President Obama touts Clinton, slams Trump at DNC

Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia brought a long list of carefully scripted and well-orchestrated attacks against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, including from President Barack Obama.
But the day's No. 1 priority by far was to convince America that Hillary Clinton is not only the first woman to lead a major party ticket for the White House, but the right woman for the job.
The Empire State was represented well during one for the busiest, most-watched nights of the Democrats' biggest pep rally of the year. U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) was among those playing the role of promoter by plugging Clinton's resume, while New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who opened the day's proceedings, made sharp attacks toward Trump.
The focus Wednesday shifted toward the most powerful man in the world. News 12 was told President Obama had worked for several weeks on his primetime address, and with one goal: convincing America to elect Clinton as his successor.
"Obama needs to take it home and give some good, old-fashioned religion," said Paul Adler, a close Clinton family friend.
There's no doubt that Obama's final Democratic convention speech as president mattered in a big way, with much of his own legacy considered to be inextricably linked to a Clinton victory in November.
"President Obama is one of the best speakers America has known and seen," said Sen. Charles Schumer. "I think the whole focus of this convention should be and is keeping people in the middle class."
Currently, the president's approval ratings stand near 50 percent, which is higher than Trump or Clinton. However, the general election is anything but a lock. The polls right now show that a majority of Americans are deeply mistrustful of the former secretary of state - a notion a long list of Democrats tried to dispel on the convention floor.
Either way, it cannot be disputed that Clinton has already secured a spot in history by becoming the first woman ever to lead a major party ticket for the White House.
As for Sen. Kaine, Wednesday marks a chance for him to introduce himself to the nation. He is a self-described "boring" Virginia senator, but New York delegates who know him well said he is anything but.
"Sen. Kaine is a fine man," said Rep. Nita Lowey. "At Harvard Law School, he took off time to go help people in Latin America."
Kaine has held elected office for two decades, but this is his first time running on a national stage. Adler said Clinton selected him because he is someone who could work as a real partner.
Before Kaine got the chance to pitch himself for the vice presidency, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg grabbed the spotlight and also took shots at Trump. Kaine also served as the warmup act for Obama, who not only advocated Clinton's record but also his own legacy. Clinton joined Obama on stage and gave him a hug after he finished his speech.
It was 12 years ago to the day Wednesday that Obama first burst onto the national stage with a fiery speech at John Kerry's Democratic convention in Boston.
On Thursday, Clinton will formally accept the Democratic nomination for president to close out the convention.