The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
And so they need an assurance that somebody out there cares about them, is listening to them - that they are not just destined to travel down that long road toward nothingness. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt I heard God's spirit beckoning me. There is real evil and hardship and pain and suffering in the world and we should be humble in our belief that we can eliminate them. Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.
She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas. A belief in things not seen. America! Tonight, if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do - if we do what we must do, then I have no doubts that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November, and John Kerry will be sworn in as president, and John Edwards will be sworn in as vice president, and this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come. They saw that I knew the Scriptures and that many of the values I held and that propelled me in my work were values they shared. For we have learned from recent experience that when a financial system weakens in one country, prosperity is hurt everywhere.
This year, in this election, we are called to reaffirm our values and our commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we are measuring up, to the legacy of our forbearers, and the promise of future generations. And fellow Americans, Democrats, Republicans, Independents - I say to you tonight: we have more work to do. Now don't get me wrong. To the Joshua generation, these challenges seem momentous - and they are. America respects the right of all peaceful and law-abiding voices to be heard around the world, even if we disagree with them.
We can tackle race only as spectacle - as we did in the OJ trial - or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina - or as fodder for the nightly news. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect.
My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy.
Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you.