Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick told Democrats they needed to “grow a backbone” and stand up for President Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night.

Patrick urged Americans to stand with the American dream and reelect Obama, according to a livestream provided through the convention’s website.

“This is the election of a lifetime because more than any one candidate or policy, what is at stake is the American dream … and the dream is central to who we are and what we stand for as a nation,” Patrick said.

Patrick hinted at Massachusetts’ Romney years and said the state was one of the things Romney did not fix.

When Romney left office, education was cut, business confidence fell and there was a structural budget deficit, he said.

“He’s a fine fellow and a great salesman, but as governor he was a lot more interested in having the job than doing the job,” Patrick said.

With the help of the Obama administration, Massachusetts is rebuilding their roads, bridges and community, he said.

“We still have much more to do, but we are on a better track because we place our faith … in our values and in our common sense,” Patrick said.

He said the people need to band together instead of turning on each other.

Obama’s list of accomplishments is long and impressive but hardly told, Patrick said.

“If we want to win elections in November and keep our country moving forward my message is this: it’s time for democrats to grow a backbone and stand up for what we believe,” he said.

He said he would not stand by and watch Obama be bullied out of office and neither should anyone else.

“Quit waiting for polls or super packs to tell you who the next senator or president will be,” Patrick said. “We’re Americans. We shape our own future. Let’s all start by standing up for President Barack Obama.”

Earlier in the night, Fourth Congressional District candidate Joseph Kennedy III spoke to honor the memory of Edward Kennedy, his uncle.

Kennedy III said that although this is the first convention without his uncle, his uncle was “here with us this evening.”

“For my uncle Teddy, politics was always about people,” Kennedy III said. “He came from a big family and knew that people were more than line items.”

Kennedy III then asked everyone to pause to remember his uncle.

The tribute video played at the convention featured photos of Edward Kennedy’s time in the Senate, as well as clips from his debates with Mitt Romney while running for the Senate seat.

The video also featured Kennedy campaigning with Obama while he was running for the presidency, a theme woven in both Kennedy III and Patrick’s presentations.

Patrick urged everyone to stand up for their president.

“Let’s go tell everyone that we meet that when the American dream is on the line,” Patrick said. “Barack Obama is the man we want.”