Practice English Speaking&Listening with: Key Moments From Biden's DNC Speech | 2020 Elections

“So it’s with great honor and humility,

I accept this nomination for president of the United

States of America.”

[crowd noise]

“This week, we saw a very fractured Democratic Party

come together — putting aside a lot

of ideological differences — and make clear

that they are unified in their goal of taking on

and defeating Donald Trump.”

“This election is about preserving our democracy.”

“Because that’s what’s at stake right now.”

“You, me and Joe.”

“Joe Biden.”

“The convention closed with a pretty fired-up speech

from Joe Biden.

The Democratic nominee was trying, really

at every turn, to extend a hand to not

only Democratic voters, but also to independent voters

and to Republican voters who may feel disaffected with

President Trump’s leadership.”

“I’ll work hard for those who didn’t support me,

as hard for them as I did for those who did vote for me.

That’s the job of a president.”

“Joe Biden hit on a number of key themes

in his speech on Thursday.

One of them was this idea that he could lead the nation out

of a very dark, very polarized time, a moment when

the country is struggling with a pandemic,

with an economic crisis, with unrest

over racial injustice.”

“The current president has cloaked America in darkness

for much too long —

too much anger, too much fear, too much division.

I’ll be an ally of the light, not the darkness.”

“So on the campaign trail, Joe Biden

was not always the smoothest speaker.

But perhaps his greatest strength as a campaigner —

and this has long been the case —

was his ability to connect with voters one on one,

especially voters who are suffering

or voters who are dealing with grief.”

“I have some idea how it feels to lose someone you love.

I know that deep black hole that opens up

in the middle of your chest and you

feel like you’re being sucked into it.

I know how mean and cruel and unfair life

can be sometimes.”

“Joe Biden didn’t say this directly,

but implicit in that message was the part of a broader

argument that he and his allies

have long been pushing, that perhaps the greatest

distinction between Joe Biden and Donald Trump

comes down to the matter of character.”

“I found the best way through pain and loss

and grief is to find purpose.

We have a great purpose as a nation.”

“Joe Biden has faced questions about whether he

has the grit and the determination

and the energy to wage a really vigorous fall campaign.

So headed into Thursday night, something

that some of his allies were a little worried about was,

how can he deliver a powerful, electrifying speech

when he is not going to have an audience in there to cheer

him on?”

“Let us begin, you and I together,

one nation under God, united in our love for America,

united in our love for each other.”

“But when Joe Biden took the podium,

he did everything that he could

to suggest that he does have the fight in him to take

on President Trump.”

“May history be able to say that the end

of this chapter of American darkness

began here, tonight.”

“Meanwhile outside, there were

more of those supporters who had gathered in a scene

that I can compare to a drive-in movie situation.

It was a pretty surreal event, unusual certainly,

and in fact extraordinary to see a presidential nominee

accept their nomination in that way

under these circumstances.

But it really played to the broader Democratic argument

that they are the party that can be trusted

to lead the country forward amid a pandemic,

to defer to the science as they make their decisions

instead of, as they would put it, to the politics.

The Democrats head into the general election

pleased by Joe Biden’s lead over Donald Trump in a lot

of polls, but also very aware —

because 2016 is never too far from their minds —

that a poll lead right now does certainly

not guarantee anything in November.

Depending on what the restrictions look like

and just how much the Democrats may

need to continue following the virtual campaign route,

it is possible that those restrictions

could make it more difficult to promote

an affirmative clear case for their vision of where they

want to take the country.”

Singing: “O say can you see, by the dawn’s —”

“Hi, I’m Sarah Kerr, the producer of this video.

Thanks for following our convention coverage

this week.

We’ll be back next week as the R.N.C. gets underway.

Check out nytimes.com/2020 for the latest news

and analysis.”