Former Vice President Joe Biden delivered an uplifting speech tonight near St. Louis in support of Democratic U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill and eastern Missouri Congressional candidate Cort VanOstran. At the Machinists’ Hall in Bridgeton, Biden said there’s something different about this year’s election.
“This year’s election is bigger than politics,” he said. “The very character of our country is on the ballot this time.”
Biden said hate will continue to grow if people don’t speak up. His message appeared to be directed to President Donald Trump and some in the Republican Party.
“The words of our leaders matter. Silence is complicit,” Biden said. “The first thing we have to do is change the political climate.”
Biden said the only thing strong enough to tear America apart is America itself.
“We’ve seen it start and we must make it stop now. Right now. That’s what Tuesday is about,” Biden said. “We have to make sure who we are as Democrats. We choose hope over fear. We choose unity over division. We choose our allies over our enemies. We choose truth over lies. It’s time for this country to come together.”
Biden went on to say the U.S. is better positioned than any other nation to own the 21st century. He said there’s nothing beyond America’s capacity.
“We have the world’s largest economy, the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. We have the strongest military in the history of the world,” he said. “We have more great research universities in America than all of the rest of the world combined. Every major new change has come out of one of those research facilities, not out of a corporation.”
Tom Bauer of St. Louis attended the rally. He said Democrats must take over the U.S. House.
“I’ve never come to something that had a national figure like Joe Biden along with Claire McCaskill at the same time,” said Bauer. “They were both phenomenal. Joe articulates a message that everybody can agree with – the country’s in trouble and this is a turning point.”
McCaskill faces a tight reelection bid next Tuesday against Republican challenger and Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley. VanOstran faces Republican incumbent Ann Wagner.
According to McCaskill’s campaign, more than 1,000 people attended Wednesday night’s rally. Future St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell also talked on stage. Another known Democrat attending the rally was State Sen. Jill Schupp of Creve Coeur.
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