Hreâs the text of President Barack Obamaâs farewell address Tuesday at McCormick Place in Chicago:
THE PRESIDENT:
 Hello, Chicago! (Applause.) Itâs good to be home! (Applause.) Thank you, everybody. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you. (Applause.) All right, everybody sit down. (Applause.) Weâre on live TV here. Iâve got to move. (Applause.) You can tell that Iâm a lame duck because nobody is following instructions. (Laughter.) Everybody have a seat. (Applause.)
My fellow Americans â (applause) â Michelle and I have been so touched by all the well wishes that weâve received over the past few weeks. But tonight, itâs my turn to say thanks. (Applause.) Whether we have seen eye-to-eye or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with you, the American people, in living rooms and in schools, at farms, on factory floors, at diners and on distant military outposts -â those conversations are what have kept me honest, and kept me inspired, and kept me going. And every day, I have learned from you. You made me a better President, and you made me a better man. (Applause.)
So I first came to Chicago when I was in my early 20s. And I was still trying to figure out who I was, still searching for a purpose in my life. And it was a neighborhood not far from here where I began working with church groups in the shadows of closed steel mills. It was on these streets where I witnessed the power of faith, and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT:Â I canât do that.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
THE PRESIDENT:Â This is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved and they get engaged, and they come together to demand it.
After eight years as your President, I still believe that. And itâs not just my belief. Itâs the beating heart of our American idea â- our bold experiment in self-government. Itâs the conviction that we are all created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Itâs the insistence that these rights, while self-evident, have never been self-executing; that We, the People, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union.
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What a radical idea. A great gift that our Founders gave to us: The freedom to chase our individual dreams through our sweat and toil and imagination, and the imperative to strive together, as well, to achieve a common good, a greater good.
For 240 years, our nationâs call to citizenship has given work and purpose to each new generation. Itâs what led patriots to choose republic over tyranny, pioneers to trek west, slaves to brave that makeshift railroad to freedom. Itâs what pulled immigrants and refugees across oceans and the Rio Grande. (Applause.) Itâs what pushed women to reach for the ballot. Itâs what powered workers to organize. Itâs why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima, Iraq and Afghanistan. And why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs, as well. (Applause.)
So thatâs what we mean when we say America is exceptional â not that our nation has been flawless from the start, but that we have shown the capacity to change and make life better for those who follow. Yes, our progress has been uneven. The work of democracy has always been hard. Itâs always been contentious. Sometimes itâs been bloody. For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back. But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed to embrace all and not just some. (Applause.)
If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history â (applause) â if I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iranâs nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, take out the mastermind of 9/11 â (applause) â if I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens â- (applause) â if I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high. But thatâs what we did. (Applause.) Thatâs what you did.
You were the change. You answered peopleâs hopes, and because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started. (Applause.)
In 10 days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy.
AUDIENCE:Â Nooo â
THE PRESIDENT: No, no, no, no, no â the peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected President to the next. (Applause.) I committed to President-elect Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me. (Applause.) Because itâs up to all of us to make sure our government can help us meet the many challenges we still face.
We have what we need to do so. We have everything we need to meet those challenges. After all, we remain the wealthiest, most powerful, and most respected nation on Earth. Our youth, our drive, our diversity and openness, our boundless capacity for risk and reinvention means that the future should be ours. But that potential will only be realized if our democracy works. Only if our politics better reflects the decency of our people. (Applause.) Only if all of us, regardless of party affiliation or particular interests, help restore the sense of common purpose that we so badly need right now.
Thatâs what I want to focus on tonight: The state of our democracy. Understand, democracy does not require uniformity. Our founders argued. They quarreled. Eventually they compromised. They expected us to do the same. But they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity -â the idea that for all our outward differences, weâre all in this together; that we rise or fall as one. (Applause.)
There have been moments throughout our history that threatens that solidarity. And the beginning of this century has been one of those times. A shrinking world, growing inequality; demographic change and the specter of terrorism -â these forces havenât just tested our security and our prosperity, but are testing our democracy, as well. And how we meet these challenges to our democracy will determine our ability to educate our kids, and create good jobs, and protect our homeland. In other words, it will determine our future.
To begin with, our democracy wonât work without a sense that everyone has economic opportunity. And the good news is that today the economy is growing again. Wages, incomes, home values, and retirement accounts are all rising again. Poverty is falling again. (Applause.) The wealthy are paying a fairer share of taxes even as the stock market shatters records. The unemployment rate is near a 10-year low. The uninsured rate has never, ever been lower. (Applause.) Health care costs are rising at the slowest rate in 50 years. And Iâve said and I mean it â if anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements weâve made to our health care system and that covers as many people at less cost, I will publicly support it. (Applause.)
Because that, after all, is why we serve. Not to score points or take credit, but to make peopleâs lives better. (Applause.)
But for all the real progress that weâve made, we know itâs not enough. Our economy doesnât work as well or grow as fast when a few prosper at the expense of a growing middle class and ladders for folks who want to get into the middle class. (Applause.) Thatâs the economic argument. But stark inequality is also corrosive to our democratic ideal. While the top one percent has amassed a bigger share of wealth and income, too many families, in inner cities and in rural counties, have been left behind â the laid-off factory worker; the waitress or health care worker whoâs just barely getting by and struggling to pay the bills â convinced that the game is fixed against them, that their government only serves the interests of the powerful â thatâs a recipe for more cynicism and polarization in our politics.
But there are no quick fixes to this long-term trend. I agree, our trade should be fair and not just free. But the next wave of economic dislocations wonât come from overseas. It will come from the relentless pace of automation that makes a lot of good, middle-class jobs obsolete.
And so weâre going to have to forge a new social compact to guarantee all our kids the education they need â (applause) â to give workers the power to unionize for better wages; to update the social safety net to reflect the way we live now, and make more reforms to the tax code so corporations and individuals who reap the most from this new economy donât avoid their obligations to the country thatâs made their very success possible. (Applause.)
We can argue about how to best achieve these goals. But we canât be complacent about the goals themselves. For if we donât create opportunity for all people, the disaffection and division that has stalled our progress will only sharpen in years to come.
Thereâs a second threat to our democracy â and this one is as old as our nation itself. After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America. And such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. Race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society. Now, Iâve lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were 10, or 20, or 30 years ago, no matter what some folks say. (Applause.) You can see it not just in statistics, you see it in the attitudes of young Americans across the political spectrum.
But weâre not where we need to be. And all of us have more work to do. (Applause.) If every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hardworking white middle class and an undeserving minority, then workers of all shades are going to be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves. (Applause.) If weâre unwilling to invest in the children of immigrants, just because they donât look like us, we will diminish the prospects of our own children â because those brown kids will represent a larger and larger share of Americaâs workforce. (Applause.) And we have shown that our economy doesnât have to be a zero-sum game. Last year, incomes rose for all races, all age groups, for men and for women.
So if weâre going to be serious about race going forward, we need to uphold laws against discrimination â in hiring, and in housing, and in education, and in the criminal justice system. (Applause.) That is what our Constitution and our highest ideals require. (Applause.)
But laws alone wonât be enough. Hearts must change. It wonât change overnight. Social attitudes oftentimes take generations to change. But if our democracy is to work in this increasingly diverse nation, then each one of us need to try to heed the advice of a great character in American fiction â Atticus Finch â (applause) â who said âYou never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of viewâŚuntil you climb into his skin and walk around in it.â
For blacks and other minority groups, it means tying our own very real struggles for justice to the challenges that a lot of people in this country face â not only the refugee, or the immigrant, or the rural poor, or the transgender American, but also the middle-aged white guy who, from the outside, may seem like heâs got advantages, but has seen his world upended by economic and cultural and technological change. We have to pay attention, and listen. (Applause.)
For white Americans, it means acknowledging that the effects of slavery and Jim Crow didnât suddenly vanish in the â60s â (applause) â that when minority groups voice discontent, theyâre not just engaging in reverse racism or practicing political correctness. When they wage peaceful protest, theyâre not demanding special treatment but the equal treatment that our Founders promised. (Applause.)
For native-born Americans, it means reminding ourselves that the stereotypes about immigrants today were said, almost word for word, about the Irish, and Italians, and Poles â who it was said weâre going to destroy the fundamental character of America. And as it turned out, America wasnât weakened by the presence of these newcomers; these newcomers embraced this nationâs creed, and this nation was strengthened. (Applause.)
So regardless of the station that we occupy, we all have to try harder. We all have to start with the premise that each of our fellow citizens loves this country just as much as we do; that they value hard work and family just like we do; that their children are just as curious and hopeful and worthy of love as our own. (Applause.)
And thatâs not easy to do. For too many of us, itâs become safer to retreat into our own bubbles, whether in our neighborhoods or on college campuses, or places of worship, or especially our social media feeds, surrounded by people who look like us and share the same political outlook and never challenge our assumptions. The rise of naked partisanship, and increasing economic and regional stratification, the splintering of our media into a channel for every taste â all this makes this great sorting seem natural, even inevitable. And increasingly, we become so secure in our bubbles that we start accepting only information, whether itâs true or not, that fits our opinions, instead of basing our opinions on the evidence that is out there. (Applause.)
And this trend represents a third threat to our democracy. But politics is a battle of ideas. Thatâs how our democracy was designed. In the course of a healthy debate, we prioritize different goals, and the different means of reaching them. But without some common baseline of facts, without a willingness to admit new information, and concede that your opponent might be making a fair point, and that science and reason matter â (applause) â then weâre going to keep talking past each other, and weâll make common ground and compromise impossible. (Applause.)
And isnât that part of what so often makes politics dispiriting? How can elected officials rage about deficits when we propose to spend money on preschool for kids, but not when weâre cutting taxes for corporations? (Applause.) How do we excuse ethical lapses in our own party, but pounce when the other party does the same thing? Itâs not just dishonest, this selective sorting of the facts; itâs self-defeating. Because, as my mother used to tell me, reality has a way of catching up with you. (Applause.)
Take the challenge of climate change. In just eight years, weâve halved our dependence on foreign oil; weâve doubled our renewable energy; weâve led the world to an agreement that has the promise to save this planet. (Applause.) But without bolder action, our children wonât have time to debate the existence of climate change. Theyâll be busy dealing with its effects: more environmental disasters, more economic disruptions, waves of climate refugees seeking sanctuary. Now, we can and should argue about the best approach to solve the problem. But to simply deny the problem not only betrays future generations, it betrays the essential spirit of this country â the essential spirit of innovation and practical problem-solving that guided our Founders. (Applause.)
It is that spirit, born of the Enlightenment, that made us an economic powerhouse â the spirit that took flight at Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral; the spirit that cures disease and put a computer in every pocket.
Itâs that spirit â a faith in reason, and enterprise, and the primacy of right over might â that allowed us to resist the lure of fascism and tyranny during the Great Depression; that allowed us to build a post-World War II order with other democracies, an order based not just on military power or national affiliations but built on principles â the rule of law, human rights, freedom of religion, and speech, and assembly, and an independent press. (Applause.)
That order is now being challenged â first by violent fanatics who claim to speak for Islam; more recently by autocrats in foreign capitals who see free markets and open democracies and and civil society itself as a threat to their power. The peril each poses to our democracy is more far-reaching than a car bomb or a missile. It represents the fear of change; the fear of people who look or speak or pray differently; a contempt for the rule of law that holds leaders accountable; an intolerance of dissent and free thought; a belief that the sword or the gun or the bomb or the propaganda machine is the ultimate arbiter of whatâs true and whatâs right.
Because of the extraordinary courage of our men and women in uniform, because of our intelligence officers, and law enforcement, and diplomats who support our troops â (applause)â no foreign terrorist organization has successfully planned and executed an attack on our homeland these past eight years. (Applause.) And although Boston and Orlando and San Bernardino and Fort Hood remind us of how dangerous radicalization can be, our law enforcement agencies are more effective and vigilant than ever. We have taken out tens of thousands of terrorists â including bin Laden. (Applause.) The global coalition weâre leading against ISIL has taken out their leaders, and taken away about half their territory. ISIL will be destroyed, and no one who threatens America will ever be safe. (Applause.)
And to all who serve or have served, it has been the honor of my lifetime to be your Commander-in-Chief. And we all owe you a deep debt of gratitude. (Applause.)
But protecting our way of life, thatâs not just the job of our military. Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear. So, just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are. (Applause.)
And thatâs why, for the past eight years, Iâve worked to put the fight against terrorism on a firmer legal footing. Thatâs why weâve ended torture, worked to close Gitmo, reformed our laws governing surveillance to protect privacy and civil liberties. (Applause.) Thatâs why I reject discrimination against Muslim Americans, who are just as patriotic as we are. (Applause.)
Thatâs why we cannot withdraw from big global fights â to expand democracy, and human rights, and womenâs rights, and LGBT rights. No matter how imperfect our efforts, no matter how expedient ignoring such values may seem, thatâs part of defending America. For the fight against extremism and intolerance and sectarianism and chauvinism are of a piece with the fight against authoritarianism and nationalist aggression. If the scope of freedom and respect for the rule of law shrinks around the world, the likelihood of war within and between nations increases, and our own freedoms will eventually be threatened.
So letâs be vigilant, but not afraid. (Applause.) ISIL will try to kill innocent people. But they cannot defeat America unless we betray our Constitution and our principles in the fight. (Applause.) Rivals like Russia or China cannot match our influence around the world â unless we give up what we stand for â (applause) â and turn ourselves into just another big country that bullies smaller neighbors.
Which brings me to my final point: Our democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted. (Applause.) All of us, regardless of party, should be throwing ourselves into the task of rebuilding our democratic institutions. (Applause.)   When voting rates in America are some of the lowest among advanced democracies, we should be making it easier, not harder, to vote. (Applause.) When trust in our institutions is low, we should reduce the corrosive influence of money in our politics, and insist on the principles of transparency and ethics in public service. (Applause.) When Congress is dysfunctional, we should draw our congressional districts to encourage politicians to cater to common sense and not rigid extremes. (Applause.)
But remember, none of this happens on its own. All of this depends on our participation; on each of us accepting the responsibility of citizenship, regardless of which way the pendulum of power happens to be swinging.
Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift. But itâs really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power. (Applause.) We, the people, give it meaning. With our participation, and with the choices that we make, and the alliances that we forge. (Applause.) Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms. Whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law. Thatâs up to us. America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured.
In his own farewell address, George Washington wrote that self-government is the underpinning of our safety, prosperity, and liberty, but âfrom different causes and from different quarters much pains will be takenâŚto weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth.â And so we have to preserve this truth with âjealous anxiety;â that we should reject âthe first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest or to enfeeble the sacred tiesâ that make us one. (Applause.)
America, we weaken those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so corrosive that people of good character arenât even willing to enter into public service; so coarse with rancor that Americans with whom we disagree are seen not just as misguided but as malevolent. We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more American than others; when we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt, and when we sit back and blame the leaders we elect without examining our own role in electing them. (Applause.)
It falls to each of us to be those those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task weâve been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours. Because for all our outward differences, we, in fact, all share the same proud title, the most important office in a democracy: Citizen. (Applause.) Citizen.
So, you see, thatâs what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when thereâs an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. If youâre tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet, try talking with one of them in real life. (Applause.) If something needs fixing, then lace up your shoes and do some organizing. (Applause.) If youâre disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself. (Applause.) Show up. Dive in. Stay at it.
Sometimes youâll win. Sometimes youâll lose. Presuming a reservoir of goodness in other people, that can be a risk, and there will be times when the process will disappoint you. But for those of us fortunate enough to have been a part of this work, and to see it up close, let me tell you, it can energize and inspire. And more often than not, your faith in America â and in Americans â will be confirmed. (Applause.)  Mine sure has been. Over the course of these eight years, Iâve seen the hopeful faces of young graduates and our newest military officers. I have mourned with grieving families searching for answers, and found grace in a Charleston church. Iâve seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch. Iâve seen wounded warriors who at points were given up for dead walk again. Iâve seen our doctors and volunteers rebuild after earthquakes and stop pandemics in their tracks. Iâve seen the youngest of children remind us through their actions and through their generosity of our obligations to care for refugees, or work for peace, and, above all, to look out for each other. (Applause.)
So that faith that I placed all those years ago, not far from here, in the power of ordinary Americans to bring about change â that faith has been rewarded in ways I could not have possibly imagined. And I hope your faith has, too. Some of you here tonight or watching at home, you were there with us in 2004, in 2008, 2012 â (applause) â maybe you still canât believe we pulled this whole thing off. Let me tell you, youâre not the only ones. (Laughter.)
Michelle â (applause) â Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, girl of the South Side â (applause) â for the past 25 years, you have not only been my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best friend. (Applause.) You took on a role you didnât ask for and you made it your own, with grace and with grit and with style and good humor. (Applause.) You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody. (Applause.) And the new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. (Applause.) So you have made me proud. And you have made the country proud. (Applause.)
Malia and Sasha, under the strangest of circumstances, you have become two amazing young women. You are smart and you are beautiful, but more importantly, you are kind and you are thoughtful and you are full of passion. (Applause.) You wore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily. Of all that Iâve done in my life, I am most proud to be your dad. (Applause.)
To Joe Biden â (applause) â the scrappy kid from Scranton who became Delawareâs favorite son â you were the first decision I made as a nominee, and it was the best. (Applause.) Not just because you have been a great Vice President, but because in the bargain, I gained a brother. And we love you and Jill like family, and your friendship has been one of the great joys of our lives. (Applause.)
To my remarkable staff: For eight years â and for some of you, a whole lot more â I have drawn from your energy, and every day I tried to reflect back what you displayed â heart, and character, and idealism. Iâve watched you grow up, get married, have kids, start incredible new journeys of your own. Even when times got tough and frustrating, you never let Washington get the better of you. You guarded against cynicism. And the only thing that makes me prouder than all the good that weâve done is the thought of all the amazing things that youâre going to achieve from here. (Applause.)
And to all of you out there â every organizer who moved to an unfamiliar town, every kind family who welcomed them in, every volunteer who knocked on doors, every young person who cast a ballot for the first time, every American who lived and breathed the hard work of change â you are the best supporters and organizers anybody could ever hope for, and I will be forever grateful. (Applause.) Because you did change the world. (Applause.) You did.
And thatâs why I leave this stage tonight even more optimistic about this country than when we started. Because I know our work has not only helped so many Americans, it has inspired so many Americans â especially so many young people out there â to believe that you can make a difference â (applause) â to hitch your wagon to something bigger than yourselves.
Let me tell you, this generation coming up â unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic â Iâve seen you in every corner of the country. You believe in a fair, and just, and inclusive America. (Applause.) You know that constant change has been Americaâs hallmark; that itâs not something to fear but something to embrace. You are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward. Youâll soon outnumber all of us, and I believe as a result the future is in good hands. (Applause.)
My fellow Americans, it has been the honor of my life to serve you. (Applause.) I wonât stop. In fact, I will be right there with you, as a citizen, for all my remaining days. But for now, whether you are young or whether youâre young at heart, I do have one final ask of you as your President â the same thing I asked when you took a chance on me eight years ago. Iâm asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change â but in yours.
I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written: Yes, we can. (Applause.)
Yes, we did. Yes, we can. (Applause.)
Thank you. God bless you. May God continue to bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
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Moments after President Donald Trump delivered his inaugural address, now-former President Barack Obama broke precedent and delivered a final goodbye speech to his staff and supporters. Hereâs the full text of his address.
Hello everybody. You know, Michelle and I have really been milking this goodbye thing, so it behooves me to be very brief.
[Crowd No!]
Yes, yes. I said before, and I will say again, that when we started on this journey we did so with an abiding faith in the American people and their ability, our ability, to join together and change the country in ways that would make life better for our kids and our grandkids, that change didnât happen from the top-down but it happened from the bottom-up.
It was meant sometimes with skepticism and doubt, some folks didnât think we could pull it off. There were those who felt that the institutions of power and privilege in this country were too deeply entrenched.
And yet, all of you came together in small towns and big cities, a whole bunch of you really young, and you decided to believe. And you knocked on doors and you made phone calls, and you talked to your parents who didnât know how to pronounce Barack Obama. And you got to know each other and you went into communities, that maybe you never thought about visiting, and met people that, on the surface seemed completely different than you, didnât look like you, talk like you, or watch the same TV programs as you, and yet once you started talking it turned out you had something in common. It grew and it built. And people took notice. And throughout, it was infused with a sense of hope.
And as I said in 2004 it wasnât blind optimism that drove you, to do all this work, it wasnât naivety, it wasnât willful ignorance to all the challenges that America faces. It was hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty. You proved the power of hope. And throughout this process, Michelle and I, we have just been your front men and women. We have been the face, sometimes the voice, out front on the TV screen, or in front of the microphone, but this has never been about us, it has always been about you. And all the amazing things that happened over these last ten years, are really just a testament to you.
In the same way we talk about our amazing military and our men and women in uniform, the military is not a thing. Itâs a group of committed patriots willing to sacrifice everything on our behalf. It works only because of the people in it. As cool as the hardware is, and we got cool hardware, as cool as the machines and weapons and satellites are, ultimately it comes down to remarkable people. Some of them a lot closer to Maliaâs age than mine or Michelleâs.
The same thingâs true for our democracy. Our democracy is not the buildings. Itâs not the monuments. Itâs you. Being willing to work to make things better and being willing to listen to each other, and argue with each other, and come together and knock on doors and make phone calls and treat people with respect.
And that doesnât end, this is just a little pit stop. This is not a period, this is a comma in the continuing story of building America.
So to all of you that have put your heart and soul, not just into our campaigns, but into making schools better and making sure our veterans got the care their needed, making sure that we left behind a planet that is safe and secure for kids, making sure that hard working people had a ladder of opportunity and could support families. For all of you who have just done amazing, remarkable work, most of it without unheralded, most of it without fanfare, most of it without you getting any word of thanks.
We could not be prouder of you. I could not be prouder. This has been the privilege of my life, and I know I speak for Michelle as well. And we look forwarding to continuing this journey with all of you. And I canât wait to see what you do next. I promise you, Iâll be right there with you.
Alright?
God bless you. Thank you, everybody. Yes we did. Yes we can. God bless America.
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Barack Obama at DNC
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It was about 8:40 P.M. last night when President Obama climbed aboard Air Force One for the hop to Philadelphia, where he was scheduled to speak at about 10:30 P.M. As an accomplished speaker, he must have known that the speech that would be fed into the teleprompters at the Wells Fargo Center was one of his best. As an astute politician, he must have known that, in other respects, too, the ground was being laid for a memorable night.
Barack Obama at DNC: âAmerica is already strongâ
Full transcript of his speech:
Twelve years ago tonight, I addressed this convention for the very first time.
You met my two little girls, Malia and Sasha â now two amazing young women who just fill me with pride. You fell for my brilliant wife and partner Michelle, who has made me a better father and a better man; whoâs gone on to inspire our nation as first lady; and who somehow hasnât aged a day.
I know the same cannot be said for me. My girls remind me all the time. âWow, youâve changed so much, Daddy.â And then they try to clean it up. âNot bad, just more mature.â
And itâs true â I was so young that first time in Boston. And look, Iâll admit it, maybe I was a little nervous addressing such a big crowd. But I was filled with faith; faith in America â the generous, big-hearted, hopeful country that made my story â that made all of our stories â possible.
A lotâs happened over the years. And while this nation has been tested by war and itâs been tested by recession and all manner of challenges â I stand before you again tonight, after almost two terms as your president, to tell you I am more optimistic about the future of America than ever before.
How could I not be â after all that weâve achieved together?
After the worst recession in 80 years, weâve fought our way back. Weâve seen deficits come down, 401(k)s recover, an auto industry set new records, unemployment reach eight-year lows, and our businesses create 15 million new jobs.
After a century of trying, we declared that health care in America is not a privilege for a few, it is a right for everybody. After decades of talk, we finally began to wean ourselves off foreign oil. We doubled our production of clean energy.
We brought more of our troops home to their families, and we delivered justice to Osama bin Laden. Through diplomacy, we shut down Iranâs nuclear weapons program. We opened up a new chapter with the people of Cuba, brought nearly 200 nations together around a climate agreement that could save this planet for our children.
We put policies in place to help students with loans; protect consumers from fraud; cut veteransâ homelessness almost in half. And through countless acts of quiet courage, America learned that love has no limits, and marriage equality is now a reality across the land.
By so many measures, our country is stronger and more prosperous than it was when we started.
And through every victory and every setback, Iâve insisted that change is never easy, and never quick; that we wouldnât meet all of our challenges in one term, or one presidency, or even in one lifetime.
So tonight, Iâm here to tell you that yes, weâve still fot more work to do. More work to do for every American still in need of a good job or a raise, paid leave or a decent retirement; for every child who needs a sturdier ladder out of poverty or a world-class education; for everyone who has not yet felt the progress of these past seven and a half years. We need to keep making our streets safer and our criminal justice system fairer; and our homeland more secure, our world more peaceful and sustainable for the next generation. Weâre not done perfecting our union, or living up to our founding creed â that all of us are created equal. All of us are free in the eyes of God.
And that work involves a big choice this November. And itâs fair to say, this is not your typical election. Itâs not just a choice between parties or policies; the usual debates between left and right. This is a more fundamental choice â about who we are as a people, and whether we stay true to this great American experiment in self-government.
Look, we Democrats have always had plenty of differences with the Republican Party, and thereâs nothing wrong with that; itâs precisely this contest of ideas that pushes our country forward.
But what we heard in Cleveland last week wasnât particularly Republican â and it sure wasnât conservative. What we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other, and turn away from the rest of the world. There were no serious solutions to pressing problems â just the fanning of resentment, and blame, and anger, and hate.
And that is not the America I know.
The America I know is full of courage, and optimism, and ingenuity. The America I know is decent and generous. Sure, we have real anxieties â about paying the bills, and protecting our kids, caring for a sick parent. We get frustrated with political gridlock, and worry about racial divisions; we are shocked and saddened by the madness of Orlando or Nice. There are pockets of America that never recovered from factory closures; men who took pride in hard work and providing for their families who now feel forgotten; parents who wonder whether their kids will have the same opportunities that we had.
All of that is real. We are challenged to do better; to be better. But as Iâve traveled this country, through all fifty states; as Iâve rejoiced with you and mourned with you, what I have also seen, more than anything, is what is right with America. I see people working hard and starting businesses; I see people teaching kids and serving our country. I see engineers inventing stuff, doctors coming up with new cures. I see a younger generation full of energy and new ideas, not constrained by what is, ready to seize what ought to be.
And most of all, I see Americans of every party, every background, every faith who believe that we are stronger together â black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, young, old, gay, straight, men, women, folks with disabilities, all pledging allegiance under the same proud flag, to this big, bold country that we love. Thatâs what I see. Thatâs the America I know.
And there is only one candidate in this race who believes in that future, has devoted her life to that future; a mother and a grandmother who would do anything to help our children thrive; a leader with real plans to break down barriers, and blast through glass ceilings, and widen the circle of opportunity to every single American â the next president of the United States, Hillary Clinton.
Now, eight years ago, thatâs right. Let me tell you, eight years ago, you may remember, Hillary and I were rivals for the Democratic nomination. We battled for a year and a half. Let me tell you, it was tough, because Hillary was tough. I was worn out. She was doing everything I was doing, but just like Ginger Rogers, it was backwards in heels. And every time I thought I might have that race won, Hillary just came back stronger.
But after it was all over, I asked Hillary to join my team. And she was a little surprised, some of my staff was surprised, but ultimately, she said yes â because she knew that what was at stake was bigger than either of us. And for four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment, and her discipline. I came to realize that her unbelievable work ethic wasnât for praise, it wasnât for attention â that she was in this for everyone who needs a champion. I understood that after all these years, she has never forgotten just who sheâs fighting for.
Hillaryâs still got the tenacity that she had as a young woman working at the Childrenâs Defense Fund, going door to door to ultimately make sure kids with disabilities could get a quality education.
Sheâs still got the heart she showed as our first lady, working with Congress to help push through a Childrenâs Health Insurance Program that to this day protects millions of kids.
Sheâs still seared with the memory of every American she met who lost loved ones on 9/11, which is why, as a senator from New York, she fought so hard for funding to help first responders, to help the city rebuild; why, as secretary of state, she sat with me in the Situation Room and forcefully argued in favor of the mission that took out bin Laden.
You know, nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office. You can read about it. You can study it, but until youâve sat at that desk, you donât know what itâs like to manage a global crisis, or send young people to war. But Hillaryâs been in the room; sheâs been part of those decisions. She knows whatâs at stake in the decisions our government makes, whatâs at stake for the working family, for the senior citizen, for the small business owner, for the soldier, for the veteran. And even in the midst of crisis, she listens to people, and she keeps her cool, and she treats everybody with respect. And no matter how daunting the odds; no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits.
That is the Hillary I know. Thatâs the Hillary Iâve come to admire. And thatâs why I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman, not me, not Bill, nobody, more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America. I hope you donât mind, Bill, but I was just telling the truth, man.
And, by the way, in case you were wondering about her judgment, take a look at her choice of running mate. Tim Kaine is as good a man, as humble and as committed a public servant, as anybody that I know. I know his family, I love Anne, I love their kids. He will be a great vice president, and he will make Hillary a better president. Just like my dear friend and brother Joe Biden has made me a better president.
Now, Hillary has real plans to address the concerns sheâs heard from you on the campaign trail. Sheâs got specific ideas to invest in new jobs, to help workers share in their companyâs profits, to help put kids in preschool, and put students through college without taking on a ton of debt. Thatâs what leaders do.
And then thereâs Donald Trump. Donât boo. Vote. You know The Donald is not really a plans guy. Heâs not really a facts guy, either. He calls himself a business guy, which is true, but I have to say, I know plenty of businessmen and women whoâve achieved remarkable success without leaving a trail of lawsuits, and unpaid workers, and people feeling like they got cheated.
Does anyone really believe that a guy whoâs spent his 70 years on this Earth showing no regard for working people is suddenly going to be your champion? Your voice? Hey if so, you should vote for him. But if youâre someone whoâs truly concerned about paying your bills, if youâre really concerned about pocketbook issues and seeing the economy grow, and creating more opportunity for everybody, then the choice isnât even close. If you want someone with a lifelong track record of fighting for higher wages, and better benefits, and a fairer tax code, and a bigger voice for workers, and stronger regulations on Wall Street, then you should vote for Hillary Clinton.
And if youâre rightly concerned about whoâs going to keep you and your family safe in a dangerous world â well, the choice is even clearer. Hillary Clinton is respected around the world not just by leaders, but by the people they serve. I have to say this, people outside of the United States do not understand whatâs going on in this election. They really donât. Because they know Hillary. Theyâve seen her work. Sheâs worked closely with our intelligence teams, our diplomats, our military. She has the judgment and the experience, and the temperament to meet the threat from terrorism. Itâs not new to her. Our troops have pounded ISIL without mercy, taking out their leaders, taking back territory. And I know Hillary wonât relent until ISIL is destroyed. She will finish the job â and she will do it without resorting to torture, or banning entire religions from entering our country. She is fit and she is ready to be the next commander-in-chief.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump calls our military a disaster. Apparently, he doesnât know the men and women who make up the strongest fighting force the world has ever known. He suggests America is weak. He must not hear the billions of men and women, and children, from the Baltics to Burma, who still look to America to be the light of freedom, and dignity, and human rights. He cozies up to Putin, praises Saddam Hussein, tells our NATO allies that stood by our side after 9/11 that they have to pay up if they want our protection. Well, Americaâs promises do not come with a price tag. We meet our commitments. We bear our burdens. Thatâs one reason why almost every country on Earth sees America as stronger and more respected today than they did eight years ago when I took office.
America is already great. America is already strong. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump.
In fact, it doesnât depend on any one person. And that, in the end, may be the biggest difference in this election â the meaning of our democracy.
Ronald Reagan called America âa shining city on a hill.â Donald Trump calls it âa divided crime sceneâ that only he can fix. It doesnât matter to him that illegal immigration and the crime rate are as low as theyâve been in decades, because heâs not actually offering any real solutions to those issues. Heâs just offering slogans, and heâs offering fear. Heâs betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes to win this election.
And thatâs another bet that Donald Trump will lose. And the reason heâll lose it is because heâs selling the American people short. Weâre not a fragile people. Weâre not a frightful people. Our power doesnât come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. We donât look to be ruled. Our power comes from those immortal declarations first put to paper right here in Philadelphia all those years ago: we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that we, the people, can form a more perfect union.
Thatâs who we are. Thatâs our birthright â the capacity to shape our own destiny. Thatâs what drove patriots to choose revolution over tyranny and our GIs to liberate a continent. Itâs what gave women the courage to reach for the ballot, and marchers to cross a bridge in Selma, and workers to organize and fight for collective bargaining and better wages.
Americaâs never been about what one person says heâll do for us. Itâs about what can be achieved by us, together, through the hard, and slow, and sometimes frustrating, but ultimately enduring work of self-government.
And thatâs what Hillary Clinton understands. She knows that this is a big, diverse country. She has seen it. Sheâs traveled. Sheâs talked to folks. And she understands that most issues are rarely black and white. She understands that even when youâre a hundred percent right, getting things done requires compromise. That democracy doesnât work if we constantly demonize each other. She knows that for progress to happen, we have to listen to each other, and see ourselves in each other, and fight for our principles but also fight to find common ground, no matter how elusive that may sometimes seem.
Hillary knows we can work through racial divides in this country when we realize the worry black parents feel when their son leaves the house isnât so different than what a brave copâs family feels when he puts on the blue and goes to work; that we can honor police and treat every community fairly. We can do that. And she knows that acknowledging problems that have festered for decades isnât making race relations worse â itâs creating the possibility for people of goodwill to join and make things better.
Hillary knows we can insist on a lawful and orderly immigration system while still seeing striving students and their toiling parents as loving families, not criminals or rapists; families that came here for the same reason our forebears came â to work, and to study, and to make a better life, in a place where we can talk and worship and love as we please. She knows their dream is quintessentially American, and the American dream is something no wall will ever contain.
These are the things that Hillary knows. It can be frustrating, this business of democracy. Trust me, I know. Hillary knows, too. When the other side refuses to compromise, progress can stall. People are hurt by the inaction. Supporters can grow impatient, and worry that youâre not trying hard enough; that youâve maybe sold out.
But I promise you, when we keep at it; when we change enough minds; when we deliver enough votes, then progress does happen. And if you doubt that, just ask the twenty million more people who have healthcare today. Just ask the Marine who proudly serves his country without hiding the husband that he loves. Democracy works, America, but we gotta want it â not just during an election year, but all the days in between.
So if you agree that thereâs too much inequality in our economy, and too much money in our politics, we all need to be as vocal and as organized and as persistent as Bernie Sandersâ supporters have been during this election. We all need to get out and vote for Democrats up and down the ticket, and then hold them accountable until they get the job done. Thatâs right â Feel the Bern.
If you want more justice in the justice system, then weâve all got to vote â not just for a president, but for mayors, and sheriffs, and stateâs attorneys, and state legislatures. Thatâs where the criminal law is made. And weâve got to work with police and protesters until laws and practices are changed. Thatâs how democracy works.
If you want to fight climate change, weâve got to engage not only young people on college campuses, weâve got to reach out to the coal miner whoâs worried about taking care of his family, the single mom worried about gas prices.
If you want to protect our kids and our cops from gun violence, weâve got to get the vast majority of Americans, including gun owners, who agree on things like background checks to be just as vocal and just as determined as the gun lobby that blocks change through every funeral that we hold. That is how change happens.
Look, Hillaryâs got her share of critics. She has been caricatured by the right and by some on the left; she has been accused of everything you can imagine â and some things that you cannot. But she knows thatâs what happens when youâre under a microscope for forty years. She knows that sometimes during those forty years sheâs made mistakes, just like I have; just like we all do. Thatâs what happens when we try. Thatâs what happens when youâre the kind of citizen Teddy Roosevelt once described â not the timid souls who criticize from the sidelines, but someone âwho is actually in the arenaâŚwho strives valiantly; who errsâŚbut who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement.â
Hillary Clinton is that woman in the arena. Sheâs been there for us â even if we havenât always noticed. And if youâre serious about our democracy, you canât afford to stay home just because she might not align with you on every issue. Youâve got to get in the arena with her, because democracy isnât a spectator sport. America isnât about âyes he will.â Itâs about âyes we can.â And weâre going to carry Hillary to victory this fall, because thatâs what the moment demands. Yes we can. Not yes she can, not yes I can, yes we can.
You know, thereâs been a lot of talk in this campaign about what America has lost â people who tell us that our way of life is being undermined by pernicious changes and dark forces beyond our control. They tell voters thereâs a âreal Americaâ out there that must be restored. This isnât an idea, by the way, that started with Donald Trump. Itâs been peddled by politicians for a long time â probably from the start of our Republic.
And itâs got me thinking about the story I told you twelve years ago tonight, about my Kansas grandparents and the things they taught me when I was growing up. See my grandparents, they came from the heartland; their ancestors began settling there about 200 years ago. I donât know if they had their birth certificates, but they were there. And they were Scotch-Irish mostly, farmers, teachers, ranch hands, pharmacists, oil-rig workers. Hardy, small-town folk. Some were Democrats, but a lot of them, maybe even most of them, were Republicans. Party of Lincoln. And my grandparents explained that folks in these parts, they didnât like show-offs. They didnât admire braggarts or bullies. They didnât respect mean-spiritedness, or folks who were always looking for shortcuts in life. Instead, what they valued were traits like honesty and hard work. Kindness. Courtesy. Humility. Responsibility. Helping each other out.
Thatâs what they believed in. True things. Things that last. The things we try to teach our kids.
And what my grandparents understood was that these values werenât limited to Kansas. They werenât limited to small towns. These values could travel to Hawaii; they could travel even to the other side of the world, where my mother would end up working to help poor women get a better life, trying to apply those values. My grandparents knew these values werenât reserved for one race; they could be passed down to a half-Kenyan grandson, or a half-Asian granddaughter; in fact, they were the same values Michelleâs parents, the descendants of slaves, taught their own kids living in a bungalow on the South Side of Chicago. They knew these values were exactly what drew immigrants here, and they believed that the children of those immigrants were just as American as their own, whether they wore a cowboy hat or a yarmulke; a baseball cap or a hijab.
America has changed over the years. But these values that my grandparents taught â they havenât gone anywhere. Theyâre as strong as ever; still cherished by people of every party, every race, every faith. They live on in each of us. What makes us American, what makes us patriots, is whatâs in here. Thatâs what matters. And thatâs why we can take the food and music and holidays and styles of other countries, and blend it into something uniquely our own. Thatâs why we can attract strivers and entrepreneurs from around the globe to build new factories and create new industries here. Thatâs why our military can look the way it does, every shade of humanity, forged into common service. Thatâs why anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end.
That is America. That is America. Those bonds of affection; that common creed. We donât fear the future; we shape it, we embrace it, as one people, stronger together than we are on our own. Thatâs what Hillary Clinton understands â this fighter, this stateswoman, this mother and grandmother, this public servant, this patriot â thatâs the America sheâs fighting for.
And that is why I have confidence, as I leave this stage tonight, that the Democratic Party is in good hands. My time in this office, it hasnât fixed everything; as much as weâve done, thereâs still so much I want to do. But for all the tough lessons Iâve had to learn; for all the places where Iâve fallen short; Iâve told Hillary, and Iâll tell you, whatâs picked me back up, every single time.
Itâs been you. The American people.
Itâs the letter I keep on my wall from a survivor in Ohio who twice almost lost everything to cancer, but urged me to keep fighting for health care reform, even when the battle seemed lost. Do not quit.
Itâs the painting I keep in my private office, a big-eyed, green owl, with blue wings, made by a seven-year-old girl who was taken from us in Newtown, given to me by her parents so I wouldnât forget â a reminder of all the parents who have turned their grief into action.
Itâs the small business owner in Colorado who cut most of his own salary so he wouldnât have to lay off any of his workers in the recession â because, he said, âthat wouldnât have been in the spirit of America.â
Itâs the conservative in Texas who said he disagreed with me on everything, but he appreciated that, like him, I try to be a good dad.
Itâs the courage of the young soldier from Arizona who nearly died on the battlefield in Afghanistan, but who has learned to speak again and walk again â and earlier this year, stepped through the door of the Oval Office on his own power, to salute and shake my hand.
It is every American who believed we could change this country for the better, so many of you whoâd never been involved in politics, who picked up phones, and hit the streets, and used the Internet in amazing new ways that I didnât really understand but made change happen. You are the best organizers on the planet, and I am so proud of all the change that you made possible.
Time and again, youâve picked me up. And I hope, sometimes, I picked you up, too.
And tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me. I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me. Because youâre who I was talking about twelve years ago, when I talked about hope â itâs been you whoâve fueled my dogged faith in our future, even when the odds were great; even when the road is long. Hope in the face of difficulty; hope in the face of uncertainty; the audacity of hope.
America, youâve vindicated that hope these past eight years. And now Iâm ready to pass the baton and do my part as a private citizen. So this year, in this election, Iâm asking you to join me â to reject cynicism and reject fear, and to summon what is best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States, and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation.
Thank you for this incredible journey. Letâs keep it going. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.
- president obama
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