Smiles, laughter, and downright optimism were in no short supply at the DNC convention last week. Attendees were energized. Speakers were passionate. And love was in the air. Every speaker emphasized how close this presidential race will be. They stressed that this is no time for complacency. They emphasized the necessity for everyone to roll up their sleeves, put the pedal to the metal, and “do something.”
Here are some of my favorite lines from last week’s DNC speeches.
“He has taught me that a courageous heart is a miraculous thing. A courageous heart can heal a family. A courageous heart can heal a nation and maybe even the world.” – Ashley Biden
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you. For 50 years, like many of you, I’ve given my heart and soul to our nation. And I’ve been blessed a million times in return with the support of the American people. I’ve either been too young to be in the Senate because I wasn’t 30 yet and too old to stay as President. But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.” — Joe Biden
“America—hope is making a comeback!”
“See, his limited narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated successful people who happened to be Black. I want to know who’s going to tell him that the job he is seeking, might just be one of those Black jobs.” – Michele Obama
“That’s my dad.” – Gus Walz
“The next time you hear him, don’t count the lies—count the I’s. He’s like a tenor warming up before the opera—me, me, me, me, me.” – Bill Clinton
“It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that Trump is afraid of losing to Kamala. The childish nicknames and crazy conspiracy theories, and weird obsession with crowd size.” – Barack Obama
“I don’t presume to know what goes on in your kitchen, but I know as sure as I’m standing here, that everything in it, the bills you pay, the shape of the family that sits there, the fears and dreams that you talk about late into the night, compel us to demand more from our politics than a rerun of some TV wrestling death match.” – Pete Buttigieg
“It still takes a village to raise a family, heal a country, and run a campaign. America needs every one of us, our energy, our talents, our dreams. We’re not just electing a president; we are uplifting our nation. We’re opening the promise of America wide enough for everyone.” – Hillary Clinton
“She’ll lead from the belief that wherever we come from, whatever we look like, we’re strongest when we fight for what we believe in, not just against what we fear.” –Doug Emhoff
“It’s the fourth quarter. We’re down a field goal. But we’re on offense and we’ve got the ball. We’re driving down the field. And boy, do we have the right team.” – Tim Walz
“So let us choose truth, let us choose honor, and let us choose joy! Because that’s the best of America. But more than anything else, let us choose freedom.” — Oprah
“In many ways President Trump is an unserious man.”
“America, let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for. Freedom, opportunity, and compassion, dignity, fairness, and endless possibilities.” — Kamala Harris
The speakers are right. This election will be close. This is no time to sit back and watch what happens. Residents of the Eastern Shore are mobilizing. Postcard parties are being organized. Canvassing teams are on the move. Caravans to swing states are being set in motion. Phone banks are on the rise. It is time to act. It is time to “do something.”
Alfred Lord Tennyson said it best, “I must lose myself in action, lest I wither in despair.”
Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, kayaking and nature.
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