATO allies that stood by our side after 9/11 that they have to pay up if they want our protection. Well, America's promises do not come with a price tag. We meet our commitments. We bear our burdens."

Little known on the national stage, the mild-mannered, 58-year-old Kaine traced his history, from working in his father's ironworking shop, to taking a year off from law school to volunteer with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras, where he mastered Spanish and got a "first-hand look at a system, a dictatorship, where a few people at the top had all the power and everybody else got left out.

"It convinced me that we've got to advance opportunity for everyone. No matter where they come from, how much money they have, what they look like, how they worship, or who they love."

He said his son is serving abroad in the military and that he trusts Clinton with his life. "You know who I don't trust? Donald Trump." He mimicked Trump's voice, mocking his repeated use of "believe me."

That led to extended criticism of Trump, including the New York billionaire refusing to release his tax returns. "Donald, what are you hiding?" Kaine said. Trump says he's being audited and will wait until that is resolved.

Alluding to Bernie Sanders, Kaine said, "We should all feel the burn and we all should not want to get burned by the other guy."

And he affirmed Clinton's case.

"She's ready because of her faith," he said. "She's ready because of her heart. She's ready because of her experience. She's ready because she knows in America we are stronger together. My fellow Democrats, this week we begin the next chapter in our great and proud story."

One of the most emotional moments came earlier in the night when former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, who survived being shot in the head five years ago, walked on stage, her gait slow and uneven, to make an argument for gun restrictions. "Speaking is difficult for me," Giffords said.

"But come January, I want to say these two words, 'Madam President.' "

The crowd fell silent for Christine Leinonen, the mother of a victim in the Orlando mass shooting. "It takes about five minutes for a church bell to ring 49 times," she said, crying. "I know this because last month, my son, Christopher, and his boyfriend, Juan, and 47 others were murdered at a club in Orlando."

The daughter of the slain principal of Sandy Hook Elementary also spoke.

Obama's speech, which began at 10:54 p.m., was an opportunity to give a sendoff as his presidency nears an end, acknowledging struggles but arguing the country remains on a forward, hopeful trajectory.

"The America I know is full of courage, and optimism, and ingenuity. The America I know is decent and generous," he said. "Sure, we have real anxieties — about paying the bills, protecting our kids, caring for a sick parent. We get frustrated with political gridlock, worry about racial divisions; are shocked and saddened by the madness of Orlando or Nice.

"There are pockets of America that never recovered from factory closures; men who took pride in hard work and providing for their families who now feel forgotten. Parents who wonder whether their kids will have the same opportunities we have.

"All that is real; we are challenged to do better; to be better. But as I've traveled this country, through all 50 states; as I've rejoiced with you and mourned with you, what I have also seen, more than anything, is what is right with America. I see people working hard and starting businesses; people teaching kids and serving our country. . . . I see a younger generation full of energy and new ideas, unconstrained by what is, and ready to seize what ought to be."

Away from the convention, the presidential campaign took sharp new turns.

Trump, appearing at his Miami area golf course, set off a firestorm by effectively encouraging Russian hackers to find Clinton's State Department emails. It put the candidate on the defensive over suspicions Russians were helping him by leaking emails showing Democratic Party bias against Sanders.

"That's not law and order. That's criminal intent," retired Rear Admiral John Hutson said at the convention, reminding the audience about Trump's mocking of Sen. John McCain, who survived a POW camp in Vietnam, and Trump's divisive rhetoric. "Donald Trump is a walking, talking recruiting poster for terrorists. That's not hyperbole. ISIS literally used Trump in a commercial."

Clinton was dealing with her own mess after Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Tuesday night that she would back the Trans-Pacific Partnership once in the White House. The campaign scrambled to say that was not true, but critics on both sides said it showed she could not be trusted.

"Just like I have warned from the beginning, Crooked Hillary Clinton will betray you on the TPP," Trump wrote on Twitter.

"There are trust issues," said Ricky Ly, a delegate from Orlando. "There's a reason why we supported Bernie Sanders. We need to keep her accountable to the promises she made."

Contact Alex Leary at aleary@tampabay.com. Follow @learyreports.