The Speech that Made Obama President

[Music] [Applause] Barack Obama in 2004 was totally unknown people were saying huh I don't know who this guy is wonder why they picked him he had this reputation as a bit of an upstart as sort of a young Rising figure in the party but no one knew who this guy was this was his chance to introduce himself to people tonight is a particular honor for me because let's face it my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely my father was a foreign student born and raised in a small village in Kenya what makes a great

political spe is if you can somehow fold your story into this larger American story the next thing he says is about his mother family his grandfather fought in World War II he used the GI bill they settled in Kansas so white people could say uh oh he's just like us my parents shared not only an improbable love they shared an Abiding Faith in the possibilities of this nation I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me and that

in no other country on earth is my story even [Music] [Applause] possible going into this speech we've had uh four years of George Bush and we felt as a country like we've grown further apart 04 was very much a divisive partis and race Obama's speech is in some ways an antidote to that alongside our famous individualism there's another ingredient in the American Saga a belief that we're all connected as one people if there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read that matters to me even if it's not my child if there's

a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for their prescription drugs and having to choose between medicine and the rent that makes my life poor even if it's not my grandparent it is that fundamental belief I am My Brother's Keeper I am My Sister's Keeper that makes this country work e pluris UNAM out of many one gives a speech that prees his entire political message of 2008 which is this sort of post-partisan argument now even as we speak there are those who are preparing to divide us the Spin Masters the negative ad pedlers who embrace the

politics of anything goes well I say to them tonight there is not a liberal America and a conservative America there is the United States of America Obama was bornn with two great gifts one is his mind and the other is his ability to speak to large groups of people there are three things that Obama does that really makes that speech effective he wants concrete detail he likes story and he loves antithesis the use of repetition inst structure to show contrast there is not a liberal America or a conservative America there is one America very is

not a Black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America there's the United States of America the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red States and blue States but I've got news for them too we worship an awesome God in the blue States and we don't like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the red States we coach little league in the blue States and yes we've got some gay friends in the red States We Are One people all of us pledging allegiance to the Stars and Stripes all

of us defending the United States of America the way he uses his hands he actually points a lot and does a lot of this and a lot of this a lot of that in doing so he gives off this sense of energy I am new I'm someone who is dynamic and he doesn't do that much anymore he's a little more solemn and reserved when he get speeches today but I think it's more reflective of his office in the end in the end that's what this election is about do we participate in a politics of cynicism

or do we participate in a politics of hope it's the hope of slaves sitting around of fire singing freedom songs the hope of immigrants setting out for Distant Shores the hope of a young Naval Lieutenant bravely patrolling the makong Delta the hope of a mill worker's son who dares to defy the odds the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him too hope hope in the face of difficulty hope in the face of uncertainty The Audacity Of Hope his appearance at that convention which was the

best speech of the convention better than John K's was electrifying and and without it he wouldn't be president I think sincerity means a lot there are people who when they speak they speak the truth as they see it and they're they're very effective doing that I believe this country will reclaim its promise and out of this long political Darkness a brighter day will come thank you very much everybody God bless you a [Music]