Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Night Two Theme: Renewing America's Promise
Hillary Clinton made me proud. With unwavering sacrifice to her own disappointment, with an overabundance of loyalty to her party and country, with undeniable tact and purpose, Senator Hillary Clinton gave what may forever be known as the speech of her life on August 28, 2008, the second day of the Democratic National Convention. Her words - effective, pointed, willful - were not contrived nor selfish, but instead, inspiring and unifying.
She should be applauded for accomplishing the difficult task of remaining both faithful to herself and faithful to her party. She should be commended for her ability to see and strive for the greater good. She should be honored in her dutiful choice to support Barack Obama, with her primary supporters voting alongside with her.
After hearing her speech, my mind wandered to the last scenes of one of my favorite movies, "The Contender" (2000), where President Jackson Evans says:
"to get power you need to display absolute pettiness; to exercise power, you need to show true greatness." Such pettiness and greatness are rarely found in one person... Laine Hanson has asked that I allow her to step aside. She asked me to do this because she wants my presidency to end on a note of triumph and not controversey. Understand, those of you who worked to bring Laine Hanson down, that she asked to have her name withdrawn from consideration, NOT because she isn't great, but because she isn't petty. Because those two forms of leadership traits could not live in her body or her soul. Greatness. It comes in many forms, sometimes it comes in the form of sacrifice - that's the loneliest form"
On Tuesday, Hillary Clinton's lack of pettiness, her unselfish sacrifice, and pure desire for a better America, forever established her as one of the greatest Democrats our country has ever known. Bravo Mrs. Clinton...bravo!
Senator Hillary Clinton
Speech Highlights (It's almost the entire speech because, honestly, it was just that good!):
- I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama.
- Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines.
- No way. No how. No McCain.
- Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our President.
- ...after eight years of George Bush, people are hurting at home, and our standing has eroded around the world. We have a lot of work ahead.
- Jobs lost, houses gone, falling wages, rising prices. The Supreme Court in a right-wing headlock and our government in partisan gridlock. The biggest deficit in our nation's history. Money borrowed from the Chinese to buy oil from the Saudis.
- I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?
- We need leaders once again who can tap into that special blend of American confidence and optimism that has enabled generations before us to meet our toughest challenges. Leaders who can help us show ourselves and the world that with our ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit, there are no limits to what is possible in America.
- We need to elect Barack Obama because we need a President who understands that America can't compete in a global economy by padding the pockets of energy speculators, while ignoring the workers whose jobs have been shipped overseas.
- We need a President who understands that we can't solve the problems of global warming by giving windfall profits to the oil companies while ignoring opportunities to invest in new technologies that will build a green economy.
- We need a President who understands that the genius of America has always depended on the strength and vitality of the middle class.
- Barack Obama began his career fighting for workers displaced by the global economy. He built his campaign on a fundamental belief that change in this country must start from the ground up, not the top down. He knows government must be about "We the people" not "We the favored few."
- And when Barack Obama is in the White House, he'll revitalize our economy, defend the working people of America, and meet the global challenges of our time. Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, President Clinton and the Democrats did it before. And President Obama and the Democrats will do it again.
- He'll transform our energy agenda by creating millions of green jobs and building a new, clean energy future. He'll make sure that middle class families get the tax relief they deserve. And I can't wait to watch Barack Obama sign a health care plan into law that covers every single American.
- Barack Obama will end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home - a first step to repairing our alliances around the world.
- And he will have with him a terrific partner in Michelle Obama. Anyone who saw Michelle's speech last night knows she will be a great First Lady for America.
- Americans are also fortunate that Joe Biden will be at Barack Obama's side. He is a strong leader and a good man. He understands both the economic stresses here at home and the strategic challenges abroad. He is pragmatic, tough, and wise. And, of course, Joe will be supported by his wonderful wife, Jill.
- ...we don't need four more years . . . of the last eight years. More economic stagnation ...and less affordable health care. More high gas prices ...and less alternative energy. More jobs getting shipped overseas ...and fewer jobs created here. More skyrocketing debt ...home foreclosures ...and mounting bills that are crushing our middle class families. More war . . . less diplomacy. More of a government where the privileged come first ...and everyone else comes last.
- John McCain says the economy is fundamentally sound. John McCain doesn't think that 47 million people without health insurance is a crisis. John McCain wants to privatize Social Security. And in 2008, he still thinks it's okay when women don't earn equal pay for equal work.
- With an agenda like that, it makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.
- But remember, before we can keep going, we have to get going by electing Barack Obama president.
- I want you to think about your children and grandchildren come election day. And think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation.
Posts
