搜索
Thankyou.Thankyou.Thankyou,somuch.Thankyou,all.Thankyouvery,verymuch.Well--Well,thisisn'texactlythepartyI'dplanned,butIsurelikethecompany.AndIwanttostarttodaybysayinghowgratefulIamtoallofyou,toeveryonewhopouredyourheartsandyourhopesintothiscampaign,whodroveformilesandlinedthestreetswavinghomemadesigns,whoscrimpedandsavedtoraisemoney,whoknockedondoorsandmadecalls,whotalked,sometimesarguedwithyourfriendsandneighbors,whoe-mailedandcontributedonline,whoinvestedsomuchinourcommonenterprise,tothemomsanddadswhocametoourevents,wholiftedtheirlittlegirlsandlittleboysontheirshouldersandwhisperedintheirears,See,youcanbeanythingyouwanttobe.Totheyoungpeoplelike13-year-oldAnneRiddell[ph]fromMayfield,Ohio,whohadbeensavingfortwoyearstogotoDisneyWorldanddecidedtousehersavingsinsteadtotraveltoPennsylvaniawithhermomandvolunteerthere,aswell.Totheveterans,tothechildhoodfriends,toNewYorkersandArkansanswhotraveledacrossthecountry,tellinganyonewhowouldlistenwhyyousupportedme.Andtoallofthosewomenintheir80sandtheir90sbornbeforewomencouldvote,whocasttheirvotesforourcampaign.I'vetoldyoubeforeaboutFlorenceStein[ph]ofSouthDakotawhowas88yearsoldandinsistedthatherdaughterbringanabsenteeballottoherhospicebedside.HerdaughterandafriendputanAmericanflagbehindherbedandhelpedherfillouttheballot.Shepassedawaysoonafterand,understatelaw,herballotdidn'tcount,butherdaughterlatertoldareporter,Mydad'sanornery,oldcowboy,andhedidn'tlikeitwhenheheardMom'svotewouldn'tbecounted.Idon'tthinkhehadvotedin20years,buthevotedinplaceofmymom.SotoallthosewhovotedformeandtowhomIpledgedmyutmost,mycommitmenttoyouandtotheprogressweseekisunyielding.Youhaveinspiredandtouchedmewiththestoriesofthejoysandsorrowsthatmakeupthefabricofourlives.Andyouhavehumbledmewithyourcommitmenttoourcountry.Eighteenmillionofyou,fromallwalksoflife--womenandmen,youngandold,LatinoandAsian,African-AmericanandCaucasian,rich,poor,andmiddle-class,gayandstraight,youhavestoodwithme.AndIwillcontinuetostandstrongwithyoueverytime,everyplace,ineverywaythatIcan.Thedreamsweshareareworthfightingfor.Remember,wefoughtforthesinglemomwiththeyoungdaughter,jugglingworkandschool,whotoldme,I'mdoingitalltobettermyselfforher.Wefoughtforthewomanwhograbbedmyhandandaskedme,WhatareyougoingtodotomakesureIhavehealthcare?andbegantocry,becauseeventhoughsheworksthreejobs,shecan'taffordinsurance.WefoughtfortheyoungmanintheMarineCorpst-shirtwhowaitedmonthsformedicalcareandsaid,Takecareofmybuddiesoverthere,andthenwillyoupleasetakecareofme?Wefoughtforallthosewho'velostjobsandhealthcare,whocan'taffordgasorgroceriesorcollege,whohavefeltinvisibletotheirPresidenttheselastsevenyears.IenteredthisracebecauseIhaveanold-fashionedconvictionthatpublicserviceisabouthelpingpeoplesolvetheirproblemsandlivetheirdreams.I'vehadeveryopportunityandblessinginmyownlife,andIwantthesameforallAmericans.Anduntilthatdaycomes,you'llalwaysfindmeonthefrontlinesofdemocracy,fightingforthefuture.Thewaytocontinueourfightnow,toaccomplishthegoalsforwhichwestandistotakeourenergy,ourpassion,ourstrength,anddoallwecantohelpelectBarackObama,thenextPresidentoftheUnitedStates.Today,asIsuspendmycampaign,Icongratulatehimonthevictoryhehaswonandtheextraordinaryracehehasrun.Iendorsehimandthrowmyfullsupportbehindhim.AndIaskallofyoutojoinmeinworkingashardforBarackObamaasyouhaveforme.IhaveservedintheSenatewithhimforfouryears.Ihavebeeninthiscampaignwithhimfor16months.Ihavestoodonthestageandgonetoe-to-toewithhimin22debates.I'vehadafront-rowseattohiscandidacy,andIhaveseenhisstrengthanddetermination,hisgraceandhisgrit.Inhisownlife,BarackObamahaslivedtheAmericandream,asacommunityorganizer,intheStateSenate,asaUnitedStatessenator.Hehasdedicatedhimselftoensuringthedreamisrealized.Andinthiscampaign,hehasinspiredsomanytobecomeinvolvedinthedemocraticprocessandinvestedinourcommonfuture.Now,whenIstartedthisrace,IintendedtowinbacktheWhiteHouseandmakesurewehaveaPresidentwhoputsourcountrybackonthepathtopeace,prosperityandprogress.Andthat'sexactlywhatwe'regoingtodo,byensuringthatBarackObamawalksthroughthedoorsoftheOvalOfficeonJanuary20,2009.Now,Iunderstand--Iunderstandthatweallknowthishasbeenatoughfight,buttheDemocraticPartyisafamily.Andnowit'stimetorestorethetiesthatbindustogetherandtocometogetheraroundtheidealsweshare,thevalueswecherish,andthecountrywelove.Wemayhavestartedonseparatejourneys,buttodayourpathshavemerged.Andwe'reallheadingtowardthesamedestination,unitedandmorereadythanevertowininNovemberandtoturnourcountryaround,becausesomuchisatstake.WeallwantaneconomythatsustainstheAmericandream,theopportunitytoworkhardandhavethatworkrewarded,tosaveforcollege,ahomeandretirement,toaffordthatgasandthosegroceries,andstillhavealittleleftoverattheendofthemonth,aneconomythatliftsallofourpeopleandensuresthatourprosperityisbroadlydistributedandshared.Weallwantahealthcaresystemthatisuniversal,high-qualityandaffordable,sothatparentsdon'thavetochoosebetweencareforthemselvesortheirchildrenorbestuckindead-endjobssimplytokeeptheirinsurance.Thisisn'tjustanissueforme.Itisapassionandacause,anditisafightIwillcontinue