US election 2020: Joe Biden vows to end ‘season of darkness’ as he accepts Democratic Presidential nomination
While Biden has a reliable base in Democrats over 45, he’ll still have to work ahead of the elections to energize younger voters.
FollowWashington DC: In the finale of the four-day Democratic National Convention Friday, former US Vice-President Joe Biden took centre stage to formally accept the Democratic nomination for the president’s post.
“If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. I’ll be an ally of the light, not the darkness. It’s time for us, for we the people, to come together. And make no mistake: united, we can and will overcome this season of darkness in America,” Biden said in his acceptance speech, live from the Chase Center in Wilmington.
In his address, Biden several times mentioned young people. They’re a demographic that he’s trying to court – especially since about two-thirds of younger voters went for Bernie Sanders in the primaries.
“One of the most powerful voices we hear in the country today is from our young people,” Biden said. “They’re speaking to the inequity and injustice that has grown up in America. Economic injustice. Racial injustice. Environmental injustice.”
But younger, progressive Democrats have been pushing Biden to back them up by adopting more ambitious policies to address economic, racial, and environmental injustice. Young climate activists this week criticized the Democratic National Committee for quietly removing language from the official platform calling for an end to subsidies and tax breaks for fossil fuel companies.
While Biden has a reliable base in Democrats over 45, he’ll still have to work ahead of the elections to energize younger voters.
Meanwhile, Republican Michael Bloomberg endorsed Joe Biden on the last day of the Democratic National Convention. Targeting Trump, the billionaire said, "I'm not asking you to vote against Donald Trump because he's a bad guy. I'm urging you to vote against him because he's done a bad job... And let me tell you a little secret. Trump's economic plan was to give a huge tax cut to guys like me, who didn't need it. And then lie about it to everyone else."
