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The press has scoured every exit poll for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but black and brown as well. She's the one who taught me about hard work. You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq. And while America in the past has focused on oil and gas in this part of the world, we now seek a broader engagement.
And until we stop the genocide that's being carried out in Darfur as I speak, our conscience cannot rest. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach. No matter where it takes hold, government of the people and by the people sets a single standard for all who hold power: you must maintain your power through consent, not coercion; you must respect the rights of minorities, and participate with a spirit of tolerance and compromise; you must place the interests of your people and the legitimate workings of the political process above your party.
Imagine Lincoln's Second Inaugural without its reference to "the judgments of the Lord." Or King's "I Have a Dream" speech without its reference to "all of God's children." Or President Kennedy's Inaugural without the words, "here on Earth, God's work must truly be our own." At each of these junctures, by summoning a higher truth and embracing a universal faith, our leaders inspired ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things. I have made a solemn pledge that I will sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of my first term as president that will cover every American and cut the cost of a typical family's premiums by up to $2500 a year. We shouldn't use the obstacles we face as an excuse for cynicism. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America.
In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, 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. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership; progress must be shared. And we will also expand partnerships with Muslim communities to promote child and maternal health.
But I think they also sensed that a part of me remained removed and detached - that I was an observer in their midst. These are the policies I will pursue. Instead, it is that American spirit - that American promise - that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
Thank you.