美国大选最终结束时间

美国大选最终结束时间（共4篇）

美国大选最终结束时间 篇1

“美国大选”，你这是怎么了？

在美国，没钱是不可能真正意义上参加竞选的，恰如做生意不能没有启动资金。光有钱还不够，还得有人来张罗。搭个竞选班子，打造竞选理念，这好比是产品生产。接着就是宣传、站台、接触选民、兜售主张，又可将其看作是产品销售。产供销链条，缺一不可。

美国大选折射社会矛盾新变化

为了讨好选民，参选人之间相互攻讦、互揭疮疤，相互谩骂甚至人身攻击，手段五花八门。不过，以往各方出言大多能守在美国意义上的“政治正确”范围之内。美国的这种“政治正确”之说源于上世纪90年代初，起于校园，后在社会普遍流行，大体以人性道德为基本标准。有论者认为其主要指的是对妇女、移民、少数族裔要充分尊重，不能使用侮辱性语言。

但是，本次总统大选的一些现象却颇显另类。本·卡尔森公开表示不会接受一个穆斯林总统，特朗普干脆明确表示“痛恨政治正确”，克鲁兹则说“政治正确正在杀人”。参选人屡屡踩踏底线，甚至竞逐“政治不正确”。有社会学家分析，这是为了迎合美国社会民众中存在的“怨恨心理”，或者说是一种“受害者文化”使然。

在经济全球化、金融危机、世界格局变化的大背景下，美国社会也在经历深层次变化，随之而起的“受害者”“受益者”划分在加深。比如，“奥巴马医保”的实施虽为低收入家庭带来福音，但让中产阶层付出了代价，不少中小企业主采取多雇零工的办法，以减少缴纳高额医保费用。

怨恨也好，受害也罢，归根结底，还是社会矛盾发生了新变化。挑战“政治正确”这一看似反常的现象，正是社会变迁与选票政治逻辑交叉作用所催生的。然而，“怨恨心理”或者“受害者文化”被放大后，其后果却不会止于选举中的一出出乱象。知名智库美国企业研究所所长阿瑟·布鲁克斯前不久撰文指出：这种文化让政治与社会冲突更难缓和，让正常取舍变得复杂，让人们更乐于追逐名利，更加自私自利。

美国大选虽然纷繁复杂，但其折射的美国社会之变，仍是一条值得观察的主线。

美国大选乱象凸显制度弊端

在西方国家所谓的民主选举中，一个较为常见的现象是：某位候选人以较高支持率当选，而仅仅过去一个月，甚至是几天后，其支持率大幅下降。这就是因为，许多选民在投票中投的是“抗议票”。比如说：“如民主党候选人桑德斯的支持者，因发现希拉里用诸多不诚实手段排挤桑德斯，便在桑德斯落选后，转而去投特朗姆。而实际上，特朗姆显然也不是他们喜欢的候选人。” 由于越来越多的人对竞选丧失兴趣，实际参与投票的人数比例也越来越低。数据显示，2008年，当选总统奥巴马得到了6325万张选票，占选民总数的53%，占全体美国公民的32.6%。从数据分析，奥巴马只能代表不足人口总数1/3的少数美国人的选择，而不是许多美国政治家所标榜的是全体美国人票选的结果。“民主本是多数人决定的政治游戏，但美国大选不再是多数人的游戏，而是逐渐沦为少数人的民主。”而录音门、避税门、邮件门等丑闻的不断爆料，使得2016年美国大选越来越像一个荒唐的真人秀，没人再去关注双方的执政立场哪个更有效、更有利于美国的发展。”这使得美国选举暴露出其制度问题：第一，美式民主形式大于内容。从选举过程看，候选人似乎更热衷攻击对手，而不愿投入更多精力了解美国内政外交的现实状况，了解民众关切。在辩论中，候选人急于取悦民众，但都未就解决民众关切提出切实方案。第二，金钱政治激化民众不满。事实证明，两位候选人都有明显缺陷，民众也明确表示怀疑，但在巨额竞选经费的支持下，两个候选人仍走到今天。不少美国民众已明确对选举表示失望。大选乱想也让其他国家对美政策走向感到忧虑。两位候选人的表现，已经影响到美标榜的“负责任大国”形象。美国是时候收起其作为“民主导师”的傲慢了。

美国总统大选电视辩论第三场 篇2

各大主流视频网站在线直播地址GET： Youtube直播地址：Youtube 3rd Presidential Debate at University of Nevada，Las Vegas

NBC直播地址：NBC 3rd Presidential Debate at University of Nevada, Las

Vegas

辩题：

“债务与应得权益”“移民”“经济”“最高法院”“国际热点”以及“总统的健康”。双方将就每个话题进行15分钟辩论。

主持人：

第三场辩论的主持人是福克斯新闻台主播克里斯·华莱士(Chris Wallace)。Chris是何人?Chris的父亲Mike Wallace也是美国著名记者和主持人，曾被誉为“世界最高的人”。

华莱士是《福克斯星期天新闻》主播，凭此节目三次获得艾美奖。华莱士以犀利的采访方式著称，他曾在2006年专访前总统克林顿时，逼问克林顿是否在任职总统时尽力追捕头号恐怖分子本·拉登。

第三场辩论举办地： 内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校(University of Nevada, Las Vegas，缩写UNLV)是一所大型公立综合性全国大学，成立于1957年，位于美国西部大型城市拉斯维加斯，提供本科、硕士、博士、文凭课程四种学位类型。

两者面临的挑战：

希拉里在第三场辩论至少有两大挑战。第一大挑战是针对电邮门、健康问题和操纵大选等等指控作出回应和解释，第二大挑战是为自己出任总统提出强有力、肯定和有说服力的理由。

而特朗普则必须继续面对侮辱女性言论所造成的影响。与此同时，他与共和党高层的不和睦已经公开化，特朗普在社交网站“推特”上愤怒发言，谴责共和党，并针对国会众议院议长瑞安连连开火。

辩论策略：

目前，特朗普在公众民调中落后于希拉里。美媒分析称，这场辩论可能是特朗普在距离大选日不到三个星期的选战中改变颓势的最后机会。

共和党长期的战略分析人士约翰·费西里预计，特朗普和希拉里将以截然不同的方式进行最后一场辩论。他说，“我认为希拉里将求稳，因为我觉得她认为她保持着领先。我认为特朗普将破釜沉舟，全力以赴，因为他相信他必须穷追猛赶，并攻击希拉里。”

终极PK

① 第三场总统候选人辩论：10月19日21:00及其后约90分钟，即北京时间10月20日09:00至约10:30，第三场总统候选人希拉里与特朗普进行电视辩论。② 大选全民投票日：美东时间11月8日夜间，北京时间11月9日12:00左右，大选全民投票初步结果有望出炉。美国大选全民投票日的投票站关闭时间在北京时间11月9日上午11:00，初步结果有望在一小时左右(中午12:00左右)获悉。但若选情胶着，则需等待更久;史上最胶着的选情，等到阿拉斯加州、夏威夷这两个最后点票州的选票出来才知道大选结果。第四阶段：过场与仪式

① 选举人投票：美东时间12月19日白天，北京时间12月20日凌晨，由11月8日全民选票对应产生的“选举人”，将按照全民投票的结果进行对应投票，因而，“选举人投票”基本上可视为过场形式;除非全民投票选出的新总统出现意外不能上任等黑天鹅事故，此选举人投票才会备受关注。

由于美国总统选举实行“选举人团”制度，因此总统大选日的投票结果，产生的实际上是代表50个州和哥伦比亚特区的538位“选举人”。另外，在总统大选日，选民还要在联邦范围内进行参议院和众议院选举。真正的总统选举是在12月第二个星期三之后的第一个星期一举行(2016年是12月19日)。届时，各州和哥伦比亚特区被推选出的“选举人”将前往各州的首府进行投票。获270张选票以上的候选人将当选总统，并于2017年1月20日宣誓就职。

② 就职典礼：美东时间次年(2017年)1月20日白天，北京时间2017年1月21日凌晨01:00左右，新总统举行就职典礼，准备光荣上任。美国新总统的就职典礼通常在大选年的次年1月20日举行，但若刚好这天是周日，由于与宗教习俗相冲突，因而就会顺延推迟一天。2013年1月20日是周日，奥巴马的续任就职典礼就是推迟到1月21日(周一)举行的。

美国大选最终结束时间 篇3

(Cheers, applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBERS:(Chanting.)Four more years!Four more years!Four more years!Four more years!Four more years!Four more years!Four more years!Four more years!

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Thank you.Thank you.Thank you so much.(Sustained cheers, applause.)

Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward.(Cheers, applause.)

It moves forward because of you.It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family, and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people.(Cheers, applause.)

Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.(Cheers, applause.)I want to thank every American who participated in this election.(Cheers, applause.)Whether you voted for the very first time —(cheers)— or waited in line for a very long time —(cheers)— by the way, we have to fix that.(Cheers, applause.)Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone —(cheers, applause)— whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference.(Cheers, applause.)

I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign.(Cheers, applause.)We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future.From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service.And that is a legacy that we honor and applaud tonight.(Cheers, applause.)In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.(Cheers, applause.)

I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America’s happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden.(Cheers, applause.)

And I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago.(Cheers, applause.)Let me say this publicly.Michelle, I have never loved you more.(Cheers, applause.)I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you, too, as our nation’s first lady.(Cheers, applause.)

Sasha and Malia —(cheers, applause)— before our very eyes, you’re growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom.(Cheers, applause.)And I am so proud of you guys.But I will say that for now, one dog’s probably enough.(Laughter.)

To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics —(cheers, applause)— the best — the best ever —(cheers, applause)— some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very

/ 4

beginning.(Cheers, applause.)But all of you are family.No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together.(Cheers, applause.)And you will have the lifelong appreciation of a grateful president.Thank you for believing all the way —(cheers, applause)— to every hill, to every valley.(Cheers, applause.)You lifted me up the whole day, and I will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work that you’ve put in.(Cheers, applause.)

I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly.And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests.But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym or — or saw folks working late at a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you’ll discover something else.You’ll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity.(Cheers, applause.)You’ll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who’s going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift.(Cheers, applause.)

You’ll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse who’s working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home.(Cheers, applause.)

That’s why we do this.That’s what politics can be.That’s why elections matter.It’s not small, it’s big.It’s important.Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated.We have our own opinions.Each of us has deeply held beliefs.And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy.That won’t change after tonight.And it shouldn’t.These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty, and we can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter —(cheers, applause)— the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future.We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers —(cheers, applause)— a country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation —(scattered cheers, applause)— with all of the good jobs and new businesses that follow.We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened up by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet.(Cheers, applause.)

We want to pass on a country that’s safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this — this world has ever known —(cheers, applause)— but also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being.We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America open to the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag —(cheers, applause)— to the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner —(cheers, applause)— to the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president.2 / 4

That’s the —(cheers, applause)— that’s the future we hope for.(Cheers, applause.)That’s the vision we share.That’s where we need to go — forward.(Cheers, applause.)That’s where we need to go.(Cheers, applause.)

Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there.As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts.It’s not always a straight line.It’s not always a smooth path.By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won’t end all the gridlock, resolve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward.But that common bond is where we must begin.Our economy is recovering.A decade of war is ending.(Cheers, applause.)A long campaign is now over.(Cheers, applause.)And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you.I have learned from you.And you’ve made me a better president.And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead.(Cheers, applause.)

Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual.(Cheers, applause.)You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours.And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together — reducing our deficit, reforming out tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil.We’ve got more work to do.(Cheers, applause.)

But that doesn’t mean your work is done.The role of citizens in our democracy does not end with your vote.America’s never been about what can be done for us;it’s about what can be done by us together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government.(Cheers, applause.)That’s the principle we were founded on.This country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich.We have the most powerful military in history, but that’s not what makes us strong.Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores.What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth, the belief that our destiny is shared —(cheers, applause)— that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, so that the freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights, and among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism.That’s what makes America great.(Cheers, applause.)

I am hopeful tonight because I have seen this spirit at work in America.I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job.I’ve seen it in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back.(Cheers, applause.)I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm.(Cheers, applause.)

And I saw it just the other day in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his 8-year-old daughter whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care.(Cheers, applause.)I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father but meet this incredible daughter of his.And when he spoke to the crowd, listening to that father’s story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes because we knew that little girl could be our own.3 / 4

And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright.That’s who we are.That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president.(Cheers, applause.)

And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future.(Cheers, applause.)I have never been more hopeful about America.And I ask you to sustain that hope.AUDIENCE MEMBER: We got your back, Mr.President!

PRESIDENT OBAMA: I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the road blocks that stand in our path.I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight.I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.(Cheers, applause.)

America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunities and new security for the middle class.I believe we can keep the promise of our founding, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love.It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight.(Cheers, applause.)You can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.(Cheers, applause.)

I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests.We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe.We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states.We are, and forever will be, the United States of America.(Cheers, applause.)

And together, with your help and God’s grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth.(Cheers, applause.)Thank you, America.(Cheers, applause.)God bless you.God bless these United States.(Cheers, applause.)

美国大选最终结束时间 篇4

Thank you.Thank you.Thank you so much.Tonight more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward.It moves forward because of you.It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the heights of hope.The belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people.Tonight in this election, you, the American people, remind us while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that the united states of America – the best is yet to come.[cheering] I want to thank every American who participated in this election [CHEERING] Whether you voted for the very first time or waiting in line for a very long time.By the way, we need to fix that.Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone.Whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you mad your voice heard.And you made a difference.I just got off the phone with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign.[CHEERING] We may have fought fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply.And we care so stronly about its future.From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to Americans through public service.And that is a legacy that we honor and applaud tonight.[CHEERING] In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.[CHEERING] I want to thank my friend and partner for the last four years, America’s happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for: Joe Biden.I want to thank my friend and partner of the last 4 years, America’s happy warrior, the best Vice President anyone could ever hope for: Joe Biden.And I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me twenty years ago.Let say this publicly, Michelle I have never loved you more.I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you too as our nation’s first lady.Sasha and Malia before our very eyes you are growing up to become two strong smart beautiful young women, just like your mom.And im so proud of you guys.But I will say that for now one dog is probably enough.To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics.The best.The best ever.Some of you were this time around.Some of you were new this time around and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning but all of you are family.No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together and you will have the life long appreciation of a grateful president.Thank you for believing all the way, through every hill, through every valley.[applause] You lifted me up the whole way and I will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work that you’ve put in.[applause]

I know that political campaigns can sometime seem small, even silly, and that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests.But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turn out at rallies and crowded out along a rope-line in a high school gym or saw folks working late at a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you’ll discover something else;you’ll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who is working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity.[applause]

You’ll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who is going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift.[applause]

You’ll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse who is working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country every has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home.[applause]

That’s why we do this.That’s what politics can be.That’s why elections matter.It’s not small, it’s big.It’s important.Democracy in a nation of 300-million can be noisy and messy and complicated.We have our own opinions, each of us has deeply held beliefs.And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country;it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy.That won’t change after tonight and it shouldn’t.These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty.We can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter [applause] The chance to cast their ballots like we did today.But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future.We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers.[applause] A country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation;with all the good jobs and new businesses that follow.A country that lives up to its legacy as a global leader in technology, discovery and innovation.With all the good jobs and businesses that follow, to live in America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened by inequality.That isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet.We want to pass on a country that is saved and respected and admired around the world.A nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this world has ever known.But also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war to shape a peace.That is built on the promise of dignity of every human being.We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America, open to the dreams of an immigrants daughter that studies in our schools and pledges to our flag.To the young boy on the south side of Chicago, who sees a light beyond the nearest street corner.To the furniture workers child in North Carolina who wants to become a engineer or a scientist.And engineer or an entrepreneur.A diplomat or even a president, that’s the future we hope for.That’s the vision we share, that’s where we need to go.Forward.That’s where we need to go.Now we will disagree sometimes fiercely on how to get there, as it has for more then two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts, it’s not always a straight line or a smooth path.By itself a recognition of our common hopes and dreams won’t end the gridlock.Or solve all our problems or substitute for the hard work of building consensus.And making the difficult compromises needed to move the country forward but that common bond is where we must begin.Our economy is recovering, our decade of war is ending.A long campaign is now over.[applause]

And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you.I have learned from you and you have made me a better President.With your stories and your struggles, I returned to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead [applause] Tonight, you voted for action, not politics as usual.You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours.And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together: reducing our deficit, reforming our tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil, we’ve got more work to do.But that doesn’t mean your work is done.The role of citizen in our democracy does not end with your vote.America’s never been about what could be done for us, it’s about what can be done by us, together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government.That’s the principle we were founded on.This country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich.We have the most powerful military in history but that’s not what makes us strong.Our university, our culture, are all the envy of the world but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores.What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth, the belief that our destiny is shared, that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and the future generations so that the freedom so many Americans have fought for and died for comes with responsibilities as well as rights, and among those are love, and charity, and duty and patriotism.That’s what makes America great.I am hopeful tonight because I have seen that spirit at work in America.I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors, and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job.I’ve seen it in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, and in those SEALS who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew their was a buddy behind them watching their back.I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm.And I saw it just the other day, in Mentor, Ohio where a father told the story of his eight-year-old daughter who’s long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before.The insurance company was about to stop paying for her care

I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father but meet this incredible daughter of his, and when he spoke to the crowd listening to that father’ story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes because we knew that little girl could be our own.And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright.That’s who we are.That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president.And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future

I’ve never been more hopeful about America.And I ask you to sustain that hope.I’m not talking about blind optimism.The kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the road blocks that stand in our path.I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight.I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside of us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching to keep working, to keep fighting.America, I believe we can build on the progress we made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunity and new security for the middle class