The most presidential lorem ipsum in history.
The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
In the end, that's what this election is about. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of America. Because I've lived it.
As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth." That is what I will try to do - to speak the truth as best I can, humbled by the task before us, and firm in my belief that the interests we share as human beings are far more powerful than the forces that drive us apart. The issues that I have described will not be easy to address.
I suppose the politically safe thing would be to move on from this episode and just hope that it fades into the woodwork. That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper. That won't keep America safe. As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Islam. 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.
His father - my grandfather - was a cook, a domestic servant to the British. It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years. She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children. To the love of my life, our next First Lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Malia - I love you so much, and I'm so proud of all of you.
Thank you, and God bless America.