The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
I thought of the 900 men and women - sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, who won't be returning to their own hometowns. The man I met more than twenty years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another; to care for the sick and lift up the poor. This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you.
And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. "We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. We cannot walk alone.
And this restlessness - this search for meaning - is familiar to me. And there's another issue we must confront as well. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together - unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a better future for of children and our grandchildren. But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it - those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. Well it's time for them to own their failure. And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well-educated are far more likely to be prosperous.
It is on your lips and in your heart. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper. For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past. That is the world we seek.
And it's around this time that some pastors I was working with came up to me and asked if I was a member of a church. But I'm hopeful because I think there's an awakening taking place in America. I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has played a role in acts of hostage-taking and violence against U.S. But it is clear to all concerned that when it comes to nuclear weapons, we have reached a decisive point.
Thank you.