OT: The Barack Obama Transcript

[TRAGChick]

CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama spoke at a rally in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, after winning the race for the White House Tuesday night. The following is an exact transcript of his speech.

Barack Obama speaks at a rally in Chicago, Illinois, after winning the presidency Tuesday night.

Obama:

"Hello, Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never 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.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. Watch Obama's speech in its entirety »

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain.

Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country 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 and selfless leader.

I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, 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 last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.

Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.

And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made 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 so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.

To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.

To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.

It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized 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 Earth.

This is your victory.

And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.

You did it 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 lifetime -- two wars, a planet 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 Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

There's 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 may not get there in one year or even in one 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 won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

It can't 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 in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America."

[weatherman90]

Yes, he can give a speech alright.

Let's see if he can rule the free world.

[cookieduster]

He's not the Lord.

[tammy]

Thanks, Nor...I'm not political, but it was an inspiring speech and a great night. Some of us are old enough to remember a different time, the 60s and MLK Jr. and his dream...which was realized last night.

[MarcelJordan]

Glad Obama didn't touch on race, like Mccain did.

[Saint John]

Glad Obama didn't touch on race, like Mccain did.

Glad to see you can read.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

[tj]

Glad Obama didn't touch on race, like Mccain did.

Glad to see you can read.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

He left out bald, left handed, dentally challenged among many others.

[MarcelJordan]

Glad Obama didn't touch on race, like Mccain did.

Glad to see you can read.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

What I mean is singleing out that he is African-American and got the job despite that. Whereas Mccain says its great day for African Americans.

[Saint John]

What I mean is singleing out that he is African-American and got the job despite that.

First of all, he's a black American, not an "African American." Africa is a fucking continent (Someone send the memo to Palin ). I don't run around purporting myself as European American so I think it's about time we end this whole "African American" bullshit.

Whereas Mccain says its great day for African Americans.

McCain should have his Frankenstein-like face slapped for that comment for a few reasons. The reason I stated above being one. The other being that it would be equally absurd if I called the guy white!!! He's half of each race. And considering his father ditched him and his loose-legged mother, one could argue that he was raised in a caucasian setting much more so than a black one!!! But that would just open a big can of worms.

[MarcelJordan]

What I mean is singleing out that he is African-American and got the job despite that.

First of all, he's a black American, not an "African American." Africa is a fucking continent (Someone send the memo to Palin ). I don't run around purporting myself as European American so I think it's about time we end this whole "African American" bullshit.

Whereas Mccain says its great day for African Americans.

McCain should have his Frankenstein-like face slapped for that comment for a few reasons. The reason I stated above being one. The other being that it would be equally absurd if I called the guy white!!! He's half of each race. And considering his father ditched him and his loose-legged mother one could argue that he was raised in a caucasian setting much more so than a black one!!! But that would just open a big can of worms.

Fair enough.

[Lula]

too bad some of you are so damn cynical you can't appreciate the inspiration and hope that so many americans are feeling. barack obama is just a man, nothing more nothing less, but he has a vision of leadership that has many people feeling proud to be an american and that says a lot after the divisive arrogant policies of the past 8 years. i voted for him and i am extremely proud to say that he is my president.

[MarcelJordan]

... appreciate the inspiration and hope that so many americans are feeling. barack obama is just a man, nothing more nothing less, but he has a vision of leadership that has many people feeling proud to be an american and that says a lot after the divisive arrogant policies of the past 8 years. i voted for him and i am extremely proud to say that he is my president.

Well said

I must say there is still hope that the Repubs have a better future not too far off, less divisive such as Gov. of Louisiana. Obama would do well to keep an eye on him (as a potential bipartisan partner). Atleast I hope so.

[tj]

too bad some of you are so damn cynical you can't appreciate the inspiration and hope that so many americans are feeling. barack obama is just a man, nothing more nothing less, but he has a vision of leadership that has many people feeling proud to be an american and that says a lot after the divisive arrogant policies of the past 8 years. i voted for him and i am extremely proud to say that he is my president.

It's not just cynicism about Obama, it is more with the system.

[stevew2]

That coloured dude gave a great speech.I like him,and so does Tito.We need some change.Tito and i am behind him all the way.

[SteveForever]

We have to have trust and faith at this point, but it saddens me that people voted "trendy."
The market dropped today=people are scared and our enemies around the world are endorsing this
nomination which is also scary....he'll need to be a leader and not a negotiator.

I pray he can do this job and do it well. I want him to succeed.
Peace~

[Lula]

voted "trendy" dare i ask?

[tj]

voted "trendy" dare i ask?

It is quite "uncool" to not be enamored with Obama. Ahead of the election, if you didn't plan to vote for him, you were not trendy. If you didn't vote for him, you are a loser.

[ProgRocker53]

voted "trendy" dare i ask?

It is quite "uncool" to not be enamored with Obama. Ahead of the election, if you didn't plan to vote for him, you were not trendy. If you didn't vote for him, you are a loser.

that's how it seemed to be around here.

me being a McCain supporter actually ruined my chances with a couple chicks. ugh.

[Don]

voted "trendy" dare i ask?

It is quite "uncool" to not be enamored with Obama. Ahead of the election, if you didn't plan to vote for him, you were not trendy. If you didn't vote for him, you are a loser.

Trendy created the Bradley effect. Even behind the curtain people voted for THE BLACK MAN this time. What would you have them do? Vote for the taxcutter, the war hero, the maverick, hell even McCain was confused about who he was supposed to be.
With Russia Sabre rattling, we need all our allies in the fold with us, Obama gives us that chance to have a united front again. It's not all McCains fault but he is forever connected to Bush in the eyes of the world. We need a clean slate and we have that, for better or worse.

[Lula]

voted "trendy" dare i ask?

It is quite "uncool" to not be enamored with Obama. Ahead of the election, if you didn't plan to vote for him, you were not trendy. If you didn't vote for him, you are a loser.

pardon me, but that is fucking ridiculous. clearly the folks that did not/do not support him have conjured this one up.

[stevew2]

voted "trendy" dare i ask?

It is quite "uncool" to not be enamored with Obama. Ahead of the election, if you didn't plan to vote for him, you were not trendy. If you didn't vote for him, you are a loser.

that's how it seemed to be around here.

me being a McCain supporter actually ruined my chances with a couple chicks. ugh.

You need to get laid

[Carrington]

Could we just hit the fast forward button on the remote and get to 2012 allready.....this fucking Obama orgy fest is about all a sane man can take.......( insert puking smiley here )

[Don]

Could we just hit the fast forward button on the remote and get to 2012 allready.....this fucking Obama orgy fest is about all a sane man can take.......( insert puking smiley here )

Maybe there wil be a Palin orgy fest that time around, mooseburgers and wolf paws aplenty.

[stevew2]

Could we just hit the fast forward button on the remote and get to 2012 allready.....this fucking Obama orgy fest is about all a sane man can take.......( insert puking smiley here )

Id give him a chance, cant be worse than that fag cluster fuckin cowboy we ve had for the last 8 fuckng years

[trekman]

He's not the Lord.

But he sure is Thier "Messiah" Just wait till the shit hits the fan. Of course they will blame it all on the white man. We hold them back. They are opressed and downtrodden or however the F*ck you spell it.!

[Don]

He's not the Lord.

But he sure is Thier "Messiah" Just wait till the shit hits the fan. Of course they will blame it all on the white man. We hold them back. They are opressed and downtrodden or however the F*ck you spell it.!

The dry cleaner called, your robes are ready for pickup.

[youkeepmewaiting]

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America. "

A few Sam Cooke lines there, nice.

Well done America.

[StevePerryHair]

McCain should have his Frankenstein-like face slapped for that comment for a few reasons. The reason I stated above being one. The other being that it would be equally absurd if I called the guy white!!! He's half of each race. And considering his father ditched him and his loose-legged mother, one could argue that he was raised in a caucasian setting much more so than a black one!!! But that would just open a big can of worms.

You keep pointing out how white he is Dan and though I do understand what you are saying, you have to know that in this country for hundreds of years, if you were black enough for your skin to show it, which he is, you are considered black (or african-american ) When they had no rights in this country, people didn't care if they had 1/8 of black in them, they were lumped with someone who was 100% black if they couldn't "pass" for white. So it is still a big barrier that was broken in this country and a historical event for him to be elected. I can tell you that numerous people in this country who still hold that prejudice did not vote for him based solely on his skin color. There are people who will tell you that to your face. It still exists.

[Saint John]

McCain should have his Frankenstein-like face slapped for that comment for a few reasons. The reason I stated above being one. The other being that it would be equally absurd if I called the guy white!!! He's half of each race. And considering his father ditched him and his loose-legged mother, one could argue that he was raised in a caucasian setting much more so than a black one!!! But that would just open a big can of worms.

You keep pointing out how white he is Dan and though I do understand what you are saying, you have to know that in this country for hundreds of years, if you were black enough for your skin to show it, which he is, you are considered black (or african-american ) When they had no rights in this country, people didn't care if they had 1/8 of black in them, they were lumped with someone who was 100% black if they couldn't "pass" for white. So it is still a big barrier that was broken in this country and a historical event for him to be elected. I can tell you that numerous people in this country who still hold that prejudice did not vote for him based solely on his skin color. There are people who will tell you that to your face. It still exists.

Agreed on all counts. I'm just tired of the first black president, the first woman this, the first Asian this, the first handicapped that, the first one balled this, etc... Moving forward means not putting an emphasis on race. At least that's the way I see it. Slamming it down people's throats is only going to remind and rekindle past injustices...the vast majority of which no one alive today was responsible for!!!

[StevePerryHair]

McCain should have his Frankenstein-like face slapped for that comment for a few reasons. The reason I stated above being one. The other being that it would be equally absurd if I called the guy white!!! He's half of each race. And considering his father ditched him and his loose-legged mother, one could argue that he was raised in a caucasian setting much more so than a black one!!! But that would just open a big can of worms.

You keep pointing out how white he is Dan and though I do understand what you are saying, you have to know that in this country for hundreds of years, if you were black enough for your skin to show it, which he is, you are considered black (or african-american ) When they had no rights in this country, people didn't care if they had 1/8 of black in them, they were lumped with someone who was 100% black if they couldn't "pass" for white. So it is still a big barrier that was broken in this country and a historical event for him to be elected. I can tell you that numerous people in this country who still hold that prejudice did not vote for him based solely on his skin color. There are people who will tell you that to your face. It still exists.

Agreed on all counts. I'm just tired of the first black president, the first woman this, the first Asian this, the first handicapped that, the first one balled this, etc... Moving forward means not putting an emphasis on race. At least that's the way I see it. Slamming it down people's throats is only going to remind and rekindle past injustices...the vast majority of which no one alive today was responsible for!!!

Well, I think with a first time, it should be expected. And there are people today just as guilty of the prejudiced from the past. I live in the south remember In a town that in the freaking 60's had a sign on our main highway into town that was so bad that I cant' even type it here. A "warning" to black people driving through. It still exists in generations who are still alive today Dan. So it IS a barrier broken. But yes legally, they do have the same rights as anyone in this country so I know what you mean but it's not a perfect world and probably never will be. Hopefully we can get to a point though where people can truly move forward. It would be nice!