He was a compelling figure, with an extraordinary gift for public speaking. It became increasingly obvious he was going to win. The campaign was heading to the wrong conclusion: Senator Barack Obama's election to the presidency. OpEd: Offered a third way but hid left-of-center agenda Source: Rahm Emanuel's 2012 Democratic National Convention speech It is their values I saw him fight for everyday. It is their voices that President Obama brings to the Oval Office. Middle-class Americans fighting tooth and nail to hold onto their jobs, their homes or their life savings. To us and say, "This is who we are fighting for.'' Parents working hard to save for their child's education. I can't tell you how many times, whether we were discussing the economy, health care or energy crisis, the president walked to his desk, take out one of the letters and read them Letters from people just hoping for someone in power to When I met with the president at the end of each day, he made sure he had their letters to read at his residence. Letters from Americans: This is who we are fighting forĮvery night, President Obama reads ten letters from everyday Americans. Source: First Obama-Romney 2012 Presidential debate What I've tried to do as president is to apply those same principles. Gateways of opportunity for all Americans, because if all Americans are getting opportunity, we're all going to be better off. So, in the middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln said, let's help to finance the Transcontinental Railroad, let's start land grant colleges, because we want to give these AsĪbraham Lincoln understood, there are also some things we do better together. But I also believe that the federal government has the capacity to help open up opportunity and create ladders of opportunity and to create frameworks where the American people can succeed. And as commander-in-chief, that is something that I've worked on and thoughtĪbout every single day that I've been in the Oval Office. OBAMA: The first role of the federal government is to keep the American people safe. Q: How do you view the mission of the federal government? If all Americans get opportunity, we're all better off For they know that America moves forward only when we do so together and that the responsibility of improving this union remains the task of us all. They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. But they do expect us to put the nation's interests before party.
They don't expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. The American people don't expect government to solve every problem.
Unfinished task to make sure that this government works on behalf of the many, and not just the few that it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiative, and opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great nation. It is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country-the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or who you love. Source: 2016 State of the Union address to Congress America is every immigrant and entrepreneur racing to shape a better world. And 12 years later, we were walking on the moon.ÿNow, that spirit of discovery is in our DNA. We built a space program almost overnight. We didn't argue about the science, or shrink our research and development budget.ÿ How do we reignite that spirit of innovation to meet our biggest challenges? Sixty years ago, when the Russians beat us into space, we didn't deny Sputnik was up there. Democratic incumbent President IL Senator (2004-2008)Īmerica is defined by innovative spirit: it's in our DNA