President Obama calls on voters to 'reject fear' and 'choose hope'


President Obama, speaking at a massive rally for Hillary Clinton Monday night in front of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, said he's always bet on Americans to do the right thing, and on Election Day, he's certain they will "reject fear" and instead "choose hope."
Obama said the United States cannot elect Donald Trump, who he argued has "utter contempt for the values that make our nation great." Anyone who "sees women as objects, minorities and immigrants as inferior, other faiths as presumably un-American, cannot lead this diverse, dynamic, big-hearted country that we love," he said. That's enough to get people out to vote on Tuesday, but it's more than just going out to vote against Trump, the president added: "You have somebody extraordinary to vote for in Hillary Clinton."
Throughout the campaign, Obama said he has had to "bite my tongue" due to the "nonsense people have said about Hillary Clinton." She's been subject to "vicious crazy attacks" and a "double standard" like "nothing we've ever seen before," he said, and "what makes it worse is most of the people saying this stuff, they don't really believe it, they know better." He reminded the crowd that while Clinton was a senator and secretary of state, "she was really popular, people saw how effective she was, how she crossed party lines."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Obama ran on hope and change, and he let the crowd know he is still a believer and "as optimistic as ever about our future, and that's because of you, the American people." In 2008, "you bet on me... and I will always be grateful for the privilege you gave me to serve. But I'll be honest with you, I've always had the better odds because I've always bet on you." He's betting on most parents refusing to "cast their votes for someone who denigrates their daughters from the highest office in the land" and someone who "considers minorities and immigrants and people with disabilities as inferior." The time to reject the "politics of resentment and the politics of blame" is now, he added, and by rejecting fear and choosing hope, "I'm betting the wisdom and decency and generosity of the American people will once again win the day, and that is a bet that I have never ever lost." Catherine Garcia
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs