IfthereisanyoneouttherewhostilldoubtsthatAmericaisaplacewhereallthingsarepossible;whostillwondersifthedreamofourfoundersisaliveinourtime;whostillquestionsthepowerofourdemocracy,tonightisyouranswer.
It'stheanswertoldbylinesthatstretchedaroundschoolsandchurchesinnumbersthisnationhasneverseen;bypeoplewhowaitedthreehoursandfourhours,manyfortheveryfirsttimeintheirlives,becausetheybelievedthatthistimemustbedifferent;thattheirvoicecouldbethatdifference.
It'stheanswerspokenbyyoungandold,richandpoor,DemocratandRepublican,black,white,Latino,Asian,NativeAmerican,gay,straight,disabledandnotdisabled–AmericanswhosentamessagetotheworldthatwehaveneverbeenacollectionofRedStatesandBlueStates:weare,andalwayswillbe,theUnitedStatesofAmerica.
It'stheanswerthatledthosewhohavebeentoldforsolongbysomanytobecynical,andfearful,anddoubtfulofwhatwecanachievetoputtheirhandsonthearcofhistoryandbenditoncemoretowardthehopeofabetterday.
It'sbeenalongtimecoming,buttonight,becauseofwhatwedidonthisday,inthiselection,atthisdefiningmoment,changehascometoAmerica.
IjustreceivedaverygraciouscallfromSenatorMcCain.Hefoughtlongandhardinthiscampaign,andhe'sfoughtevenlongerandharderforthecountryheloves.HehasenduredsacrificesforAmericathatmostofuscannotbegintoimagine,andwearebetterofffortheservicerenderedbythisbraveandselflessleader.IcongratulatehimandGovernorPalinforalltheyhaveachieved,andIlookforwardtoworkingwiththemtorenewthisnation'spromiseinthemonthsahead.
Iwanttothankmypartnerinthisjourney,amanwhocampaignedfromhisheartandspokeforthemenandwomenhegrewupwithonthestreetsofScrantonandrodewithonthattrainhometoDelaware,theVicePresident-electoftheUnitedStates,JoeBiden.
Iwouldnotbestandingheretonightwithouttheunyieldingsupportofmybestfriendforthelastsixteenyears,therockofourfamilyandtheloveofmylife,ournation'snextFirstLady,MichelleObama.SashaandMalia,Iloveyoubothsomuch,andyouhaveearnedthenewpuppythat'scomingwithustotheWhiteHouse.Andwhileshe'snolongerwithus,Iknowmygrandmotheriswatching,alongwiththefamilythatmademewhoIam.Imissthemtonight,andknowthatmydebttothemisbeyondmeasure.
TomycampaignmanagerDavidPlouffe,mychiefstrategistDavidAxelrod,andthebestcampaignteameverassembledinthehistoryofpolitics–youmadethishappen,andIamforevergratefulforwhatyou'vesacrificedtogetitdone.
Butaboveall,Iwillneverforgetwhothisvictorytrulybelongsto–itbelongstoyou.
Iwasneverthelikeliestcandidateforthisoffice.Wedidn'tstartwithmuchmoneyormanyendorsements.OurcampaignwasnothatchedinthehallsofWashington–itbeganinthebackyardsofDesMoinesandthelivingroomsofConcordandthefrontporchesofCharleston.
Itwasbuiltbyworkingmenandwomenwhodugintowhatlittlesavingstheyhadtogivefivedollarsandtendollarsandtwentydollarstothiscause.Itgrewstrengthfromtheyoungpeoplewhorejectedthemythoftheirgeneration'sapathy;wholefttheirhomesandtheirfamiliesforjobsthatofferedlittlepayandlesssleep;fromthenot-so-youngpeoplewhobravedthebittercoldandscorchingheattoknockonthedoorsofperfectstrangers;fromthemillionsofAmericanswhovolunteered,andorganized,andprovedthatmorethantwocenturieslater,agovernmentofthepeople,bythepeopleandforthepeoplehasnotperishedfromthisEarth.Thisisyourvictory.
Iknowyoudidn'tdothisjusttowinanelectionandIknowyoudidn'tdoitforme.Youdiditbecauseyouunderstandtheenormityofthetaskthatliesahead.Forevenaswecelebratetonight,weknowthechallengesthattomorrowwillbringarethegreatestofourlifetime–twowars,aplanetinperil,theworstfinancialcrisisinacentury.Evenaswestandheretonight,weknowtherearebraveAmericanswakingupinthedesertsofIraqandthemountainsofAfghanistantorisktheirlivesforus.Therearemothersandfatherswhowilllieawakeaftertheirchildrenfallasleepandwonderhowthey'llmakethemortgage,orpaytheirdoctor'sbills,orsaveenoughforcollege.Thereisnewenergytoharnessandnewjobstobecreated;newschoolstobuildandthreatstomeetandalliancestorepair.
Theroadaheadwillbelong.Ourclimbwillbesteep.Wemaynotgetthereinoneyearorevenoneterm,butAmerica–IhaveneverbeenmorehopefulthanIamtonightthatwewillgetthere.Ipromiseyou–weasapeoplewillgetthere.
Therewillbesetbacksandfalsestarts.Therearemanywhowon'tagreewitheverydecisionorpolicyImakeasPresident,andweknowthatgovernmentcan'tsolveeveryproblem.ButIwillalwaysbehonestwithyouaboutthechallengesweface.Iwilllistentoyou,especiallywhenwedisagree.Andaboveall,Iwillaskyoujoinintheworkofremakingthisnationtheonlywayit'sbeendoneinAmericafortwo-hundredandtwenty-oneyears–blockbyblock,brickbybrick,callousedhandbycallousedhand.
Whatbegantwenty-onemonthsagointhedepthsofwintermustnotendonthisautumnnight.Thisvictoryaloneisnotthechangeweseek–itisonlythechanceforustomakethatchange.Andthatcannothappenifwegobacktothewaythingswere.Itcannothappenwithoutyou.
Soletussummonanewspiritofpatriotism;ofserviceandresponsibilitywhereeachofusresolvestopitchinandworkharderandlookafternotonlyourselves,buteachother.Letusrememberthatifthisfinancialcrisistaughtusanything,it'sthatwecannothaveathrivingWallStreetwhileMainStreetsuffers–inthiscountry,weriseorfallasonenation;asonepeople.
Letusresistthetemptationtofallbackonthesamepartisanshipandpettinessandimmaturitythathaspoisonedourpoliticsforsolong.LetusrememberthatitwasamanfromthisstatewhofirstcarriedthebanneroftheRepublicanPartytotheWhiteHouse–apartyfoundedonthevaluesofself-reliance,individualliberty,andnationalunity.Thosearevaluesweallshare,andwhiletheDemocraticPartyhaswonagreatvictorytonight,wedosowithameasureofhumilityanddeterminationtohealthedividesthathaveheldbackourprogress.AsLincolnsaidtoanationfarmoredividedthanours,“Wearenotenemies,butfriends…thoughpassionmayhavestraineditmustnotbreakourbondsofaffection.”AndtothoseAmericanswhosesupportIhaveyettoearn–Imaynothavewonyourvote,butIhearyourvoices,Ineedyourhelp,andIwillbeyourPresidenttoo.
Andtoallthosewatchingtonightfrombeyondourshores,fromparliamentsandpalacestothosewhoarehuddledaroundradiosintheforgottencornersofourworld–ourstoriesaresingular,butourdestinyisshared,andanewdawnofAmericanleadershipisathand.Tothosewhowouldtearthisworlddown–wewilldefeatyou.Tothosewhoseekpeaceandsecurity–wesupportyou.AndtoallthosewhohavewonderedifAmerica'sbeaconstillburnsasbright–tonightweprovedoncemorethatthetruestrengthofournationcomesnotfromourthemightofourarmsorthescaleofourwealth,butfromtheenduringpowerofourideals:democracy,liberty,opportunity,andunyieldinghope.
ForthatisthetruegeniusofAmerica–thatAmericacanchange.Ourunioncanbeperfected.Andwhatwehavealreadyachievedgivesushopeforwhatwecanandmustachievetomorrow.
Thiselectionhadmanyfirstsandmanystoriesthatwillbetoldforgenerations.Butonethat'sonmymindtonightisaboutawomanwhocastherballotinAtlanta.She'salotlikethemillionsofotherswhostoodinlinetomaketheirvoiceheardinthiselectionexceptforonething–AnnNixonCooperis106yearsold.
Shewasbornjustagenerationpastslavery;atimewhentherewerenocarsontheroadorplanesinthesky;whensomeonelikehercouldn'tvotefortworeasons–becauseshewasawomanandbecauseofthecolourofherskin.
Andtonight,Ithinkaboutallthatshe'sseenthroughouthercenturyinAmerica–theheartacheandthehope;thestruggleandtheprogress;thetimesweweretoldthatwecan't,andthepeoplewhopressedonwiththatAmericancreed:Yeswecan.
Atatimewhenwomen'svoicesweresilencedandtheirhopesdismissed,shelivedtoseethemstandupandspeakoutandreachfortheballot.Yeswecan.
Whentherewasdespairinthedustbowlanddepressionacrosstheland,shesawanationconquerfearitselfwithaNewDeal,newjobsandanewsenseofcommonpurpose.Yeswecan.
Whenthebombsfellonourharbourandtyrannythreatenedtheworld,shewastheretowitnessagenerationrisetogreatnessandademocracywassaved.Yeswecan.
ShewasthereforthebusesinMontgomery,thehosesinBirmingham,abridgeinSelma,andapreacherfromAtlantawhotoldapeoplethat“WeShallOvercome.”Yeswecan.
Amantoucheddownonthemoon,awallcamedowninBerlin,aworldwasconnectedbyourownscienceandimagination.Andthisyear,inthiselection,shetouchedherfingertoascreen,andcasthervote,becauseafter106yearsinAmerica,throughthebestoftimesandthedarkestofhours,sheknowshowAmericacanchange.Yeswecan.
America,wehavecomesofar.Wehaveseensomuch.Butthereissomuchmoretodo.Sotonight,letusaskourselves–ifourchildrenshouldlivetoseethenextcentury;ifmydaughtersshouldbesoluckytoliveaslongasAnnNixonCooper,whatchangewilltheysee?Whatprogresswillwehavemade?
Thisisourchancetoanswerthatcall.Thisisourmoment.Thisisourtime–toputourpeoplebacktoworkandopendoorsofopportunityforourkids;torestoreprosperityandpromotethecauseofpeace;toreclaimtheAmericanDreamandreaffirmthatfundamentaltruth–thatoutofmany,weareone;thatwhilewebreathe,wehope,andwherewearemetwithcynicism,anddoubt,andthosewhotellusthatwecan't,wewillrespondwiththattimelesscreedthatsumsupthespiritofapeople:
YesWeCan.Thankyou,Godblessyou,andmayGodBlesstheUnitedStatesofAmerica