Tonight, more than 200 years after a former

colony won the right to determine its own

destiny.

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Tonight, more than 200 years after a former

colony won the right to determine its own

destiny.

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The task of perfecting our union moves

forward.

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It moves forward because of you.

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It moves forward because you reaffirmed the

spirit that has triumphed over war and

depression,

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the spirit that has lifted this country from the

depths of despair to the great heights of

hope,

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the belief that while each of us will pursue

our own individual dreams,

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we are an American family and we rise or fall

together as one nation and as one people.

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Tonight, in this election, you, the American

people,

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reminded us that while our road has been

hard,

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while our journey has been long

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we have picked ourselves up,

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we have fought our way back,

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and we know in our hearts that for the United

States of America the best is yet to come.

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I want to thank every American who

participated in this election,

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whether you voted for the very first time or

waited in line for a very long time.

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By the way, we have to fix that.

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Whether you pounded the pavement or

picked up the phone,

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whether you held an Obama sign or a

Romney sign, you made your voice heard

and you made a difference.

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I just spoke with Gov. Romney and I

congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-

fought campaign.

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We may have battled fiercely, but it's only

because we love this country deeply and we

care so strongly about its future.

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From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the

Romney family has chosen to give back to

America through public service and that is

the legacy that we honor and applaud

tonight.

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In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to

sitting down with Gov. Romney to talk about

where we can work together to move this

country forward.

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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.

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And I wouldn't be the man I am today

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without the woman who agreed to marry me

20 years ago.

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Let me say this publicly: Michelle, I have

never loved you more. I have never been

prouder to watch the rest of America fall in

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love with you, too, as our nation's first lady.

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Sasha and Malia,

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before our very eyes you're growing up to

become two strong, smart beautiful young

women, just like your mom.

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And I'm so proud of you guys. But I will say

that for now one dog's probably enough.

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To the best campaign team and volunteers in

the history of politics.

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The best.

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The best ever.

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Some of you were new this time around, and

some of you have been at my side since the

very beginning

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But all of you are family.

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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

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lifelong appreciation of a grateful president.

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Thank you for believing all the way, through

every hill, through every valley.

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You lifted me up the whole way and I will

always be grateful for everything that you've

done and

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all the incredible work that you put in.

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I know that political campaigns can

sometimes seem small, even silly.

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And that provides plenty of fodder for the

cynics that tell us that politics is nothing more

than

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a contest of egos or the domain of special

interests.

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But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks

who turned out at our rallies

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and crowded along a rope line in a high

school gym,

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or saw folks working late in a campaign

office in some tiny county far away from

home, you'll discover something else.

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You'll hear the determination in the voice of a

young field organizer who's working his way

through college

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and wants to make sure every child has that

same opportunity.

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You'll hear the pride in the voice of a

volunteer who's going door to door

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because her brother was finally hired when

the local auto plant added another shift.

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You'll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of

a military spouse

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who's working the phones late at night to

make sure that no one who fights for this

country

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ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their

head when they come home.

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That's why we do this.

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That's what politics can be.

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That's why elections matter.

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It's not small, it's big.

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It's important.

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Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be

noisy and messy and complicated.

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We have our own opinions.

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Each of us has deeply held beliefs.

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And when we go through tough times, when

we make big decisions as a country, it

necessarily stirs passions,

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stirs up controversy.

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That won't change after tonight, and it

shouldn't.

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These arguments we have are a mark of our

liberty.

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We can never forget that as we speak

people in distant nations are risking their lives

right now

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just for a chance to argue about the issues

that matter,

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the chance to cast their ballots like we did

today.

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But despite all our differences, most of us

share certain hopes for America's future.

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We want our kids to grow up in a country

where they have access to the best schools

and the best teachers.

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A country that lives up to its legacy as the

global leader in technology and discovery

and innovation,

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with all the good jobs and new businesses

that follow.

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We want our children to live in an America

that isn't burdened by debt,

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that isn't weakened by inequality,

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that isn't threatened by the destructive power

of a warming planet.