Obama urges supporters to vote amid a tightening US presidential race

US President Obama said Clinton is the only candidate to have devoted her entire life to better America

US President Barack Obama has acknowledged that competition between Democratic party's Hillary Clinton and Republican rival Donald Trump  would be close in the upcoming presidential elections and has consequently urged his supporters to go out and vote in large numbers.

"I am here to tell you that this will be a close race and you cannot take it for granted," Obama told several thousands of his supporters at an election rally on Thursday in Jacksonville, Florida- a key battleground state.

Obama addressed two rallies in Florida on Thursday and is scheduled to come back over the weekend.

"Because all the progress we've made these last eight years goes out the window if we don't win this election. So we've got to work our hearts out in the next five days. We have to work like our future depends on it, because, you know what, our future depends on it," he said.

 

Making a strong pitch for his former Secretary of State, Obama said that Clinton is the only one candidate in the race who has devoted her entire life to better America, and therefore she is the next President of the United States.

Making a contrast between the two presidential candidates, Obama said while Trump is not fit to enter the White House, Clinton is the most qualified person to ever run for this position.

"So the question is, if you got one person who you know is not qualified and you got another person who is eminently qualified, the only thing that's left to do is vote," he said amidst a resounding applause from the audience.

"This is somebody who would do damage to our democracyl, who is uniquely unqualified, and shows no interest in becoming more qualified. And the good news is, Florida, all of you are uniquely qualified to make sure he doesn't get the job," he said.

Speaking further Obama urged supporters in Florida to vote for Clinton saying, "You got to vote. You don't have to just vote against something; you can vote for something. Because there's a candidate in this race who's actually worthy of your vote. Somebody who is smart. Somebody who is steady. Somebody who is tested, maybe the most qualified person to ever run for this office -- and that is our next President, Hillary Clinton."