'Our democracy is at stake': Barack Obama at DNC

The Democrats' historic boundary breakers, led by former US President Barack Obama, joined forces on Wednesday night at the party's national convention, pleading for Joe Biden's diverse coalition to put voting ahead of everything else this fall to save the nation from the chaotic leadership of President Donald Trump.

Their overriding message: Don't just complain about Trump; vote because your lives and democracy itself may be at stake.

Obama spoke later in the night, hoping to serve as a bridge between those reassured by Biden's lengthy resume and more moderate record, and a younger generation of Democrats agitating for more dramatic change.

Obama confidants say that the former president's support for Biden is unequivocal, but he does worry about enthusiasm among younger voters, particularly younger voters of color.

Democrats concede that one of the reasons Trump won the presidency in 2016 was because those voters didn't show up in the same large numbers as when Obama was on the ballot.