Transcript of Vice President Joe Biden's speech at DNC

Transcript of Vice President Joe Biden's speech at the Democratic National Convention, as

prepared for delivery:

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Vice President Joe Biden addresses the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Vice President Joe Biden addresses the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday.

My fellow Democrats, and my favorite Democrat.

Jilly, I want you to know that Beau, Hunt, Ashley, and I are so proud of you. We admire the way

you treat every single student who walks into your classroom. You not only teach them. You

give them confidence. And the passion you bring to easing the burden on the families of our

warriors. They know you understand what they're going through. It makes a difference. And I'm

grateful. So grateful that you said Yes on that fifth try.

And Beau, thank you for placing my name in nomination to be Vice President of the United

States. I accept.

My fellow Americans, four years ago, a battered nation turned away from the failed policies of

the past

—

and turned to a leader

—

who they knew, could lift our nation out of crisis. Our

journey isn't finished. We still have more to do. But today, I say to you, my fellow citizens: In

the face of the deepest economic crisis in our lifetimes

—

this nation proved itself. We're as

worthy as any generation that has gone before us. The same grit, the same determination, the

same courage, that has always defined what it's meant to be an American

—

is in you.

We're on a mission to move this nation forward

—

from doubt and downturn, to promise and

prosperity. A mission we will continue and a mission we will complete.

Folks, tonight, I want to tell you about Barack Obama. The Barack Obama I've come to know. I

want to show you the character of a leader

—

who had what it took, when the American people

stood at the brink of a new Depression. A leader who has what it takes to lead us over the next

four years

—

to a future as great as our people.

I want to take you inside the White House to see the President, as I see him every day.

Because I don't see him in sound bites. I walk down the hall, 30 steps to the Oval Office, and I

see him in action.

Four years ago, middle class incomes were already falling. Then the bottom fell out. The

financial crisis hit. You remember the headlines:

Losses in 60 Years

From the moment President Obama sat behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, he knew

he had to restore the confidence not only of the nation

—

but the whole world. He knew, that

one false move could bring a run on the banks, or a credit collapse, that could throw millions

out of work. America and the world needed a strong president with a steady hand, with the

judgment and vision to see us through.

Day after day, night after night, I sat beside him, as he made one gutsy decision after

another

—

to stop the slide and reverse it. I watched him stand up to intense pressure and stare

down choices of enormous consequence. Most of all, I saw what drove him: His profound

concern for the American people.

He knew, that no matter how tough the decisions he had to make in the Oval Office were,

families all over America had to make decisions every bit as tough for them

—

as they sat

around their kitchen tables. Barack and I have been through a lot together. And we've learned

a lot about each other. I learned of the enormity of his heart. And he learned of the depth of my

loyalty. And there was another thing that bound us. We both had a pretty good idea what these

families were going through

—

in part because our own families had gone through similar

struggles.

Barack had to sit at the end of his mom's hospital bed and watch her fight cancer and fight her

insurance companies at the same time. I was a kid, but I can remember the day that my dad

sat at the end of my bed, and said, things are going to be tough for a while. I have to go to

Delaware to get a new job. But it's going to be better for us. The rest of my life, my dad never

failed to remind me

—

that a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about dignity. It's about

respect. It's about being able to look your children in the eye

—

and say honey, it's going to be

okay, and believe it was going to be okay. When Barack and I were growing up, there was an

implicit understanding. If you took responsibility, you'd get a fair shot at a better deal. The

values behind that deal

—

were the values that shaped us both. And today, they are Barack's

guiding star.

Folks, I've watched him. He never wavers. He steps up. He asks the same thing over and over

again: How is this going to work for ordinary families? Will it help them? And because of the

decisions he's made, and the strength the American people have demonstrated every day,

America has turned the corner. After the worst job loss since the Great Depression, we've

created 4.5 million private sector jobs in the past 29 months.

President Obama and Governor Romney are both loving husbands and devoted fathers. But

they bring vastly different values and visions to the job. Tonight I'd like to focus on two

crises

—

that show the character of the leadership each man will bring to the job. The first is the

rescue of the automobile industry.

Let me tell you about how Barack saved more than 1 million American jobs. In our first days in

office, General Motors and Chrysler were on the verge of liquidation. If the President didn't act

immediately, there wouldn't be an industry left to save.

We listened to Senators, Congressmen, outside advisors, even some of our own advisors

say

—

we shouldn't step in, the risks were too high, the outcome too uncertain. The President

patiently listened. But he didn't see it their way. He understood something they didn't. He

understood that this wasn't just about cars. It was about the Americans who built those cars

and the America they built.

In those meetings, I often thought about my dad. My dad was an automobile man. He would

have been one of those guys

—

all the way down the line

—

not in the factory

—

not along the

supply chain

—

but one of those guys selling American cars to the American people. I thought

about what this crisis would have meant for the mechanics, the secretaries, the sales people

who he managed. And I know for certain, that if my dad were here today, he would be fighting

for this President, who fought to save all those jobs, his job, and the jobs of all the people he

cared about. He would respect Barack Obama for having the guts to stand up for the

automobile industry, when others walked away.

When I look back now on the President's decision, I also think of another son of an automobile

man

—

Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney grew up in Detroit. His father ran American Motors. Yet he

was willing to let Detroit go bankrupt. It's not that he's a bad guy. I'm sure he grew up loving

cars as much as I did. I just don't think he understood

—

I just don't think he understood what

saving the automobile industry meant-to all of America. I think he saw it the Bain way. Balance

sheets. Write-offs.

Folks, the Bain way may bring your firm the highest profit. But it's not the way to lead your

country from its highest office.

When things hung in the balance, the President understood it was about a lot more than the

automobile industry. It was about restoring America's pride. He knew what it would mean to

leave 1 million people without hope or work if we didn't act. He knew the message it would

have sent to the rest of the world if the United States of America gave up on the industry that

helped put America on the map. Conviction. Resolve.

Barack Obama. This President has shown that same resolve, that same steady hand, in his

role as Commander in Chief. Which brings me to the second crisis.

In 2008, Barack Obama made a promise to the American people. He said,

bin Laden in our sights, we will take him out. That has to be our biggest national security

priority.

monstrous leader off the battlefield. It was about righting an unspeakable wrong, healing a

nearly unbearable wound in America's heart. He also knew the message we had to send to

terrorists around the world

—

if you attack innocent Americans, we will follow you to the ends of