Speeches at 2008 Democratic National Convention: on Principles & Values
Barack Obama:
We’re more decent & compassionate than last 8 years
America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this. This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work. Thi
country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he’s worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China. We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slid
into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes. To the American people across this great land: Enough! This moment, this election--is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. The same
party that brought you two terms of Bush and Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: “Eight is enough.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Barack Obama:
Ordinary people found the courage to keep the promise alive
Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story--of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren’t well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his
mind to. It is that promise that has always set this country apart--that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their
dreams as well. That’s why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women--students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors --
found the courage to keep it alive. We meet at one of those defining moments--a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Barack Obama:
The Ownership Society really means “you’re on your own”
Why would McCain define middle-class as someone making under $5,000,000 a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations & oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to one hundred million Americans? How else
could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people’s benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement? It’s not because McCain
doesn’t care. It’s because McCain doesn’t get it. He’s subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy--give more to those with the most and hope prosperity trickles down to everyone else. They call it the Ownership Society, but what it really
means is--you’re on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps--even if you don’t have boots. You’re on your own. Well, it’s time for them to own their failure.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Barack Obama:
Measure progress by observing how ordinary people are doing
We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million ne
jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President -- when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under Bush. We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the
profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job -- an economy that honors the
dignity of work. The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great -- a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Barack Obama:
Our government must keep the promise of America
The promise of America says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect. It’s a promise that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create
American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road. Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but it should do what we cannot do for ourselves--protect us from harm and provide every child a decent
education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology. Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with
the most money and influence, but for every American who’s willing to work. That’s the promise of America--the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation. That’s the promise we need to keep.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Barack Obama:
Fulfilling America’s promise means individual participation
We must also admit that fulfilling America’s promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our “intellectual and moral strength.”
Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair.
But we must also admit that programs alone can’t replace parents; that government can’t turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take
more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need. Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility -- that’s the essence of America’s promise.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Barack Obama:
To John McCain: We all put our country first
What I will not do is suggest that McCain take his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other’s character and patriotism.
The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be
Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a
Blue America--they have served the United States of America. So I’ve got news for you, John McCain: We all put our country first.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Barack Obama:
The Republicans make a big election about small things
We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing unwanted pregnancies. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don’t tell me we can’t uphold the 2n
Amendment while keeping AK-47s from criminals. There are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination.
Passions fly on immigration, but I don’t know who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America’s promise--where we can find the strength and grace to bridg
divides and unite in common effort. If you don’t have any fresh ideas, you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don’t have a record to run on, you paint your opponent as someone people should run from. You make a big election about small things.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Barack Obama:
The American promise is our greatest inheritance
Our country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our universities & our culture are the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the worl
coming to our shores. It’s that American spirit--that American promise--that pushes us forward when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better
place around the bend. That promise is our greatest inheritance. It’s a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours--a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west, that
led workers to picket lines and women to reach for the ballot. It is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner to stand together before Lincoln’s Memorial and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Barack Obama:
The destiny of all Americans is inextricably linked
The men & women who gathered there to listen to Martin Luther King could’ve heard many things. They could’ve heard words of anger and discord. They could’ve been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred. But what the people
heard instead--people of every creed & color, from every walk of life--is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one. “We cannot walk alone,” the preacher cried. “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that
we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.“ America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save.
Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. Let us keep that promise--that American promise--and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Hillary Clinton:
Confidence and optimism enable us to meet our challenges
We need leaders once again who can tap into that special blend of American confidence and optimism that has enabled generations before us to meet our toughest challenges. Leaders who can help us show ourselves and the world that with our ingenuity,
creativity, and innovative spirit, there are no limits to what is possible in America. This won’t be easy. Progress never is. But it will be impossible if we don’t fight to put a Democrat in the White House.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Hillary Clinton:
McCain and Bush are awfully hard to tell apart these days
McCain says the economy is fundamentally sound. John McCain doesn’t think that 47 million people without health insurance is a crisis. John McCain wants to privatize Social Security. And in
2008, he still thinks it’s okay when women don’t earn equal pay for equal work. With an agenda like that, it makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they’re awfully hard to tell apart
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Hillary Clinton:
Have faith in God, in our country, and in each other
We are Americans. We’re not big on quitting. But remember, before we can keep going, we have to get going by electing Barack Obama president. We don’t have a moment to lose or a vote to spare. Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of
our children hang in the balance. I want you to think about your children and grandchildren come election day. And think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation.
We’ve got to ensure that the choice we make in this election honors the sacrifices of all who came before us, and will fill the lives of our children with possibility and hope. That is our duty, to build that bright future,
and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too great--and no ceiling too high--for all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country, and in each other.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Joe Biden:
Failure is at times inevitable but giving up is unforgivable
My dad, who fell on hard economic times, always told me: “Champ, when you get knocked down, get up. Get up.” I was taught that by my dad, and God, but I am so grateful that my mom, Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden, is here tonight. Mom, I love you. She
taught her children that you are defined by your sense of honor, and you are redeemed by your loyalty. She believes that bravery lives in every heart and it will be summoned. Failure at some point in your life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Joe Biden:
Everyone is your equal, and everyone is equal to you
My mother’s creed is the American creed: No one is better than you. Everyone is your equal, and everyone is equal to you. My parents taught us to live our faith, and to treasure our families.
We learned the dignity of work, and we were told that anyone can make it if they just try hard enough. That was America’s promise. For those of us who grew up in middle-class neighborhoods like Scranton and Wilmington, that was the American dream.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Joe Biden:
We need a wise leader like Obama, not just a good soldier
These times require more than a good soldier. They require a wise leader. A leader who can change, make the change that everybody knows we need. Obama is going to deliver that change. He will reform our tax code. He will cut taxes for 95% of the American
people who draw a pay check. Obama will transform our economy by making alternative energy a national priority and in the process creating 5 million new jobs and finally freeing us from the grip of foreign oil. Obama knows that any country that out
teaches us today, will out compete us tomorrow. That’s why he’ll invest in the next generation of teachers and why he’ll make college more affordable. That’s the change we need. Obama will bring down health care cost by $2,500 for the average family and
at long last deliver affordable, accessible health care for every American. That’s the change we need. Barack will put more cops on the street, put security back in social security and he’ll never ever give up until we achieve equal pay for women.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Joe Biden:
We should embrace change just like the previous generations
When I look at their young children--and when I look at my grandchildren--I realize why I’m here. I’m here for their future. I am here for everyone I grew up with in Scranton and Wilmington. I am here for the cops and firefighters, the teachers and
assembly line workers--the folks whose lives are the very measure of whether the American dream endures. Our greatest presidents--from Abraham Lincoln to Franklin Roosevelt to John Kennedy--they all challenged us to embrace change.
Now, it’s our responsibility to meet that challenge. Millions of Americans have been knocked down. And this is the time as Americans, together, we get back up. Back up together. Our debt to our parents and grandparents too great,
our obligation to our children is too sacred. These are extraordinary times. This is an extraordinary election. The American people are ready. I’m ready. Barack is ready. This is his time. This is our time. This is America’s time.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 27, 2008
Bill Clinton:
Rebuild the American dream and restore American leadership
Our nation is in trouble on two fronts. The American dream is under siege at home and America’s leadership in the world has been weakened. Middle-class & low-income Americans are hurting, with incomes declining, job losses, poverty and inequality rising,
mortgage foreclosures and credit card debt increasing, health care coverage disappearing and a very big spike in the cost of food, utilities and gasoline. Our position in the world has been weakened by too much unilateralism and too little cooperation by
a perilous dependence on imported oil; by a refusal to lead on global warming; by a growing indebtedness and a dependence on foreign lenders; by a severely burdened military; by a backsliding on global nonproliferation and arms control agreements; and by
a failure to consistently use the power of diplomacy from the Middle East to Africa to Latin America to Central and Eastern Europe. Clearly, the job of the next president is to rebuild the American dream and to restore American leadership in the world.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 26, 2008
Mark Warner:
It’s “the future v. the past” not “liberal v. conservative”
We need leaders who see our common ground as sacred ground. We need leaders who will appeal to us not as Republicans or Democrats, but first and foremost as Americans. So why is this wisdom so hard to find in
Washington? If an idea works, it really doesn’t matter whether it’s got a “D” or an “R” next to it, because this election this election is not about liberal versus conservative, it’s not about left versus right, it’s about the future versus the past.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 26, 2008
Ted Kennedy:
Work begins anew; hope rises again; and the dream lives on
We reach the moon. We scale the heights. I know it. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. And we can do it again! There is a new wave of change all around us. And if we set our compass true, we will reach our destination. Not merely victory for our party, but
renewal for our nation. This November, the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans. With Obama, and for you and for me, our country will be committed to his cause. The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on.
Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 26, 2008
Jeff Merkley:
Change direction and put America back on track.
We need to change direction and put America back on track. If my opponent, Gordon Smith, returns to Washington, it’s just more of the same, and we can’t afford that. Not in Oregon, not in America.I’m the son of a mill-worker, the first in my family
to attend college. I believe in an America that gives every child the opportunity to fulfill his or her potential. I believe in an America that paves a broad road for families to thrive. It is time to make America work for working Americans again!
George Bush, John McCain, and Gordon Smith have given us a government that puts oil company profits ahead of drivers’ pain at the pump and tax loopholes that ship jobs overseas instead of tax relief for the middle class.
Y’know, my opponent talks like
Barack Obama, but he votes like George Bush. Oregon needs a senator who will fight for affordable health care, living wage jobs, an end to the war and a smart energy policy, not a senator who will give us more of Bush and McCain’s failed policies.
Source: Speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
Aug 24, 2006
Page last updated: Dec 01, 2018