An excellent and gracious address. **
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Thank you so much. Thank you all. > > Well, this isn't exactly the party I'd planned, but I sure like the > company. > > I want to start today by saying how grateful I am to all of you to > everyone who poured your hearts and your hopes into this campaign, > who drove for miles and lined the streets waving homemade signs, who > scrimped and saved to raise money, who knocked on doors and made > calls, who talked and sometimes argued with your friends and > neighbors, who emailed and contributed online, who invested so much > in our common enterprise, to the moms and dads who came to our > events, who lifted their little girls and little boys on their > shoulders and whispered in their ears, "See, you can be anything you > want to be." > > To the young people like 13 year-old Ann Riddle from Mayfield, Ohio > who had been saving for two years to go to Disney World, and decided > to use her savings instead to travel to Pennsylvania with her Mom and > volunteer there as well. To the veterans and the childhood friends, > to New Yorkers and Arkansans who traveled across the country and > telling anyone who would listen why you supported me. > > To all those women in their 80s and their 90s born before women could > vote who cast their votes for our campaign. I've told you before > about Florence Steen of South Dakota, who was 88 years old, and > insisted that her daughter bring an absentee ballot to her hospice > bedside. Her daughter and a friend put an American flag behind her > bed and helped her fill out the ballot. She passed away soon after, > and under state law, her ballot didn't count. But her daughter later > told a reporter, "My dad's an ornery old cowboy, and he didn't like > it when he heard mom's vote wouldn't be counted. I don't think he had > voted in 20 years. But he voted in place of my mom." > > To all those who voted for me, and to whom I pledged my utmost, my > commitment to you and to the progress we seek is unyielding. You have > inspired and touched me with the stories of the joys and sorrows that > make up the fabric of our lives and you have humbled me with your > commitment to our country. > > 18 million of you from all walks of life women and men, young and > old, Latino and Asian, African-American and Caucasian, rich, poor and > middle class, gay and straight you have stood strong with me. And I > will continue to stand strong with you, every time, every place, and > every way that I can. The dreams we share are worth fighting for. > > Remember - we fought for the single mom with a young daughter, > juggling work and school, who told me, "I'm doing it all to better > myself for her." We fought for the woman who grabbed my hand, and > asked me, "What are you going to do to make sure I have health care?" > and began to cry because even though she works three jobs, she can't > afford insurance. We fought for the young man in the Marine Corps t- > shirt who waited months for medical care and said, "Take care of my > buddies over there and then, will you please help take care of me?" > We fought for all those who've lost jobs and health care, who can't > afford gas or groceries or college, who have felt invisible to their > president these last seven years. > > I entered this race because I have an old-fashioned conviction: that > public service is about helping people solve their problems and live > their dreams. I've had every opportunity and blessing in my own life > and I want the same for all Americans. Until that day comes, you > will always find me on the front lines of democracy fighting for > the future. > > The way to continue our fight now to accomplish the goals for which > we stand is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do > all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the > United States. > > Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he > has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him, and > throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in > working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me. > > I have served in the Senate with him for four years. I have been in > this campaign with him for 16 months. I have stood on the stage and > gone toe-to-toe with him in 22 debates. I have had a front row seat > to his candidacy, and I have seen his strength and determination, his > grace and his grit. > > In his own life, Barack Obama has lived the American Dream. As a > community organizer, in the state senate, as a United States Senator - > he has dedicated himself to ensuring the dream is realized. And in > this campaign, he has inspired so many to become involved in the > democratic process and invested in our common future. > > Now when I started this race, I intended to win back the White House, > and make sure we have a president who puts our country back on the > path to peace, prosperity, and progress. And that's exactly what > we're going to do by ensuring that Barack Obama walks through the > doors of the Oval Office on January 20, 2009. > > I understand that we all know this has been a tough fight. The > Democratic Party is a family, and it's now time to restore the ties > that bind us together and to come together around the ideals we > share, the values we cherish, and the country we love. > > We may have started on separate journeys but today, our paths have > merged. And we are all heading toward the same destination, united > and more ready than ever to win in November and to turn our country > around because so much is at stake. > > We all want an economy that sustains the American Dream, the > opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for > college, a home and retirement, to afford that gas and those > groceries and still have a little left over at the end of the month. > An economy that lifts all of our people and ensures that our > prosperity is broadly distributed and shared. > > We all want a health care system that is universal, high quality, and > affordable so that parents no longer have to choose between care for > themselves or their children or be stuck in dead end jobs simply to > keep their insurance. This isn't just an issue for me it is a > passion and a cause and it is a fight I will continue until every > single American is insured no exceptions, no excuses. > > We all want an America defined by deep and meaningful equality from > civil rights to labor rights, from women's rights to gay rights, from > ending discrimination to promoting unionization to providing help for > the most important job there is: caring for our families. > > We all want to restore America's standing in the world, to end the > war in Iraq and once again lead by the power of our values, and to > join with our allies to confront our shared challenges from poverty > and genocide to terrorism and global warming. > > You know, I've been involved in politics and public life in one way > or another for four decades. During those forty years, our country > has voted ten times for President. Democrats won only three of those > times. And the man who won two of those elections is with us today. > > We made tremendous progress during the 90s under a Democratic > President, with a flourishing economy, and our leadership for peace > and security respected around the world. Just think how much more > progress we could have made over the past 40 years if we had a > Democratic president. Think about the lost opportunities of these > past seven years on the environment and the economy, on health care > and civil rights, on education, foreign policy and the Supreme Court. > Imagine how far we could've come, how much we could've achieved if we > had just had a Democrat in the White House. > > We cannot let this moment slip away. We have come too far and > accomplished too much. > > Now the journey ahead will not be easy. Some will say we can't do it. > That it's too hard. That we're just not up to the task. But for as > long as America has existed, it has been the American way to > reject "can't do" claims, and to choose instead to stretch the > boundaries of the possible through hard work, determination, and a > pioneering spirit. > > It is this belief, this optimism, that Senator Obama and I share, and > that has inspired so many millions of our supporters to make their > voices heard. > > So today, I am standing with Senator Obama to say: Yes we can. > > Together we will work. We'll have to work hard to get universal > health care. But on the day we live in an America where no child, no > man, and no woman is without health insurance, we will live in a > stronger America. That's why we need to help elect Barack Obama our > President. > > We'll have to work hard to get back to fiscal responsibility and a > strong middle class. But on the day we live in an America whose > middle class is thriving and growing again, where all Americans, no > matter where they live or where their ancestors came from, can earn a > decent living, we will live in a stronger America and that is why we > must elect Barack Obama our President. > > We'll have to work hard to foster the innovation that makes us energy > independent and lift the threat of global warming from our children's > future. But on the day we live in an America fueled by renewable > energy, we will live in a stronger America. That's why we have to > help elect Barack Obama our President. > > We'll have to work hard to bring our troops home from Iraq, and get > them the support they've earned by their service. But on the day we > live in an America that's as loyal to our troops as they have been to > us, we will live in a stronger America and that is why we must help > elect Barack Obama our President. > > This election is a turning point election and it is critical that we > all understand what our choice really is. Will we go forward together > or will we stall and slip backwards. Think how much progress we have > already made. When we first started, people everywhere asked the same > questions: > > Could a woman really serve as Commander-in-Chief? Well, I think we > answered that one. > > And could an African American really be our President? Senator Obama > has answered that one. > > Together Senator Obama and I achieved milestones essential to our > progress as a nation, part of our perpetual duty to form a more > perfect union. > > Now, on a personal note when I was asked what it means to be a > woman running for President, I always gave the same answer: that I > was proud to be running as a woman but I was running because I > thought I'd be the best President. But I am a woman, and like > millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out > there, often unconscious. > > I want to build an America that respects and embraces the potential > of every last one of us. > > I ran as a daughter who benefited from opportunities my mother never > dreamed of. I ran as a mother who worries about my daughter's future > and a mother who wants to lead all children to brighter tomorrows. To > build that future I see, we must make sure that women and men alike > understand the struggles of their grandmothers and mothers, and that > women enjoy equal opportunities, equal pay, and equal respect. Let us > resolve and work toward achieving some very simple propositions: > There are no acceptable limits and there are no acceptable prejudices > in the twenty-first century. > > You can be so proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a > woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in > a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman > can be the President of the United States. And that is truly > remarkable. > > To those who are disappointed that we couldn't go all the way > especially the young people who put so much into this campaign it > would break my heart if, in falling short of my goal, I in any way > discouraged any of you from pursuing yours. Always aim high, work > hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. When you stumble, > keep faith. When you're knocked down, get right back up. And never > listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on. > > As we gather here today in this historic magnificent building, the > 50th woman to leave this Earth is orbiting overhead. If we can blast > 50 women into space, we will someday launch a woman into the White > House. > > Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass > ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in > it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us > all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a > little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress > in America. > > Think of the suffragists who gathered at Seneca Falls in 1848 and > those who kept fighting until women could cast their votes. Think of > the abolitionists who struggled and died to see the end of slavery. > Think of the civil rights heroes and foot-soldiers who marched, > protested and risked their lives to bring about the end to > segregation and Jim Crow. > > Because of them, I grew up taking for granted that women could vote. > Because of them, my daughter grew up taking for granted that children > of all colors could go to school together. Because of them, Barack > Obama and I could wage a hard fought campaign for the Democratic > nomination. Because of them, and because of you, children today will > grow up taking for granted that an African American or a woman can > yes, become President of the United States. > > When that day arrives and a woman takes the oath of office as our > President, we will all stand taller, proud of the values of our > nation, proud that every little girl can dream and that her dreams > can come true in America. And all of you will know that because of > your passion and hard work you helped pave the way for that day. > > So I want to say to my supporters, when you hear people saying or > think to yourself "if only" or "what if," I say, "please don't go > there." Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving > forward. > > Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high > to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what > still can be. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure > that Senator Obama is our next President and I hope and pray that all > of you will join me in that effort. > > To my supporters and colleagues in Congress, to the governors and > mayors, elected officials who stood with me, in good times and in > bad, thank you for your strength and leadership. To my friends in our > labor unions who stood strong every step of the way I thank you and > pledge my support to you. To my friends, from every stage of my life > your love and ongoing commitments sustain me every single day. To my > family especially Bill and Chelsea and my mother, you mean the > world to me and I thank you for all you have done. And to my > extraordinary staff, volunteers and supporters, thank you for working > those long, hard hours. Thank you for dropping everything leaving > work or school traveling to places you'd never been, sometimes for > months on end. And thanks to your families as well because your > sacrifice was theirs too. > > All of you were there for me every step of the way. Being human, we > are imperfect. That's why we need each other. To catch each other > when we falter. To encourage each other when we lose heart. Some may > lead; others may follow; but none of us can go it alone. The changes > we're working for are changes that we can only accomplish together. > Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are rights that belong to > each of us as individuals. But our lives, our freedom, our happiness, > are best enjoyed, best protected, and best advanced when we do work > together. > > That is what we will do now as we join forces with Senator Obama and > his campaign. We will make history together as we write the next > chapter in America's story. We will stand united for the values we > hold dear, for the vision of progress we share, and for the country > we love. There is nothing more American than that. > > And looking out at you today, I have never felt so blessed. The > challenges that I have faced in this campaign are nothing compared to > those that millions of Americans face every day in their own lives. > So today, I'm going to count my blessings and keep on going. I'm > going to keep doing what I was doing long before the cameras ever > showed up and what I'll be doing long after they're gone: Working to > give every American the same opportunities I had, and working to > ensure that every child has the chance to grow up and achieve his or > her God-given potential. > > I will do it with a heart filled with gratitude, with a deep and > abiding love for our country and with nothing but optimism and > confidence for the days ahead. This is now our time to do all that we > can to make sure that in this election we add another Democratic > president to that very small list of the last 40 years and that we > take back our country and once again move with progress and > commitment to the future. > > Thank you all and God bless you and God bless America. >
