第一篇：奧巴馬接受民主黨第二次總統候選人提名的演講(四)

奧巴馬接受民主黨第二次總統候選人提名的演講

（四）2012年9月6日發表于北卡羅來納州夏洛特市

張少軍

譯、校

Barack Obama

Second Democratic Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech

delivered 6 September 2012, Charlotte, North Carolina And I will never--I will never turn Medicare into a voucher.No American should ever have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies.They should retire with the care and the dignity that they have earned.Yes, we will reform and strengthen Medicare for the long haul, but we'll do it by reducing the cost of health care, not by asking seniors to pay thousands of dollars more.And we will keep the promise of Social Security by taking the responsible steps to strengthen it, not by turning it over to Wall Street.我決不會把醫療保險制度變成優惠購物券，沒有任何美國人應該在保險公司的憐憫之中度過他們的金色年華，他們應該帶著他們自己掙來的關心與尊嚴退休。是的，我們應該持續地改善和加強醫療保險制度——通過降低醫療保健的價格，而不是要求長者多付幾千美元。我們將恪守社會保障的承諾——采取更負責的措施，而不是把它推給華爾街。This is the choice we now face.This is what the election comes down to.Over and over, we've been told by our opponents that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way, that since government can't do everything, it should do almost nothing.If you can't afford health insurance, hope that you don't get sick.If a company releases toxic pollution into the air your children breathe, well, that's the price of progress.If you can't afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent's advice and borrow money from your parents.這就是我們面對的選擇，這就是這次選舉所為何來。一遍又一遍，我們的對手告訴我們，說大規模減稅和簡化規則是唯一的道路，說既然政府不能包打天下，干脆就讓它清靜無為。如果你付不起醫療保險，那只好希望你從不生病。如果一家企業在你們的孩子呼吸的空氣里排放了有毒污染，那只是發展的代價。如果你沒錢創業或上大學，那么，聽從我對手的建議，問你們的父母借錢去吧。

You know what? That's not who we are.That's not what this country's about.As Americans, we believe we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, rights that no man or government can take away.We insist on personal responsibility and we celebrate individual initiative.We're not entitled to success.We have to earn it.We honor the strivers, the dreamers, the risk-takers, the entrepreneurs who have always been the driving force behind our free enterprise system, the greatest engine of growth and prosperity that the world's ever known.你知道嗎，我們不是那種人，那也不是這個國家應該干的事。作為美國人，我們相信，我們的造物主賜給我們某些不可讓渡的權利，那任何人任何政府都不能剝奪的權利。我們堅持個人的責任，我們贊美人的主觀能動性，我們并沒有成功的特權，我們必須贏得成功。我們尊敬奮斗者、追夢者、冒險家，企業家，他們永遠是我們自由企業制度背后的原動力，這個世界曾經見識過的增長與繁榮的最偉大的發動機。

But we also believe in something called “citizenship”--citizenship, a word at the very heart of our founding, a word at the very essence of our democracy, the idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations.但是我們也相信某種東西，它叫公，民權力——公，民權力，一個表明我們建國核心理念的單詞，一個表明我們民，主政，體本質屬性的單詞，它表明這樣一種觀念——只有我們承擔對彼此以及對未來時代的某種義務，這個國家才能運轉。

We believe that when a CEO pays his autoworkers enough to buy the cars that they build, the whole company does better.We believe that when a family can no longer be tricked into signing a mortgage they can't afford, that family's protected, but so is the value of other people's homes--and so is the entire economy.我們相信，當一個公司的首席執行官付給汽車工人的工資足夠讓他們買得起他們自己生產的汽車時，整個公司會運轉得更好。我們相信，當一個家庭能夠不再被騙去簽一個他們無法支付的抵押貸款時，那個家庭便得到了保護。這也意味著其他人的房屋的價值得到了保護，這也意味著整個經濟得到了保護。

We believe the little girl who's offered an escape from poverty by a great teacher or a grant for college could become the next Steve Jobs or the scientist who cures cancer or the President of the United States--and it is in our power to give her that chance.我們相信，一個小女孩遇見一位偉大的老師或得到大學入學通知，就意味著得到逃離貧窮的機會，她就有可能成為下一個史蒂夫·喬布斯或治愈癌癥的科學家或美國總統。而給她那樣一個機會是我們力所能及的事情。

We know that churches and charities can often make more of a difference than a poverty program alone.We don't want handouts for people who refuse to help themselves, and we certainly don't want bailouts for banks that break the rules.我們知道，教堂和慈善組織常常能使情形變得比光有政府的扶貧計劃更好。但是我們不希望把救濟品發給懶漢，我們肯定不會救濟那些違規操作的銀行。

We don't think the government can solve all of our problems, but we don't think the government is the source of all of our problems--any more than our welfare recipients or corporations or unions or immigrants or gays or any other group we're told to blame for our troubles--because--because America, we understand that this democracy is ours.我們不認為政府能夠解決我們所有的問題，但我們更不會認為政府是我們所有問題的來源——更甚于我們不相信有人告訴我們的那樣，那些接受社會福利的個人、團體，或工會或移民或同性戀或其他團體應該為我們的麻煩負責——因為，因為美國啊，我們明白，這個民，主政體是我們自己的。

We, the people, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights;that our destinies are bound together;that a freedom which asks only, what's in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals and those who died in their defense.As citizens, we understand that America is not about what can be done for us.It's about what can be done by us together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government.That's what we believe.我們人民承認我們在擁有權利同時，也承擔著義務；我們的命運是聯在一起的；在承擔義務的前提下為自己，是自，由唯一的要求。那種沒有對他人的承諾的自，由，那種沒有愛沒有仁慈沒有責任沒有愛國精神的自，由，是與我們的建國理念以及那些為捍衛這些理念而獻身的人們不相稱的。作為公民，我們明白，美國不意味著它能為我們做些什么，而是意味著我們能做些什么——大家一起，通過艱苦，屢遭挫敗然而又是必不可少的自我管理工作。這就是我們所相信的。So you see, the election four years ago wasn't about me.It was about you.My fellow citizens: You were the change.因此你們看，四年前的選舉并不是為我，而是為你們自己。我的公，民伙伴們，你們就是“改變”。

You're the reason there's a little girl with a heart disorder in Phoenix who'll get the surgery she needs because an insurance company can't limit her coverage.You did that.你們就是原因，為何菲尼克斯市那個心率紊亂的小女孩能得到她需要的外科手術，即便保險公司也不能限定她的保險范圍？是你們做到了這一點。

You're the reason a young man in Colorado who never thought he'd be able to afford his dream of earning a medical degree is about to get that chance.You made that possible.你們就是原因。為何科羅拉多州的那個從來不敢夢想能夠支付學費贏得一個醫學學位的小伙正要得到那個機會？是你們讓它成為可能。You're the reason a young immigrant who grew up here and went to school here and pledged allegiance to our flag will no longer be deported from the only country she's ever called home;why selfless soldiers won't be kicked out of the military because of who they are or who they love;why thousands of families have finally been able to say to the loved ones who served us so bravely: “Welcome home.” Welcome home.You did that.You did that.You did that.你們就是原因。為何一個在此長大在此上學對國旗宣誓效忠的年輕移民不再被驅逐出這個他稱為家的唯一國度？為何那些忘我的戰士不會因為他們的身分（指非法移民——譯者猜）和性取向（指同性戀——譯者注）而被逐出軍隊？為何成千上萬的家庭終于能對曾如此勇敢地為我們服役的心愛的人說，歡迎回來，歡迎回家？是你們做到了這一點，是你們做到了這一點！

If you turn away now--If you turn away now, if you buy into the cynicism that the change we fought for isn't possible, well, change will not happen.If you give up on the idea that your voice can make a difference, then other voices will fill the void--the lobbyists and special interests, the people with the 10 million dollar checks who are trying to buy this election and those who are trying to make it harder for you to vote, Washington politicians who want to decide who you can marry or control health care choices that women should be making for themselves.Only you can make sure that doesn't happen.Only you have the power to move us forward.如果你們現在轉身走開，如果你們現在轉身走開，如果你們接受犬儒主義，相信那些我們為之奮斗的改變不可能發生，好，改變將不會發生。如果你放棄“你的聲音會讓形勢有所不同”的信念，那么別的聲音就會填滿你留下空間：那些職業說客和特殊利益集團，那些手持1000萬美元的支票試圖買斷這場選舉并竭力使你們投票變得困難的人，那些試圖決定你能與誰（異性或同性——譯者注）結婚或試圖控制你采用哪種醫療手段（墮胎或不墮胎——譯者注）——這本該由婦女自己決定——的華盛頓的政客。只有你們能確定這種情況不會發生。只有你們擁有讓我們繼續前進的力量。

You know, I recognize that times have changed since I first spoke to this convention.Times have changed, and so have I.I'm no longer just a candidate.I'm the President.你們知道，我承認，自從我第一次在這個大會上發言后時代已經改變。時代改變了，我也改變了。我不再是候選人，我是現任總統。And...that means I know what it means to send young Americans into battle, for I've held in my arms the mothers and fathers of those who didn't return.那意味著，我明白，那意味著把年輕的美國人送上戰場，因為我曾擁抱過許多父母——他們的孩子永不能回家。

I've shared the pain of families who've lost their homes, and the frustration of workers who've lost their jobs.If the critics are right that I've made all my decisions based on polls, then I must not be very good at reading them.我曾經分擔過那些失去自己住房的家庭的痛苦，以及那些失去工作的工人的挫敗感。如果那些說我的所有決策都基于民意測驗的批評是正確的，那么我肯定沒有很好地閱讀那些測驗。

And while I'm proud of what we've achieved together, I'm far more mindful of my own failings, knowing exactly what Lincoln meant when he said, “I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go.”

在我為我們共同取得的成就驕傲的同時，我更念念不忘我本人的失誤，從而真正理解當林肯說出下面一番話時，它意味著什么。他說：“多少次，我被那壓倒性的再也無路可走的想法逼得跪下來祈求上蒼。” But as I stand here tonight, I have never been more hopeful about America;not because I think I have all the answers;not because I'm naive about the magnitude of our challenges--I'm hopeful because of you.然而當我站在這里，我從來不曾像今晚那樣對美國懷有更多的希望。不是因為我自認掌握了所有的答案，不是因為面對巨大的挑戰我過于天真，我是因為你們而滿懷希望。

The young woman I met at a science fair who won national recognition for her biology research while living with her family at a homeless shelter--she gives me hope.是那個我在科技展覽上遇見的那個年輕女人，她在全家居無定所的境況下做出了獲得國家贊譽的生物學研究，是她給了我希望。The auto worker who won the lottery after his plant almost closed, but kept coming to work every day, and bought flags for his whole town and one of the cars that he built to surprise his wife--he gives me hope.是那個汽車工人，工廠幾乎關閉后他中了彩票，可他仍然堅持每天上班，為鎮上每一戶人家買了一面國旗一輛他自己造的汽車，讓他的妻子感到驚訝，是他給了我希望。

The family business in Warroad, Minnesota, that didn't lay off a single one of their 4,000 employees when the recession hit, even when their competitors shut down dozens of plants, even when it meant the owner gave up some perks and some pay, because they understood that their biggest asset was the community and the workers who had helped build that business--they give me hope.是那個在明尼蘇達州沃羅德市的家族企業，他們在經濟衰退襲來的時候沒有解雇4000名員工中的任何一名——即使他們的競爭者關閉了幾十家工廠，即使那意味著企業主要放棄一些排場與利益——因為他們知道他們最大的資產是社區以及那些曾經幫助建設了這個企業的工人，是他們給了我希望。

I think about the young sailor I met at Walter Reed Hospital still recovering from a grenade attack that would cause him to have his leg amputated above the knee.And six months ago we would watch him walk into a White House dinner honoring those who served in Iran [Iraq], tall and 20 pounds heavier, dashing in his uniform, with a big grin on his face, sturdy on his new leg.And I remember how a few months after that I would watch him on a bicycle, racing with his fellow wounded warriors on a sparkling spring day, inspiring other heroes who had just begun the hard path he had traveled.He gives me hope.He gives me hope.我想起我在沃爾特·里德醫院會見的那個正從一次手榴彈攻擊中恢復的年輕的水兵，那次攻擊導致腿部切除——切在膝蓋之上。六個月之前，我們看見他走進白宮，參加為款待在伊拉克服役的軍人而舉行的 晚宴，高個，胖了20多磅，仿佛要撐破他的軍裝，臉上是燦爛的笑容，堅定地站在他的新腿之上。我還記得幾個月之后，一個陽光明媚的春日，我怎樣看見他騎在自行車上與他的傷員伙伴們競賽，鼓勵那些剛走上他已然經歷的痛苦道路的英雄伙伴。是他給了我希望，是他給了我希望！

I--I don't know what party these men and women belong to.I don't know if they'll vote for me.But I know that their spirit defines us.They remind me, in the words of Scripture, that ours is a future filled with hope.And if you share that faith with me, if you share that hope with me, I ask you tonight for your vote.我不知道這些男男女女屬于哪個政黨，我不知道他們會否為我投票；但是我知道是他們的精神定義了我們，定義了我。用圣經的話說，我們所擁有的，是一個充滿了希望的未來。如果你們與我共享那個信念，如果你們與我共享那個希望，今晚我請求你們，為我投票。If you reject the notion that this nation's promise is reserved for the few, your voice must be heard in this election.如果你們拒絕這個國家的承諾只為少數人保留的觀念，你們一定要在這次選舉中讓人們聽到你們的聲音。

If you reject the notion that our government is forever beholden to the highest bidder, you need to stand up in this election.如果你們拒絕我們的政府永遠屬于出價最高者的觀念，你們必須在這次選舉中挺身而出。

If you believe that new plants and factories can dot our landscape, that new energy can power our future, that new schools can provide ladders of opportunity to this nation of dreamers, if you believe in a country where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same rules, then I need you to vote this November.如果你們相信新的車間和工廠能成為新的風景，新能源可以驅動我們的未來，新學校能為我們這個夢想之國提供機遇的階梯；如果你們相信有這樣一個國家，那里人人享有公平的機會，人人得到公平的份額，人人遵守同樣的規則，我要求你們在十一月前去投票。

America, I never said this journey would be easy and I won't promise that now.Yes, our path is harder but it leads to a better place.Yes, our road is longer but we travel it together.美國啊，我從未說過這個旅程會一路順風，現在我也不能保證。是的，我們的道路盡管艱難，但是它會把我們引向更好的地方。的確，我們的路途雖然漫長，但是我們會并肩行進朝著共同的方向。We don't turn back.We leave no one behind.We pull each other up.We draw strength from our victories and we learn from our mistakes, but we keep our eyes fixed on that distant horizon knowing that providence is with us and that we are surely blessed to be citizens of the greatest nation on earth.我們不會回頭。我們不會讓一人落下。我們要互相扶持。我們從勝利中獲得力量，從失敗中汲取教訓，然而我們的目光始終凝望著遙遠的地平線，堅信上帝與我們同在，堅信我們的確是被祝福的，地球上最偉大國家的公民。

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless these United States.謝謝你們，上帝保佑你們，上帝保佑美國。

第二篇：演講文稿奧巴馬在民主黨代表大會接受總統提名的演講

演講文稿:奧巴馬在民主黨代表大會接受總統提名的演講

Remarks of President Barack Obama at the 2012 Democratic National Convention

Charlotte, N.C.September 5, 2012

Thank you!Thank you.Thank you.Thank you so much.Thank you.Thank you very much, everybody.Thank you.Michelle, I love you.A few night nights ago, everyone was reminded just what a lucky man I am.Malia and Sasha, we are so proud of you.And yes, you do have to go to school in the morning.And Joe Biden, thank you for being the best Vice President I could have ever hope for, and being a strong and loyal friend.Madam Chairwoman, delegates, I accept your nomination for President of the United States.Now, the first time I addressed this convention in 2004, I was a younger man;a Senate candidate from Illinois who spoke about hope, not blind optimism or wishful thinking, but hope in the face of difficulty;hope in the face of uncertainty;that dogged faith in the future which has pushed this nation forward, even when the odds are great;even when the road is long.Eight years later, that hope has been tested, by the cost of war;by one of the worst economic crises in history;and by political gridlock that’s left us wondering whether it’s still even possible to tackle the challenges of our time.I know campaigns can seem small, and even silly sometimes.Trivial things become big distractions.Serious issues become sound bites.The truth gets buried under an avalanche of money and advertising.If you’re sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me, so am I.But when all is said and done, when you pick up that ballot to vote, you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation.Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington, on jobs, the economy;taxes and deficits;energy, education;war and peace, decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children’s lives for decades to come.And on every issue, the choice you face won’t be just between two candidates or two parties.It will be a choice between two different paths for America.A choice between two fundamentally different visions for the future.Ours is a fight to restore the values that built the largest middle class and the strongest economy the world has ever known.The values my grandfather defended as a soldier in Patton’s Army;the values that drove my grandmother to work on a bomber assembly line while he was gone.They knew they were part of something larger, a nation that triumphed over fascism and depression;a nation where the most innovative businesses turned out the world’s best products, and everyone shared in that pride and success, from the corner office to the factory floor.My grandparents were given the chance to go to college, buy their own--their--their own home, and fulfill the basic bargain at the heart of America’s story: the promise that hard work will pay off;that responsibility will be rewarded;that everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules, from Main Street to Wall Street to Washington, D.C.And I ran for President because I saw that basic bargain slipping away.I began my career helping people in the shadow of a shuttered steel mill, at a time when too many good jobs were starting to move overseas.And by 2008, we had seen nearly a decade in which families struggled with costs that kept rising, but paychecks that didn’t;folks racking up more and more debt just to make the mortgage or pay tuition;put gas in the car or food on the table.And when the house of cards collapsed in the Great Recession, millions of innocent Americans lost their jobs, their homes, their life savings, a tragedy from which we are still fighting to recover.Now, our friends down in Tampa, at the Republican convention, were more than happy to talk about everything they think is wrong with America, but they didn’t have much to say about how they’d make it right.They want your vote, but they don’t want you to know their plan.And that’s because all they had to offer is the same prescription they’ve had for the last thirty years:

“Have a surplus? Try a tax cut.”

“Deficit too high? Try another.”

“Feel a cold coming on? Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call us in the morning.”

Now, I’ve cut taxes for those who need it, middle-class families, small businesses.But I don’t believe that another round of tax breaks for millionaires will bring good jobs to our shores, or pay down our deficit.I don’t believe that firing teachers or kicking students off financial aid will grow the economy, or help us compete with the scientists and engineers coming out of China.After all that we’ve been through, I don’t believe that rolling back regulations on Wall Street will help the small businesswoman expand, or the laid-off construction worker keep his home.We have been there, we’ve tried that, and we’re not going back.We are moving forward, America.I won’t pretend the path I’m offering is quick or easy.I never have.You didn’t elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear.You elected me to tell you the truth.And the truth is, it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over decades.It’ll require common effort, shared responsibility, and the kind of bold, persistent experimentation that Franklin Roosevelt pursued during the only crisis worse than this one.And by the way, those of us who carry on his party’s legacy should remember that not every problem can be remedied with another government program or dictate from Washington.But know this, America: Our problems can be solved.Our challenges can be met.The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place.And I’m asking you to choose that future.I’m asking you to rally around a set of goals for your country, goals in manufacturing, energy, education, national security, and the deficit;real, achievable plans that will lead to new jobs, more opportunity, and rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation.That’s what we can do in the next four years, and that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States.We can choose a future where we export more products and outsource fewer jobs.After a decade that was defined by what we bought and borrowed, we’re getting back to basics, and doing what America has always done best:

We’re making things again.I’ve met workers in Detroit and Toledo who feared they’d never build another American car.And today, they can’t build them fast enough, because we reinvented a dying auto industry that’s back on top of the world.I’ve worked with business leaders who are bringing jobs back to America, not because our workers make less pay, but because we make better products.Because we work harder and smarter than anyone else.I’ve signed trade agreements that are helping our companies sell more goods to millions of new customers, goods that are stamped with three proud words: Made in America.After a decade of decline, this country created over half a million manufacturing jobs in the last two and a half years.And now you have a choice: we can give more tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, or we can start rewarding companies that open new plants and train new workers and create new jobs here, in the United States of America.We can help big factories and small businesses double their exports, and if we choose this path, we can create a million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years.You can make that happen.You can choose that future.You can choose the path where we control more of our own energy.After thirty years of inaction, we raised fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.We’ve doubled our use of renewable energy, and thousands of Americans have jobs today building wind turbines, and long-lasting batteries.In the last year alone, we cut oil imports by one million barrels a day, more than any administration in recent history.And today, the United States of America is less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in the last two decades.So, now you have a choice-between a strategy that reverses this progress, or one that builds on it.We’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration in the last three years, and we’ll open more.But unlike my opponent, I will not let oil companies write this country’s energy plan, or endanger our coastlines, or collect another $4 billion in corporate welfare from our taxpayers.We’re offering a better path.We’re offering a better path, a future where we keep investing in wind and solar and clean coal;where farmers and scientists harness new biofuels to power our cars and trucks;where construction workers build homes and factories that waste less energy;where--where we develop a hundred year supply of natural gas that’s right beneath our feet.If you choose this path, we can cut our oil imports in half by 2020 and support more than 600,000 new jobs in natural gas alone.And yes, my plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet because climate change is not a hoax.More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke.They’re a threat to our children’s future.And in this election, you can do something about it.You can choose a future where more Americans have the chance to gain the skills they need to compete, no matter how old they are or how much money they have.Education was the gateway to opportunity for me.It was the gateway for Michelle.It was the gateway for most of you.And now more than ever, it is the gateway to a middle-class life.For the first time in a generation, nearly every state has answered our call to raise their standards for teaching and learning.Some of the worst schools in the country have made real gains in math and reading.Millions of students are paying less for college today because we finally took on a system that wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on banks and lenders.And now you have a choice.We can gut education, or we can decide that in the United States of America, no child should have her dreams deferred because of a crowded classroom or a crumbling school.No family should have to set aside a college acceptance letter because they don’t have the money.No company should have to look for workers overseas because they couldn’t find any with the right skills here at home.That’s not our future.That is not our future.A government has a role in this.But teachers must inspire;principals must lead;parents must instill a thirst for learning, and students, you’ve gotta do the work.And together, I promise you, we can out-educate and out-compete any nation on Earth.Help me recruit 100,000 math and science teachers within ten years, and improve early childhood education.Help give two million workers the chance to learn skills at their community college that will lead directly to a job.Help us work with colleges and universities to cut in half the growth of tuition costs over the next ten years.We can meet that goal together.You can choose that future for America.That’s our future.You know, in a world of new threats and new challenges, you can choose leadership that has been tested and proven.Four years ago, I promised to end the war in Iraq.We did.I promised to refocus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11.And we have.We’ve blunted the Taliban’s momentum in Afghanistan, and in 2014, our longest war will be over.A new tower rises above the New York skyline, Al Qaeda is on the path to defeat, and Osama Bin Laden is dead.And tonight, we pay tribute to the Americans who still serve in harm’s way.We are forever in debt to a generation whose sacrifice has made this country safer and more respected.We will never forget you.And so long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known.When you take off the uniform, we will serve you as well as you’ve served us because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the care that they need when they come home.Around the world, we’ve strengthened old alliances and forged new coalitions to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.We’ve reasserted our power across the Pacific, and stood up to China on behalf of our workers.From Burma to Libya to South Sudan, we have advanced the rights and dignity of all human beings, men and women;Christians and Muslims and Jews.But for all the progress we’ve made, challenges remain.Terrorist plots must be disrupted.Europe’s crisis must be contained.Our commitment to Israel’s security must not waver, and neither must our pursuit of peace.The Iranian government must face a world that stays united against its nuclear ambitions.The historic change sweeping across the Arab World must be defined not by the iron fist of a dictator or the hate of extremists, but by the hopes and aspirations of ordinary people who are reaching for the same rights that we celebrate here today.So now we face a choice.My opponent and his running mate are new to foreign policy，but from all that we’ve seen and heard, they want to take us back to an era of blustering and blundering that cost America so dearly.After all, you don’t call Russia our number one enemy, not Al Qaeda, Russia, unless you’re still stuck in a Cold War mind warp.You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can’t visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally.My opponent--my opponent said it was “tragic” to end the war in Iraq, and he won’t tell us how he’ll end the war in Afghanistan.Well I have, and I will.And while my opponent would spend more money on military hardware that our Joint Chiefs don’t even want, I will use the money we’re no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work rebuilding roads and bridges and schools and runways.Because after two wars that have cost us thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars, it’s time to do some nation-building right here at home.You can choose a future where we reduce our deficit without sticking it to the middle class.Independent experts say that my plan would cut our deficits by $4 trillion.And last summer, I worked with Republicans in Congress to cut billion in spending because those of us who believe government can be a force for good should work harder than anyone to reform it, so that it’s leaner, and more efficient, and more responsive to the American people.I want to reform the tax code so that it’s simple, fair, and asks the wealthiest households to pay higher taxes on incomes over $250,000, the same rate we had when Bill Clinton was president;the same rate we had when our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs, the biggest surplus in history, and a whole lot of millionaires to boot.Now, I’m still eager to reach an agreement based on the principles of my bipartisan debt commission.No party has a monopoly on wisdom.No democracy works without compromise.I want to get this done, and we can get it done.But when Governor Romney

and his friends in Congress tell us we can somehow lower our deficits by spending trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy, well, what’d Bill Clinton call it? You do the arithmetic, you do the math.I refuse to go along with that.And as long as I’m President, I never will.I refuse to ask middle class families to give up their deductions for owning a home or raising their kids just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut.I refuse to ask students to pay more for college;or kick children out of Head Start programs, to eliminate health insurance for millions of Americans who are poor, and elderly, or disabled, all so those with the most can pay less.I’m not going along with that.And I will--I will never turn Medicare into a voucher.No American should ever have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies.They should retire with the care and the dignity they have earned.Yes, we will reform and strengthen Medicare for the long haul, but we’ll do it by reducing the cost of health care, not by asking seniors to pay thousands of dollars more.And we will keep the promise of Social Security by taking the responsible steps to strengthen it, not by turning it over to Wall Street.This is the choice we now face.This is what the election comes down to.Over and over, we have been told by our opponents that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way;that since government can’t do everything, it should do almost nothing.

第三篇：奧巴馬在民主黨代表大會上接受總統候選人提名的演講字幕

Live From Denver: Big Night By KATHARINE Q.SEELYE Senator Barack Obama accepted the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party in front of 80,000 people Thursday night at Invesco Field in Denver.(Photo: Todd Heisler/The New York Times)12 a.m.| Wrap Up: Well, there’s no denying it was a spectacular show.The speech featured all the big themes that Mr.Obama has been highlighting on the campaign trail.Here he expanded on them and wove them together, not so much in a new way but in a more emphatic way.He has been casting himself as an economic populist in the last few weeks, and it was no surprise that he continued to do that here.But it was striking the degree to which he did so, focusing on the economy almost exclusively for the first two-thirds of his speech — a measure both of how central it is for many voters but also of how much he wants to appeal to Reagan Democrats.That was evident, too, in his references to the hot-button social issues that have alienated many older, blue-collar, Catholic voters.Those references were brief and sought common ground:

* “We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country.”

* “The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than they are for those plagued by gang violence in Cleveland, but don’t tell me we can’t uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals.”

* “I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in a hospital and to live lives free of discrimination.” The red meat came in his assault on John McCain.He was more in his face than he often has been, and in a more sustained way.He even painted him as a bit of a wimp: “John McCain likes to say that he’ll follow bin-Laden to the gates of hell — but he won’t even go to the cave where he lives.” But did he succeed in erasing the doubts about him? The polls have showed a stubborn problem for Mr.Obama, in that voters see Mr.McCain as a more plausible commander-in-chief.Mr.Obama made an interesting allusion to that, weaving in an issue — Mr.McCain’s temper — that hurt him in the Republican primaries in 2000 but has been less of a factor so far this year.Mr.Obama put it this way: “If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander-in-chief, that’s a debate I’m ready to have.” On the campaign trail, he usually limits his challenge to debating Mr.McCain’s judgment, not his temperament.The presidential debates — the next big opportunity for Mr.Obama to reach millions of listeners — start Sept.26.Between now and then, of course, Mr.McCain will pick his vice president, and his own convention starts in a few days, giving him the chance to crush all too quickly the good vibes and stunning optics from Denver.11:30 p.m.| Clinton’s Statement: Hillary Rodham Clinton just released the following statement: “Barack Obama’s speech tonight laid out his specific, bold solutions and optimistic vision for our nation and our children’s future.“His speech crystallized the clear choice between he and Senator McCain.Four more years of the same failed policies or a leader who can tackle the great challenges we face: revitalizing our economy and restoring our standing in the world.I am proud to support Senator Obama, our next President of the United States and Joe Biden, our next Vice President of the United States.” Yes We Can: Kate Phillips reports from outside Invesco that crowds of people are climbing over barriers as police are closing a gate.People are shouting “Yes we can!” as they break through another part of the fence.11:20 p.m.| Emotion at Invesco: Michael Powell sends this dispatch from Invesco Field: Crouching amid the Tennessee delegation on the floor of the stadium, I noticed him, this tall black man standing behind me.His face was as broad as his shoulders.And as Barack Obama finished his speech, as fireworks shot off and red white and blue confetti fell, tears rolled down his cheeks.What emotions are running barreling through right now? “So much, I see so many things,” replied Keith Norman in a rich baritone.“I see my earliest dreams as a child.I see a man being given a fair chance because of his talent.”

His chest heaves;he is looking at the stage and the Mr.Obama hugging his wife and his two daughters.“I see his faith in God.And I see the hand of God,” he said, “And it makes my heart glad.”

A friend, a barrel chested black man in a black Obama beret comes over and puts his arm around the midsection of Mr.Norman and asks another man to take a picture of them together.Both men are crying and smiling.11 p.m.| Fireworks: Mr.Obama wraps it up at about 46 minutes.Truck-driving, country music is playing as the Michelle Obama and the girls take the stage.The sound of fireworks exploding shook us out of our seats!The Obama and Biden families are gathering on stage with red, white and blue streamers spilling out of the sky.The McCain campaign has already issued its rebuttal.From spokesman Tucker Bounds: “Tonight, Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was so fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Barack Obama.When the temple comes down, the fireworks end, and the words are over, the facts remain: Senator Obama still has no record of bipartisanship, still opposes offshore drilling, still voted to raise taxes on those making just $42,000 per year, and still voted against funds for American troops in harm’s way.The fact remains: Barack Obama is still not ready to be President.” From outside Media Pavillion Four at the Pepsi Center, a short distance away from Invesco, we can see the fireworks streaming over the stadium, which is lit up like a flying saucer.The fireworks are still exploding, soaring up into the sky, the music an intensifying symphony.The the transcript of Mr.Obama’s speech.10:56 p.m.| King Reference: Now, 45 minutes in, Mr.Obama makes a reference to race — but it is that, a reference when he mentions the “promise that 45 years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln’s Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.” 10:55 p.m.| It’s Not Me, It’s You: The McCain campaign has been doing its best to make this election a referendum on Mr.Obama, not a choice between the two of them, and Mr.Obama here is resisting that characterization: “What the nay-sayers don’t understand is that this election has never been about me,” he says.“It’s been about you.” Mr.Obama can only hope that is how voters see it.10:50 p.m.| Verb.That’s What’s Happening: Mr.Obama’s speech is full of strong active verbs.“I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan,” he says, not quite describing how he will pursue that goal.“I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression.”

And this: “I’ve got news for you, John McCain.We all put our country first.”

All the Republican talk about his “celebrity” status hasn’t inhibited his high-wattage smile.10:45 p.m.| National Security: Now, 30 minutes in, he turns to Iraq and terrorism, saying that “while Senator McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats we face.”

And this crowd-pleaser: “John McCain likes to say that he’ll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell – but he won’t even go to the cave where he lives.”

10:44 p.m.| Responsiblity: Mr.Obama, who has said in the past that black men need take more responsibility for their families, he omits the racial reference here.“Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair.But we must also admit that programs alone can’t replace parents;that government can’t turn off the television and make a child do her homework;that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need.”

10:37 p.m.| More on the Economy: Addressing the concern that his campaign has been all lofty rhetoric, he now focuses on his economic program: stop tax breaks for corporations;cut taxes for 95 percent of working families;and in 10 years, “end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.” “Washington’s been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years, and John McCain has been there for 26 of them.In that time, he’s said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels.And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.”

That’s not all Mr.McCain’s fault, of course, but Mr.Obama makes his point.And now, more than 26 minutes into the speech, Mr.Obama has scarcely mentioned the issue that propelled his candidacy in the primaries — the war in Iraq.10:34 p.m.| Workers and the Economy: The speech so far, and we are more than 17 minutes into it, has been focused almost exclusively on workers and the economy and his humble, all-American, family background.“I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree;who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.”

“I don’t know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine.These are my heroes.Theirs are the stories that shaped me.And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States.”

From Michael Powell: “Let me explain exactly what I will do, Mr.Obama says.“There you go, there you go,” whispers a man from Kansas.They are now passing out extra size American flags.This is a place awash in red, white and blue, a visible attempt at inoculation against charges that Democrats are not patriotic enough.(Photo: Todd Heisler/The New York Times)10:26 p.m.| He Just Doesn’t Know: Mr.Obama uses the McCain campaign as a foil to emphasize his message.He cites a quote from Phil Gramm, who said America was “a nation of whiners,” and then Mr.McCain himself, who albeit half-jokingly defined “rich” as someone making more than $5 million a year.Mr.Obama exploits both in this speech.“I don’t believe that Senator McCain doesn’t care what’s going on in the lives of Americans,” Mr.Obama says.“I just think he doesn’t know.” 10:23 p.m.| 10 Percent Chance on Change: Mr.Obama: “John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time.Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than 90 percent of the time? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change.”

10:22 p.m.| The Set: For all of the “Temple of Obama” talk from Republicans, the tight shots of Mr.Obama as he is speaking don’t give that impression at all.Instead, you see a backdrop that looks like windows on a home, with intimate, soft-glowing light emanating through.As they say in Hollywood, lighting is everything.10:14 | Accepts the Nomination: The opening applause goes on for two minutes and 20 seconds.He accepts the nomination at 10:14 p.m., the first African-American in the nation’s history to become the nominee of a major party.Mr.Obama opens with yet another nod to the Clintons.Here’s what he says: “Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest — a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours — Hillary Rodham Clinton.To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it.” He then thanks Senator Edward M.Kennedy and then Mr.Biden.He pays homage to his family.“To the love of my life, our next First Lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Malia – I love you so much, and I’m so proud of all of you.” Mrs.Obama flashes him a thumbs up.10:12 p.m.| Obama Takes the Stage: As U2’s City of Blinding Light plays, Mr.Obama walks on stage.He is clapping along with the audience and soaking it all in.Camera lights are flashing.He almost looks misty-eyed.10 p.m.| Roll Film: The video about Barack Obama’s life is airing now.The movie opens with a picture of his mother and what she once said.“My son, he’s an American, and he has to understand what that means.” This film, like much of the convention, is meant to underscore that theme — he’s an American, as Michelle Obama said in her speech, just like everyone else.Michael Powell describes the scene during the film: It’s like being at a drive-in movie, the lights are dim, the breezes cool.Considering this is a story told over and over again to the party faithful, the rapt attention the audience is paying to the video is striking.At the mention of Kansas in the Obama video, the group erupts, waving flags.In the delegation, a black man wearing a Reject Obama button on his cap, tears up.9:59 p.m.| Obama’s Journey: Here’s an excerpt from the pool report, the small group of reporters who are accompanying Mr.Obama to the field.At 7:16 p.m.(Mountain Time), the motorcade began to roll, pulling out onto the streets and heading toward Invesco.The city was all but shut down by this point, all traffic cleared for the candidate to make his dramatic entrance.The stadium came into view at 7:20 p.m., and he pulled in via a back entrance of the stadium at 7:26 p.m.Obama was whisked out of the cars into the backstage area, senior aides and officials waiting in the halls.The pool was brought out onto the floor.9:58 p.m.| Introducing Obama: Senator Dick Durbin, Mr.Obama’s colleague from Illinois, is up now.He introduced Mr.Obama to the 2004 convention in Boston and is introducing him again tonight.We hear that the stadium is vibrating as people chanted “Yes We Can!” at Mr.Durbin’s urging.9:57 p.m.| While You Wait: We know the Obama campaign is trying to build excitement for the big speech, but having video of the candidate delivering previous speeches to big crowds could be stealing some of his thunder when he actually appears.But let’s just say right here, thank heaven for C-SPAN!At least we can see those videos.C-SPAN is showing the entire program as it unfolds, unlike some other channels, which are preoccupied with their own talking heads.And by the way, beautiful camera work too, especially those aerial views that show the rocking, neon-lit stadium against the Rockies and the flaming night sky.9:49 p.m.| Bruuuuce: The sound system is blaring Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA,” reminding us of the rumors that he would make and appearance at the stadium tonight.(Wouldn’t that have been something?)It also reminds us of when Ronald Reagan had tried to claim the song as his blue-collar anthem, much to the Boss’s dismay.Whatever, the crowd is waving flags, a bit of useful imagery the Democrats have learned from the Republicans, and the sky is turning scarlet.9:34 p.m.| Running IntoWolfson: Kate Phillips sends the following dispatch: We literally just walked into Howard Wolfson, who marveled at the huge crowd at the stadium.“We would never have been able to do this,” he said smiling, and raised his arms to point upward.Asked why, he said “I think for the reasons why he’s the nominee.He tapped into people’s desire for hope and change.”

Of the Clintons, he said they did a lot this week to try to bring the party together.The story line going in had been one of division but he said should be unity heading out.He said for some people the healing is still “a work in progress.” But, he said former President Clinton hit it out of the park last night.9:25 p.m.| Predictions: Joel Benenson, Mr.Obama’s pollster, as predicted to our colleague, Kate Phillips, who is at Invesco, that the TV audience tonight may reach 30 million.Of course, that audience will be available to Mr.McCain, too, who has been running an uncharacteristically positive ad tonight here on local Denver TV and in Des Moines.9:24 p.m.| Faces in the Crowd: Michael Powell sends this dispatch: Walk by the Puerto Rico delegation on the floor of the stadium and Senator Biden has just taken the stage and people are standing and jumping and waving and there is Eder Ortiz, fingers flying on the BlackBerry.Who are you texting? “My daughter and wife—I’m asking them, ‘Are you watching this?’ he says.“This is history;they have to watch it.”

As it happens, both are watching the night on television in San Juan.And, he adds with a smile, “looking for me.”

“I was the first one in the delegation to get down here,” Mr.Ortiz, 39, said.“I’m keeping them updated every couple of minutes.” As the reporter thanks him and begins to walk away, Mr.Ortiz taps his arm.“And I will tell my family about this interview too!” And he puts head down, fingers flying.9:22 p.m.| Biden’s Back: Senator Joseph R.Biden Jr.is onstage.“I have always dreamed of standing in this place,” he said.This, said Mr.Biden, is “an open convention.”

Mr.Biden delivers the party’s message pretty straightforwardly: that despite the glamorous aura of these Invesco festivities(and what the Republicans call the “Temple of Obama”)this convention is about the cops, firefighters, teachers and other ordinary folk.When he and Barack Obama are in the White House, he says, they’ll make sure that these ordinary people are heard.Former Vice President Al Gore(Damon Winter/The New York Times)9:09 p.m.| Making the Case: Mr.Gore is a perhaps uniquely qualified person to make Mr.Obama’s case that these elections matter: He said that eight years ago, some people thought there was not much difference between the nominees of the two major parties, but few would make that argument today.Had he been elected, he said, “We would not be bogged down in Iraq,” a statement that drew huge affirmation from the audience, “and we wouldn’t be facing a self-inflicted economic crisis.”(Transcript | Video)Mr.Gore knows something about convention speeches.His own, in 2000, got a so-so reaction inside the hall in L.A.where he delivered it, but it was a huge hit on the small screen and he came out of his convention with an 8-point bounce, as measured by Gallup, slightly higher than the Democratic average of 7.3 percentage points since 1960.8:45 p.m.| The Goracle: Al Gore is taking the stage at Invesco.He is introduced as Noble Prize Recipient, Vice President Al Gore.People are on their feet, waving American flags.“Let the Sunshine In” is playing.The crowd goes wild for this Gore line, after he said that a McCain presidency would be a rerun of Bush-Cheney: “Hey, I believe in recycling, but that’s ridiculous.” He said that the race between Mr.Obama and Mr.McCain is tight because defenders of the status quo “are desperately afraid of the change Barack Obama represents.”

Invesco Field(Photo: Todd Heisler/The New York Times)8:15 p.m | Showtime: DENVER — Hi everybody.We’re settling in to watch Barack Obama’s acceptance speech, which is coming up around 10 p.m., Eastern time.We’ll be anchoring the evening for you, with several of our colleagues reporting from Invesco Field, where they say the crowds are streaming into the stands.It’s already clear that one fear of the Obama campaign — rain — is not a threat.It is a gorgeous evening, and a spectacular sunset is in the offing.Stevie Wonder is on stage now at Invesco Field.You can watch his performance and all the other festivities tonight here: Our colleague Julie Bosman is in the stadium and sends along this dispatch: Hours before Mr.Obama was scheduled to speak, the concourse at Invesco Field was packed tightly with spectators, jostling each other as they made their way to their seats, and lining up to buy hot dogs, brats, nachos and pulled pork sandwiches.Vendors sold pins($3), T-shirts($20)and black rubber wristbands bearing the words “Hope” and “Obama ’08″($4).Attendees with special credentials were granted access to a “club level” with bars, leather seats and expansive city views.On the highest level of the stadium, some spectators relaxed in the shade and peered down at the stage using binoculars, waving signs and American flags.(Organizers had placed an American flag in the cupholder of each seat.)In between speeches, jumbo screens played video clips from Mr.Obama’s speeches and town hall events on the campaign trail, and strobe lights placed throughout the stadium shone circles on the crowd.Electronic banner screens dotting the stadium flashed the campaign logo and the word “Change” when the audience applauded during speeches.

第四篇：克林頓 1992年民主黨全國代表大會上接受總統候選人提名的演講

1992年民主黨全國代表大會上接受總統候選人提名的演講

威廉·杰弗遜·克林頓 1992.7.16.于紐約

理查茲州長、布郎主席、狄更斯市長——我們熱情的東道主、我的代表伙伴們、我的美國同胞們、我為之驕傲的阿爾·戈爾：

戈爾他說今晚他來到這里，是因為在電視直播之前他總是要做些“熱身運動”。而我今年參加總統競選有一個而且只有一個原因：我希望回到這個大會并且完成我四年前開始的那個演講。

昨天晚上，馬里奧·柯默教給我們應怎樣作一個真正的接受總統候選人提名的演講，他也讓我們明白為什么我們必須使我們國家的航船馳向新的航道。今晚，我要跟你們談談我對于未來的希望，我對于美國人民的信念，以及我對于我們將共同建設的那種國家的憧憬。

我要向我在競選活動中的杰出的同事們致敬：湯姆·哈金、鮑勃·克里、堂·懷爾德、杰里·布郎和保羅·桑賈斯。

懸在我們共同搭建的講臺上的那名話表明了一切：美國所能采取的政策——最重要的家庭政策、城市政策、勞工政策、少數民族政策、以及外交政策，必然是促使那能帶來更多高技術高報酬的就業機會的自由經濟進一步擴展的政策。因此，以所有那些勞作納稅、養育子女、奉公守法的人民的名義，以所有那些構成了我們被遺忘的中產階級的勤奮工作的美國人的名義，我驕傲地接受美國總統候選人的提名。

我是中產階級的產兒，當我成了美國總統，你們將不再被遺忘。

我們——你們和我——相逢在一個特殊的歷史時刻：冷戰已經結束，蘇維埃共產主義已經崩潰；我們的價值觀——自由、民主、人權、自由競爭——已取得全球性的勝利。然而，就在我們于海外贏得冷戰的同時，我們卻輸掉了在國內創造平等的經濟機會和爭取社會正義的戰役。

既然我們已經改變了世界，是時候了——讓我們改變美國。

我要告訴那些貪婪的勢力和現狀的維護者：你們的時代曾經到來但已經過去，現在是改變美國的時代！

今天晚上，我的數以千萬計的美國同胞沒有工作，數千萬的人們更辛苦的工作只能換來更低廉的報酬。我們的現任總統說，在經濟復蘇開始之前，失業人數總會有些增加。我想，失業人數必須再增加一個，真正的經濟復蘇才能開始。那個人就是你，總統先生！

這次選舉就是要把權力交還到你們的手中，就是要使政府站回到你們一邊，就是要把人民放在第一位。

你們知道，這些話我說遍全國。無論何時，只要我這么說，總有人靠進我——就像本周在曼哈頓東區亨利街住宅區的一次社區會議一個年輕人所做的那樣。

他說：“那些聽起來不錯，比爾。但是，你是政客，我為什么要相信你呢？

今晚，我要盡可能坦率地告訴你們，我是誰，我信仰什么，我要把美國引向何方。我從未見過我父親。在我出生前三個月，他駕車從芝加哥趕往阿肯色去看望我媽媽，一路上下著雨，他在汽車失事時喪生。

那以后，媽媽必須獨自撫養我們。因此當她返回路易斯安那州學習護理專業時，我們只能同外祖父外祖母住在一起。直到今天，我依然清晰地記得透過當時只有三歲的眼睛所目睹的情形：媽媽她跪在站臺上，哭著把我交給坐在開往阿肯色的列車上的外祖母，媽媽忍受了那痛苦，因為她知道，只有做出犧牲才能給我更好的生活。是媽媽教育了我。她教我懂得家庭、勤奮工作和犧牲的真諦。她鎮定地承受一次又一次災難的打擊，她領著全家——我哥哥和我——共同渡過艱苦的歲月。

作為孩子，我曾目睹她每天離家上班，而那時代對一個在職媽媽來說并不總是那么容易。作為成人，我又目睹她戰勝乳腺癌，在如何保持勇氣方面再給我上了一課，她總是，總是要我去奮斗。

這就是為什么，我將為之奮斗以創造高收入的工作機會，使今天的父母能支付撫養子女的費用。

這就是為什么，我為之奮斗以確保每一個美國人都能得到那拯救了我母親生命的醫療保障，確保婦女在醫療保障上能得到和男子一樣的重視。

這就是為什么，我決心為之奮斗以確保婦女在這個國家享有尊嚴，受到尊重——不管她們是操持家務、外出工作，還是身兼二任。

你們想知道我的戰斗精神從何而來？它全都源自我的媽媽。謝謝你，媽媽。我愛你！每當我想起全體美國人的機會平等，我就想起我的外祖父。他經營我們霍普小鎮的一家鄉村雜貨店。那時還沒有政府發放的食品票，所以當他的顧客——不管他們是白人或黑人，只要他們努力工作盡其所能——他們身無分文走進小店，呃，他總是給他們食物，他只是隨便記上一筆。遇到此類情況，我也是照此辦理。

還在我長大到足以獨力照看柜臺之前，我已從他那里學會如何去尊重那些通常被人蔑視的人們。

我外祖父只念了高中——普通高中，然而在那鄉村雜貨店里，關于什么是上帝眼中的平等，他比喬治城大學所有的教授教給我的還要多；關于每一個體的基本價值，他比牛津大學所有的哲學家教給我的還要多；關于法律下公平審判的必要性，他教給我的比耶魯法學院所有的法學家還要多。

如果你想知道，我那要不分種族把全體人民團結起來的承諾的熱情從何而來。它全都源自我的外祖父。

從另一個人身上，我也獲益良多。有這么一個人，她勤奮工作逾二十年來幫助我們的孩子們：她犧牲大量的時間以確保我們的學校不會誤人子弟；她用一年時間走遍全國，傾聽、學習、研究，出席家庭教師協會、學校董事會以及市政廳的有關會議，推出了得到各地區驗證的學校改革的一攬子計劃。同時她在律師界奠定了良好的事業基礎，她又是一位了不起的充滿愛心的母親。

那個人就是我妻子。

希拉里告訴我，她告訴我，所有的孩子都能學習，我們每個人都有義務幫助他們。因此，如果你們想知道為什么我如此關心我們的孩子們我們的未來，這一切都源自希拉里。我愛你。

坦白說，我對那些向我們宣講家庭價值的華盛頓的政客們感到厭倦。我們的家庭是有價值的，但我們的政府卻一錢不值。

我要這樣一個美國，在那里，家庭的價值活在我們的行動中，而不只是停留在我們的演說里。我要這樣一個美國，她包容每一個家庭——每一個傳統的大家庭，每一個雙親的或單親的家庭，每一個收養的家庭，所有這些家庭。

對我們國家中那些選擇放棄他們的孩子，忽視對孩子的撫養義務的父親們，我想說幾句話：擔負起撫養孩子的義務來，否則我們將強迫你們這樣做。因為政府不能撫養孩子，而父母卻能，你們責無旁貸，今晚，我要告訴美國的每一個孩子——那些失去父親或母親正在長大成人的孩子——我了解你們的感受，你們也是獨一無二的。

你們對美國很重要。你們不能聽任別人告訴你們，說什么你們不能成為你們所希望成就的那種人。如果別的政治家讓你們覺得你們不屬于他們的家庭，來吧，成為我們之中的一員。

過去十二年的所有錯誤中最讓我憤怒的莫過于我們的政府將我們所珍視的價值棄如敝 2 屣，而我們的政治家卻把它們掛在嘴上喋喋不休，我煩透了這個。

我從小就相信，“美國夢”應該建立于“努力工作，必有回報”的基石之上。我們看到的卻是華盛頓的家伙把這一道德信條拋諸腦后。

太久了，那些奉公守法保持信仰的人得到的是不公正的待遇，那些投機取巧弄虛作假的人卻往往好處占盡。

人們工作得比以往更辛苦，他們陪伴孩子的時間比以往更少。以往參加家庭教師協會或童子軍活動的時間被擠占，取而代之的是夜間和周末的加班。他們的收入不斷下降，他們的稅負持續上升，而醫療保健、住宅和教育的開支更是漲上了天。

與此同時，越來越多的最優秀的人正在陷入貧困，盡管他們每周工作四十個小時。我們的人民呼喚改革，但政府卻擋在道上——它已經被特權階層的私利所劫持。它忘了就站在這里的那些真正為政府“埋單”的人們。我們必須超越華盛頓那僵化的政見，給人民一個他們應得的政府，一個為他們服務的政府。

總統，一個總統應該是推動進步的強大力量。但只是在今天，我才體會到林肯總統的感受——內戰期間，當麥克萊將軍不愿進攻時，林肯問他：“如果你不用你的軍隊，我能借用它嗎？”

同樣地，我說，喬治·布什，如果你不用你的權力來幫助美國，站一邊去，讓我來吧！我們的國家正在落后。總統成了一種失敗的經濟理論的俘虜。自從羅納爾多·里根和布什執政以來，我們的工資收入已從世界第一滑落到第十三。

四年前，總統候選人布什說：“美國是一個特殊的地方，不是在聯合國的名冊處于阿爾巴尼亞和津巴布韋之間的隨隨便便的一個什么國家。”今天，在現任總統布什的領導下，我們的經濟已然可悲地落到了德國和斯里蘭卡之間。

對絕大多數美國人而言，總統先生，比起你的政府執政以前，生活變得更少仁愛，更少溫暖。

聽聽他們的呼聲，在這方面多一些努力！

我們的國家滑落得如此之遠，如此之快，以致幾個月前，日本首相竟然說，他“同情美國”。“同情”？當我成了你們的總統，這世界上其他地方，其他地方的人們將不再憐憫地俯視美國，而是再一次懷著敬意仰視我們。

為解決我們的經濟問題，喬治·布什做了什么呢？

呃，四年前今天，他許諾要帶來一千五百萬新的就業機會，現在他卻造成了超過一千四百萬的職位短缺。阿爾·戈爾和我能做得更好。

他增加那些駕駛皮卡貨車的人們的稅負，卻為那些乘坐豪華轎車的人們減稅。我們能做得更好。

他承諾要平衡預算，卻始終光說不練。事實上，他向國會提交的預算案使我們的負債翻了將近一番。更糟的是，他浪費數十億美元并削減我們在教育以及創造就業機會方面的投資。我們能做得更好。

因此，如果你厭惡并倦怠于一個不努力創造就業機會的政府，如果你厭惡并倦怠于一個機關算盡來對付你的稅收系統，如果你厭惡并倦怠于債務的急劇增長和對未來投資的持續削減；或者，像人權先驅范尼·婁·哈默所說，你只是厭惡并倦怠于總是“厭惡并倦怠”，那么，加入我們，讓我們一同工作一同勝利，我們能夠使我們的國家成為真正意義上的國家。

眼下，喬治·布什正在談論一個美妙的“競賽”，可他卻沒有任何“競賽”計劃來重建美國——從城市到郊區到鄉村——以使我們能夠參與全球經濟的競爭并再次贏得勝利。但是，我有。

他不敢同龐大的保險公司、官僚機構較量以控制醫療保健的成本，給我們一種所有美國人都支付得起的保健服務。但是，我敢。

他甚至不愿采納他自己的艾滋病防治委員會的建議；但是，我愿。

他不會提高政府效率改變其工作方式，裁減十萬官員給美國城市的街道增加十萬新警官；但是，我會。

他從未平衡過政府預算，但是我已經平衡了十一次。

他不想打破特殊利益集團對選舉的束縛，不想排除各種游說團體對政府的干擾；但是，我想。

他不愿讓父母們有起碼的機會在他們的孩子出生或他們的雙親患病時享受帶薪假期；但是，我讓。

我們正在以驚人的速度失去我們的農莊，但他卻不肯承諾讓家庭保住他們的農莊；但是，我承諾。

關于毒品他說了很多，他卻不肯幫助第一線的人們發動緝毒滅罪的戰役；但是，我肯。他不能帶頭保護環境并利用環保科技為二十一世紀創造新的工作機會；但是，我能。你們知道嗎？他沒有阿爾·戈爾；但是，我有。我怕，我怕你們沒注意到——“戈爾”的最后一個字母是“E”。

并且，喬治·布什，喬治·布什不愿保證婦女選擇的權利；但是，我保證。聽我說，我并不贊成“流產”；我只是堅決贊成“選擇”。我相信那艱難而痛苦的選擇應該留給美國的婦女去做。

我希望個人的隱私權能夠得到保護而且我們無須在政治論壇上再來討論這個問題。然而我的年齡足以讓我記得羅伊·佛·威德以前的情形，我不想回到那把人工流產的婦女和她們的醫生看作罪犯的時代。

就業機會、學校教育、醫療保健，這些不是掛在我嘴上的承諾，而是我畢生的工作。“何者優先”必須清楚——我們將再次把人民放在第一位。然而這種“優先”若無清晰的行動計劃就只是空洞的言辭。要將美麗的言辭變成現實，我們就必須徹底改變政府的處事方式。否則，我們將繼續把數十億美元扔進下水道。

共和黨人反對大政府的選戰已經持續了一個時代。但是你們注意到沒有，他們竟然將這個政府運行了整整一個時代而未作任何改變！他們不想穩定政府，他們還是要發動選戰來反對它，這就是全部事實。

但是，我的民主黨伙伴們，是時候了，讓我們明白我們也必須做出某些改變。政府并沒有一個解決所有問題的萬全之策。如果我們要讓政府幫助人民，我們就必須讓它再次運轉起來。

因為我們承諾在這次大會在這個講壇上做出這些改變。用羅斯·佩羅自己今天的話來說，我們是新生的民主黨，新生的民主黨人。

我十分清楚，數十萬人正聚集在羅斯·佩羅的旗幟周圍，組成了一支要求變革的愛國者的大軍。今晚，我要對他們說，加入我們吧，讓我們一起使美國獲得新生。

眼下，我還沒有全部的答案，然而我確信老一套行不通。積極投資的經濟理論已經破產。龐大的官僚體系——無論是私營的還是公立的——都失敗了。

這就是為什么我們要給政府找一條新的途徑。一個更多授權而非集權的政府；一個給在校的——在公立學校的——年輕人更多的選擇，給接受長期保健的老年人和殘疾人更多的選擇的政府；一個更像引導者而非定義者的政府；一個增加機會而非擴充官僚機構的政府；一個明了就業機會只能來自活潑的生機勃勃的自由企業體系的政府。

我把這條新的途徑叫做“新的契約”——一個人民和政府之間的莊嚴的協議，它并不簡單地立足于我們能從國家索取什么，更立足于我們必須向國家奉獻什么。

我們提供基于傳統價值之上的新的選擇。我們提供機會，我們要求責任。我們將重建美國社會。我們提供的選擇，既不是保守主義的，也不是自由主義的；從更豐富的層面看，甚 4 至既不是共和主義的也不是民主主義的。它是截然不同的，它是全新的。它將有效。它所以有效，因為它深深地植根于美國人民所信守的價值和美國人民對未來的憧憬之中。

喬治·布什說過的話中我不能同意的，可能也是最讓我厭煩的，是他對美國人民尋求和探索更美好的未來這一傳統的嘲笑和貶低。他嘲笑這憧憬是“泡影”。

然而，我們只要想想圣經的教諭：“沒有憧憬，人民便趨于滅亡。”

我希望，我希望，今晚，在這個大會堂，在我們這個可愛的國家，沒有誰在邁向明天時心里沒有憧憬。我希望沒有誰在養育子女時心里沒有憧憬。我希望沒有誰在開始自己的事業或在地里種植莊稼時心里沒有憧憬。因為，“沒有憧憬，人民便趨于滅亡。”

這個國家如此多的孩子在如此多的方面陷入如此多的麻煩，原因之一，便是他們看到的是如此少的機會，如此少的責任心，如此少的充滿愛和關懷的社區。以致他們甚至無法想象我們召喚他們去過的那種新的生活。

因此，我要重申：沒有憧憬，美國將趨于滅亡。

那么，我們和未來的新的契約中包含怎樣的憧憬呢？

一個有著數百萬新的就業機會的有著十多個新興產業的，自信地邁向二十一世紀美國。一個這樣的美國，她向企業家和生意人宣告：我們將提供比以前更多的激勵和機會讓你們提高工人的技能，在全球經濟中為美國創造更多的就業機會更多的財富；但是你們必須做好你們的本分，你們必須盡自己的責任。美國的公司必須再次像美國公司那樣行動——輸出我們的產品而不是就業機會。

這就是新契約的應有之意。

一個這樣的美國，在那里，高校的大門將再次為速記員和煉鋼工人的子女們敞開。我們將宣布：每個人都可貸款進入高校，但是你們必須盡你們的本分：你們必須償還，用你們未來的薪金——或者更好一些——回到你們的家鄉服務于你們的社區。

只要想想，想想這樣一幅圖景：千千萬萬精神充沛的青年男女服務于他們的國家——維護治安，教育兒童，看護病人照顧老人殘疾人，或幫助年青人使他們遠離毒品和幫派。它必然給我們所有人一種感覺，一種充滿無限可能和希望的感覺。

這就是新契約的應有之意。

一個這樣的美國，在那里，醫療保健是基本權利而非特權；在那里，我們要告訴我們的人民：“你們的政府終于有勇氣挑戰醫療保健行業的奸商，提供每個家庭能夠支付得起的醫療服務。” 但是你們必須盡你們的本分。做好預防工作——搞好妊娠衛生，搞好兒童免疫；珍惜生命，節約金錢，避免家庭悲劇的發生。

這就是新契約的應有之意。

這樣一個美國，中產階級的收入而非他們的稅負將持續增長。這樣一個美國，是的，在那里少數最富的人那些年收入超過二十萬美元的人將被要求承擔公平的稅負。這樣一個美國，在那里富人不只是濕濕鞋，中產階級也不會淹死——責任必須從最上層開始。

這就是新契約的應有之意。一個這樣的美國，在那里我們將如根據我們的了解為社會福利規定限度。我們要對那些依靠福利的人說：你們將享有，你們也應該享有——機會，完備的訓練和教育，完善的兒童撫育和醫療保障以充分發掘你們的潛能。但是那以后，只要可能你就必須工作，因為社會福利只是輔助的手段，而不是生活方式。

這就是新契約的應有之意。

一個這樣的美國，它擁有世界上最強大的防衛力量，必要時它能夠并且愿意使用武力。一個這樣的美國，它站在維持和保護我們公共環境增加全球植被的最前線。一個這樣的美國，它不會縱容暴君——從巴格達到北京。一個這樣的美國，它支持自由和民主的事業——從東歐到南非，在我們自己所在的半球 5 在海地在古巴。

冷戰的結束，允許我們在保持世界最強大的防衛力量的同時削減國防開支，但是我們必須把削減下的每一個美元都用于在國內創造就業機會。我深知世界需要一個強大的美國，但是我們都認識到力量源自國內。

然而，這個新的契約不僅涉及你們和你們家庭的機會和責任，它更涉及我們共同的社會。今晚，你們每一個人都深知我們有太多的分歧。是時候了，讓美國“痊愈”。

因此，我必須告訴每一個美國人，超越那些使我們盲目的陳腐偏見。我們彼此需要——我們所有人——我們彼此需要。我們沒有一個多余的人。但是太久了，政客們總是說我們中的多數都做得不錯，真正對美國有害的只是剩下的那些人——他們。

他們，少數族裔；他們，自由主義者；他們，窮人；他們，無家可歸者；他們，殘疾人；他們，同性戀者。

我們已經快要被“他們”置于死地。他們，他們，他們！但是，這里是美國，這里沒有“他們”，只有“我們”！

“上帝庇佑之下，一個不可分割的國家，自由正義屬于所有的人。” 這就是我們的《效忠誓言》，這就是新契約的應有之意。

為何我知道我們能聚合起來讓變革發生？因為我已看到它發生在我自己的州。在阿肯色，我們同心協力并取得了進展。不，沒有什么阿肯色奇跡，只有許多奇跡般的阿肯色人。因為他們，我們的學校更好，我們的工資更高，我們的工廠更忙，我們的水源更清，而且我們的預算平衡。我們正在穩步向前。

我希望能對現任總統治下的美國說同樣的話。他領導了世界上最富有的國家卻讓她走了下坡路。我們接管的是美國最窮的州，但是我們讓她向上走。

所以我要對那些在這選戰正酣的時節試圖批評阿肯色的人們說：住口！尤其對那些來自華盛頓的家伙，我要說，住口！的確，你們將看到我們正在努力奮斗以解決一些尚未解決的問題，你們也將看到那么多杰出的人正在從事令人驚訝的工作，從中你們也許可以學到一些東西。

說到底，我的美國同胞們，這個新的契約只是要求我們再次成為真正的美國人，新時代的傳統的美國人——機會、責任、社會。

只要我們團結起來，就將推動美國向前。回顧這個國家的全部歷史，我們一次又一次地看到，只要我們萬眾一心，我們前進的步伐就無可阻擋。

我們能夠抓住這個時刻，讓作為美國人再次成為令人激動精神煥發無上光榮的事情。我們能夠重建我們的信念，我們能夠重建舉國一致的認識。

正如圣經所說：“我們所能成就的，非我們的眼睛所曾見過，非我們的耳朵所曾聽聞，非我們的頭腦所能想象。”

然而，我不能單打獨斗，沒有哪個總統能。我們必須同心協力。它并不輕松，也不會很快完成。我們不是一夜之間陷入困境的，我們也不可能一夜之間擺脫困境。憑著承諾、創造、多樣性和無窮的動力，我們能夠完成。

我們能夠完成。我們能夠完成。我們能夠完成。

我要求這個會場的每一個人，這個國家的每一個人，伸出手來，和我們一起開始新的偉大的冒險，勇敢地描繪我們輝煌的未來。

作為十幾歲的少年，我曾聆聽約翰·肯尼迪呼喚公民權利義務的演講。那以后，作為喬治城大學的學生，我又聆聽了卡羅爾·奎格利教授對此所做的闡釋。他告訴我們，美國是歷史上最偉大的國家，因為我們的人民堅信兩條：

一、明天會比今天更好；

二、我們每一個人 6 都在道德上都有責任讓它成為現實。

那樣，那樣一種未來，在我們的女兒切爾西降生之時走進了我的生命。當我站在產房之中，我被一個想法所壓倒：上帝給了我一個我父親不能領會的祝福——把自己的孩子抱在懷里。

此刻，在美國的某個地方一個孩子正在降生。讓它成為我們的事業：給那孩子一個幸福的家園，一個健康的家庭，一個充滿希望的未來。讓它成為我們的事業：給那孩子一個機會，實現上帝賦予她的全部潛能。

讓它成為我們的事業：看護那孩子，讓他健壯、安全，讓他在家庭和朋友的支持下迎接生活的挑戰而從不單槍匹馬，讓他樹立一個信念——在美國，沒有誰被遺棄，沒有誰落在后面。

讓它成為，讓它成為我們的事業：只要那孩子能夠，她將做出回報，回報她的孩子、她的社區、她的國家。讓它成為我們的事業：給那孩子一個日益團結而不是趨于分裂的國家，一個充滿無限希望無窮夢想的國家，一個再次振奮人民激勵世界的國家。讓它成為我們的事業我們的承諾我們的新的契約。

我的美國同胞們，今晚我在這里結束我的演講，一切將從這里開始。我始終相信一個地方——它就是希望。

上帝保佑你們，上帝保佑美國。

第五篇：2012Obama 接受民主黨總統提名演講稿

Michelle, I love you.The other night, I think the entire country saw just how lucky I am.Malia and Sasha, you make me so proud.but don’t get any ideas, you’re still going to class tomorrow.And Joe Biden, thank you for being the best Vice President I could ever hope for.Madam Chairwoman, delegates, I accept your nomination for President of the United States.The first time I addressed this convention in 2004, I was a younger man;a Senate candidate from Illinois who spoke about hope – not blind optimism or wishful thinking, but hope in the face of difficulty;hope in the face of uncertainty;that dogged faith in the future which has pushed this nation forward, even when the odds are great;even when the road is long.Eight years later, that hope has been tested – by the cost of war;by one of the worst economic crises in history;and by political gridlock that’s left us wondering whether it’s still possible to tackle the challenges of our time.I know that campaigns can seem small, and even silly.Trivial things become big distractions.Serious issues become sound bites.And the truth gets buried under an avalanche of money and advertising.If you’re sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me – so am I.But when all is said and done – when you pick up that ballot to vote – you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation.Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington, on jobs and the economy;taxes and deficits;energy and education;war and peace – decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children’s lives for decades to come.On every issue, the choice you face won’t be just between two candidates or two parties.It will be a choice between two different paths for America.A choice between two fundamentally different visions for the future.Ours is a fight to restore the values that built the largest middle class and the strongest economy the world has ever known;the values my grandfather defended as a soldier in Patton’s Army;the values that drove my grandmother to work on a bomber assembly line while he was gone.They knew they were part of something larger – a nation that triumphed over fascism and depression;a nation where the most innovative businesses turned out the world’s best products, and everyone shared in the pride and success – from the corner office to the factory floor.My grandparents were given the chance to go to college, buy their first home, and fulfill the basic bargain at the heart of America’s story: the promise that hard work will pay off;that responsibility will be rewarded;that everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules – from Main Street to Wall Street to Washington, DC.I ran for President because I saw that basic bargain slipping away.I began my career helping people in the shadow of a shuttered steel mill, at a time when too many good jobs were starting to move overseas.And by 2008, we had seen nearly a decade in which families struggled with costs that kept rising but paychecks that didn’t;racking up more and more debt just to make the mortgage or pay tuition;to put gas in the car or food on the table.And when the house of cards collapsed in the Great Recession, millions of innocent Americans lost their jobs, their homes, and their life savings – a tragedy from which we are still fighting to recover.Now, our friends at the Republican convention were more than happy to talk about everything they think is wrong with America, but they didn’t have much to say about how they’d make it right.They want your vote, but they don’t want you to know their plan.And that’s because all they have to offer is the same prescription they’ve had for the last thirty years: “Have a surplus? Try a tax cut.” “Deficit too high? Try another.”

“Feel a cold coming on? Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call us in the morning!”

Now, I’ve cut taxes for those who need it – middle-class families and small businesses.But I don’t believe that another round of tax breaks for millionaires will bring good jobs to our shores, or pay down our deficit.I don’t believe that firing teachers or kicking students off financial aid will grow the economy, or help us compete with the scientists and engineers coming out of China.After all that we’ve been through, I don’t believe that rolling back regulations on Wall Street will help the small businesswoman expand, or the laid-off construction worker keep his home.We’ve been there, we’ve tried that, and we’re not going back.We’re moving forward.I won’t pretend the path I’m offering is quick or easy.I never have.You didn’t elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear.You elected me to tell you the truth.And the truth is, it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over decades.It will require common effort, shared responsibility, and the kind of bold, persistent experimentation that Franklin Roosevelt pursued during the only crisis worse than this one.And by the way – those of us who carry on his party’s legacy should remember that not every problem can be remedied with another government program or dictate from Washington.But know this, America: Our problems can be solved.Our challenges can be met.The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place.And I’m asking you to choose that future.I’m asking you to rally around a set of goals for your country – goals in manufacturing, energy, education, national security, and the deficit;a real, achievable plan that will lead to new jobs, more opportunity, and rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation.That’s what we can do in the next four years, and that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States.We can choose a future where we export more products and outsource fewer jobs.After a decade that was defined by what we bought and borrowed, we’re getting back to basics, and doing what America has always done best: We’re making things again.I’ve met workers in Detroit and Toledo who feared they’d never build another American car.Today, they can’t build them fast enough, because we reinvented a dying auto industry that’s back on top of the world.I’ve worked with business leaders who are bringing jobs back to America – not because our workers make less pay, but because we make better products.Because we work harder and smarter than anyone else.I’ve signed trade agreements that are helping our companies sell more goods to millions of new customers – goods that are stamped with three proud words: Made in America.After a decade of decline, this country created over half a million manufacturing jobs in the last two and a half years.And now you have a choice: we can give more tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, or we can start rewarding companies that open new plants and train new workers and create new jobs here, in the United States of America.We can help big factories and small businesses double their exports, and if we choose this path, we can create a million new manufacturing jobs in the next four years.You can make that happen.You can choose that future.You can choose the path where we control more of our own energy.After thirty years of inaction, we raised fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.We’ve doubled our use of renewable energy, and thousands of Americans have jobs today building wind turbines and long-lasting batteries.In the last year alone, we cut oil imports by one million barrels a day – more than any administration in recent history.And today, the United States of America is less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in nearly two decades.Now you have a choice – between a strategy that reverses this progress, or one that builds on it.We’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration in the last three years, and we’ll open more.But unlike my opponent, I will not let oil companies write this country’s energy plan, or endanger our coastlines, or collect another $4 billion in corporate welfare from our taxpayers.We’re offering a better path – a future where we keep investing in wind and solar and clean coal;where farmers and scientists harness new biofuels to power our cars and trucks;where construction workers build homes and factories that waste less energy;where we develop a hundred year supply of natural gas that’s right beneath our feet.If you choose this path, we can cut our oil imports in half by 2020 and support more than 600,000 new jobs in natural gas alone.And yes, my plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet – because climate change is not a hoax.More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke.They’re a threat to our children’s future.And in this election, you can do something about it.You can choose a future where more Americans have the chance to gain the skills they need to compete, no matter how old they are or how much money they have.Education was the gateway to opportunity for me.It was the gateway for Michelle.And now more than ever, it is the gateway to a middle-class life.For the first time in a generation, nearly every state has answered our call to raise their standards for teaching and learning.Some of the worst schools in the country have made real gains in math and reading.Millions of students are paying less for college today because we finally took on a system that wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on banks and lenders.And now you have a choice – we can gut education, or we can decide that in the United States of America, no child should have her dreams deferred because of a crowded classroom or a crumbling school.No family should have to set aside a college acceptance letter because they don’t have the money.No company should have to look for workers in China because they couldn’t find any with the right skills here at home.Government has a role in this.But teachers must inspire;principals must lead;parents must instill a thirst for learning, and students, you’ve got to do the work.And together, I promise you – we can out-educate and out-compete any country on Earth.Help me recruit 100,000 math and science teachers in the next ten years, and improve early childhood education.Help give two million workers the chance to learn skills at their community college that will lead directly to a job.Help us work with colleges and universities to cut in half the growth of tuition costs over the next ten years.We can meet that goal together.You can choose that future for America.In a world of new threats and new challenges, you can choose leadership that has been tested and proven.Four years ago, I promised to end the war in Iraq.We did.I promised to refocus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11.We have.We’ve blunted the Taliban’s momentum in Afghanistan, and in 2014, our longest war will be over.A new tower rises above the New York skyline, al Qaeda is on the path to defeat, and Osama bin Laden is dead.Tonight, we pay tribute to the Americans who still serve in harm’s way.We are forever in debt to a generation whose sacrifice has made this country safer and more respected.We will never forget you.And so long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known.When you take off the uniform, we will serve you as well as you’ve served us – because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the care that they need when they come home.Around the world, we’ve strengthened old alliances and forged new coalitions to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.We’ve reasserted our power across the Pacific and stood up to China on behalf of our workers.From Burma to Libya to South Sudan, we have advanced the rights and dignity of all human beings – men and women;Christians and Muslims and Jews.But for all the progress we’ve made, challenges remain.Terrorist plots must be disrupted.Europe’s crisis must be contained.Our commitment to Israel’s security must not waver, and neither must our pursuit of peace.The Iranian government must face a world that stays united against its nuclear ambitions.The historic change sweeping across the Arab World must be defined not by the iron fist of a dictator or the hate of extremists, but by the hopes and aspirations of ordinary people who are reaching for the same rights that we celebrate today.So now we face a choice.My opponent and his running mate are new to foreign policy, but from all that we’ve seen and heard, they want to take us back to an era of blustering and blundering that cost America so dearly.After all, you don’t call Russia our number one enemy – and not al Qaeda – unless you’re still stuck in a Cold War time warp.You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can’t visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally.My opponent said it was “tragic” to end the war in Iraq, and he won’t tell us how he’ll end the war in Afghanistan.I have, and I will.And while my opponent would spend more money on military hardware that our Joint Chiefs don’t even want, I’ll use the money we’re no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work – rebuilding roads and bridges;schools and runways.After two wars that have cost us thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars, it’s time to do some nation-building right here at home.You can choose a future where we reduce our deficit without wrecking our middle class.Independent analysis shows that my plan would cut our deficits by $4 trillion.Last summer, I worked with Republicans in Congress to cut $1 trillion in spending – because those of us who believe government can be a force for good should work harder than anyone to reform it, so that it’s leaner, more efficient, and more responsive to the American people.I want to reform the tax code so that it’s simple, fair, and asks the wealthiest households to pay higher taxes on incomes over $250,000 – the same rate we had when Bill Clinton was president;the same rate we had when our economy created nearly 23 million new jobs, the biggest surplus in history, and a lot of millionaires to boot.Now, I’m still eager to reach an agreement based on the principles of my bipartisan debt commission.No party has a monopoly on wisdom.No democracy works without compromise.But when Governor Romney and his allies in Congress tell us we can somehow lower our deficit by spending trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy – well, you do the math.I refuse to go along with that.And as long as I’m President, I never will.I refuse to ask middle class families to give up their deductions for owning a home or raising their kids just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut.I refuse to ask students to pay more for college;or kick children out of Head Start programs, or eliminate health insurance for millions of Americans who are poor, elderly, or disabled – all so those with the most can pay less.And I will never turn Medicare into a voucher.No American should ever have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies.They should retire with the care and dignity they have earned.Yes, we will reform and strengthen Medicare for the long haul, but we’ll do it by reducing the cost of health care – not by asking seniors to pay thousands of dollars more.And we will keep the promise of Social Security by taking the responsible steps to strengthen it – not by turning it over to Wall Street.This is the choice we now face.This is what the election comes down to.Over and over, we have been told by our opponents that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way;that since government can’t do everything, it should do almost nothing.If you can’t afford health insurance, hope that you don’t get sick.If a company releases toxic pollution into the air your children breathe, well, that’s just the price of progress.If you can’t afford to start a business or go to college, take my opponent’s advice and “borrow money from your parents.” You know what? That’s not who we are.That’s not what this country’s about.As Americans, we believe we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights – rights that no man or government can take away.We insist on personal responsibility and we celebrate individual initiative.We’re not entitled to success.We have to earn it.We honor the strivers, the dreamers, the risk-takers who have always been the driving force behind our free enterprise system – the greatest engine of growth and prosperity the world has ever known.But we also believe in something called citizenship – a word at the very heart of our founding, at the very essence of our democracy;the idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another, and to future generations.We believe that when a CEO pays his autoworkers enough to buy the cars that they build, the whole company does better.We believe that when a family can no longer be tricked into signing a mortgage they can’t afford, that family is protected, but so is the value of other people’s homes, and so is the entire economy.We believe that a little girl who’s offered an escape from poverty by a great teacher or a grant for college could become the founder of the next Google, or the scientist who cures cancer, or the President of the United States – and it’s in our power to give her that chance.We know that churches and charities can often make more of a difference than a poverty program alone.We don’t want handouts for people who refuse to help themselves, and we don’t want bailouts for banks that break the rules.We don’t think government can solve all our problems.But we don’t think that government is the source of all our problems – any more than are welfare recipients, or corporations, or unions, or immigrants, or gays, or any other group we’re told to blame for our troubles.Because we understand that this democracy is ours.We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights;that our destinies are bound together;that a freedom which only asks what’s in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense.As citizens, we understand that America is not about what can be done for us.It’s about what can be done by us, together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government.So you see, the election four years ago wasn’t about me.It was about you.My fellow citizens – you were the change.You’re the reason there’s a little girl with a heart disorder in Phoenix who’ll get the surgery she needs because an insurance company can’t limit her coverage.You did that.You’re the reason a young man in Colorado who never thought he’d be able to afford his dream of earning a medical degree is about to get that chance.You made that possible.You’re the reason a young immigrant who grew up here and went to school here and pledged allegiance to our flag will no longer be deported from the only country she’s ever called home;why selfless soldiers won’t be kicked out of the military because of who they are or who they love;why thousands of families have finally been able to say to the loved ones who served us so bravely: “Welcome home.” If you turn away now – if you buy into the cynicism that the change we fought for isn’t possible.well, change will not happen.If you give up on the idea that your voice can make a difference, then other voices will fill the void: lobbyists and special interests;the people with the $10 million checks who are trying to buy this election and those who are making it harder for you to vote;Washington politicians who want to decide who you can marry, or control health care choices that women should make for themselves.Only you can make sure that doesn’t happen.Only you have the power to move us forward.I recognize that times have changed since I first spoke to this convention.The times have changed – and so have I.I’m no longer just a candidate.I’m the President.I know what it means to send young Americans into battle, for I have held in my arms the mothers and fathers of those who didn’t return.I’ve shared the pain of families who’ve lost their homes, and the frustration of workers who’ve lost their jobs.If the critics are right that I’ve made all my decisions based on polls, then I must not be very good at reading them.And while I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together, I’m far more mindful of my own failings, knowing exactly what Lincoln meant when he said, “I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go.” But as I stand here tonight, I have never been more hopeful about America.Not because I think I have all the answers.Not because I’m na? ve about the magnitude of our challenges.I’m hopeful because of you.The young woman I met at a science fair who won national recognition for her biology research while living with her family at a homeless shelter – she gives me hope.The auto worker who won the lottery after his plant almost closed, but kept coming to work every day, and bought flags for his whole town and one of the cars that he built to surprise his wife – he gives me hope.The family business in Warroad, Minnesota that didn’t lay off a single one of their four thousand employees during this recession, even when their competitors shut down dozens of plants, even when it meant the owners gave up some perks and pay – because they understood their biggest asset was the community and the workers who helped build that business – they give me hope.And I think about the young sailor I met at Walter Reed hospital, still recovering from a grenade attack that would cause him to have his leg amputated above the knee.Six months ago, I would watch him walk into a White House dinner honoring those who served in Iraq, tall and twenty pounds heavier, dashing in his uniform, with a big grin on his face;sturdy on his new leg.And I remember how a few months after that I would watch him on a bicycle, racing with his fellow wounded warriors on a sparkling spring day, inspiring other heroes who had just begun the hard path he had traveled.He gives me hope.I don’t know what party these men and women belong to.I don’t know if they’ll vote for me.But I know that their spirit defines us.They remind me, in the words of Scripture, that ours is a “future filled with hope.” And if you share that faith with me – if you share that hope with me – I ask you tonight for your vote.If you reject the notion that this nation’s promise is reserved for the few, your voice must be heard in this election.If you reject the notion that our government is forever beholden to the highest bidder, you need to stand up in this election.If you believe that new plants and factories can dot our landscape;that new energy can power our future;that new schools can provide ladders of opportunity to this nation of dreamers;if you believe in a country where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules, then I need you to vote this November.America, I never said this journey would be easy, and I won’t promise that now.Yes, our path is harder – but it leads to a better place.Yes our road is longer – but we travel it together.We don’t turn back.We leave no one behind.We pull each other up.We draw strength from our victories, and we learn from our mistakes, but we keep our eyes fixed on that distant horizon, knowing that Providence is with us, and that we are surely blessed to be citizens of the greatest nation on Earth.Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless these United States.