1、hello, chicago.if there is anyone out there who still doubts that america is aplace where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dreamof our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is youranswer.its the answer told by lines that stretched aro
2、und schools and churches in numbers this nation hasnever seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives,because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and p
3、oor, democrat and republican, black, white,hispanic, asian, native american, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. americans who sent amessage to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of redstates and blue states.we are, and always will be, the united
4、 states of america.its the answer that led those whove been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful anddoubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once moretoward the hope of a better day.-a little bit earlier this evening, i received an extr
5、aordinarily gracious call from sen. mccain.-sen. mccain fought long and hard in this campaign. and hes fought even longer and harder for thecountry that he loves. he has endured sacrifices for america that most of us cannot begin to imagine.we are better off for the service rendered by this brave an
6、d selfless leader.-i congratulate him; i congratulate gov. palin for all that theyve achieved. and i look forward toworking with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead. i want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for themen and women he
7、grew up with on the streets of scranton and rode with on the train home todelaware, the vice president-elect of the united states, joe biden.-and i would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, th
8、e nations next first lady michelle obama.16and while shes no longer with us, i know my grandmothers watching, along with the family thatmade me who i am. i miss them tonight. i know that my debt to them is beyond measure.to my sister maya, my sister alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you
9、 so much for all thesupport that youve given me. i am grateful to them.and to my campaign manager, david plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the bestthe best political campaign, i think, in the history of the united states of america.-to my chief strategist david axelrod whos been a
10、 partner with me every step of the way. to thebest campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and i am forevergrateful for what youve sacrificed to get it done. but above all, i will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. it belongs to you. it belongs toyo
11、u.- i was never the likeliest candidate for this office. we didnt start with much money or manyendorsements. our campaign was not hatched in the halls of washington. it began in the backyardsof des moines and the living rooms of concord and the front porches of charleston. it was built byworking men
12、 and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 tothe cause.51020it grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy who lefttheir homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.it drew strength from the n
13、ot-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat toknock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of americans who volunteered andorganized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people,and for the people has not perished from the
14、 earth.this is your victory.and i know you didnt do this just to win an election. and i know you didnt do it for me. you didit because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. for even as we celebrate tonight,we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lif
15、etime two wars, aplanet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave americans waking up in the deserts of iraqand the mountains of afghanistan to risk their lives for us. there are mothers and fathers who will lieawake after the children f
16、all asleep and wonder how theyll make the mortgage or pay their doctorsbills or save enough for their childs college education.-theres new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet,alliances to repair.the road ahead will be long. our climb will be steep. we
17、 may not get there in one year or even inone term. but, america, i have never been more hopeful than i am tonight that we will get there. i promise you, we as a people will get there.there will be setbacks and false starts. there are many who wont agree with every decision orpolicy i make as preside
18、nt. and we know the government cant solve every problem.but i will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. i will listen to you, especiallywhen we disagree. and, above all, i will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the onlyway its been done in america for 221 years
19、block byblock, brick by brick, calloused handby calloused hand.221-what began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. this victoryalone is not the change we seek. it is only the chance for us to make that change. and that cannothappen if we go back to the way things we
20、re.21it cant happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. so let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch inand work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. let us remember that, if thisfinancial c
21、risis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving wall street while main streetsuffers.in this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. lets resist the temptation to fall back onthe same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.let
22、s remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the republican partyto the white house, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and nationalunity.those are values that we all share. and while the democratic party has won a great victory toni
23、ght,we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back ourprogress.-as lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. thoughpassion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.2008in his speech tuesday,
24、president obama said america must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.my fellow citizens:i stand here today humbled by the taskbefore us,gratefulfor the trustyou have bestowed, mindfulof thesacrificesborne by our ancestors. i thank presidentbush for his service to our nation, as well as
25、the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. forty-four americans have now taken the presidential oath. the words have been spoken during rising tides ofprosperity and the still waters of peace. yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging stor
26、ms. at these moments, america has carried on notsimply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our foundingdocuments.so it has been. so it must be with this generation of americans.that we
27、are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network ofviolence and hatred. our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation f
28、or a new age. homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.these are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and s
29、tatistics. less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that americas decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.today i say to you that the challenges we face are real. they are serious and they(:2008) are many. they
30、 will not be met easily or in a short span of time. but know this, america: they will be met.worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.god-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.in reaffirming the gr
31、eatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. it must be earned. ourjourney has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. it has not been the path for the fainthearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. rather, it
32、has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor - who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.for us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a
33、 new life.for us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the west; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. for us, they fought and died, in places like concord and gettysburg; normandy and khe sahn.time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hand
34、s were raw so that we might live a better life. they saw america as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.this is the journey we continue today. we remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. our m
