第一篇：美國總統大選的規則（精選）

美國總統大選的規則

每隔4年的11月4日是美國大選的日子，今年因為11月4日是星期天，大選將于11月6日舉行。美國目前有3億多人口，大約有三分之一會參選，每個成年的美國公民都有投票權，他們是選民。但是最后誰會勝出，并不完全取決于選民的投票（popular votes），而是取決于538張選舉人票（electoral votes）。這538個選舉人，被稱為“選舉團”（electoral college）。2012年，美國共有100位參議員，無論州的人口多少，每州2位，這是憲法規定，永遠不變的；2012年美國50個州共有435位眾議員，每州眾議員的人數根據各州人口的多少確定，總人數也隨著美國總人口的變化而變化；此外，華盛頓哥倫比亞特區還有3位選舉人，所以總數是538。因為華盛頓哥倫比亞特區是聯邦政府的領地，所以他們既不算眾議員，也不算參議員，平時在國會立法投票時他們沒有投票權，只是在大選時才有選舉權。

嚴格地說起來，當選民在大選中投票時，他們并沒有真正將選票投給自己想選的總統候選人，而是決定自己州的議員將如何投票。例如，你投票選舉奧巴馬，其實你是命令你的州的議員保證投民主黨候選人的票。如果一個州共有10張選舉人票，40%的選民投民主黨的票，60%的選民投共和黨的票，那是不是該州的10位選舉人中將有4位投民主黨的票，其他6位投共和黨的票呢？不是的。如果這個州正好有4位民主黨的議員，6位共和黨的議員，一旦共和黨得到的選民票勝出，則該州所有的10位議員都得投票選舉共和黨的候選人。只有在立法的過程中，該州的議員（通常）才會分別投各自所代表的政黨的票。換言之，兩黨的候選人爭奪一個州，任何一個黨只要得到微弱的多數，哪怕只是一票之差，便能贏得該州所有的選舉人票。這種總統大選的規則是美國憲法第二條和1804年的第12修正案所規定的。一直延續至今。

目前美國共有538張選舉人票，美國憲法規定總統必須多數當選，換言之，無論奧巴馬還是羅姆尼，都必須得到270張選舉人票才能當選。如果除了民主、共和兩黨之外還有其他政黨或無黨派人士參選，而其中得票最多的政黨候選人得票未能超過半數，那該怎么辦呢？正因為歷史上曾經有過這種例外的情況，所以才有1804年的憲法第12修正案。在無人得票超過半數的情況下，所有各州無論人口多少，都具有1票的選舉權，無論哪位候選人在超過半數的州勝出，便可以當選為總統。從理論上來說，如果一位候選人在人口最少的26個州勝出，這26個州的選民人數僅占總人口的18.06%，該候選人便能勝出。這種情況在美國歷史上只發生過兩次，第一次是1801年的湯姆斯?杰佛遜，第二次是1825年的昆西?亞當斯。他們便是由眾議院選出來的。

在大選前，電視臺和其他媒體會進行民意調查，預測各位候選人得到選民的支持率，通常誤差是上下百分之幾。今年11月6日星期二，選民將到投票站投票。在加利福尼亞日落之前，至少有一個電視臺會宣布哪位候選人獲勝。半夜時分，其中一位候選人將宣布得勝，另一位候選人將承認落選，但是這并非正式的選舉結果。電視臺預測選舉結果的方法是“出口調查”（exit poll），即在投票站的出口處調查選民實際投票的情況，從而推算出選舉的結果。但是投票后調查并不精確，只是隨意抽樣（random sampling），在兩位候選人旗鼓相當的州，往往需要具體清點所有的選民票后才能確定到底由誰勝出。

大選年12月第二個星期三后的第一個星期一，各州的選舉人將到各自的州府正式投票，投票完畢后，接任總統和副總統才正式產生。問題是，公民投票和選舉人正式投票之間為什么會有大概一個半月的時間差呢？在19世紀，因為交通不便，點票和匯總很耗時，選舉人到州府的旅行時間也很長。如今交通方便，更有電腦點票，這段時間主要用來解決雙方可能產生的控訴對方違反選舉規則的爭議，若是雙方得票率非常接近，這段時間將用來重新點票。

選舉人投票制有其不公平之處。反對者認為，使用全輸、全贏的方法，可能導致某個候選人在全國范圍內得到的“選民票”（popular votes）少于對手，卻因為得到多數的選舉人票（electoral votes）而獲勝，這樣選出來的總統不能代表全體選民的意愿。這種情況在歷史上確實出現過。

根據選舉人票分布的情況，從理論上來說，一個候選人只要得到11個人口大州的選票，哪怕在其他39個州一票都沒得到，便能當選總統。美國共有12個人口大州：

加利福尼亞、德克薩斯、紐約、佛羅里達、賓夕法尼亞、伊利諾伊、俄亥俄、密西根、新澤西、北卡羅來納、喬治亞和佛吉尼亞。

以上的12個州是選舉的大票倉。只要贏得其中11個，便能得到270張選舉人票而當選總統。

此外，紐約和東部的一些大州是民主黨的天下，如果民主黨在這些州以壓倒優勢大獲全勝，許多選民票會被浪費掉。而共和黨在西部及南部的一些人口小州只要以微弱多數獲勝，那怕只差幾千票，也能囊括那些小州的全部選舉人票。顯然，如果把東部大州多余的選票分散到一些小州，那就足夠贏得若干個小州所有的選舉人票。贏得選民票而無緣問鼎白宮的情況，在美國歷史上發生過四次。

第一次是1824年。當時美國還沒有普及選民投票，有的州還是通過州議會確定選舉人。那次大選的兩位候選人都是民主共和黨人（Democratic-Republican）。克勞福德（William H.Crawford）共得到40,856張選民票，占11.2%，卻贏得了41張選舉人票，他的對手克雷（Henry Clay）得到47,531張選民票，占13.0%，卻因只得到37張選舉人票而落選。

1876年，美國共有369 張選民票，獲得185張便可以當選。共和黨候選人海斯（Rutherford B.Hayes）共得到4,036,298張選民票，卻贏得了185 張選舉人票，他的對手民主黨人提爾頓（Samuel J.Tilden）得到4,300,590張選民票，比對手多近30萬票，卻因只得到184張選舉人票而落選。

1888年，美國共有401 張選舉人票，獲得201張便可以當選。共和黨候選人哈里遜（Benjamin Harrison）共得到5,439,853張選民票，卻贏得了233張選舉人票，他的對手民主黨人克利夫蘭（Grover Cleveland）以第22任總統的身份參選，得到5,540,309張選民票，卻因只得到168張選舉人票而落選。四年之后的1892年，克利夫蘭卷土重來，擊敗哈里遜，再次當選第24任總統。

最近的一次是2000年的小布什和戈爾之爭。當時美國的候選人票已經達到538張。小布什（George W.Bush）共得到50,456,002張選民票，卻贏得了271張選舉人票，戈爾（Al Gore）以在任副總統的身份參選，比小布什多得50,999,897張選民票，卻因只得到266張選舉人票而落選（其中一人棄權）。

當時佛羅里達共有25張選舉人票，第一次點票小布什只獲得微弱多數，且小布什的弟弟杰布（Jeb Bush）是佛羅里達的州長，有人懷疑杰布幫助他哥哥作弊。戈爾陣營要求重新計票，佛羅里達最高法院允許重新清點總共大約6,000,000張選票中的175,037張選票。在機器點票過程中，有的選票沒有被計算，有的則被重復計算。因為機器的設計有問題，無法辨認遺漏和重復清點的選票，所以只能大約估計，機器清點總數與實際票數并不相符。

在Volusia郡，遺漏和重復清點的選票與機器清點的數字不符。在Orange郡，所有的選票都被重新清點。在Broward郡，選舉委員會沒有報告第一次機器所遺漏和重復清點的數字，只是報告了正式重新清點中遺漏和重復點票的結果，使戈爾多得了567票，重新點票的標準并不嚴格，將“有酒窩的無空屑紅帶”（dimpled chad，恕我不懂技術，無法解釋）的選票也計算入內。長話短說，戈爾僅因幾百票的差距，而失去了佛羅里達的25張選舉人票而獲選。

如果候選人得到了多數的選民票而不能當選，投票選舉他的選民一定是不滿意的。既然如此，為什么起草美國憲法的國父們會允許這樣的情況發生呢？

選舉有兩種形式，一種是全民普選，另一種是通過國會議員選舉。當時美國還沒有全國性的政黨，交通不方便，一個深得民心的候選人的號召力只限于當地，在其他地方可能無人知曉。而來自各地的候選人會把選票分散，將無法代表全國人民的意愿。但是若通過國會選舉，則每一位議員必須精準地評估他所代表的州民的民意，然后酌情投票，這便可能造成議員根據自己的看法投票，而不是正確地反映他們所代表的人民的意愿。權衡之下，制定憲法的國父們便采取了折衷的選舉人投票法。

事實證明國父們是有遠見的，奧巴馬是美國的第44任總統，從美國建國至今已經236年，共經過59次大選，一共才出現過四次得到多數選民票而落選的情況，僅占6.7%，若不算第一次，得民心而失天下的情況才5%。

在交通和通訊發達的今天，當年國父們擔心的情況已經不存在了。全國性的政黨早就建立，幾乎每個人都能知道候選人每天的一言一行，先進的技術使得清點選票更為精確，所以有人建議將選舉人投票制改為普選。

第二篇：美國總統大選講稿

第一次辯論

稅收

奧巴馬： 投資在教育和培訓。發展新的能源來源，縮減開支

改善教育系統，降低企業稅率至25%，關閉漏洞；給予在美國投資的公司減稅優惠；

增加美國的能源產量，石油和天然氣比過去幾年都高，投資風能、太陽能、生物燃料，所以必須終止赤字（如何處理免稅代碼），丹姆尼州長：在北美范圍內能源獨立，創造工作崗位；

開放更多貿易，特別是拉丁美洲；（若是中國欺詐則制裁）平衡預算，支持小企業

為中產階級提供稅額減免，通過能源、貿易、正確的培訓項目、平衡預算、幫助小企業。教育：培訓項目47個由聯邦政府管轄，向8個不同的機構匯報，日常管理費用驚人，以你更改讓這些錢重新回到各個州，讓他們尋找工作需要的培訓。

降低稅率，降低企業稅和個稅，但是也減少減稅、抵稅和免稅。

讓天然氣和石油產量翻番，把輸油管從加拿大引過來。要繼續燃燒潔凈煤，原則是不增加赤字的減稅。赤字

羅姆尼：削減開支 鼓勵經濟增長

不會向中國借錢做事，摒棄不好的項目；把好的項目給各個州運作，如果他認為各個州運作更加高效；讓政府高效，削減職員數量，通過人員自然縮減，合并機構和部門；通過讓更多的人工作得到更高的報酬從而繳納更多的稅。奧巴馬：當政四年，削減開支，減少赤字，不給把工作轉移到海外的公司稅賦減免，第二次講稿

第三次講稿

利比亞、伊朗、恐怖主義、崛起中的中國、阿富汗戰爭和敘利亞問題成為重點討論議題。[7]

其中最為引人矚目的話題是：中國崛起和未來的世界。美國總統大選拿中國“說事兒”，并不稀奇，但是像今年這樣頻繁而高調，還是首次。中國因素全面滲入大選，兩黨候選人不僅頻繁拋出強硬對華政策，中國崛起還首次成為大選辯論的獨立辯題，并壓軸“出場”。

奧巴馬和羅姆尼對中國問題并未形成“激辯”，而是仿佛一唱一和，紛紛宣稱要和中國搞好關系，但中國一定要遵守“游戲規則”，不要再“造假貨”，而且人民幣要再升值。在對華態度上，兩位候選人的區別是，奧巴馬平和一些，羅姆尼更加激進，再次稱中國是“匯率操縱國”。

實際上，從去年參選之初，羅姆尼便主打強硬對華貿易政策。羅姆尼曾宣稱，在當選為美國總統的第一天，就要給中國貼上操縱人民幣匯率的標簽，并且在知識產權保護方面對中國宣戰。進入2012年，奧巴馬也開始在國情咨文中表露出對華貿易施壓的風向。奧巴馬還曾經大力宣揚美國向世貿組織投訴中國。

除了對華貿易政策，“中國因素”還是奧巴馬和羅姆尼互相攻擊的工具。奧巴馬不斷諷刺羅姆尼創立的貝恩資本，將產品制造“外包”給中國等國家，剝奪美國人工作，為自己盈利。而羅姆尼則大罵奧巴馬對華懦弱，幾乎在“懇求北京”。

從大選三辯來看，在談到任何一個涉華議題時，都不是一人說“是”一人說“否”的情況，這說明民主黨和共和黨在中國議題方面沒有“是”與“非”的根本分歧，選戰層面上的意義更大。[

第三篇：2012美國總統大選華盛頓州演講

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Seattle, Washington 1:00 P.M.PDT THE PRESIDENT: Give it up for Libby!(Applause.)LIBBY BLUME: Hello.Thank you very much for coming.We're all very honored.I'm Libby.I'm the youngest of the Blumes.And I'm very, very proud to present the President of the United States of America.(Applause.)THE PRESIDENT: Yay!Nice job!(Applause.)Thank you.Libby knows the key to good public speaking--be brief.(Laughter.)That always makes people happy.I just want to thank the entire Blume family--especially Libby--(laughter)--but in addition to Bruce and Ann, their other kids--Max, Rebecca, Jacob, and Scooter--for opening up this extraordinary home to us and for their friendship.I'm so grateful to you guys.Thanks for whoever is in charge of the weather.(Laughter.)I've been told this is typical Seattle weather.(Laughter.)But I've been here before so--(laughter.)What I'm going to do is actually be pretty brief at the top because what I'd really enjoy is just answering questions and getting comments and kind of hearing what you guys are thinking about.We've been through an extraordinary period in American history--worst financial crisis, worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.When you think about the Blume family growing up, what a lot of this younger generation has seen is hardship and recession and people being laid off of work.And yet the good news is that America is full of incredibly resilient, wonderful, decent people who have been willing to buckle down and work through these difficult times, and as a consequence, the country I think is on a path of great strength and great promise.We've seen more than 4 million jobs created over the last two years, more than 800,000 just in the last four months alone;the greatest increase in manufacturing employment since the 1990s--a lot of that having to do with an auto industry that has surged back after a period of time when a lot of us thought that they might go under.Here in this region, the last time I was in Seattle--I think it was the last time--we had a chance to visit Boeing, which is as good of a symbol of American ingenuity and American promise--and I teased the CEO there that I deserve a gold watch because we've been selling a lot of planes all around the world.(Laughter.)

And so slowly, in fits and starts, the economy is getting stronger and businesses are starting to invest again.And in fact, you're starting to see companies that had moved to places like China recognizing why would we abandon the largest market in the world? Wages are going up in China and workers are getting more productive here--let's start bringing companies and businesses back.We've still got headwinds.Europe is still in a difficult state--partly because they didn’t take some of the decisive steps that we took early on in this recession.Gas prices are still pinching a lot of folks.The housing market is still very weak all across the country.But the good news is that we have weathered the storm and are in a position now to make sure that the 21st century is the American Century just like the 20th century was.But in order to do that, we've got to make good choices.And when I ran in 2008, I did not run just to get the country back to where it was before the crisis--because there had been problems that had been building for decades.And so the question was, were we finally going to take on some of these core challenges that had been holding us back for far too long? And that's the reason why, even as we were trying to manage the auto bailout, even as we were trying to deal with the banks and the fact that credit was locked up, even as we were trying to make sure that we could immediately put people back to work, we were also looking at what are the long-term things that are going to make a big difference in the life of this country? That's why we took on health care.And I am very proud of the fact that you got 2.5 million young people who have health insurance because they can stay on their parent's plans right now that didn’t have it before--(applause)--and 30 million who stand to get it over the next couple of years.(Applause.)That's the reason why we took on energy.And not only have we increased traditional energy in this country--oil and gas--but we're looking at the energy sources of the future and have doubled clean energy investment, and raised fuel-efficiency standards, doubling fuel-efficiency standards on cars, which will not only end up saving about $8,000 for the average consumer over the life of a car, but is going to take huge amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere and is part of what's contributing to some of the lowest levels of oil imports that we've seen in years--which obviously has national security implications.It's the reason why we took on education.And in addition to investing in reform at the K-through-12 level, we're also making sure that every young person has access to a college education.And we re-channeled money that was going to banks in the student loan program--tens of billions of dollars that are now going directly to students in the form of Pell grants.And now we've got a little more work to do to make sure that interest on their student loans don't double on July 1st.That's why we made investments during the Recovery Act to rebuild our roads and our bridges and our ports, but also to start looking at things like high-speed rail and new broadband lines into rural areas that didn’t have them before--because the fact is that, historically, America grows not just because a few folks are doing well but because we create a platform where everybody can succeed.Anybody who's working hard, everybody who's willing to put in the time and the effort and the energy, anybody who's got a new idea, no matter what they look like, no matter where they come from, they can succeed.And through their success we all succeed.And we're huge admirers of individual initiative and we insist on individual responsibility, but we also recognize this country succeeds together--not apart.And that is going to be probably the biggest theme in this election, because we've got another party on the other side that just has a fundamentally different view about how to make sure that America succeeds.I think they're patriotic folks.I think they care about this country.But I also think that they have a very narrow vision that says, if I'm doing well, then it's up to everybody else to figure their own way.And that's certainly not the reason I'm here.I'm here because my grandfather, after coming back from World War II, was able to study on the GI Bill.I'm here because my mother, a single mom, was able to get scholarships and grants to help her make her way through school.Michelle and I are where we are today because, although we came from very modest backgrounds, we got some of the best education in the world.When I hear people talk about the free enterprise system and entrepreneurship, I try to remind them, you know, all of us made that investment in DARPA that helped to get the Internet started, so there's no Facebook, there's no Microsoft, there's no Google if we hadn’t made this common investment in our future.And that's what we're going to be debating.There are going to be a lot of ups and downs and a lot of other issues, but the fundamental issue is going to be, do we believe that we grow together, or do we believe that “you're on your own” is a better model for how we advance not just our interests but the future of our children.Now, we've still got a lot of work to do.And the reason I'm running is because there's a lot of unfinished business.Still too many people out of work--and there's some things we could be doing right now to put construction workers back to work rebuilding America.There are things we could be doing right now to invest in science and technology to make sure we maintain a cutting edge.We haven't done as much on energy and climate change as we need to do.And so continuing to push for the kinds of work that a company like McKinstry is doing, making sure that we have energy-efficient buildings and companies and universities and hospitals and schools all across the country--we could reduce our consumption of energy by about 20 percent just by making these simple investments and we haven't done that yet.We've made progress, but we've got more work to do.We've still got to reform an immigration system that is broken, and make sure that young people who are raised in this country with our kids, that they're treated as the Americans that they are, and they're given an opportunity to serve and make of themselves what they will, because that's also part of our tradition.We're a great country because what binds us together isn't just what we look like or our last names, but we share a creed.And if you believe in America, then you can be part of it.So we're going to have a whole lot of work to do over the next five years, and I'm not going to be able to get there on my own.I practice what I preach--in the same way that I don't think a society is successful on its own, well, my campaign is not successful on its own.Back in 2008, we didn’t succeed because of

me;we succeeded because of you, because all of you made a common commitment to a common vision of what America should be.And I'm hoping that you're willing to continue with me on this always fascinating journey.(Laughter.)Thank you.(Applause.)

第四篇：美國總統大選電視辯論第三場

美國大選總統候選人第三場辯論在內華達大學拉斯維加斯分校舉行，將從美國東部時間19日21時開始，22時30分結束。這場90分鐘的辯論，將分成六段各15分鐘的段落，候選人有兩分鐘時間可以回答主持人拋出的問題，并有機會回應對手的談話。

各大主流視頻網站在線直播地址GET： Youtube直播地址：Youtube 3rd Presidential Debate at University of Nevada，Las Vegas

NBC直播地址：NBC 3rd Presidential Debate at University of Nevada, Las

Vegas

辯題：

“債務與應得權益”“移民”“經濟”“最高法院”“國際熱點”以及“總統的健康”。雙方將就每個話題進行15分鐘辯論。

主持人：

第三場辯論的主持人是福克斯新聞臺主播克里斯·華萊士(Chris Wallace)。Chris是何人?Chris的父親Mike Wallace也是美國著名記者和主持人，曾被譽為“世界最高的人”。

華萊士是《福克斯星期天新聞》主播，憑此節目三次獲得艾美獎。華萊士以犀利的采訪方式著稱，他曾在2006年專訪前總統克林頓時，逼問克林頓是否在任職總統時盡力追捕頭號恐怖分子本·拉登。

第三場辯論舉辦地： 內華達大學拉斯維加斯分校(University of Nevada, Las Vegas，縮寫UNLV)是一所大型公立綜合性全國大學，成立于1957年，位于美國西部大型城市拉斯維加斯，提供本科、碩士、博士、文憑課程四種學位類型。

兩者面臨的挑戰：

希拉里在第三場辯論至少有兩大挑戰。第一大挑戰是針對電郵門、健康問題和操縱大選等等指控作出回應和解釋，第二大挑戰是為自己出任總統提出強有力、肯定和有說服力的理由。

而特朗普則必須繼續面對侮辱女性言論所造成的影響。與此同時，他與共和黨高層的不和睦已經公開化，特朗普在社交網站“推特”上憤怒發言，譴責共和黨，并針對國會眾議院議長瑞安連連開火。

辯論策略：

目前，特朗普在公眾民調中落后于希拉里。美媒分析稱，這場辯論可能是特朗普在距離大選日不到三個星期的選戰中改變頹勢的最后機會。

共和黨長期的戰略分析人士約翰·費西里預計，特朗普和希拉里將以截然不同的方式進行最后一場辯論。他說，“我認為希拉里將求穩，因為我覺得她認為她保持著領先。我認為特朗普將破釜沉舟，全力以赴，因為他相信他必須窮追猛趕，并攻擊希拉里。”

終極PK

① 第三場總統候選人辯論：10月19日21:00及其后約90分鐘，即北京時間10月20日09:00至約10:30，第三場總統候選人希拉里與特朗普進行電視辯論。② 大選全民投票日：美東時間11月8日夜間，北京時間11月9日12:00左右，大選全民投票初步結果有望出爐。美國大選全民投票日的投票站關閉時間在北京時間11月9日上午11:00，初步結果有望在一小時左右(中午12:00左右)獲悉。但若選情膠著，則需等待更久;史上最膠著的選情，等到阿拉斯加州、夏威夷這兩個最后點票州的選票出來才知道大選結果。第四階段：過場與儀式

① 選舉人投票：美東時間12月19日白天，北京時間12月20日凌晨，由11月8日全民選票對應產生的“選舉人”，將按照全民投票的結果進行對應投票，因而，“選舉人投票”基本上可視為過場形式;除非全民投票選出的新總統出現意外不能上任等黑天鵝事故，此選舉人投票才會備受關注。

由于美國總統選舉實行“選舉人團”制度，因此總統大選日的投票結果，產生的實際上是代表50個州和哥倫比亞特區的538位“選舉人”。另外，在總統大選日，選民還要在聯邦范圍內進行參議院和眾議院選舉。真正的總統選舉是在12月第二個星期三之后的第一個星期一舉行(2016年是12月19日)。屆時，各州和哥倫比亞特區被推選出的“選舉人”將前往各州的首府進行投票。獲270張選票以上的候選人將當選總統，并于2017年1月20日宣誓就職。

② 就職典禮：美東時間次年(2017年)1月20日白天，北京時間2017年1月21日凌晨01:00左右，新總統舉行就職典禮，準備光榮上任。美國新總統的就職典禮通常在大選年的次年1月20日舉行，但若剛好這天是周日，由于與宗教習俗相沖突，因而就會順延推遲一天。2013年1月20日是周日，奧巴馬的續任就職典禮就是推遲到1月21日(周一)舉行的。

本文來自小站教育留學頻道。

第五篇：2012美國總統大選西雅圖演講范文

For Immediate Release May 10, 2012

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event--Seattle, WA

Paramount Theater Seattle, Washington 3:00 P.M.PDT THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Seattle!Thank you.(Applause.)Thank you.Thank you very much.Thank you, Seattle!Thank you.(Applause.)Thank you so much.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you, guys.Thank you, everybody.Please, please, have a seat.Thank you.(Applause.)Thank you.Thank you very much.Thank you.Thank you, guys.(Applause.)Thank you very much.It’s good to be back in Seattle.(Applause.)A few people I want to acknowledge.First of all, please give a big round of applause to Sue for that unbelievable story, the great introduction, her incredible courage.(Applause.)She is just a wonderful person.And I was saying backstage as I was listening, she’s the kind of story that you don’t read about in the papers.That’s a story I’d like to read about--(applause)--somebody overcoming so many challenges, doing the right thing.And I could not be prouder to have her introduce me.A couple of other folks that are here today that I want to acknowledge--your outstanding Governor, Chris Gregoire.(Applause.)Your outstanding Lieutenant Governor, Brad Owen is here.(Applause.)One of the best United States Senators in the country, Patty Murray is in the house.(Applause.)Former U.S.Representative and soon-to-be governor, Jay Inslee is here.(Applause.)I want to thank King County executive Dow Constantine.(Applause.)My terrific friend, former King County executive and somebody who did great work for us at HUD in Washington, Ron Sims.(Applause.)State party chair, Dwight Pelz.(Applause.)And of course, somebody who I just love and I’m just such a huge fan of because he’s a great person in addition to being a great musician, Dave Matthews.(Applause.)AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love you!THE PRESIDENT:(Laughter.)I love you, too.(Applause.)So, Seattle, I’m here not just because I need your help--although I do;you’ll hear more about that.I’m here because your country needs your help.There was a reason why so many of you worked your hearts out in 2008.And it wasn’t because you thought it would be easy.You did support a candidate named Barack Hussein Obama.The odds are rarely in your favor in that situation.(Laughter.)You didn’t need a poll to tell you that might not be a sure thing.You did not join the campaign because of me.You came together--we came together--because of a shared vision.We came together to reclaim that basic bargain that built the largest middle class and the most prosperous nation on Earth.We came together because we believed that in America, your success shouldn’t be determined by the circumstances of your birth.If you’re willing to work hard, you should be able to find a good job.If you’re meeting your responsibilities, you should be able to own a home, maybe start a business.You should be able to give your kids the chance to do even better than you--no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, no matter what your last name, no matter who you love.(Applause.)And so we came together.This wasn’t just about me;this was you guys making a commitment to each other to try to bring about change because our country had strayed from these basic values.We’d seen a record surplus that was squandered on tax cuts for people who didn’t need them and weren’t even asking for them.Two wars were being waged on a credit card.Wall Street speculators reaped huge profits by making bets with other people’s money.Manufacturing was leaving our shores.A shrinking number of Americans did fantastically well, but a lot more people struggled with falling incomes and rising costs and the slowest job growth in a century.So it was a house of cards, and it collapsed in the most destructive, worst crisis that we’ve seen since the Great Depression.And sometimes people forget the magnitude of it, you know? And you saw some of that I think in the video that was shown.Sometimes I forget.In the last six months of 2008, while we were campaigning, nearly 3 million of our neighbors lost their jobs;800,000 lost their jobs in the month that I took office.And it was tough.But the American people proved they were tougher.So we didn't quit.We kept going.Together we fought back.When my opponent said we should just let Detroit go bankrupt, we made a bet on American workers, on the ingenuity of American companies, and today our auto industry is back on top of the world.(Applause.)We saw manufacturers start to invest in America again, consistently adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s.Businesses got back to basics, created over 4 million jobs in the last 26 months-– more than 1 million of those in the last six months alone.(Applause.)So we’re making progress.Are we satisfied? Of course not.Too many of our friends, too many of our family are still out there looking for work.Too many homes are still underwater.Too many states are still laying off teachers and first responders.A crisis this deep didn’t happen overnight, and we understand it won’t be solved overnight.We’ve got more work to do.We know that.But here’s what else we know: That the last thing we can afford is a return to the policies that got us here in the first place.Not now.Not with so much at stake.(Applause.)We’ve come too far to abandon the changes that we fought for these past few years.We’ve got to move forward, to the future that we imagined in 2008--where everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody plays by the same rules.That’s the choice in this election.And Seattle, that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States of America.(Applause.)

Now, my opponent in this election, Governor Romney, he's a patriotic American.He’s raised a wonderful family.He should be proud of the great personal success he's had as the CEO of a large financial firm.But I think he’s drawn the wrong lessons from those experiences.He actually believes that if CEOs and the wealthiest investors like him get rich, that the rest of us automatically do, too.(Laughter.)When a woman in Iowa shared the story of her financial struggles, he gave an answer right out of an economics textbook.He said, “Our productivity equals our income,” as if the only reason people can’t pay their bills is because they’re not productive enough.Well, that’s not what’s going on.Most of us who have spent some time talking to people understand that the problem isn’t that the American people aren’t working hard enough, aren’t productive enough-– you’ve been working harder than ever.The challenge we face right now-– the challenge we’ve faced for over a decade-– is that harder work isn’t leading to higher incomes.Bigger profits haven’t led to better jobs.What Governor Romney does not seem to get is that a healthy economy doesn’t just mean maximizing your own profits through massive layoffs or busting unions.You don’t make America stronger by shipping jobs or profits overseas.(Applause.)When you propose cutting your own taxes while raising them on 18 million families, that’s not a recipe for economic growth.And by the way, there’s nothing new about these ideas.I’m just starting to pay a little more attention to this campaign here, and--(laughter)--I keep on waiting for them to offer up something new.But it’s just the same old stuff.(Laughter.)It’s the same agenda that they have been pushing for years.It’s the same agenda that they implemented when they were last in charge of the White House--although, as Bill Clinton pointed out a few weeks ago, this time their agenda is on steroids.(Laughter.)This time they want even bigger tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.This time they want even deeper cuts to things like education and Medicare and research and technology.AUDIENCE: Booo--THE PRESIDENT: This time they want to give banks and insurance companies even more power to do as they please.AUDIENCE: Booo--THE PRESIDENT: Now, somehow they think that these same bad ideas will lead to different results than they did the last time--or they’re hoping you won’t remember what happened the last time when we tried their bad ideas.(Laughter.)Well, I’m here to say, Seattle, that we were there.We remember.We're not going back there.We're moving this country forward.(Applause.)We're moving forward.We're moving forward.(Applause.)Look, we don’t expect government to solve all our problems--and it shouldn’t try to solve all our problems.I learned from my mom that no education policy can take the place of a parent’s love and

attention, and occasionally, getting in your face.(Laughter.)As a young man, I worked with a group of Catholic churches who taught me that no poverty program can make as much of a difference as the kindness and commitment of a caring soul.(Applause.)And Democrats, we have to remember some things.Not every regulation is smart.Not every tax dollar is spent wisely.Not every person can be helped who refuses to help themselves.We believe in individual responsibility.But that’s not an excuse to tell the vast majority of responsible, hardworking Americans--folks like Sue who've done all the right things--“you’re on your own.” That if you're--had the misfortune, like most people do, of having parents who may not be able to lend you all the money you need for college, that you may not be able to go to college.(Applause.)That even if you pay your premiums every month, you’re out of luck if an insurance company decides to drop your coverage when you need it most.(Applause.)That’s not who we are.That’s not what built this country.That's not reflective of what's best in us.We built this country together.We built railroads and highways, we built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge--we built those things together.We sent my grandfather’s generation to college on the GI Bill-– together.We did these things not because they benefited any particular individual, any particular group;we did these things because we were building a platform for everybody to be able to succeed.We were creating the conditions for everybody to be able to succeed.These things made us all richer.They gave us all opportunity.(Applause.)They moved us all together, all forward, as one nation, and as one people.And that’s the true lesson of our past.We love the free market.We believe in rewarding entrepreneurship and risk.But when I hear my opponent and some of these folks talk as if somehow nobody had anything to do with the success of these businesses and our entrepreneurs, I have to remind them that we--we the people--invested in creating the Internet that allowed Microsoft and Google and Facebook to thrive.There's not a business in this country that's not benefiting from roads and bridges and airports--the investments we make together.Every time we've got a kid who's getting a great education in a public school and able to go to get an outstanding education at a public university, we're contributing to the possibilities of the free market succeeding.And that’s the right vision for our future.That’s the reason I'm running for President, because I believe in that vision.I believe in that vision.(Applause.)I’m running to make sure that by the end of this decade, more of our citizens hold college degrees than any other nation on Earth.I want that to happen here in America.(Applause.)I want to help our schools hire and reward the best teachers, especially in math and science.(Applause.)I want to give 2 million more Americans the chance to go to community colleges and learn the skills that local businesses are looking for right now, because that's what we need in the 21st century.(Applause.)Higher education can’t be a luxury.Education is--higher education is an imperative that every American should be able to afford--not just for young people but for mid-career folks who have to retrain, have to upgrade their skills.That’s the choice in this election.That’s why I’m running for President.I’m running to make sure that the next generation of high-tech manufacturing takes root in places like Seattle and Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Charlotte.I want to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs

and profits overseas.I want to reward companies that are creating jobs here in the United States of America.That’s the choice in this election.(Applause.)I am running so that we can keep moving forward to a future where we control our own energy.Our dependence on foreign oil is at the lowest point it's been in 16 years.(Applause.)Because of the actions we took, by the middle of the next decade our cars will average nearly 55 miles per gallon.(Applause.)Thousands of Americans have jobs because the production of renewable energy in this country has nearly doubled in just three years.So now is not the time to--(applause)--now is not the time to cut these investments to pay for $4 billion a year in giveaways to the oil companies.Now is not--now is the time to end subsidies for an industry that's just doing fine on its own.Let’s double down on clean energy that's never been more promising for our economy and for our security and for the safety of our planet.That's why I’m running, Seattle, and that's the choice in this election.(Applause.)For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq.(Applause.)Osama bin Laden is no longer a threat to this country.Al Qaeda is on the path to defeat.And by 2014, the war in Afghanistan will be over.(Applause.)America is safer and it’s more respected because of the courage and selflessness of our diplomats and our intelligence officers, but most of all, because of the United States armed Forces.(Applause.)And as long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, this country will care for our veterans, and we will serve our veterans as well as they’ve served us because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job or a roof over their heads when they come home.(Applause.)My opponent has a different view.He said it was “tragic” to end the war in Iraq.He says he won’t set a timeline for ending the war in Afghanistan.I have set a timeline, and I intend to keep it.(Applause.)After a decade of war that’s cost us thousands of lives, that's cost us over a trillion dollars, the nation we need to build is our own.(Applause.)So we’re going to use half of what we’re no longer spending on war to pay down the deficit, and we’re going to--(applause)--we’re going to invest the rest in research and education, and repairing our roads and our bridges and our runways and our wireless networks.That's the choice in this election.(Applause.)And I’m running to pay down our debt in a way that is balanced and a way that's responsible.After inheriting a trillion-dollar deficit, I signed $2 trillion of spending cuts into law.And now I want to finish the job responsibly and properly, streamlining government, cutting more waste--there’s still more there to be had--but also reforming our tax code so that it’s simpler and fairer and it asks the wealthiest Americans to pay a little bit more.(Applause.)My opponent won’t tell us how he'd pay for his new, $5 trillion tax cut –-a tax cut that gives an average of $250,000 to every millionaire in the country.AUDIENCE Booo--THE PRESIDENT: So we may not know the details, but we know the bill for that tax cut will either be passed on to our children, or it’s going to be paid by a whole lot of ordinary Americans.And I refuse to let that happen again.(Applause.)We’re not going to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut by eliminating medical research projects into things like ovarian cancer or Alzheimer’s.I refuse to pay for another tax cut by kicking children out of Head Start programs, or asking students to pay more for college, or eliminating health insurance for millions of poor, and elderly, and disabled Americans on Medicaid.(Applause.)And as long as I’m President of the United States, I’m not going to allow Medicare to be turned into a voucher that would end the program as we know it.(Applause.)We’ll reform Medicare, not by shifting costs to seniors but by reducing the spending that isn’t making people healthier.There are ways of doing it that preserve this program that is so vital to so many people.So Seattle, that’s what’s at stake.There’s a lot at stake.On issue after issue, we can’t afford to spend the next four years going backwards.America doesn’t need to re-fight the battles we just had over Wall Street reform or health care reform.Listen to Sue.Here’s what I know: Allowing 2.5 million young people to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan--that was the right thing to do.(Applause.)Cutting prescription drug costs for seniors--right thing to do.(Applause.)We’re not going back to the days when insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, or deny you coverage, or charge women differently from men.We’re not going back.We’re going forward.(Applause.)We don’t need another political fight about ending a woman’s right to choose, or getting rid of Planned Parenthood--(applause)--or taking away access to affordable birth control.I want women to control their own health choices.(Applause.)Just like I want my daughters to have the same economic opportunities as your sons.We’re not going to turn back the clock.(Applause.)We’re not turning back the clock.We’re not returning to the days when you could be kicked out of the United States military just because of who you are and who you love.(Applause.)We’re moving this country forward.We are moving forward to a country where every American is treated with dignity and with respect.And here in Washington you’ll have the chance to make your voice heard on the issue of making sure that everybody, regardless of sexual orientation, is treated fairly.You will have a chance to weigh in on this.(Applause.)We are a nation that treats people fairly.We’re not going backwards.We’re not going backwards.We’re going forwards.(Applause.)We’re going forward.We’re going forward, where everybody--everybody is treated with dignity and respect.We will not allow another election where multimillion-dollar donations speak louder than the voices of ordinary citizens.(Applause.)

And it’s time to stop denying citizenship to responsible young people just because they’re children of undocumented immigrants.(Applause.)This country is at its best when we harness the God-given talents of every individual;when we hear every voice;when we come together as one American family--black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled--everybody striving for the same dream.That’s what we’re fighting for.That’s why I ran for President.That's why I’m running again for President.That’s why I need your help.(Applause.)You know, Seattle, this election is actually going to be even closer than the last.And the reason for that is too many of our friends and neighbors, they're still hurting because of this crisis.And they see what’s going on in Washington, and they don't like it, and so there’s just a frustration level there that will express itself in the election.And I hear it from too many people who are wondering why they haven’t been able to get one of the jobs that have been created.Because even if jobs have been created, until you got a job, that jobs report doesn't mean much.They're wondering why their home is still underwater, or why their family hasn’t been touched by the recovery.So there’s still a lot of--a lot of work to be done.And folks are just--they get so frustrated about Washington.And as I said, the other side, they're not going to--the other side will not be offering these Americans a real answer to their questions.They’re not offering a better vision.They're not offering a new set of ideas.Everybody knows that.There’s nothing you’ve heard from them where you say, man, I didn't think of that.(Laughter.)Now, that's fresh.That's new.Maybe that will work.(Laughter.)That's not what’s going on here.What they will be doing is spending more money than we’ve ever seen before on negative ads –-ads that exploit people’s frustration for some short-term political gain.Over and over again, they’ll tell you America is down and out.America is not working.They’ll say, are you better off than you were--without mentioning that their frame of reference is before the worst crisis in our lifetime.We’ve seen this play before.And here’s the thing, the real question, the question that we have to answer, the question that will actually make a difference in your life and the lives of your children and the lives of your grandchildren-– it's not just about how we’re doing today.It’s about how we’re doing tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.Will we be better off if more Americans get a better education? Will we be better off if we reduce our dependence on foreign oil? Will we be better off if we start doing some nation-building here at home? Will we be better off if we're investing in clean energy? Will we be better off if we ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share? Will we be better off if we invest in new research and science and technology? When we look back four years from now, or 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, won’t we be better off if we have the courage to keep moving forward? AUDIENCE: Yes!

THE PRESIDENT: That’s the question in this election.(Applause.)That's the question in this election.And that outcome is entirely up to you.You’ll have to contend with even more negative ads, with more cynicism, more nastiness--sometimes just plain foolishness.(Laughter.)But if there’s one thing that we learned the last time around, one thing we learned in 2008, there is nothing more powerful than millions of voices calling for change.(Applause.)When you knock on doors;when you pick up the phone;when you talk to your friends;when you decide it’s time for change to happen, guess what? Change happens.Change comes to America.(Applause.)And that’s the spirit that we need again.If people ask you what this campaign is about, you tell them it’s still about hope.You tell them it’s still about change.You tell them it’s still about ordinary people who believe that in the face of great odds, we can make a difference in the life of this country.(Applause.)Because I still believe, Seattle.I still believe.I still believe we're not as divided as our politics suggest.I still believe that we have more common ground than the pundits tell us.I believe we're not Democrats or Republicans first;I think we're Americans first.(Applause.)I still believe in you.(Applause.)I still believe in you, and that's why I’m asking you to still believe in me.(Applause.)I told you in 2008 that I wasn’t a perfect man--maybe Michelle told you.(Laughter.)And I won’t be a perfect President.But I promised back when I was running that first time that I’d always tell you what I thought, and I’d always tell you where I stood, and I’d wake up every single day fighting as hard as I know how for you.(Applause.)And Seattle, I kept that promise.I have kept that promise, and I will keep it as long as I have the honor of being your President.(Applause.)So if you’re willing to stick with me, if you’re willing to fight with me, if you’re willing to work even harder this election than the last one, I guarantee you we will move this country forward.(Applause.)We will finish what we started.I’m still fired up.I’m still ready to go.And we will show the world why it is that the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.Thank you, everybody.God bless you.