Remarks by the Vice President at a Campaign Event in Scranton, Pennsylvania

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Scranton! (Applause.) Hey, everybody!

Can we hear it for Glen? (Applause.) Let's hear it for Glen.

Hi, Scranton. Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. It is so good to be with everyone. (Applause.) Thank you.

Are we ready to do this?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: We- — we're ready to get out the vote?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: We're ready to win?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: All right. Okay. So, first, let me thank Glen. I was — I was telling him when we were just hanging out backstage, so when I — my first office that I ran for was district attorney, and the Carpenters were the first union to endorse me. (Applause.) And — and I — and I've always — I mean, even before, but always — I will always and always have stood with labor.

And so, I'm very proud to stand with you, Glen, with your members, with all the members of labor, as we do this together. (Applause.)

And as he pointed out, there's a huge difference between me and the other guy, which everybody here knows, which is why you are here to help us get out the vote. (Applause.)

But I thought I would share with you — so, I was — when I was coming in, someone reminded me of — of a story I've shared, which is when I first ran for office as DA. So, I — I started out at six points in the polls, right? So, you kn- — for anyone who knows, that's 6 out of 100. (Laughter.) No one thought we could win. And I used to campaign with my ironing board. (Laughter.) Okay. You are wondering, "Now, what is she talking about?" (Laughter.)

So, I would grab my ironing board, a roll of duct tape, my pois- — my posters and my flyers, and I'd put them all in my car, and I'd drive to the local grocery stores. And I'd pull out my ironing board and my duct tape and my posters and my flyers, and I'd walk to the front of the grocery store outside, and I'd stand up my ironing board, because, you see, an ironing board makes a really great standing desk. (Laughter.)

And I'd use the duct tape to tape my posters on the outside of the thing, and I'd put my flyers on top of the ironing board. And I would require people to talk to me as they walked in and out of the grocery store. (Laughter.)

And I will tell you, that is how I love to campaign. I don't do it as much anymore, obviously. But what you all are signing up to do today and what you've been doing, like, let's enjoy it. You know, and I know you do. I can feel the mood in here. Because it's the best of who we are as a democracy.

And I think we've kind of — (applause) — right?

And that's what our campaign has been about. We are a people-driven campaign, and we love the people. And we see, in the face of a stranger, a neighbor — right? — and that's the spirit of what we are doing.

And over these last — you know, this whole era of this other guy, you know, it — but it — what it's done with all that talk that's been about trying to have us point fingers at each other and divide each other, it makes people feel alone. It makes them feel like there's nobody standing with them.

And so, the way I have always been thinking about our campaign and these next 24 hours is as we are getting out the vote, as we are canvassing, let's be intentional about building community — about building community, about building coalitions, about reminding people we all have so much more in common than what separates us. There is power in that. There is power in that. (Applause.) And there's lasting power in that, right?

It's about the win, and it is about more. It is about more. It is about just strengthening our country and reminding each other we are all in this together. We rise and fall together. And that is the strength of who we are and everyone here.

That's the strength of Bob Casey. We've got to get him back in the United States Senate. (Applause.)

That's the strength of Mayor Cognetti and all that she has been doing. Right? (Applause.)

It's about leadership that is the kind of leadership that we want. Right? They are leaders, we are leaders who understand that the measure of our strength is not based on who we beat down. It's based on who we lift up. Right? (Applause.) And so, that's what we're going to do.

And so, over these next 24 hours, I know everyone is here, including our youngest leaders — I see you over there. I know you're not ready to vote because you look like you're about eight, but — (laughs) — but you tell the adults in your life why it's important they vote. Okay? (Laughs.) (Applause.)

But over these next 24 hours, let's — let's enjoy this moment to knock on a neighbor's door and in their face, even if we've not met them, know that we have a lot that we care about in common and that we are optimistic about the future of our country, that we love our country, and that that's what this fight is about, and about the promise of America — and the promise of America being represented by everybody who is here.

So, I thank you all for the time that you have taken out of your busy lives. There are a number of things that each one of you could be doing right now and — but you're here, and we're all here together, under this one roof, as a community of people who care and who are dedicated to the hard work that it requires.

You know, I — I like to say that you — you know, when you love something, you fight for it. (Applause.) And that's what we're doing. And that's what we're doing. We love our country, and we are fighting for the best of who we are. And —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: And I love you. (Applause.) Thank you. I love you.

So —

AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Let's vote. Let's get out the vote. Let's get out the vote. Let's get out the vote.

AUDIENCE: Let's get out the vote! Let's get out the vote! Let's get out the vote!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Let's get out the vote. Let's get out the vote. Let's get out the vote. Let's win. (Laughs.) (Applause.)

All right, let's get to work. Twenty-four hours to go. And I — I so — I — I'm so grateful for everyone here. I — I just — I'll end with this point. You know, I have the — I have the privilege, I have the blessing of being able to travel around our country. And I'm telling you guys, we're good. We're good. We're good. (Applause.) We really are.

I mean, every — I s- — I go into rooms with people who s- — again, seemingly have nothing in common and have everything in common — rooms of people of all kinds of different backgrounds, of ages coming together in this sense of just the — the collective. We're good.

And so, we're going to keep doing this work with the optimism that it requires to be strong. Everyone here knows, in the context of your family, in your life, when you believe something is possible, you put in the hard work, and you know it's good work — hard work is good work, it's joyful work — and we get the job done.

Let's get this done. Thank you all. (Applause.)