We joke in my household that
Michelle,
you know, she's got a dazzling smile.
Yeah,
I mean,
and listen,
I understand
there's in terms of popularity,
there's basically Michelle
Malia, Sasha,
Sunny, our dog and me.
I understand
she's hot,
she's smart.
She is
she's charming.
She's intelligent. I get it.
But here here's here
here's a little secret about Michelle.
You know,
in our household,
she can be a little bit of
the glass half empty person sometimes.
You know, she
she she can
she can get a little discouraged
about what she sees happening.
And, you know, I'm
the hope and change there.
So, I mean, I'm
usually a little more optimistic.
And so if she's been watching the news
or reading the papers
and some crazy stuff is taking place,
which is basically every 10 minutes
you know,
she she can get a
little down and I'll say, honey,
everything's going to be okay.
And I believe that
I believe things will be okay.
But I also know that things won't be okay
on their own.
They'll be okay
if we make the effort.
It'll be okay if we work for it,
not just on Election Day,
but every day in between.
Right
And I know
look, I know some of you
probably feel like Michelle
does sometimes
because I feel even me, the hope
and change guy, I can get discouraged.
Politics
is so nasty and mean and
it it just seems like
people will say anything and do anything.
And it and it can be depressing
sometimes.
And a lot of what we used to take
for granted,
things like
respect and common decency
and telling the truth
and believing in science
and the idea that every vote should count
and that the person
with the most votes win
all that somehow
has become controversial
but
I was listening backstage with Josh,
talked about
the experience
of him
running for governor
and traveling around the state,
and it reminded me of the experience
that I had first as a state
senator traveling around my district
and then as a U.S.
Senate candidate in Illinois
and then as a presidential candidate
it's a it's
such a privilege to be able to
to meet people from every walk of life
be folks
who look different and
and live in different places.
And
and it would always remind me
and what
we have to remind ourselves
is that there's this common thread.
There's this thing that binds us together
as Americans,
a belief that no matter who we are
or where we come from,
what we look like,
who we love,
what our last name is, how we worship
a belief that all of us matter
the kind of slash and burn
politics that we're seeing right now
that doesn't have to be who we are.
We can be better.
And it has nothing to do,
by the way, with political correctness
or being to walk.
It's about fundamental values
that my grandparents
from Kansas taught me, values I grew up
with, values you grew up with, values.
We try to teach our kids values.
We learn in churches
and mosques and synagogues and temples.
Honesty, fairness, opportunity.
Hard work values that Josh Shapiro
and John Spellman stand for.
Values.
The Joe Biden
stands for values that were enshrined
in our founding documents
a few miles from here,
a clarion call for freedom and equality
that Philly's own Liberty
Bell represents.
That's
what America stands for.
That's who we are
So if you're anxious
and frustrated right now, don't complain,
don't mope,
don't tune out
get off your couch.
And do what?
Put down your phones and do what?
Oh.
Oh, for Josh Shapiro.
Vote for John Fetterman.
Both the leaders who will fight for you
and your families.
Vote for folks
who will fight for that big inclusive,
hopeful, forward
looking America that we believe in.
Who will work with Joe Biden
to build a country that is more fair
and more just and more equal
and more free?
That's our task.
Let's get to work. I love your Philly.