Presumptive President-elect Joe Biden addressed the United States Friday night from Wilmington, Delaware, asking for patience from the American people during the long, “numbing” vote tallying and calling on the nation to put partisan bickering and animosity behind to help improve the nation.

“Democracy works,” Biden said.  “Your vote will be counted.  I don’t care how hard people try to stop it. I will not let it happen.  The people will be heard.”

Biden urged Americans to unite after a hard-fought campaign in which tempers flared frequently.

“In America, we hold strong views.  We have strong disagreements, and that’s okay,” Biden commented, referring to the political divide in the nation.  “Strong disagreements are inevitable in a democracy, and strong disagreements are healthy.  They’re a sign of vigorous debate of deeply held views.”

“But we have to remember that the purpose of our politics isn’t total, unrelenting, unending warfare,” Biden continued.  “No.  The purpose of our politics, the work of the nation, isn’t to fan the flames of conflict, but to solve problems, to guarantee justice, to give everybody a fair shot, and to improve the lives of our people.

“We may be opponents,” Biden said, “but we’re not enemies.  We’re Americans.”

Biden urged the nation to come together to heal and to put the vitriol of the political campaign behind.

“We have serious problems to deal with, from COVID to our economy to racial justice to climate change,” Biden said.  “We don’t have any more time to waste on partisan warfare.”

Biden also noted that he and presumptive Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, who stood beside him during his comments (at a safe distance and wearing a mask) have been forming work groups to look for solutions to the pandemic and the economic crises that has 20 million Americans on unemployment.  He said that they’re working to develop a transition team to start from the first day of his Administration to solve the problems facing the nation and Americans individually.

Biden’s speech was in sharp contrast to those of President Trump, who took to the podium at the White House briefing room to make a statement to media filled with grievances, falsehood and unfounded accusations about “fraudulent” votes.