{"id":302,"date":"2020-11-08T09:33:12","date_gmt":"2020-11-08T15:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/nativevote\/?p=302"},"modified":"2020-11-08T09:40:20","modified_gmt":"2020-11-08T15:40:20","slug":"democrat-joe-biden-presidential-victory-address","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/NativeVote\/2020\/11\/08\/democrat-joe-biden-presidential-victory-address\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrat Joe Biden presidential victory address"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following is the text of\u00a0remarks as delivered by Democratic\u00a0presidential-elect Joe Biden<\/a> in\u00a0Wilmington, Delaware, on November 7, 2020.<\/i><\/p>\n

“And to all those who supported us: I am proud of the campaign we built and ran. I am proud of the coalition we put together, the broadest and most diverse in history,” Biden said.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

He added: “White. Latino. Asian. Native American.”<\/em><\/p>\n

My fellow Americans \u2014<\/h2>\n
\n

The people of this nation have spoken.<\/p>\n

They have delivered us a clear victory. A convincing victory.<\/p>\n

A victory for \u201cWe the People.\u201d<\/p>\n

We have won with the most votes ever cast for a presidential ticket in the history of this nation \u2014 74 million.<\/p>\n

I am humbled by the trust and confidence you have placed in me.<\/p>\n

I pledge to be a President who seeks not to divide, but to unify.<\/p>\n

Who doesn\u2019t see Red and Blue states, but a United States.<\/p>\n

And who will work with all my heart to win the confidence of the whole people.<\/p>\n

For that is what America is about: The people.<\/p>\n

And that is what our Administration will be about.<\/p>\n

I sought this office to restore the soul of America.<\/p>\n

To rebuild the backbone of the nation \u2014 the middle class.<\/p>\n

To make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.<\/p>\n

It is the honor of my lifetime that so many millions of Americans have voted for this vision.<\/p>\n

And now the work of making this vision real is the task of our time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As I said many times before, I\u2019m Jill\u2019s husband.<\/p>\n

I would not be here without the love and tireless support of Jill, Hunter, Ashley, all of our grandchildren and their spouses, and all our family.<\/p>\n

They are my heart.<\/p>\n

Jill\u2019s a mom \u2014 a military mom \u2014 and an educator.<\/p>\n

She has dedicated her life to education, but teaching isn\u2019t just what she does \u2014 it\u2019s who she is.<\/p>\n

For America\u2019s educators, this is a great day: You\u2019re going to have one of your own in the White House, and Jill is going to make a great First Lady.<\/p>\n

And I will be honored to be serving with a fantastic vice president \u2014 Kamala Harris \u2014 who will make history as the first woman, first Black woman, first woman of South Asian descent, and first daughter of immigrants ever elected to national office in this country.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s long overdue, and we\u2019re reminded tonight of all those who fought so hard for so many years to make this happen. But once again, America has bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice.<\/p>\n

Kamala, Doug \u2014 like it or not \u2014 you\u2019re family. You\u2019ve become honorary Bidens and there\u2019s no way out.<\/p>\n

To all those who volunteered, worked the polls in the middle of this pandemic, local election officials \u2014 you deserve a special thanks from this nation.<\/p>\n

To my campaign team, and all the volunteers, to all those who gave so much of themselves to make this moment possible, I owe you everything.<\/p>\n

And to all those who supported us: I am proud of the campaign we built and ran. I am proud of the coalition we put together, the broadest and most diverse in history.<\/p>\n

Democrats, Republicans and Independents.<\/p>\n

Progressives, moderates and conservatives.<\/p>\n

Young and old.<\/p>\n

Urban, suburban and rural.<\/p>\n

Gay, straight, transgender.<\/p>\n

White. Latino. Asian. Native American.<\/p>\n

And especially for those moments when this campaign was at its lowest \u2014 the African American community stood up again for me. They always have my back, and I\u2019ll have yours.<\/p>\n

I said from the outset I wanted a campaign that represented America, and I think we did that. Now that\u2019s what I want the administration to look like.<\/p>\n

And to those who voted for President Trump, I understand your disappointment tonight.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve lost a couple of elections myself.<\/p>\n

But now, let\u2019s give each other a chance.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to put away the harsh rhetoric.<\/p>\n

To lower the temperature.<\/p>\n

To see each other again.<\/p>\n

To listen to each other again.<\/p>\n

To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy.<\/p>\n

We are not enemies. We are Americans.<\/p>\n

The Bible tells us that to everything there is a season \u2014 a time to build, a time to reap, a time to sow. And a time to heal.<\/p>\n

This is the time to heal in America.<\/p>\n

Now that the campaign is over \u2014 what is the people\u2019s will? What is our mandate?<\/p>\n

I believe it is this: Americans have called on us to marshal the forces of decency and the forces of fairness. To marshal the forces of science and the forces of hope in the great battles of our time.<\/p>\n

The battle to control the virus.<\/p>\n

The battle to build prosperity.<\/p>\n

The battle to secure your family\u2019s health care.<\/p>\n

The battle to achieve racial justice and root out systemic racism in this country.<\/p>\n

The battle to save the climate.<\/p>\n

The battle to restore decency, defend democracy, and give everybody in this country a fair shot.<\/p>\n

Our work begins with getting COVID under control.<\/p>\n

We cannot repair the economy, restore our vitality, or relish life\u2019s most precious moments \u2014 hugging a grandchild, birthdays, weddings, graduations, all the moments that matter most to us \u2014 until we get this virus under control.<\/p>\n

On Monday, I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as Transition Advisors to help take the Biden-Harris COVID plan and convert it into an action blueprint that starts on January 20th, 2021.<\/p>\n

That plan will be built on a bedrock of science. It will be constructed out of compassion, empathy, and concern.<\/p>\n

I will spare no effort \u2014 or commitment \u2014 to turn this pandemic around.<\/p>\n

I ran as a proud Democrat. I will now be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn\u2019t vote for me \u2014 as those who did.<\/p>\n

Let this grim era of demonization in America begin to end \u2014 here and now.<\/p>\n

The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not due to some mysterious force beyond our control.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a decision. It\u2019s a choice we make.<\/p>\n

And if we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate. And I believe that this is part of the mandate from the American people. They want us to cooperate.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the choice I\u2019ll make. And I call on the Congress \u2014 Democrats and Republicans alike \u2014 to make that choice with me.<\/p>\n

The American story is about the slow, yet steady widening of opportunity.<\/p>\n

Make no mistake: Too many dreams have been deferred for too long.<\/p>\n

We must make the promise of the country real for everybody\u00a0\u2014\u00a0no matter their race, their ethnicity, their faith, their identity, or their disability.<\/p>\n

America has always been shaped by inflection points \u2014 by moments in time where we\u2019ve made hard decisions about who we are and what we want to be.<\/p>\n

Lincoln in 1860 \u2014 coming to save the Union.<\/p>\n

FDR in 1932 \u2014 promising a beleaguered country a New Deal.<\/p>\n

JFK in 1960 \u2014 pledging a New Frontier.<\/p>\n

And twelve years ago \u2014 when Barack Obama made history \u2014 and told us, \u201cYes, we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

We stand again at an inflection point.<\/p>\n

We have the opportunity to defeat despair and to build a nation of prosperity and purpose.<\/p>\n

We can do it. I know we can.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve long talked about the battle for the soul of America.<\/p>\n

We must restore the soul of America.<\/p>\n

Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses.<\/p>\n

It is time for our better angels to prevail.<\/p>\n

Tonight, the whole world is watching America. I believe at our best America is a beacon for the globe.<\/p>\n

And we lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always believed we can define America in one word: Possibilities.<\/p>\n

That in America everyone should be given the opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them.<\/p>\n

You see, I believe in the possibility of this country.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re always looking ahead.<\/p>\n

Ahead to an America that\u2019s freer and more just.<\/p>\n

Ahead to an America that creates jobs with dignity and respect.<\/p>\n

Ahead to an America that cures disease \u2014 like cancer and Alzheimers.<\/p>\n

Ahead to an America that never leaves anyone behind.<\/p>\n

Ahead to an America that never gives up, never gives in.<\/p>\n

This is a great nation.<\/p>\n

And we are a good people.<\/p>\n

This is the United States of America.<\/p>\n

And there has never been anything we haven\u2019t been able to do when we\u2019ve done it together.<\/p>\n

In the last days of the campaign, I\u2019ve been thinking about a hymn that means a lot to me and to my family, particularly my deceased son Beau. It captures the faith that sustains me and which I believe sustains America.<\/p>\n

And I hope it can provide some comfort and solace to the more than 230,000 families who have lost a loved one to this terrible virus this year. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. Hopefully this hymn gives you solace as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd He will raise you up on eagle\u2019s wings,<\/p>\n

Bear you on the breath of dawn,<\/p>\n

Make you to shine like the sun,<\/p>\n

And hold you in the palm of His Hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

And now, together \u2014 on eagle\u2019s wings \u2014 we embark on the work that God and history have called upon us to do.<\/p>\n

With full hearts and steady hands, with faith in America and in each other, with a love of country \u2014 and a thirst for justice \u2014 let us be the nation that we know we can be.<\/p>\n

A nation united.<\/p>\n

A nation strengthened.<\/p>\n

A nation healed.<\/p>\n

The United States of America.<\/p>\n

God bless you.<\/p>\n

And may God protect our troops.<\/p>\n