Announce my candidacy for president of the United States of america. Early in the campaign, black people were feeling somewhat neglected. Is he going to represent us . Is he going to take our issues seriously . People felt he wasnt black enough. Mccains crowds turned uglier. The discussion of race in this campaign has taken a particularly divisive turn. This is not a man who sees america the way that you and i see america. Okay, youre rolling. You obviously put a lot of thought into the decision to do this. Have you given thought to when youre successful, what would you want people to say about how america was different than the day you walked in the door . I dont think that were going to solve all our problems in eight years or ten years. One of the things about life, both for each of us and for the country as a whole, is that there are always going to be new challenges. There are always going to be new difficulties. But i hope that at the end of an obama administration, people will look back and say, we changed our politics so that people could take pride in their government again and could feel that the government was working for the people and not just for the few. That at the end of an obama administration, this country is a little more fair and a little more just, that our economy is a little more balanced, and that people have a slightly better chance of achieving the American Dream. And if we set this country on the right trajectory now, then we wont have solved every problem, but we will have laid the foundation for future generations to continue whats been this great experiment in democracy. So this is the Old State Capitol . One thing you can say with certainty about barack obama is that there has never been another president ial candidate like him. He is ambitious and just daring enough to invite comparisons to one of the few american president s who was elected with even less political experience than he has. Three years ago, you were a State Legislator here in springfield. What makes you think that youre qualified to be president of the United States . You know, i think were in a moment of history where probably the most important thing we need to do is to bring the country together. Nice to meet you. Hi. And one of the skills that i bring to bear is being able to pull together the different strands of American Life and focus on what we have in common. Im Hillary Clinton. Senator Hillary Clinton has burst onto the campaign field. Im running for president , and im in it to win it, with your help. A recent cbs news poll shows that black voters who could provide the key to winning early democratic primaries are wary of obama. How important is race in defining yourself . I am rooted in the African American community, but im not defined by it. I am comfortable in my racial identity, but thats not all i am. The stage is set for tomorrows announcement. Senator barack obama will make it official. He is in this race for president. And while he has never positioned himself as the black candidate, the question of his race is, of course, and will continue to be much discussed and debated, especially among African Americans. You think the countrys ready for a black president . Yes. You dont think its going to hold you back . No. You know, i think if i dont win this race, it will be because of other factors. Its going to be because i have not shown the American People a vision for where the country needs to go that they can embrace. I was scheduled the next morning to be in springfield due to the invocation, senator obama called me. He called me three times that day. He was very worried about my prayer. I said, what . He said, you know, i go to iowa the next day. Dont say anything and your prayers thats going to upset farmers. And i said, man, im the one talking about how you brought Southern Illinois together to stop distrusting and mistrusting chicago. I wouldnt do that in a prayer. He called back, davids worried axelrod. Davids worried, are you sure . I said, im straight. The third call, he said, rev, Rolling Stone has got their hands on one of your sermons. And david feels that if i take you out on the stage with me to open up the ceremony with a prayer, the press will only focus on you. You know, you can be over the top sometime. I said, what are you talking about . Im thinking, what have i done . What have i said . What sermon of mine have you heard thats over the top . Maybe we need to declare war on racism. He said, i still want you to pray for me and my family. Can you do that . Before i go out, i said, yes, i can do that. He said, ill see you in the morning. I landed in springfield with a car waiting for me that took me to the capitol. We joined hands in a circle and i prayed for the family, prayed for him, i prayed a nonpartisan prayer and asked that the candidate most dedicated to the principles of the founders would be elected and that god would keep him and his family safe. Secret service then took barack out to the platform. I walked up with michelle and stood next to her as he announced. It was here in springfield where north, south, East And West come together that i was reminded of the Essential Decency of the American People, where i came to believe that through this decency we can build a more hopeful america. That is why in the shadow of the Old State Capitol, where lincoln once called on A House Divided to stand together, where common hopes and Common Dreams still live, i stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of america. When he made the announcement that day in illinois, at the same time in virginia, there was a black agenda conference, that i was there. I wish, you know, all of this about our friend barack announcing today, i wish obama had announced here, because Lincoln Lincoln did not free us. The Abolitionist Movement freed us. And i was not yet there supporting him. We got to quit giving the wrong people credit for our history. Black leaders were kind of resentful, because he kind of did an end run around black leadership. Most black people who rise in black communities have to come through and kiss the ring of the black political dignitaries and potentates. Obama leapfrogged over them. By ourselves, this change will not happen. Divided, we are bound to fail, but the life of a tall, gangly, selfmade springfield lawyer tells us that a different future is possible. He makes the announcement springfield, tied to the legacy of abraham lincoln, which is a rich one. So we understood, okay, i mean, political calculation, every politician has to do that. And you dont want to alienate your white fellow citizens coming out of the box. He tells us that there is power in words. He tells us that theres power in conviction, that beneath all the differences of race and region, faith and station, we are one people. Hes got large numbers of White Brothers and sisters who have fears and anxieties, and hes got to speak to them in such a way that he holds us at arms length enough to say he loves us, but doesnt get too close to scare them out. So hes walking this tightrope. I want us to take up the Unfinished Business of perfecting our union and building a better america. Im not for or against him as a brother. If theres any white supremacist perception of barack, i defend him. Why . Because i hate White Supremacy. But hes got to be accountable. And starting off in springfield, illinois is not impressive to me. Hey. He called me up and he said, mr. West, i heard what you said about my speech. Why did you say it . I said, i said it because i believed it. He said, i was wondering whether you would work with me. I said, ive got one question. What is your relation to the legacy of Martin Luther king, jr. . How will your campaign enact the struggle against poverty, militarism, racism and materialism, those of the evils that Martin Luther king, jr. Saw right before he was murdered . I can still sing, we shall overcome. We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. It bends towards justice. He was very honest with me and he said, professor west, you know that im not as radical as you are, but i do see myself directly connected to the legacy of Martin Luther king, jr. I said, that sounds wonderful to me. Fortytwo years ago, it would have been unimaginable. Two democratic president ial contenders, one a woman, another an africanamerican, Courting Black Voters in alabama, preaching to overflowing churches. Are you ready to march . Every year, theres a commemoration of selma, a great encounter between the forces of the Civil Rights Movement led by john lewis and others, and police with truncheons. And Hillary Clinton and barack obama want to make an impression in selma. Many black voters say theyre torn between voting for the africanamerican obama or sticking with the clintons whove supported civil rights for years. Thats the agonizing choice for john lewis, bludgeoned during the selma march and now a congressman. It was tough. It was tough. I supported president clinton and got to know hillary. It was one of the tough decisions of my political life. The clintons felt that they had deep inroads with the Africanamerican Community, and with reason. You remember in a certain new yorker magazine, Toni Morrison wrote that bill clinton was the first black president. Said with some irony, said with all kinds of, but mostly with admiration, too. Obama gives his speech at brown church, and hillary is down the street at another church. Yes, that long march to freedom that began here has carried us a mighty long way. Its a contest. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, giving all praise and honor to god for bringing us here today, i just want to talk a little bit about moses, and aaron, and joshua, because we are in the presence today of a lot of moses. Were in the presence today of giants whose shoulders we stand on. He begins paying tribute to what he calls the moses generation. Whos moses . Martin luther king, who famously says in his speech, i might not get there with you. As great as moses was, despite all that he did, leading a people out of bondage, he didnt cross over the river to see the promised land. God told him, your job is done. Were going to leave it to the Joshua Generation to make sure it happens. Theres still some battles that need to be fought, some rivers that need to be crossed. Obama pronounces himself the head of the Joshua Generation. Thats incredibly nervy. Moses told the Joshua Generation, dont forget where you came from. And im worried sometimes that the Joshua Generation in its success forgets where it came from. Thinks it doesnt have to make as many sacrifices. You think people in the 1940s, 1950s woke up and said, we are the civil rights generation. Lets do this. As though it was, you know, fantastic. Our nostalgia has made us look back at that period of time as though it was great. But it was not great getting hit in the head on the Edmund Pettus bridge. These werent fun times. These were times of commitment when people decided that they werent going to take it anymore and that they could make this country better. Folks complaining about the quality of our government, i understand theres something to be complaining about. Im in washington. I see whats going on. It means we cant sit out elections. It means we cant just vote for people and then not show up to hold them accountable. It means we cant think that government is something other people do. But i tell you what, i also know that if Cousin Pookie would vote, if uncle jethro would get off the couch and stop watching sportscenter and go register some folks and go to the polls, we might have a different kind of politics. Thats what the moses generation teaches us. Kick off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes. Go do some politics. Change this country. Thats what they teach. To me, that event is as much a declaration to run for president as his Announcement Speech in springfield, but its made particular to the black community. We got you. You got my vote. You got my vote, man. All right. You got my vote. You got my vote, man. Hey, i appreciate that. You got my vote. I think that there is a assumption on the part of some commentators that somehow the black community is so unsophisticated that the minute you put an africanamerican face up on the screen that they automatically say, thats our guy. A black candidate has to earn black votes the same way that hes got to earn white votes. And thats exactly how it should be. People were asking me, who are you going to support . And i said that, well, everybody thats my color is not my kind. I bring you the senator from illinois, senator barack obama. He had always said to me, im not asking you to support me, just dont hurt me. Thank you. There was concern. Is he going to represent us . Is he going to take our issues seriously . What does he know about us . We dont really know him. I am proud to be a candidate for the presidency of the United States of america. The black people are practically, were no longer interested in symbolic politics run as a reaction to White Supremacy run as, you know, a candidate who will protest. No, we want real people who are able to really win. I am mindful that i wouldnt be here if it had not been for Reverend Al Sharpton Running For President and Carol Moseley braun running for president and Jesse Jackson running for president and Shirley Chisholm running for president. Mike kennedy said, change the present course of our nation. I got involved as a protest really, resisting how liberals were taking us for granted and dismissing us and marginalizing us in the process. And so one thing led to another. I felt that we had the right to run and the reason to run and the capacity to take our case to the next level. Who would have thought . We love Jesse Jackson. In 88, he really got 7 million votes. So that was tremendous. After 30 contests, i would be in front. Thats more than symbolic. That was substantive. But we need more of that. I sense all across america a desire for something new, a desire to turn the page, a desire to write a new chapter in american history. And if i have all of you working with me, then i guarantee you that not only will we win this election, but we are also going to transform america. Thank you very much. I appreciate you guys. Thank you. The more i talked to him, the more i felt that barack obama was authentic because he wouldnt say to me what he knew i wanted to hear, but he said to me what i needed to hear. And that was, i really do believe we can make the country go forward and that our community can get what they want. Right . Uhh. Nope. Intuit quickbooks helps you manage your payroll taxes, cheers with 100 accurate Tax Calculations guaranteed. Im christine mahon. Im retired from Public Health nursing and from the army reserve. My Retirement Funds allow me to enjoy what i love to do. I volunteer with the medical reserve corp. 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Hey, whats up . Uh. Houston. We have a situation. How did you get here . Youre characters in our video game video game . Yeah, its what we do with xfinity 10g. Its like, you know, the best network imaginable. What the heck is that . Those are the bad guys. Are they friendly . The 10g network, only from xfinity. One giant leap for mankind. Thank you. Thank you. Early in the campaign, our strategy was all Hands On Deck in iowa. And the theory of the case was that if we could win iowa, then he would be credible, not just to people in White America, but also people in black america who were hesitant about his chances of winning. I love doing this. This is what politics is all about. Can i say hello . You sure can. But that strategy came with a cost, and the cost was black people feeling somewhat neglected. And we came up with a magic solution, which was we asked michelle to go to South Carolina. I dont think that any of us ever thought that we would see a black president in our lives. I used to say that in 2007, there were only four people in the United States who thought that it was possible for a black man to be elected president. And they all lived at the same address on the south side of chicago. Hi, how are you . Im Michelle Obama. Nice to meet you. Black people were very skeptical. Any black man that rises, boy, its going to be tough. And white folk are going to be [bleep] and youre going to be vulnerable and it might not work out. Now, i know folks talk in the barbershops and beauty salons. Ive heard it myself. See, people say, you know, i like barack obama, hes a nice guy, but im not sure americas ready for a black president. She gave an extraordinary speech that really spoke to the feelings in the Africanamerican Community, the feelings of fear, of worrying would he lose, worrying would he be hurt. I know that people understand that barack is special. You dont see this kind of man often. You know, i equate it to like, you know, we all have that aunt, that grandmother that bought all that new furniture, spent our life savings on it. And then what she does, she puts plastic on it to protect it. Everyone in the audience, which is comprised of primarily africanamerican women, all knew about their grandmothers couch. I think folks just want to protect us from the possibility of being let down, not by us, but by the world. She gave them permission by acknowledging their fear, but then said, look, i have the most to lose. If youre willing to heed Coretta Scott kings words and not be afraid of the future, but have faith in gods grace, then i truly believe that theres no challenge that we cant overcome. Thank you. There are africanamericans who dont think that youre black enough, who dont think that you have had the required experience. The truth of the matter is, when im walking down the south side of chicago and visiting my barber shop and playing basketball in some of these neighborhoods, those arent questions i get asked. I didnt know he was this or that. Normally, when you come into a shop, into hyde park hair salon, youre just yourself. No titles. There were some reporters in the shop at one point during the campaign, and one of the reporters asked me, do you cut his hair to appear like hes white . Im like, excuse me . I said, how do you do that . That was my reply, but it stunned me. It was unnecessary, but its necessary, i guess, for a lot of people. Barack obama has said that the big City Cab Drivers who once refused to pick him up had no doubt about his blackness back then, nor should anyone else now. But recent polls show Hillary Clinton is the choice of more black democrats, and its clear that obamas racial identity gives pause to some. He was loudly condemned by some, and in private, even more loudly. He wasnt black enough. He didnt have the slave experience. Thank you, apollo. Theres always been a kind of heterogeneous idea of what it is to be black in this country. And so what was more important than his name or his lineage was his ability to culturally interact on terms with African Americans. One of the things that the campaign did in South Carolina was they released this dvd of him going around and talking to voters. A retired sergeant major, sir. A retired sergeant major. You still look like a sergeant major. And theres one point where he goes into a barbershop and he starts cracking on this guys shoes. How you doing, president . Im doing good. Check out those shoes. Check them out. Man, you got some what is that . You got some alligator . And that was just something that only a person who was comfortable in this culture would do. Are you fired up . Are you ready to go . Of course, there are whites who will never vote for obama because he is black. Lets go change the world. I dont want to sound prejudiced or anything, but for one, im not going to i wont vote for a colored man to be our president. Barack obamas bus rolled through rural iowa monday as he takes his message to small towns in the state. Well show that we value farming in this country by launching a program that gives a hand to the next generation of farmers and helps them buy their first farms. Its an interesting move just two weeks before the caucus because rural iowa is certainly not obamas base. The question is whether or not obama can connect with the primarily white rural voters here. Its still my neighbors in small towns, so we dont have jobs. Its still people in my parish who are struggling with retirement incomes. And those are no different whether we live in chicago or in lorenz, iowa. How many people here definitely plan to caucus tomorrow . Raise your hands. Thats what im talking about. The campaign picked up momentum over the course of the year in iowa. We knew that if we didnt win the iowa caucuses, we were done. We had to break through there. Tonight, the democratic frontrunners are in a frantic drive to rally supporters and win over converts. Barack obama, Hillary Clinton, john edwards have been virtually tied according to some of the late polling going on surrounding this race. And just so supporters know whats at stake. Tomorrow night, the future of the free world is riding on your shoulders. Dont feel any pressure. I was living in atlanta and there was a watch party. And i dont think very many people really, really thought that he was going to win iowa. And then all of a sudden he won iowa. They said this country was too divided. But on this january night, at this defining moment in history, you have done what the cynics said we couldnt do. I remember like leaving and there was a white guy wearing a tshirt that said, hes black, im proud. And then right after that, i saw a tshirt that had Martin Luther king and barack obama next to each other. And then i saw that tshirt everywhere in the days that followed. After he won iowa, black people were like, whats that . What is the name . Barack obama . Whats his name . Yeah, lets see. Yeah, hes good. Hes like really good. Hillary clinton was darn near knighted as the heir apparent. It was her turn. She had waited as a woman in this country. But obama swooped right in and figured out, no, its kind of my time. He earned it, right . The Old Fashioned way. Shoe leather, meeting people, winning at the polls and black people like this man could really win. Hows it going, New Hampshire . He rocketed out of iowa and into New Hampshire and this morning woke up to a poll showing a Comfortable Lead here over senator clinton. In his stump speech, he now says we instead of i. The implication, what happened in iowa was the start of a movement. Obamas victory has recast the democratic race, creating new pressure on senator Hillary Clinton. I did very, very well with people over 45 and i didnt do as well with people under 30. And i take responsibility for that. The obama crowds are large and energized. They also tend to be young. Thats why youre here. And in one days time, we can stand up for change that all of us can believe in. In another corner of the state, a different side of Hillary Clinton. You know, i have so many opportunities from this country. I just dont want to see us fall backwards, you know. Thank you. First of all, i want to congratulate senator clinton on a hardfought victory here in New Hampshire. She did an outstanding job. Give her a big round of applause. I want especially to thank New Hampshire. Over the last week, i listened to you. And in the process, i found my own voice. New hampshire voters have redefined the race for the white house. But what drove people to vote the way they did . Even Hillary Clintons own Tracking Poll showed that she was going to lose big. Something happened in that last 48 hours that changed peoples minds. Hillary clinton retooled her campaign a little bit, started getting out of the bubble, started actually talking to voters, answering all their questions, had an emotional moment, humanized herself. Is it possible people lied to pollsters saying they were going to vote for an africanamerican candidate and then not . Ive gotten a number of emails tonight from people in different campaigns, democratic strategists, other people out there saying, well, could it be race, could it be race, could it be race . We turn next to the campaign trail, the politics of race and possible trouble for the Clinton Campaign. It involves comments senator clinton made about Martin Luther king and something bill clinton said about barack obama. This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale ive ever seen. Clinton said what he was describing as a fairy tale was the Media Portrayal of obamas record on iraq. As the Democratic Campaign moves forward, Hillary Clinton is backpedaling. The Obama Campaign is deliberately distorting this. Today on meet the press, she sought to blame barack obama for the firestorm caused by a remark of hers in New Hampshire. Dr. Kings dream began to be realized when president Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She says she did not mean to belittle dr. Kings accomplishments, which is exactly how many African Americans took it. Sources in the Obama Campaign say African American leaders are outraged and believe the Clinton Campaign is using racial code words. His Fairy Tale Comment was all over talk radio and there was an email being sent around with a detailed list of comments from the clintons. All this led experts to worry that this Historic Campaign between a woman and an African American man now threatens to divide democrats along racial lines. In terms of accountability, senator obama, senator Clinton On Sunday told me that the Obama Campaign had been pushing this storyline. And true enough, your Press Secretary in South Carolina, four pages of alleged comments made by the clinton people about the issue of race. In hindsight, do you regret pushing this story . Well, not only in hindsight, but going forward. I think that our supporters, our staff get overzealous. They start saying things that i would not say. And it is my responsibility to make sure that were setting a clear tone in our campaign. dock worker right on time. vo robots can predict breakdowns and order their own replacement parts. foreman nice work. vo and retailers can get ahead of the Fashion Trend of the day with a new line tomorrow. With a verizon private 5g network, you can get more agility and security. Giving you more control of your business. We call this enterprise intelligence. From the Network America relies on. Hey dad, im almost out. I got you. Any questions, chris . All good, thanks maura healthier is managing all your familys prescriptions in one app. Think hes posting about all that ancient roman coinage . No. Hes making realtime money moves with merrill. So no matter what the markets doing, hes ready. And thats. How you collect coins. Your money never stops working for you with merrill, a Bank Of America company. Southern primary. It was a crucial primary for both us and for Hillary Clinton. The majority of voters who participate in the democratic primary there are African American. But barack needed white votes as well and wanted them because he didnt want to win on that basis. I want to be so persuasive that nobody leaves this room thinking they should vote for anybody else. I want everybody here to vote for barack, everybody. Barack obama hit the lunch crowd at a restaurant in columbia, where he greeted nearly every customer, nearly all of them white. Of course, you can take a picture. Whats your name . Sean. Sean. Polls show hes been losing support among white voters here, and spent much of the week trying to downplay race. Hes blamed the media for hyping it and encouraged voters to look past color. If i came to you and i had polka dots, but you were convinced that i was going to put more money in your pockets and help you pay for college and help keep america safe, youd say, okay, you know, i wish you didnt have polka dots, but im still voting for him. Partly out of curiosity and partly out of legitimate support, i decided that i was going to go to South Carolina. We were in this place, denmark, South Carolina, on the Get Out The Vote operation. We walk up to this house and this older white woman comes to the door and tells me not to come any closer. And i said, okay. And, you know, i stopped where i was and she said, i already know the date and i know the time. Im going to be right there to vote for senator obama. All the signs have been positive, the encouraging polls, the big crowds, the confident campaign. But obama has seen this before in New Hampshire. Who can you trust to be there for you in sunshine and storm . For her last big rally in South Carolina, Hillary Clinton called in her number one surrogate. The former president today sought to lower expectations, suggesting obama has the edge here because hes black. Jesse jackson won South Carolina twice, in 84 and 88. And he ran a Good Campaign. And senator obamas run a Good Campaign here. Hes run a Good Campaign everywhere. Hes a good candidate with a good organization. When bill clinton came out at the South Carolina primary and tried to dismiss the significance kind of well, even Jesse Jackson won that. What are you saying . Translation, even if he wins, obama is just this years Jesse Jackson. Yes, we can yes, we can yes, we can yes, we can thank you. Thank you. Yes, we can yes, we can yes, we can yes, we can thank you, everybody. Thank you. You know, over two weeks ago, we saw the people of iowa proclaim that our time for change has come. But there were those who doubted this countrys desire for something new, who said iowa was a fluke, not to be repeated again. Well, tonight, the cynics who believe that what began in the snows of iowa was just an illusion were told a different story by the good people of South Carolina. South carolina was a beautiful night. He got about 30 percent of white votes in the state in addition to a majority of black votes and built the Multiracial Coalition that we had hoped for, completely outstripped everyones expectations. And in that hall the night when he spoke, there were people chanting, race doesnt matter. Race doesnt matter race doesnt matter race doesnt matter now, that was premature. That was more of a hope than a reality. But this was a big moment in the campaign and i think a big moment for the country. I did not travel around this state over the last year and see a white South Carolina or a black South Carolina. I saw South Carolina. This is not, though they are enormously important, Jesse Jackson, reverend al sharpton, stalwarts of the Civil Rights Movement, but those who were perceived to be necessarily so as people who could channel black anger, to express black grievance, to realize black progress. With barack obama, theres a different moment here. I saw what america is and i believe in what this country can be. That is the country i see, that is the country you see, but now it is up to us to help the entire nation embrace this vision. He really resonated in a more transcendent way, in a way that was informed by a broader sweep of the american possibility because his own life was the product of that. He gave an interracial pedigree to hopefulness. I know what america can achieve. Ive seen it, ive lived it, and with barack obama, we can do it again. The Kennedy Endorsement was incredibly important for obama, not because kennedy would bring large numbers of votes, but because kennedy was an Establishment Figure and his willingness to lay hands on obama and say hes ready to be president really spoke to concerns that people had about that. And the next president of the United States, Hillary Clinton the endorsement is a huge blow to Hillary Clinton, a longtime friend and colleague of ted kennedy. The senior senator from massachusetts repeatedly scolded bill clinton for his divisive tactics in South Carolina. For bill clinton, who has always cast himself as president kennedys political heir, todays endorsement is a slap in the face. We need to nominate somebody with the experience and the fortitude and the knowhow to take whatever they send our way and send it right back. As of tonight, our latest cbs news Democratic Delegate count shows obama leading clinton by 97. So the battle goes on, and with 10 straight wins, momentum is on obamas side. This is our moment, this is our time. Another blow today to the Clinton Campaign. She has lost 11 straight primaries and caucuses to barack obama, and now clinton has lost a very important supporter, congressman john lewis of georgia switched sides today. He is now backing obama. He represented something new. He represented a great sense of hope and optimism. It was daring, just daring. It became uncomfortable for black people to explain as political leaders why they werent with obama. So its not that they swayed the people to support obama. Obamas love among the people swayed the leaders to come along. I felt that it was my responsibility to be true to the cause. What really was going to help the cause . Putting a guy like this in the white house, if we could help do that, and not get in the way, or playing to the, what my pastors call the cheap seats, just rah, rah, rah, and we end up with nothing. Now moving on to the republicans, john mccain clinched the nomination last night, and today he went over to the white house. Last night, both senator obama and senator clinton called to congratulate me. I pledged at that time, and i pledge again, a respectful campaign, a respectful Campaign Based On The Issues and based on the stark differences and vision that we have for the future of america. Hows it going, mississippi . In another win for barack obama, last night in mississippi, he regained a significant lead over Hillary Clinton in the pledged delegate count. But the talk of the democratic race today was once again about race. And prominent democrat geraldine ferraros assertion that obama wouldnt have gotten this far if he was not black. If barack obama were a white man, would we be talking about this as a potential real problem for hillary . I rejected what she said, and i certainly do repudiate it, and regret deeply that, you know, it was said. This is politics, and part of the problem that we have right now is that we have too much at stake to be engaged in these politics. Until youre ready. Then we deliver to your new home across town or across the country. Pods, your personal moving and storage team. vo when it comes to safety, who has more iihs top safety pick plus awards, the highest level of safety you can earn . Subaru. When it comes to longevity, who has the highest percentage of its vehicles still on the road after ten years . Subaru. And when it comes to value, which popular brand has the lowest cost of ownership . 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You know, campaigns are really long oral exams and Character Tests for the presidency. Ours really came on a day in march of 2008. I served Trinity Church for 36 years. I had never taken a sabbatical, so i told the congregation, dont call, dont text, dont email. Im going on a sabbatical. First thing were going to do is go on a family vacation. Were going on a cruise. We want to turn now to an indepth look at a very important figure in democratic frontrunner Barack Obamas life. His longtime pastor, the reverend Jeremiah Wright. Reverend wright has made a number of controversial statements over the years. Now that obama is a national figure, the question is, could the reverend become a liability . The media had been taking a hit, saying that they were going too soft on barack obama and that they were having, you know, it was basically love fest, that he hadnt gotten the kind of Critical Coverage that a president ial candidate needs, and so they go to Jeremiah Wright. The angels in heaven were singing, god never fails. Abc had all these tapes of Jeremiah Wrights sermons, and there were millions of them, and it kind of wasnt a priority. They had a lot to do during the campaign. Most of them are long and irrelevant to anything. Bless the lord, o my soul. Then they stumbled upon a couple of these sermons that seemed incendiary. The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a threestrike law, and then wants us to sing, God Bless America . No, no, no. Not God Bless America, [bleep] america, thats in the bible for killing innocent people. [bleep] america. They took clips and wove them together into, you know, the most incendiary things he had said over a 30year career in like two minutes. But it had the desired effect. We have supported State Terrorism against the palestinians and black south africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. They were deeply critical of American Foreign policy, and in a language that was way more inflammatory than most of america, White America, could stomach. And obama had found a home in this church. Cruise ships only broadcast at certain stations, they had fox news on the boat, and were playing a clip from a sermon i preached sunday after 9 11 01. I said, what . We started changing the channels. It was on all the channels. I want to show you a clip from Barack Obamas pastor. Its getting a lot of play right now. We bombed hiroshima, we bombed nagasaki. What youre about to hear is inflammatory to some, to others, harsh as it sounds, its the truth. And we nuked far more than the thousands in new york and the pentagon, and we never batted an eye. Obviously, his remarks are incendiary. It comes at a particularly bad time. Obama was in the senate the day this Greatest Hits of reverend wright surfaced. He was voting all day, i dont think he had a sense of how much it had captured the imagination of the media. [bleep] america he tried to reach reverend wright to get his reaction now to the fallout from his fire and brimstone sermon, but were told hes on vacation and not available. On a cruise ship, they sit you at one table, where you sit every meal, the white families at the table next to ours, requested to be moved, they dont want to sit next to an antiamerican racist. What . And they will not only attack you if you try to point out whats going on in White America, u. S. Of kkka. This is going to scare the hell out of white people. And you know that thats true. Its designed to attempt to scare. Martin luther king jr. s last sermon was going to be why america may go to hell. It was not america should go to hell. It was not america ought to go to hell. It may go to hell because if you dont come to terms with racism, poverty, militarism, materialism, those evils are going to suck all the good stuff out of your democracy. Thats in part what jeremiah was talking about. Barack knows what it means to be a Black Man Living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people. Hillary can never know that. Hillary aint never been called a nr. That became for us the cruise from hell. I stayed in the cabin most of the time so that the nasty remarks, namecalling, would not be something my family had to be exposed to, but if they heard them, my grandkids were hearing this. Breaking news at this hour, after a day of headlines about the controversial remarks by pastor Jeremiah Wright of the Trinity United Church of christ. Pastor wright is, quote, no longer on the obama president ial campaign committee. I was a chairperson of his religious advisory team. I saw myself get dismissed from that position on television. Your campaign saying this afternoon it had no plans to ask reverend wright to step down, obviously that has changed. Did he step down tonight or did you ask him to leave . You know, i think there was a recognition that hes on the verge of retirement, hes taking a sabbatical, and that it was important for him to step out of the spotlight in this situation. Unfortunately, as an american politician, you cant get too close to that kind of prophetic fire or you get burned. So i can understand barack in some sense wanting to get a distance as a politician. These particular statements that have been gathered are ones that i strongly objected to, strongly condemned. Had i heard them in church, i would have expressed that concern directly to reverend wright. So i didnt become familiar with these until recently. But on a personal level and on a very deep, truthful level, you have to try to teach people that there are voices in our society that are radical, that are not up for elections. He called me that night and said, i want to make a speech, i want to make a speech about race and i want to put this reverend wright issue in context. And we said, okay. And he said, and i want to do it no later than tuesday. This was friday. He felt that he owed the American People an explanation and that they had to hear it directly and honestly from him. A very painful thing for obama was dealing with his pastor very painful. And it was very painful in the community because people were angry because they were trying to act like he threw his pastor in front of the bus. We set up this speech for the Constitution Center in philadelphia on the theory that if youre going to go down, go down on a big stage. The anxiety in the room was palpable. And he turned to me and said, you know, im going to go out there and give this speech. And people will either accept it or they wont. Thank you. Thank you. And if they dont, then i just wont be president , but at least ill have said what i think needs to be said. He said, thats worth something. We the people, in order to form a more Perfect Union 221 years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and with these simple words launched americas improbable experiment in democracy. The document they produced was eventually signed, but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nations original sin of slavery. I chose to run for president 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. I think what was extraordinary about obamas socalled race speech is the fact that it happened at all. There was no precedent. I mean, yes, black people had run for president before, but at this stage in the game, there wasnt a clearly marked road that said, this is how this kind of black person deals with people trying to disparage him and take him down In The Name Of race. Throughout the first year of this campaign, against all predictions to the contrary, we saw how hungry the American People were for this message of unity. Despite the temptation to view my candidacy through a purely racial lens, we won commanding victories in states with some of the whitest populations in the country. Obama was forced to give a speech on race, and he was forced to. He was in trouble. This is not to say that race has not been an issue in this campaign, and yet its only been in the last couple of weeks that the discussion of race in this campaign has taken a particularly divisive turn. Several things had ended president ial candidacies. Howard dean just yelled offkey, and that was it, you know, his presidency is done. I have already condemned in unequivocal terms the statements of reverend wright that have caused such controversy, and in some cases, pain. But the truth is, that isnt all that i know of the man. The man i met more than 20 years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my christian faith, and who over 30 years has led a church that serves the community by doing gods work here on earth. The church contains in full the kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence, and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love, and yes, the bitterness and biases that make up the black experience in america. I can no more disown him than i can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than i can disown my white grandmother. A woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed her by on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe. These people are part of me, and they are part of america, this country that i love. As opposed to just cutting Jeremiah Wright off immediately, or even kind of saying that its not possible for me to win, he does exactly what a professor or a teacher would do in that circumstance, which is step into the middle of it and look at it panoramically, and then try to understand it for what it is. Under other circumstances, we would call that a class. In Barack Obamas circumstance, this is a public address or speech. The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that weve never really worked through, a part of our union that we have not yet made perfect. We do not need to recite here the history of Racial Injustice in this country, but we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist between the Africanamerican Community and the larger American Community today can be traced directly to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and jim crow. The anger is real. It is powerful. And to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races. In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working and middleclass White Americans dont feel that theyve been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience. As far as theyre concerned, no one handed them anything. They built it from scratch. So when they are told to bus their children to a School Across town, when they hear an africanamerican is getting an advantage and landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed, when theyre told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time. I believe in staying in contact with the humanity of my precious White Brothers and sisters. But they need to understand that in a white supremacist civilization, when youve been the beneficiary of unbelievable privilege and entitlement, you have a right to justice, you have a right to fairness, but your resentment will never have the same weight morally and spiritually as a black rage whove had to come to terms with foremothers and forefathers raped and violated and exploited and lynched. And when he presented that equivalent, it made me upset. I said, youre not telling the truth. To wish away the resentments of White Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns, this too widens the racial divide and blocks the path to understanding. It was the attempt, the desire to create a language of embrace. And his critics will say thats a language that ignores reality. That is too idealistic, but thats him. The profound mistake of reverend wrights sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society, its that he spoke as if our society was static. As if no progress had been made. As if this country, a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black, latino, asian, rich, poor, young and old, is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. Senator came to my home and asked me to stop preaching until after the election. Ive been preaching this way for 50 years. Regardless of whos running for what office, Carol Moseley brown, harold washington, barack obama, that doesnt change or affect or alter the gospel in any way. He then paid me one of the highest compliments ive ever had paid to me. He said to me, you know what your problem is, i said whats my problem . As a preacher, you have to speak the truth. I said thats a good problem to have. A landscaper. A hunter. Because you didnt settle for ordinary. Same goes for your equipment. Versatile, powerful, durable kubota equipment. More goes into it. So you get more out of it. Okay everyone, our mission is complete balanced nutrition. Together we support immune function. Supply fuel for immune cells and sustain tissue health. Ensure with twentyfive vitamins and minerals, and ensure complete with thirty grams of protein. 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What i think is that the African American community is much more familiar with some of the darker aspects of American Life and american history. I think that they understand america much less as a Marching Band Playing john philip sousa. They understand america much more as a Jazz Composition with blue notes. And i think those are different things. And so the African American community can express great rage and anger about this country and love it all the same. Tonight, minnesota, after 54 hardfought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end. Because you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears, but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another, a journey that will bring a new and better day to america. Because of you, tonight i can stand here and say that i will be the democratic nominee for the president of the United States of america. He is 46 years old and his life has been an extraordinary american journey. Last night he made history by becoming the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, the first African American major party nominee. He turned away Hillary Clinton, the first woman to get as far as she did. This historic victory comes with a twofold challenge, battling senator john mccain while trying to unify a deeply divided Democratic Party. So reporters dont unpack your bags, itll be a long hot summer. Senator mccain talks a great deal about his experience as a Prisoner Of War and how it has shaped him. What is the thing that has shaped you . The story for me is of being born into pretty humble circumstances, not having a dad in the house, but having a mother and grandparents who loved me, who instilled in me some pretty midwestern kansas values of hard work and sticktoitness and honesty and looking out for other people. And whats shaped me most powerfully, maybe because im half black and half white, a big chunk of my childhood i was sort of an outsider, i didnt quite fit anywhere. Part of what shapes me is being able to find a connection with all kinds of different people and want to bring them together and bridge misunderstandings and bridge conflict so we can actually get things done. And that, i think, is something that led me into public service. And in some ways, thats something very profoundly american about me. A fist bump, a pound, a terrorist fist jab, the gesture everyone seems to interpret differently. Rumors and innuendo are as much a part of a president ial campaign as flagpins and chicken dinners. But after a week of Radio Talk Shows and websites spreading the word that Michelle Obama may have used a racial epithet against white people in a speech. Some reference to white people as whiteys, allegedly. In continuing whispers about whether obama is a muslim, the campaign has launched a new counteroffensive, a website. Its called fightthesmears. Com and is devoted to debunking false rumors about the obamas. First it was my name, right, that was a problem. And then there was the muslim email thing. This particular one alleges, among other things, that you took the Oath Of Office on the koran and not the bible. Now its the patriotism thing. Barack obama refuses to salute the flag, he refuses to wear a flag pin. And my wifes comment. Let me tell you something, for the first time in my adult lifetime, im really proud of my country. She already clarified herself, she was very clear about it. Im proud of this country and im proud of the fact that people are ready to roll up their sleeves and do something phenomenal. Theres always some nonsense going on in general elections, right . If it wasnt this, itd be something else. You know the obamas are remarkably focused, eyes on the prize. The prize, by the way, is not the presidency, the prize is the work. Its not that it does not hurt to be defamed and misnamed, but i think that what served both of them well was understanding that they were in service to a larger ideal and that what leadership meant in that moment was to just keep on the path. Racism is always a very convenient tool to use by those who want power. They dont have to themselves be motivated by race, they can just be motivated by the desire to hold on to, attain, or broaden their base of power. And because racism is so deeply baked into the american psyche, you only have to tap into the vein. Thank you guys. Very good luck. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you guys. A political firestorm erupted today over a magazine cover cartoon of barack obama and his wife. The new yorker cover depicts the couple doing a fist bump in the oval office. Hes in muslim clothing, shes in camouflage. The cover also shows an American Flag burning in the fireplace, and a picture of Osama Bin Laden hangs on the wall. Barry blitt drew a cover that meant to take every crazy stereotype about michelle and barack obama and put them into one image. And you were seeing these images and this rhetoric on fox news, for example, all the time. You can draw it out of nowhere, and the reaction was not, lets just say, uniformly fantastic. I cant tell you how many people have said to me, david, you know, if they wouldnt have known this was on the cover of the new yorker magazine, they would have just seen this cartoon and they would have been asked, which magazine has this on the cover . Almost every one of us would have said some neonazi magazine, the ku klux klan magazine. Oh, come on, wolf. Come on, come on, come on. I mean, this portrays them the fact is wait a minute. The fact of the matter is that it is on the new yorker, and context means a lot. The new yorker cover now appears on websites of obamas opponents, many conservatives. The new yorkers Perceptive Cover says rightwingnews. Com. Obama had no response, but his campaign said, quote, the new yorker may think their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature senator obamas rightwing critics have tried to create, but most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive, and we agree. We have published, i dont know how many covers making fun of george bush politically in myriad ways. The reason for the reaction to this cover was that a mainly liberal audience said, of course i understand this, but those people out there, those rubes in the big Square States who cant understand anything are going to see this as not something ironic or a comment on something, but as reality. And i found that wrong and condescending. A new newsweek poll suggests 12 of voters still think obama is a practicing muslim, 26 think he was raised muslim, and 39 think he attended an islamic school. So is the magazine pointing out antiobama myths or perpetuating them . One subcurrent of the 2008 campaign had been this really irrational fear that barack obama represented some sort of Revenge Fantasy for black people. What his identity did was allow people to run wild with the most Feverish Conjurings of their conspiratorial minds. So theres a really great moment that expresses obamas kind of strategic relationship to black identity. And that was in the Democratic National convention in denver in 2008. No one can question Barack Obamas patriotism. Like all of us, he was taught what it means to be an american by his family, his grandmother who worked on a bomber Assembly Line in world war ii, his grandfather who marched in pattons army, and his great uncle who enlisted in the army right out of high school at the height of the war. Theres a point where john kerry mentions that Barack Obamas uncle, who is a veteran of world war ii, is present in the convention hall, and he requests that his Uncle Stand Up and be acknowledged by the crowd. Please join me in saluting this american hero, charlie payne. This elderly white man stands up, you know, this man who would not be out of place at any vfw hall in the country. And i happened to be with a group of black delegates who all howled with laughter because you understood exactly what he was doing. And the guy next to me said, if i had a white uncle, id take him to every Job Interview i went to. That was a kind of brilliant inversion of the onedrop rule in america. As they say, if you were black at all, you were all black. Barack obama turned that inside out. If you dont understand who i am, if youre trying to figure out who i am, well, heres my uncle. Theres a good chance that you have an uncle who is just like this guy. Charlie, your nephew, barack obama, will end this politics of distortion and division. That flag that hangs from the rafters and that you have waved here this evening, that flag doesnt belong to any ideology. It doesnt belong to any political party. It is an enduring symbol of our nation, and it belongs to all the American People. Me to get u. No hair stylist and cheerleader. So adding a student title might feel overwhelming. But what if a school could be there for all of you . Career, family, finances and mental health. Its coming along. Well, it can. National university. Supporting the whole you. vo verizon has the epic new phone your Business Needs on the 5g network it deserves. Boost your teams productivity with samsungs fastest processor yet. Switch and save up to 1000 on the new galaxy s23 ultra. Now thats epic. On the Network America relies on. An allstar menu of delicious subs. Like 4 supreme meats. Black forest ham and genoa salami. You cant stop that much meat. 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My friends, ive spent the last few months looking for a running mate who can best help me shake Up Washington and make it start working again for the people that are counting on us. Were going to turn to the political preoccupation of the nation. Who will mccain pick for Vice President . Of course, we know Barack Obamas selection of a running mate was a tightly held secret. For months, ive searched for a leader to finish this journey alongside me. I found that leader. A man with a distinguished record, a man with fundamental decency, and that man is joe biden. My friends and fellow americans, i am very pleased and very privileged to introduce to you the next Vice President of the United States, governor sarah palin of the great state of alaska. If john mccain had hoped to use his announcement of a running mate to steal the spotlight from the democrats the day after their convention ended, he succeeded. The question of the day was, sarah who . Who is sarah palin . Im a hockey mom from alaska. Im not one of those movers and shakers within the Republican Party that i think conventionally you would think would be tapped. Palin has been governor less than two years, but is already the states most popular politician. She is the antiwashington republican conservative, progun, antiabortion, with a political record as far outside the beltway as anyone can get. Before i became governor of the great state of alaska, i was mayor of my hometown. I guess a smalltown mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities. Whatever the longterm impact of sarah palin on mccains chances, she gave him a shortterm adrenaline shot, and his Campaign Began to attract big crowds. But the tone and tenor of the crowds turned uglier and uglier. I was reading today a copy of the new york times. Boo and i was really interested to read in there about Barack Obamas friends from chicago. Turns out, one of his earliest supporters is a man who, according to the new york times, was a domestic terrorist, and part of a group that, quote, launched a campaign of bombings that would target the pentagon and the u. S. Capitol. Man. The palin factor, the campaign thats turned down and dirty. Down in the polls, the Mccain Campaign has found a new attack dog. Senator mccain and his operatives are gambling that they can distract you with smears rather than talk to you about substance. I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees america the way that you and i see america. Theyd rather tear our campaign down than lift this country up. Thats what you do when youre out of touch, out of ideas, and running out of time. Im afraid this is someone who sees america as imperfect enough to work with a former domestic terrorist who had targeted his own country. Even as just a journalist, the crazy emails about how really i got it all wrong and that barack obama was created by terrorists and bombthrowing radicals, unfortunately, that crap entered the mainstream In The Name Of sarah palin. Hes palling around with terrorists. This language and feeling is not just some american marginalia over here. People saw it as sufficient enough that it needed whipping up. Im afraid if he wins, the black will take over. He seems like a sheep, or a wolf in sheeps clothing, to be honest with you. He must support terrorists. You know, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. And that, to me, is obama. You have to have some degree of optimism and some degree of faith in White America because its the majority population, in order to be president. I dont know how you become president without that, right . Or at least at that point, i dont know how you become president without that. But i think also that that faith might prevent you from seeing certain things. The belief in the goodness of White America did not allow you to see that this could actually get really bad. Yes . Maam, if youre going to walk up like that, im not going to give you the mic. Okay, i got to ask you a question. I do not believe in i cant trust obama. I have read about him and hes not hes not hes an arab. He is not no. No . No, maam. No, maam. Hes a decent family man, citizen that i just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. And thats what this campaign is all about. Hes not. Thank you. Thank you. We all thought that was mccains finest moment in the whole campaign. Now, i want to acknowledge that senator mccain yesterday tried to tone down the rhetoric in some of his town halls. I dont think obama was surprised by some of the acrimony out there. This is little hussein. Born in kenya, seasoned in indonesia. He understood that there were these darker impulses out there. Hey but at the same time, he was traveling the country and there were as many as 100,000 people showing up at his rallies. That was a tonic in a way for some of the ugliness that we saw on the other side. We have had a Remarkable Campaign and, you know, when we started 21 months ago, i didnt know how it would turn out. And no matter what happens tomorrow, im going to feel good about how its turned out, because all of you have created this incredible campaign. Some of you heard that my grandmother, who helped raise me passed away early this morning. And look, she has gone home. And she died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side. And so theres great joy as well as tears. Im not going to talk about it too long, because its hard a little to talk about. She was somebody who was a very humble person and a very plain spoken person. Shes one of those quiet heroes that we have all across america who theyre not famous. Their names arent in the newspapers, but each and every day they work hard. They look after their families. They sacrifice for their children and their grandchildren. They arent seeking the limelight. All they try to do is just do the right thing. And the satisfaction that they get is seeing that their children and maybe their grandchildren or their great grandchildren, live a better life than they did. Thats what america is about. Thats what were fighting for. And north carolina, in just one more day, we have the opportunity to honor all those quiet heroes all across america and all across north carolina. We can bring change to america to make sure that their work and their sacrifice is honored. Thats what were fighting for. They opened the floodgates this morning at voting places across the country. The lines began forming even before the sun came up and in many cases lines as far as the eye could see. Even with the long lines, both campaigns were still working feverishly to add to them. Anybody else you can get to come out and help us, we really appreciate it. In indianapolis, obama worked the phones in a last minute Get Out The Vote effort. Hi pam, this is barack obama, how are you . It wasnt unexpected at that point that he was going to be elected if you looked at the polling, but i was one of the people who firmly believed that ill believe it when i see it. Of course in politics, it aint over until people vote. I was one of those people who, that was my First Time Ever voting period, like ever. Like barack obama was the first person that energized me and made me say, yo, i want to go out here and vote. I decided to call a watch Night Service like we do on new years eve down at Martin Luther kings church in atlanta. This election is not the promised land, but i tell you, it is a major down payment on the promised land. And when it flashed across the screen, obama won ohio, i was in my 50s and it was the first time in my life that i could honestly tell a kid, you could be president. Were only a few seconds away from the top of the hour when these states will be closing and there are some big ones, and presumably well be able to see whats going on and make up perhaps a major projection at that point. This is a moment that a lot of people have been waiting for. This is a moment that potentially could be rather historic. Cnn can now project that barack obama, 47 years old, will become the President Elect of the United States. We project he now has enough electoral votes, more than 270. I never thought that i would live to see a black man, a black woman as president of the United States of america. My own mother, my own father, my grandparents didnt become registered voters until after the Voting Rights act was passed and signed into law on august 6th, 1965. And to live to see barack obama become president of the United States of america was almost too much. I jumped up so high, i didnt think my feet were going to touch the floor, and i started crying. It was the moment the movement and the mission all came together. Man, to my mind came the martyrs. Our warriors fight for civil rights in america, were soldiers too. Fighting for freedom in america is risky, its very dangerous. And those who made it possible were not there. I wish dr. King may give us for a moment just god give him 15 seconds to look at their work. This is their work. He was a result of our work. Ladies and gentlemen, the next first family of the United States of america. Because he won, we all won. I went to grant park. If youre in grant park, it seemed like america had finally done something significant. It was an affirmation of what america could be at its best. America is not always at its best, but i felt that night, election night, as a black man in america that this is what america could be. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that america is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. Science proves quality sleep is vital to your mental, emotional, and physical health. And we know 80 of couples sleep too hot or too cold. Introducing the new sleep number climate360 smart bed. The only smart bed in the world that actively cools, warms, and effortlessly responds to both of you. Our smart sleepers get 28 minutes more restful sleep per night. Proven quality sleep. Only from sleep number. If youre turning 65 soon or over 65 and planning to retire. Nows the time to learn more about an aarp Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan from unitedhealthcare and get help protecting yourself from the outofpocket costs medicare doesnt pay. Because the time to prepare is before you go on medicare. Dont wait. Get started today. Call unitedhealthcare for your free decision guide. When you stay at a vrbo you always get the whole home not part of it but the whole upstairs the whole downstairs the whole fridge and the whole Secret Nap Room because is it really a Vacation Home if you have to share a house with a host . Only with vrbo if there is anyone out there who still doubts that america is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. Its been a long time coming. But tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to america. Thats the true genius of america, that america can change. Our union can be perfected. This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations, but one thats on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in atlanta. She is a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election, except for one thing, Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery, when someone like her couldnt vote for two reasons, because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen and cast her vote, because after 106 years in america, through The Best Of Times and the darkest of hours, she knows how america can change. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. America, we have come so far, we have seen so much, but theres so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves, if our children should live to see the next century, if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see . What progress will we have made . This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many we are one, that while we breathe, we hope and where we are met with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people. Yes, we can. Thank you. God bless you. And may god bless the United States of america. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. This morning we woke up to more sobering news about the state of our economy. Now the United States has only one government and one president at a time. And until january 20th of next year, that government is the current administration. Ive spoken to president bush. I appreciate his commitment to ensuring that his Economic Policy team keeps us fully informed as developments unfold. And im also thankful for his invitation to the white house. For almost two years now, barack obama has been in campaign mode. And suddenly overnight, everything has changed. Barack obama will replace one of the most unpopular president s in modern history. He will inherit two wars and an economic crisis not seen since the great depression. His first legislative goal will be to get congress to pass an economic Stimulus Package that he hopes will create jobs and put money in the pockets of ordinary citizens. There have been moments when youve said, what did i get myself into . You know, surprisingly enough, i feel right now that im doing what i should be doing. I, Barack Hussein obama, do solemnly swear that i will execute the office of president of the United States faithfully. The day when he was inaugurated, i walked up to him and asked him to sign something. He wrote on this piece of paper, its all because of you, john. I said, well, thank you, mr. President. He gave me a hug, i hugged him, and we both teared up. Now youve got a black man in that white house built primarily by black slaves. Thats a moment that i think all of us of all colors feel very, very deeply. Ill never forget that as long as i live. Rappers and basketball players, that was the range in which black men existed in the pop culture for the most part. That was it. And so it was really something beautiful about, you know, seeing something else. This was black camelot. How much more american could we get than this . After the parade, he came back to the white house for a meeting with several of us who had been friends with him across the years. And as he got ready to go, he grabbed me and he said, rev, im in it now. And he said, pray for me. I wanted to get everyone together on the first day to welcome you to the white house. When he was elected, a lot of americans had never had a black boss. And here he was the highest Authority Figure in the land. It was naive for us to think there wouldnt be a backlash. Theres a huge number of people out there talking about taking their country back. And we can recognize ourselves in folks who on the surface seem different. We can move forward together. Time and time again, hes trying to find some sort of middle ground. There is no middle ground. The strongest democracies endure when people find a way to set aside smaller differences in service of a greater purpose. I have full faith and confidence that we can do it. Im voting for barack obama not because hes black, im voting for barack obama because hes brilliant. This is very personal for me. President ial campaigns a tough business. I feel change in the air. The Democratic Party has thrown us women aside. Were going to go to washington, and were going to shake things up. I cant trust obama, hes an arab. The first African American