戈?duì)柮绹?guó)全國(guó)代表大會(huì)上的講話

MyFriends,fellowDemocrats,fellowAmericans:I''''llbecandidwithyou.Ihadhopedtobebackherethisweekunderdifferentcircumstances,runningforre-election.

Butyouknowtheoldsaying:youwinsome,youlosesome.Andthenthere''''sthatlittle-knownthirdcategory.Ididn''''tcomeheretonighttotalkaboutthepast.Afterall,Idon''''twantyoutothinkIlieawakeatnightcountingandrecountingsheep.IprefertofocusonthefuturebecauseIknowfrommyownexperiencethatAmericaisalandofopportunity,whereeverylittleboyandgirlhasachancetogrowupandwinthepopularvote.

Inallseriousness,IamdeeplygratefulfortheopportunityyouhavegivenmetoserveAmerica.IwanttothankyouasDemocratsforthehonorofbeingyournomineeforpresidentfouryearsago.AndIwanttothanktheAmericanpeoplefortheprivilegeofservingasvice-president.

Andmostofall,Iwanttothankmyfamilywithallmyheart-mychildrenandgrandchildren,andespeciallymybelovedpartnerinlife,Tipper.

Ilovethiscountrydeeply,andeventhoughIalwayslooktothefuturewithoptimismandhope-Idothinkitisworthpausingforjustamomentaswebeginthisyear''''sconvention,totakenoteoftwoveryimportantlessonsfromfouryearsago.

Thefirstlessonisthis:takeitfromme-everyvotecounts.InourDemocracy,everyvotehaspower.Andneverforget:thatpowerisyours.Don''''tletanyonetakeitawayortalkyouintothrowingitaway.Andlet''''smakesurethatthistimeeveryvoteiscounted.

Let''''smakesurenotonlythattheSupremeCourtdoesnotpickthenextPresident,butalsothatthisPresidentisnottheonewhopicksthenextSupremeCourt.

Thesecondlessonfrom2000isthis:whathappensinapresidentialelectionmatters.Alot.Theoutcomeprofoundlyaffectsthelivesofall293millionAmericans-andpeopleintherestoftheworldtoo.Thechoiceofwhoispresidentaffectsyourlifeandyourfamily''''sfuture.

Andneverhasthisbeenmoretruethanin2004,because-let''''sfaceit-ourcountryfacesdeepchallenges.ThesechallengeswenowconfrontarenotDemocraticorRepublicanchallenges;theyareAmericanchallenges-thatweallmustovercometogether.

Itisinthatspirit,thatIsincerelyaskthosewatchingathomewhosupportedPresidentBushfouryearsago:didyoureallygetwhatyouexpectedfromthecandidateyouvotedfor?

Isourcountrymoreunitedtoday?Ormoredivided?

Hasthepromiseofcompassionateconservatismbeenfulfilled?Ordothosewordsnowringhollow?

Forthatmatter,aretheeconomicpoliciesreallyconservativeatall?Didyouexpect,forexample,thelargestdeficitsinhistory?Oneafteranother?Andthelossofmorethanamillionjobs?

Bytheway,Iknowaboutthebadeconomy.Iwasthefirstonelaidoff.Andwhileit''''struethatnewjobsarebeingcreated,they''''rejustnotasgoodasthejobspeoplehavelost.Andincidentally,that''''sbeentrueformetoo.Unfortunately,thisisnojokeformillionsofAmericans.Andtherealsolutionsrequireustotranscendpartisanship.

Sothat''''sonereasonwhy,eventhoughwemeethereasDemocrats,webelievethisisatimetoreachbeyondourpartylinestoRepublicansaswell.

Ialsoasktonightforthehelpofthosewhosupportedathirdpartycandidatein2000.Iurgeyoutoaskyourselvesthisquestion:doyoustillbelievethattherewasnodifferencebetweenthecandidates?AreyoutroubledbytheerosionofsomeofAmerica''''smostbasiccivilliberties?Areyouworriedthatourenvironmentallawsarebeingweakenedanddismantledtoallowvastincreasesinpollutionthatarecontributingtoaglobalclimatecrisis?Nomatterhowyouvotedinthelastelection,theseareprofoundproblemsthatallvotersmusttakeintoaccountthisNovember2d.

Andofcourse,nochallengeismorecriticalthanthesituationweconfrontinIraq.Regardlessofyouropinionatthebeginningofthiswar,isn''''titnowobviousthatthewaythewarhasbeenmanagedbytheAdministrationhasgottenusintoveryserioustrouble?Wouldn''''twebebetteroffwithanewPresidentwhohasn''''tburnedhisbridgestoourallies,andwhocouldrebuildrespectforAmericaintheworld?Isn''''tcooperationwithothernationscrucialtosolvingourdilemmainIraq?Isn''''titalsocriticaltodefeatingtheterrorists?

Wehavetobecryst世界秘書(shū)網(wǎng)版權(quán)所有alclearaboutthethreatwefacefromterrorism.Itisdeadly.Itisreal.Itisimminent.Butinordertoprotectourpeople,shouldn''''twefocusontherealsourceofthisthreat:thegroupthatattackedusandistryingtoattackusagain-alQaeda,headedbyOsamaBinLaden?

Wouldn''''twebesaferwithaPresidentwhodidn''''tinsistonconfusingalQaedawithIraq?Doesn''''tthatdiverttoomuchofourattentionawayfromtheprincipaldanger?

IwanttosaytoallAmericansthiseveningthatwhetheritisthethreattotheglobalenvironmentortheerosionofAmerica''''sleadershipintheworld,whetheritisthechallengetooureconomyfromnewcompetitorsorthechallengetooursecurityfromnewenemies,Ibelievethatweneednewleadershipthatisbothstrongandwise.

Andwecanhavenewleadership,becauseoneofourgreateststrengthsasademocracyisthatwhenweareheadedinthewrongdirection,wecancorrectourcourse.Whenpoliciesareclearlynotworking,wecanchangethem.Ifourleadersmakemistakes,wecanholdthemaccountable-eveniftheyneveradmittheirmistakes.IfirmlybelieveAmericaneedsnewleadershipthatwillmakeusstrongerathomeandrespectedintheworld.

Weareherethisweektopresenttothenationthemanwhoshouldbeournewpresident:JohnKerry.

JohnandIwereelectedtotheUSSenateonthesameday20yearsagoandIhaveworkedcloselywithhimforallthattime.SoIwanttosayapersonalwordaboutJohnKerrytheman.

Heisafriendwhowillstandbyyou.Hiswordishisbond.Hehasadeeppatriotismthatgoesfarbeyondwords.HehasdevotedhislifetomakingAmericaabetterplaceforallofus.HeshoweduncommonheroismonthebattlefieldinVietnam.IwatchedhimshowthatsamecourageontheSenatefloor.Hehadthebestrecordofprotectingtheenvironmentagainstpollutersofanyofmycolleagues-barnone.

Henevershiedawayfromafight,nomatterhowpowerfulthefoe.Hewasneverafraidtotakeondifficultandthanklessissuesthatfewotherswantedtotouch-likeexposingthethreatofnarcoterrorismandtracingthesourcesofterroristfinancing.Hewasoneoftheveryfirstinourpartytotakeontheissueofdrasticdeficitreduction.Hehasdevelopedatoughandthoughtfulplantorestoreoureconomicstrengthandfiscaldiscipline.

Toputitsimply,thoseofuswhohaveworkedwithJohnknowthathehasthecourage,integrityandleadershiptobeatrulygreatPresidentoftheUnitedStates.

Andheshowedwisdominhisveryfirstdecisionastheleaderofourparty-whenhepickedashisrunningmateaninspiringfighterformiddleclassfamiliesandfamiliesstrugglingtoreachthemiddleclass:JohnEdwards.

JohnKerryandJohnEdwardsarefightingforusandforallAmericans,soafterwenominatethemhereinBostonandreturntoourhomestatesacrossthisland,wehavetofightforthem.Talktoyourfriendsandneighbors,goto","raisemoney,registervotersandgetthemtothepolls,volunteeryourtime,andaboveall:makeyourvotecount.

Tothoseofyouwhofeltdisappointedorangrywiththeoutcomein2000,Iwantyoutorememberallofthosefeelings.ButthenIwantyoutodowiththemwhatIhavedone:focusthemfullyandcompletelyonputtingJohnKerryandJohnEdwardsintheWhiteHouse.

FellowDemocrats,whenIlookoutandseesomanyfriendswhohavemeantsomuchtomeinmyownpublicservice,myheartisfulltonight.Ithankyouforalltheloveyou''''veshownTipperandme.Youwillforeverbeinourhearts.

There''''ssomeoneelseI''''dliketothank,andthat''''sthemanwhoaskedmetojoinhimontheticketatourconvention12yearsago,myfriend-andmypartnerforeightyears-PresidentBillClinton.I''''llneverforgetthatconventionorthatcampaign-thewaywebarnstormedthecountry,carryingamessageofhopeandchange,believingwithourwholeheartsthatAmericacouldbemadenewagain.

Andsoitwas.世界秘書(shū)網(wǎng)版權(quán)所有Andwithyourhelp,andwiththeleadershipofJohnKerryandJohnEdwards,soitshallbeagain.

Thankyou-Godblessyouandyourfamilies-andmayGodblesstheUnitedStatesofAmerica.