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Barack Obama
PresidentElectVictorySpeech

Delivered4November2008,Chicago,Illinois

AUTHENTICITYCERTIFIED:Textversionbelowtranscribeddirectlyfromaudio

Hello,Chicago. IfthereisanyoneouttherewhostilldoubtsthatAmericaisaplacewhereallthingsare possiblewhostillwondersifthedreamofourfoundersisaliveinourtimewhostill questionsthepowerofourdemocracy,tonightisyouranswer. It'stheanswertoldbylinesthatstretchedaroundschoolsandchurchesinnumbersthis nationhasneverseenbypeoplewhowaitedthreehoursandfourhours,manyforthevery firsttimeintheirlives,becausetheybelievedthatthistimemustbedifferentthattheir voicescouldbethatdifference. It'stheanswerspokenbyyoungandold,richandpoor,DemocratandRepublican,black, white,Hispanic,Asian,NativeAmerican,gay,straight,disabledandnotdisabledAmericans whosentamessagetotheworldthatwehaveneverbeenjustacollectionofindividualsora collectionofRedStatesandBlueStates:weare,andalwayswillbe,theUnitedStatesof America! It'stheanswerthatledthosewhohavebeentoldforsolongbysomanytobecynical,and fearful,anddoubtfulaboutwhatwecanachievetoputtheirhandsonthearcofhistoryand benditoncemoretowardthehopeofabetterday. It'sbeenalongtimecoming,buttonight,becauseofwhatwedidonthisday,inthiselection, atthisdefiningmoment,changehascometoAmerica.

TranscriptionbyMichaelE.Eidenmuller. PropertyofAmericanRhetoric.com. Copyright2008.Allrightsreserved.

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Alittlebitearlierthisevening,IreceivedanextraordinarilygraciouscallfromSenatorMcCain. SenatorMcCainfoughtlongandhardinthiscampaign,andhe'sfoughtevenlongerand harderforthecountrythatheloves.HehasenduredsacrificesforAmericathatmostofus cannotbegintoimagine.Wearebetterofffortheservicerenderedbythisbraveandselfless leader.IcongratulatehimIcongratulateGovernorPalinforallthatthey'veachieved,andI lookforwardtoworkingwiththemtorenewthisnation'spromiseinthemonthsahead. Iwanttothankmypartnerinthisjourney,amanwhocampaignedfromhisheartandspoke forthemenandwomenhegrewupwithonthestreetsofScrantonandrodewithonthetrain hometoDelaware,theVicePresidentelectoftheUnitedStates,JoeBiden. AndIwouldnotbestandingheretonightwithouttheunyieldingsupportofmybestfriendfor thelast16years,therockofourfamily,theloveofmylife,thenation'snextFirstLady: MichelleObama.SashaandMalia,Iloveyoubothmorethanyoucanimagine,andyouhave earnedthenewpuppythat'scomingwithustotheWhiteHouse.Andwhileshe'snolonger withus,Iknowmygrandmother'swatching,alongwiththefamilythatmademewhoIam.I missthemtonight,andIknowthatmydebttothemisbeyondmeasure.TomysisterMaya, mysisterAlma,allmyotherbrothersandsistersthankyousomuchforthesupportthat you'vegivenme.Iamgratefultothem. Andtomycampaignmanager,DavidPlouffetheunsungheroofthiscampaign,whobuilt thebestpoliticalcampaign,Ithink,inthehistoryoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Tomychief strategistDavidAxelrodwho'sbeenapartnerwithmeeverystepoftheway.Tothebest campaignteameverassembledinthehistoryofpoliticsyoumadethishappen,andIam forevergratefulforwhatyou'vesacrificedtogetitdone. Butaboveall,Iwillneverforgetwhothisvictorytrulybelongsto.Itbelongstoyou.It belongstoyou.Iwasneverthelikeliestcandidateforthisoffice.Wedidn'tstartwithmuch moneyormanyendorsements.OurcampaignwasnothatchedinthehallsofWashington.It beganinthebackyardsofDesMoinesandthelivingroomsofConcordandthefrontporches ofCharleston.Itwasbuiltbyworkingmenandwomenwhodugintowhatlittlesavingsthey hadtogive5dollarsand10dollarsand20dollarstothecause.Itgrewstrengthfromthe youngpeoplewhorejectedthemythoftheirgeneration'sapathy,wholefttheirhomesand theirfamiliesforjobsthatofferedlittlepayandlesssleep.Itdrewstrengthfromthenotso youngpeoplewhobravedthebittercoldandscorchingheattoknockondoorsofperfect strangers,andfromthemillionsofAmericanswhovolunteeredandorganizedandprovedthat morethantwocenturieslateragovernmentofthepeople,bythepeople,andforthepeople hasnotperishedfromtheEarth.Thisisyourvictory. AndIknowyoudidn'tdothisjusttowinanelection.AndIknowyoudidn'tdoitforme.You diditbecauseyouunderstandtheenormityofthetaskthatliesahead.Forevenaswe celebratetonight,weknowthechallengesthattomorrowwillbringarethegreatestofour lifetime:twowars,aplanetinperil,theworstfinancialcrisisinacentury.Evenaswestand heretonight,weknowtherearebraveAmericanswakingupinthedesertsofIraqandthe mountainsofAfghanistantorisktheirlivesforus.Therearemothersandfatherswhowilllie awakeafterthechildrenfallasleepandwonderhowthey'llmakethemortgageorpaytheir

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doctors'billsorsaveenoughfortheirchild'scollegeeducation.There'snewenergyto harness,newjobstobecreated,newschoolstobuild,andthreatstomeet,alliancestorepair. Theroadaheadwillbelong.Ourclimbwillbesteep.Wemaynotgetthereinoneyearor eveninoneterm.But,America,IhaveneverbeenmorehopefulthanIamtonightthatwe willgetthere.Ipromiseyou,weasapeoplewillgetthere. Therewillbesetbacksandfalsestarts.Therearemanywhowon'tagreewitheverydecision orpolicyImakeasPresident.Andweknowthegovernmentcan'tsolveeveryproblem.ButI willalwaysbehonestwithyouaboutthechallengesweface.Iwilllistentoyou,especially whenwedisagree.And,aboveall,Iwillaskyoutojoinintheworkofremakingthisnation, theonlywayit'sbeendoneinAmericafor221yearsblockbyblock,brickbybrick, callousedhandbycallousedhand.Whatbegan21monthsagointhedepthsofwintercannot endonthisautumnnight. Thisvictoryaloneisnotthechangeweseek.Itisonlythechanceforustomakethatchange. Andthatcannothappenifwegobacktothewaythingswere.Itcan'thappenwithoutyou, withoutanewspiritofservice,anewspiritofsacrifice.Soletussummonanewspiritof patriotism,ofresponsibility,whereeachofusresolvestopitchinandworkharderandlook afternotonlyourselvesbuteachother.Letusrememberthat,ifthisfinancialcrisistaughtus anything,it'sthatwecannothaveathrivingWallStreetwhileMainStreetsuffers.Inthis country,weriseorfallasonenation,asonepeople.Let'sresistthetemptationtofallbackon thesamepartisanshipandpettinessandimmaturitythathaspoisonedourpoliticsforsolong. Let'srememberthatitwasamanfromthisstatewhofirstcarriedthebannerofthe RepublicanPartytotheWhiteHouse,aPartyfoundedonthevaluesofselfrelianceand individuallibertyandnationalunity.Thosearevaluesthatweallshare.Andwhilethe DemocraticPartyhaswonagreatvictorytonight,wedosowithameasureofhumilityand determinationtohealthedividesthathaveheldbackourprogress.AsLincolnsaidtoanation farmoredividedthanours:"Wearenotenemiesbutfriends....""Thoughpassionmayhave strained,itmustnotbreakourbondsofaffection." AndtothoseAmericanswhowhosesupportIhaveyettoearn,Imaynothavewonyourvote tonight,butIhearyourvoices.Ineedyourhelp.AndIwillbeyourPresident,too. Andtoallthosewatchingtonightfrombeyondourshores,fromparliamentsandpalaces,to thosewhoarehuddledaroundradiosintheforgottencornersoftheworld,ourstoriesare singular,butourdestinyisshared,andanewdawnofAmericanleadershipisathand. Tothosewhowouldteartheworlddown:Wewilldefeatyou.Tothosewhoseekpeaceand security:Wesupportyou.AndtoallthosewhohavewonderedifAmerica'sbeaconstillburns asbright:Tonightwe'veprovedoncemorethatthetruestrengthofournationcomesnot fromthemightofourarmsorthescaleofourwealth,butfromtheenduringpowerofour ideals:democracy,liberty,opportunity,andunyieldinghope.

TranscriptionbyMichaelE.Eidenmuller. PropertyofAmericanRhetoric.com. Copyright2008.Allrightsreserved.

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That'sthetruegeniusofAmerica:thatAmericacanchange.Ourunioncanbeperfected.What we'vealreadyachievedgivesushopeforwhatwecanandmustachievetomorrow. Thiselectionhadmanyfirstsandmanystoriesthatwillbetoldforgenerations.Butonethat's onmymindtonight'saboutawomanwhocastherballotinAtlanta.She'salotlikethe millionsofotherswhostoodinlinetomaketheirvoiceheardinthiselectionexceptforone thing:AnnNixonCooperis106yearsold.

Shewasbornjustagenerationpastslaveryatimewhentherewereno carsontheroadorplanesintheskywhensomeonelikehercouldn'tvotefortworeasons: becauseshewasawomanandbecauseofthecolorofherskin. Andtonight,Ithinkaboutallthatshe'sseenthroughouthercenturyinAmericathe heartacheandthehopethestruggleandtheprogressthetimesweweretoldthatwecan't, andthepeoplewhopressedonwiththatAmericancreed:Yeswecan. Atatimewhenwomen'svoicesweresilencedandtheirhopesdismissed,shelivedtosee themstandupandspeakoutandreachfortheballot:Yeswecan. Whentherewasdespairinthedustbowlanddepressionacrosstheland,shesawanation conquerfearitselfwithaNewDeal,newjobs,anewsenseofcommonpurpose:Yeswecan. Whenthebombsfellonourharborandtyrannythreatenedtheworld,shewasthereto witnessagenerationrisetogreatnessandademocracywassaved:Yeswecan. ShewasthereforthebusesinMontgomery,thehosesinBirmingham,abridgeinSelma,and apreacherfromAtlantawhotoldapeoplethat"weshallovercome":Yeswecan. Amantoucheddownonthemoon,awallcamedowninBerlin,aworldwasconnectedbyour ownscienceandimagination. Andthisyear,inthiselection,shetouchedherfingertoascreen,andcasthervote,because after106yearsinAmerica,throughthebestoftimesandthedarkestofhours,sheknows howAmericacanchange:Yeswecan. America,wehavecomesofar.Wehaveseensomuch.Butthereissomuchmoretodo.So tonight,letusaskourselvesifourchildrenshouldlivetoseethenextcenturyifmy daughtersshouldbesoluckytoliveaslongasAnnNixonCooper,whatchangewilltheysee? Whatprogresswillwehavemade?

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Thisisourchancetoanswerthatcall.Thisisourmoment.Thisisourtime,toputourpeople backtoworkandopendoorsofopportunityforourkidstorestoreprosperityandpromote thecauseofpeacetoreclaimtheAmericandreamandreaffirmthatfundamentaltruth,that, outofmany,weareonethatwhilewebreathe,wehope.Andwherewearemetwith cynicismanddoubtandthosewhotellusthatwecan't,wewillrespondwiththattimeless creedthatsumsupthespiritofapeople:Yes,wecan. Thankyou. Godblessyou. AndmayGodblesstheUnitedStatesofAmerica.

AbrahamLincoln,SecondInauguralAddress Epluribusunum

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