The first virtual convention opened on Monday night with a gathering featuring a diverse roster of Democratic Party loyalists, members of the old guard, ascending stars, former 2020 contenders and even some Republicans.

Former first lady Michelle Obama had a blunt message to Americans in her keynote address: “Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country.”

She then spoke of understanding “the immense weight and awesome power” of the U.S. presidency, saying former Vice President Joe Biden is the right fit for the job.

“A president’s words have the power to move markets. They can start wars or broker peace. They can summon our better angels or awaken our worst instincts. You simply cannot fake your way through this job. As I’ve said before, being president doesn’t change who you are; it reveals who you are,” she said.

The former first lady also said the America we’re living in now — where people refuse to wear masks in grocery stores, where people of color have the cops called on them for no valid reason, where leaders “emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists,” children are “thrown into cages” and peaceful protesters are met with pepper spray and rubber bullets: “This is not who we want to be.”

Obama closed with a charge to voters to take action and preserve progress for the next generation of Americans, quoting the late Congressman John Lewis.

“When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something,'” she said.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.