Member of the general assembly, my fellow illinoisans. It takes a lot to start a speech like that twice in one month. What a privilege it is to address the chamber. To the governor, senator durbin, members of the congress, former governor pat quinn mayor lang langfelder and the people of springfield, thank you for such a warm welcome as i come back home. Thank you. [applause] president obama thank you so much. Thank you. It is good to be home. Thank you, guys. It is really nice. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. It is it is great to see so many old friends like john collarson and emile jones. I miss you guys. [laughter] president obama it is great to be in the state capitol. You know being here today calls to mind the first time i spoke on the senate floor. Almost 20 years ago. And i was passionate, idealistic, ready to make a difference. Just expand in the magnificent chamber was enough to fill me up with a heightened sense of purpose. I probably needed a little dose of reality when i first arrived. One day i rose to speak about a bill. I thought i had made some compelling points with irrefutable logic. I was about to sit down, feeling pretty good about myself, when pete came over my desk. Theres some young people here. For those of you dont remember, Payton Phillips was the senator majority leader at the time. He was a marine. Big, shock white hair. Chomped on a cigar. He was so politically incorrect that it is you dont even know how to describe it. [laughter] president obama but he always treated me well. He came by. He said, kid, that was a pretty good speech. In fact, i think you changed a lot of minds. But you didnt change any votes. The signals and the gallery, we got blown out. That was my first lesson in humility. The next came when i presented my own first bill. This is a simple piece of legislation that would make it a lot easier for illinois manufacturers to hire graduating Community College students. I didnt know any serious opposition. I asked for a vote. When i got was a good hazing. I assume the custom still exists. Senior colleague put the vote on hold to ask could you correctly pronounce your name for me. Im having a little trouble with it. Obama i said. Is that irish he asked . And then in my early 30s at the time, i was a little cocky, i said it will be when i run county wide. [laughter] president obama now that was a good joke, he said. But he wasnt amused. This bill is still going to die. He went on to complain that my predecessors name was easier to pronounce. I didnt have cookies at my desk like she did. How would i expect to get any votes without having cookies on my desk . I definitely urged the no vote. For the next several minutes they detailed on if i should add an apposition trophy to my name if i was irish and how many trees were killed to print the bill. I said if i survive the event, i will be eternally grateful and consider it a highlight of my legal and legislative career. I asked for a vote. Initially it showed it was going down. At the last minute it slipped and my bill passed. But i was duly reminded that i was a freshman in the minority. I want to thank all of my former colleagues in both chambers were not letting me forget it. To be a rookie in a minority vote is not much fun in any legislature. We were called mushrooms because we were kept in the dark and fed a lot of manure. You know, one benefit of being in such a position, not being invited in to the meetings is that i have a lot of time to get to know my colleagues. Many of us were away from our families. So we become friends. We went to fish fries together, union halls, golf scrambles, we had a great bipartisan poker game at the illinois manufacturers association. Others would join in. Wed eat downstairs. I cant say i missed the horseshoes. The glare of the tv and todays media, we discovered despite our differences, democrats and republicans and hog farmers and inner city africanamericans, suburban business people, despite the differences we have a lot in common. We cared about our communities. We cared about our families. We cared about america. We fought hard for our position. I dont want to be nostalgic here. That meant that we came to every debate, so many on the best and not the first. We came in the same class. We were on the opposite side on most issues. I always trusted her and believed she was a good person. And if we had a bill that we might be able to Work Together on, it was a pressure to work with her on. For dave who we were together on Public Health and welfare committee. We got some important work done that made a difference in peoples lives. We didnt call each other idiots or facist trying to destroy america. Then we would have to explain why we were drinking with an idiot trying to destroy america. That respect gave us room for progress. After six years my party finally become the majority. By then i had made some friends across the aisle. Like kirk, who i believe is here today. We were able to pass the first serious Ethics Reform in 25 years. Working closely with Law Enforcement who knew by then that we cared about cops and sheriffs and prosecutors and working with folks like john colorson, we pasted the profiling law. It was good for Police Officers and minority communities. Because someone like my friend, john baulman helped us build coalition across the state. Including with business. He was able to then reach out to republicans. We were able to increase tax credits for the working poor and expand Health Insurance to children in need. We wouldnt bend on our most deeply held principles. We were willing to start compromises. We were practical when we needed to be. We could fight like heck on one issue and then shake hands on the next. Somebody like jesse white was able to travel around the state and people didnt even know what part he was necessarily from, because he brought so much joy for the tumblers and the work they were doing. So i want you to know that this is why ive always believed so deeply in a better kind of politics. In part because of what i learned here in the legislature. Because what i learned traveling across the state visiting some of your districts, before i was running statewide, before i was a u. S. Senator learning all of the corners of the state, this most representative upstate, the state of small towns and rich farmlands, and the worlds greatest city. A microcosm of american. Democrats and republicans and independents and good people of every ethnicity and faith shared certain values. I just saw a story the other day showing if you rank all 50 states across categories like education level and Household Incomes and such the one state that most closely mirrors america has a whole is illinois. This state. I learned by talking to your constituents that if you were willing to listen, it was possible to bridge concepts. I learned that most americans arent following the ins and outs of the legislature carefully. They know that issues are more complicated than rehearsed sound bites. They play differently in different parts of the state and the country. They understand the difference between realism and idealism. The difference between responsibility and recklessness. They had the maturity to know what can and cannot be compromised and admit the other side just might have a point. And it convinced me if we just approached our National Policy the same way the American People approached their daily lives at the workplace at the Little League game, church or the synagogue, common sense and a commitment to fair play and basic courtesy, that there was no problem that we couldnt solve together. That was the vision that guided me when i first ran for the United States senate. Thats a vision i shared when i said were more than just a collection of red states and blue states. Were the United States of america. That vision is why nine years ago today on the steps of the Old State Capitol a few blocks from here, i announced my candidacy for president. Now over these nine years, i want you to know my faith in the generosity and the fundamental goodness of the American People has been rewarded and affirmed over and over again. Ive seen it in the determination of auto workers who have been laid off and were sure they could once again be part of the great iconic american industry. Ive seen it in the single mom who goes back to school even as shes working and looking after the kids because she wants a better life for the next generation. Ive seen it in the vision and risk taking and small businessman. Ive seen it time and time again in the courage of our troops. But its been noticed often by pundits that the tone of our politics hasnt gotten better since i was in in inaugurated. In fact, its gotten worse. Theres still this yawning gap between the magnitudes of our challenges and the smallness of our policies. Which is why my final state of the Union Address and in the one before that i had to acknowledge that one of my few regrets is my inability to reduce the polarization and meanness in our politics. I was able to be part of that here. Yet i couldnt translate it the way i wanted to in the politics in washington. People ask me why ive devoted so much time to the topic. I tell them it is not just because im president and the polarization and the gridlocks are frustrating to me. The fact is weve gotten a heck of a lot done these past seven years, despite the gridlock. We saved the economy from a depression. We brought back an Auto Industry from the brink of collapse. We helped the businesses create 14 million jobs. We cut the Unemployment Rate from 10 to 4. 9 . We covered nearly 18 million more americans are Health Insurance. We ignited the clean energy revolution. Weve got bin laden and brought the vast majority of our troops home for their families. [applause] president obama we got a lot done. Were still getting a lot done. Our political system helped make these things possible. The list could go on. Theres no doubt america is better off today than when i took office. [applause] [applause] president obama see i didnt want this to be a state of the union speech where we have the standing up and sitting down. Come on, guys. You know better than that. But lets roll. No no, no, no. Ive got a serious point to make here. Ive got a serious point to make here because this is part of the issue; right . We have an importation of our politics nationally and on cable and talk radio. It seeps in to everything. The point im trying to make is i care about fixing our politics not only because im president today or because some of my initiatives have been blocked by congress that happens to every president. Happens to every governor. Happens to everybody who participates in the democracy. You are not going to get 100 of what you want all the time. The reason this is important to me is next year ill still hold the most important title alone. Thats the title of citizen. And as an american citizen, i understand that our progress is not inevitable. Our progress has never been inevitable. It must be fought for and won by all of us with the kind of patriotism that the fellow illinois, adele stephenson, once described not as a short frenzy but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. It requires citizenship and a sense that we are one. Today that kind of citizen is threatened by a poisonous Political Climate that pushes people away from participating in the public life. It turns folks off. It discourages them. Makes them cynical. When that happens, more powerful and extreme voices fill the void. When that happens progress stalls. Thats how we end up with only a handful of lobbyists setting the agenda. Thats how we end up with policies that are detached with what working families face every day. Thats how we end up with the well connected that the public command to stay out of their business than whisper and sneer for special treatment. Thats how our political system gets consumed by small things when we are people that are called to do great things. To give everybody a shot in a changing economy. To keep america safe and strong in an uncertain world. To repair our climate before it threatening everything that we leave for our kids. So thats whats on my mind as i come back to illinois today. This is what will be a focus of mine over the course of the year and beyond. What can we do, all of us together, to try to make our politics better. I speak to both sides on this as all of you know, it could be better. As of you would feel prouder of the work that you do if it was better. First lets put to rest a couple of myths about our politics. One is the myth that the problems with our politics are new. They are not. American politics has never been particularly gentle or high minded. Especially not during times of great change. As i mention when i visited a mosque in maryland last week Thomas Jeffersons opponent tried to stir things up by suggesting he was a muslim. Im in good company. [laughter] president obama theres nothing compared to the newspaper which warned that if jefferson were elected murder, robbery rape, adultery, and incest will be openly taught and practiced. His Vice President , aaron burr literally killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. I dont want to tell you what Andrew Jacksons opponent said about his momma. Lincoln himself was routinely called weak and wishy washy a yahoo, an unshapely man. The obscene ape of illinois. My favorite is a facetious petty progress. I dont know what that means. But it sounds insulting. Comparatively speaking, today is not that bad. As long as weve got a thick skin. As Harold Washington once said, politics aint bean bags. It is tough. And thats okay. Theres also the notion that sometimes our politics are broken because politicians are more corrupt or beholden to big money than they need to be. Theres no doubt that lobbyist have easier access than the average american. Theres a lot of work that we need to do to make sure that the system works for ordinary people and not just the well connected. Thats true at the federal level and thats true at state level. Folks arent wrong as if they feel if the system is rigged and does not address their interest. But relative to the past. Listen im confident that weve got enough rules and checks to prevent anyone in my cabinet from siphoning whiskey tax revenue like president grants administration did. Until fdr went after the bosses in taminy hall, they controlled the politicians. It is not as easy as it was to whip up tens of thousands of votes whether in chicago or south section. From the teapot dome to watergate, history says we should be vigilant and demand that our Public Servants follow the highest ethical standards. The truth is the kind of corruption that is blatant of the source that we saw in the past is much less likely in todays. Policy. And the Justice Department and the media work hard to keep it that way. Thats a very good thing. We dont want to romanticize the past and the people being elected. And it also is true that todays issues are inherently more polarizing than the past. Remember we endured four years of civil war. It resulted in hundreds of thousands of dead americans. This country was divided on a fundamental question. Before pearl harbor entering in to world war ii was a highly charged debate. The fault lines of vietnam, the culture wars of the 60s. They still echo in to the politics a half a century later. Weve been arguing since our founding over the proper size and role of government. The meaning of individual freedom and equality over war and peace and the best way to give all of the citizens opportunities. These are important debates that everybody should join with all of the rigger that the free people require. My point is the problem is not that politicians are worse, the problem is not that the issues are tougher, and so it is important for us to understand that the situation we find ourselves in today is not somehow unique or hopeless. We always have gone through periods when the democracy seems stuck. When that happens, we have to find a new way of doing business. Were in one of those moments. Weve got to build a better politics. One thats less of a spectacle and more of a battle of ideas. One thats less of a business and more of a mission. One that understands the success of the american experiment, rests on our willingness to engage all of our citizens in this war. That starts by acknowledging that we have a problem. We all know it. Whats different today is the nature and the extent of the polarization. How ideallogically divided they are. The parties themselves have become more homogeneous than ever. The great sorting has taken place and drove southern conservatives out of the democratic party, northern moderates out of the republican party. We dont have within each party as much diversity. Weve got a fractured media. Some folks watch fox news. Some folks read the huffington post. And very often whats profitable is the most sensational conflict and the most incendiary conflict. We can choose our own facts. Bedont have a common basis for whats true and whats not. I mean if i listed some of the conservatives pundits, i wouldnt vote for me either. I would say i like a scary guy. Youve got advocacy proof that frankly sometimes benefits from keeping their members agitated as much as possible. A short of the righteousness. Unlimited dark money. Money that nobody knows where it is coming from, who is paying, drowns out ordinary voices. Far too many of us surrender our voices entirely by choosing not to vote. This polarization is persuasive and seeps in to the vote that surveys say Many Americans wouldnt want their kids to date someone from another political party. Some of us dont want our kids dating. Period. But [laughter] president obama thats a losing battle. This isnt just an abstract problem for political scientists. This has real impact on whether or not we can get things done together. It has a real impact on whether families are able to support themselves or whether the homeless are getting shelter on a cold gay. It makes a difference to the quality of education. This is not an abstraction. So often the debating become abstraction. As if there are no people involved. It is cardboard cut outs and caricatures of physicians. It encourages the kind of ideological feel that rejects any compromise as a form of weakness. And in a big complicated democracy like ours, if we cant compromise by definition we cant governor ourselves. Look im a progressive democrat. Im proud of that. I make no bones about it. [applause] president obama im going to make another point. I believe that people should have access to good health care, public education, i believe that workers deserve a good minimum wage within i believe that collective bargaining is vital and retirement as long as it is funded responsibly hold on a second. [applause] president obama hold on a second. Sit down democrats. Sit down. Sit down. Just for a second. I appreciate that. I want to make this larger point. I believe were judged by how we care for the poor. I believe in order to live up to our ideals, we have to continually fight discrimination in all of its forms. [applause] president obama i believe in science and the Science Behind things like climate change. The transition to cleaner sources of energy will help preserve the planet for future generations. I believe in a tough, smart Foreign Policy that says america will never hesitate to protect our people and allies. We should use every element of the power and never rush to war. Those are the things i believe. Heres the point that i want to make, i believe that theres a lot of republicans who share many of these same values even though they may disagree with me on a means to achieve them. I think sometimes my republican colleagues make constructive points about outdated regulations that may need to be changed or programs that even though well intended didnt always work the way they were supposed to. And where ive got an opportunity to find some Common Ground that doesnt make me a sellout to my own party. That applies yeah. The same well, well talk later, johnson. You see wait. [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause] president obama this is what happens. Everybody starts cherry picking. One thing ive learned is folks dont change. [laughter] president obama so trying to find Common Ground doesnt make me less of a democrat or less of a progressive. It means im trying to get stuff done. And the same applies to republicans. Who, heaven forbid, might agree with me on a particular issue. Or if ive said america is great and decided to stand during the state of the union. It is not a controversial proposition. You are not going to get in trouble. But the fact that thats hard to do, it is a testament to how difficult our politics have become. Because there were folks are worry. Im going to get yelled at or the blogger is going to write back or this talk show host is going to talk about me. Suddenly ive got a challenger. And calling me a rhino or, you know, the not a Real Progress ive. When i hear people boast of their refusal to compromise as a feat itself, im not impressed. All that does is prevent what most americans would consider actual accomplishment, like fixing roads and educating kids passing budgets, cleaning our environment, making our streets safe. [applause] president obama it goes both ways. Suddenly everybody is standing. It is just past the stage. The point is it cuts both ways. Our founders trusted us with the keys to the system of selfgovernment. Our politics is the place where we try to make this incredible machinery work. Where we come together to settle our differences and solve big problems. Do big things together that we could not possibility do alone. And our founders anchored all of this in a visionary constitution that separates power and demands compromise. Precisely to prevent one party or one wing of a party or one faction or some powerful interest from getting 100 of its way. So when either side makes blanket promises to their base that it cant possibility meet tax cuts without cuts to services everybody will be fine. But we wont spend any money. Or without shared sacrifice. Were going to be tough. But dont worry. It will be fine. Union bashing . Or corporate bashing without acknowledging that both workers and businesses make the economy run. That kind of politics means that the supporters will be perennially disappointed. It only adds that the system is rigged. It is why we see the big electoral swings every few years. Why people are so cynical. I dont pretend to have all of the answers. These trends will not change overnight. If i will, i would have got them through an executive action. That was just a joke guys. Relax. A sense of humor is also helpful. I do want to offer some steps that we could take that i believe would help reform our institutions and move the system in a way that helps better reflect ourselves. These arent particularly original. I want to go ahead and mention them. First is to take or at least reduce some of the corrosive influence of money in our politics. [applause] president obama this year just over 150 families, 150 families have spent on the president ial race as much as america combined. Today a couple of billionaires in one state can push their agenda. Some with money in to every space. Nobody knows where it is coming from. Mostly used on these dark ads. Everybody is kind of dark. Some ominous voice talking about how they are destroying the country. They spend the money based on some ideological prefer. They are not that concerned about the particulars of whats happening in the union hall in gailsburg. They are not particularly particular with whats happening with the vfw post somebodys phone is on. In carbondale. They havent heard personally from farmers outside of the quads and what they are going through. Those are the voices that should be out weighing a handful of folks with a lot of money. Im not saying the folks with a lot of money shouldnt have a voice. Im saying they shouldnt be able to drowned out everybody elses. Thats why i agree with the Supreme Court decision. I dont believe that money is speech or that political spending should have no limits. Or that it shouldnt be disclosed. I still support a constitutional amendment to set reasonable limits on financial influence in americas election. Amending the constitution is an extremely challenging and time consuming process, as it should be. Were going to have to come up with more immediate ways to reduce the influence of money in politics. There are a lot of good proposals out there. We have to work to find ones that can gain some bipartisan support. Because a handful of families and hidden interest shouldnt be able to bankroll elections in the greatest democracy on earth. And towards the better politics is rethinking the way we draw our congressional districts. Now let me point this out [applause] president obama this seems to be particular in states where democrats have been drawing the lines. Among republicans. Lets popular among republicans where they control. Nobody is lets be very clear, nobody has clean hands on this thing. Nobody has clean hands on this thing. The fact is today Technology Allows parties in power the precision draw so that the opposition supporters are packed in to as few districts as possible. Thats why our districts are shaped like ear muffs or spaghetti. It is also how one party can get more when it gets fewer votes. It may challenge some incumbents from the other party, it mean the main thing the incumbents are sorried about are challengers have the most extreme voices in their own party. Thats whats happened in congress. Do you wonder why congress doesnt work . The house of representatives there may be a handful less than 10 of districts that are even competitive at this point. So if you are a republican, all you are worried about is what somebody to your right is saying about you. Because you know you are not going to lose the general election. Same is true for a lot of democrats. So our debates move away from the middle where most americans are and towards the far end of the spectrum. That polarizes us further. This is something that we have the power to fix. Once the next census rolls around and we have the most uptodate picture of americas population, we should change the way they are drawn. Voters shouldnt pick their politicians, politicians should be chosen. This isnt just a few places, this is across the states. This should be done everywhere. Now the more americans choose to participate and no matter how much closed money is spent and negative ads if everybody voted, if a far larger number of people voted that would overcome in many ways some of these other institutional barriers. It would make our politics better. Thats why the better politics is making the voting easier. Not harder. And modernizing it for the way that we live now. This shouldnt be controversial, guys. You like the redistricting thing. But not letting people vote. I should get some applause on that too. Plus [applause] president obama listen three years ago i set up a Bipartisan Commission to improve the voting experience in america. It had the election lawyers from my campaign and mitt romneys campaign. They got together outside of the context of immediate policy. And i actually want to thank this assembly for moving to adopt some of the recommendations. It is the good work of the dear friend don harmond. Theres a new law in illinois that will allow people to register and vote on the polls at election day. It expands early voting. Something that makes it easier for working folks and busy parents to go vote. If you are a single mom and youve got to take Public Transportation to punch a clock work around the clock, get home, cook dinner on a tuesday in bad weather thats tough. Why would we want to make it so she couldnt do it on a saturday or a sunday . [applause] president obama how is that advancing our democracy . This law will make a difference. Im proud of my home state for helping lead the way. We know this works. In 2012 and 2014 the states with the highest voter turnout all had sameday registration. But today i ask every state in america to join us and reduce the barriers to voting. Make it easier for your constituents to get out and vote. I would encourage the assembly to take the next step. Senator mannar and represent ative gable have bills to register every citizen when they apply for a drivers license. That would protect the fundamental rights of everybody. Republicans, democrats,ic dependents, senior folks with disability, men and women of the military and it makes sure that it was easy your for them to vote and have their vote counted. And as one of your constituents, i think you should pass that legislation right away. I think the governor should sign it without delay. Lets make the land of lincoln a leader in voter participation. Thats something we should be proud to do. [applause] lets set the pace. Encourage other states to follow our lead making automatic voter legislation the new norm across america. Now just during the course of the talk, it has been interesting to watch the dynamics of it. In part because so many of the politics arety are designed for a shortterm tactical gain. If you think that having more voters will hurt you on election day, then suddenly you are not interested in participation. If you think that the gerrymander is helping you instead of hurting you, you are not for the proposals. We get trapped in the things. We know better. If we were setting up the federal rules ahead of time and you didnt know where you stood which party you are going to be in, you didnt have all of the data and poll numbers and whats going to give you an edge or not, it would be a system thats fair. Youd encourage everybody to be a part of it. Thats what we learned in the civics books. Thats how it should work. The fact that we cant do that, that brings me to my last point. Even as we change the way the system works, we also have a responsibility to change the way that we as elected officials and as citizens Work Together. Because this democracy only works when we get both right and when the system is fair and also lends and we build a culture that is trying to make it work. Recently ive been thinking a lot about something a friend of mine Duval Patrick that once said to the constituent when he was governor of massachusetts. He said insist from us and from each other a modicum of civility as the condition for serving you. Thats what he told voters. Insist on us. Having a monodumb modicum of civility. I think thats something that all of us as americans have to insist from each other. Our children are watching what we do. They dont just learn it in school. They learn it by watching us. The way we conduct each other and treat each other. If we lie, they learn it is okay to lie. If they make up facts and ignore science, then they dont they just think it is just their opinion that matters. If they see us insulting each other like school kids, then they say well, i guess thats how people are supposed to behave. The way that we respect our dont this each other as citizens will determine whether or not the hard, frustrating, but absolutely necessary work of selfgovernment continues. My daughters are getting older now. One of the most important things about being a parent, i think is them just seeing what you do not when you are out in public, not when you are dealing with somebody continue, but just how do you treat people generally . It makes me much more mindful. I want to live up to their expectations. In the same way, i want the democracy to live up to the peoples expectations. We cant move forward if all we do is tear each other down. And the political incentives as they are today too often reward that kind of behavior. Thats what gets attention. Well require some courage just to act the way our parents taught us to act. It shouldnt. But in this particular environment, apparently it does. Weve got to insist to do better from each other for each other. Rather than reward those who would disenfranchise any segment, we have to insist that everybody arm themselves with information and facts and that they vote. If 99 voted, it shouldnt matter how much they spent on the elections. Rather than rather than reward the most extreme voices, or the most extreme language or what is best at launching school yard taunts, we should insist on a higher form of political discourse in our common life. One based on empathy and respect which does not mean you abandon the principle. It doesnt mean you are not tough. Rather than paint those who disagree with us as motivated as malice. To suggest that any of us lack patriotism. We can insist as lincoln did that we are not enemies but friends. That our fellow americans are not only entitled to a different point of view, but that they love the country as much as we do. Rather than reward 24 7 media that so often thrived on sensationalism and conflict, we have to stand up and insist no reasons matter and facts matter. Issues are complicated. When folks just make stuff up, may cant go unchallenged. Thats true for democrats if you hear a democrat make something up. Thats true for a republican if you see the republican cross that line. Rather than accept the notion that compromises the sellout for one side, weve got to insist on the opposite. That it can be a genuine victory that meets progress for all sides. Rather than preventing our kids from dating people in other parties, well, i may have issues about dating generally. We can trust that weve raised our kids to do the right thing and look at the quality of the peoples character. Not some label attached to them. Maybe most of us whenever someone begins to grow cynical about the politics and believes the actions can make a difference or it is not worth participating in, weve got to insist even against all evidence to the contrary that, in fact, they can make a difference. And this job is being a citizen of the United States of america. Thats a big deal. It is something that we should revere and take seriously. Now Abraham Lincoln wasnt always the giant that we think of today. We lacked formal schooling. His businesses and law practices often struggled. After just one term in congress, his opposition to mexicanamerican war damaged his reputation so badly he did not run for reelection. He was denounced as a trader, a demagogue, an enemy sympathizer. He returned to his law practice. He admitted that he was losing interest in politics entirely. And then something happened to shook his conscious. Congress effectively overturned the missouri compromise. The flawed and fragile law that has prohibited slavery in the north is the question ultimately untouched. And stunned by the notion that lincoln said hes been roused as he had never been before over what it meant for americas future. And so if you are in springfield at the state fair and got back in the game and delivered the first of his great antislavery speeches to a crowd of founders. Over the next six years even as he lost two more political race, his arguments with douglas and others changed the national debate. Thats when he uttered those brilliant words on the steps of the Old State Capitol that a house divided against itself cannot stand. That this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. He become the first republican president , and i believe our greatest president. Through his will and his words and most of all has character he held a nation together and he helped bring the peace. Those victories did not solve all of our problems. He would be attacked at times for the compromises he was prepared to make by abolitionists and folks from his own side. It would be 100 years more until the law guarantees africanamericans equal rights they had been promised. Even 50 years after that, our march is not yet finished. Because lincoln made that decision not to give up and not to let other voices speak for him, and become hes held in his minds the strength of principle but the vision and the ability to understand those who disagree with him. And showed them respect even as he taught them. Because of what he said in motion generations of free men and women of all races and walks of life have had the chance to choose this countrys course. What a great gift. What a great legacy hes bestowed us. Thats the thing about america. We are a constant work of progress. And our success has never been certain. None of our journey has been preordain. Theres always been a gap between the highest ordeals and the realitity that we witness. What makes us exceptional and american is that we have fought wars and passed laws and organized unions and staged protests and launched mighty movements to close that gap. To bring the promise and practice of america in to closer alignment. Weve made the effort to form that more perfect union. Nine years to the day that i first announced this office that i still believe in the politics helped me. For all of the challenges of a rapidly changing world and for all of the imperfections of our democracy, the capacity to reach across our differences and choose that kind of politics, not a cynical politics, not a politics of fear, but that kind of politics. Sustained over the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. Thats something that remains entirely up to us. Thank you, illinois. God bless you. God bless america. Good to see all of you. I miss you guys. Thank you. Thank you. [cheers and applause] [applause] roads to the white house began in iowa. The caucuses which date back to 1972. Then we move to New Hampshire the quintessential firstinthenation primary. Now we begin to test their candidates and their messages. We move south and then to the Party Caucuses in nevada for the democrats and republicans. More than likely well see a number of candidates probably drop out of the face so the field will then narrow. Then we move in to early march. Super tuesday, the start of winner take all primaries which mean the delegate count will be critical. If we watch it continue for the candidates, well get a better sense of whose message is resonating and who is on the task to the nomination. Live house coverage here on cspan. Coming up this hour claim number of the select Benghazi Committee will give an update on the investigation into the 2012 attack
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