quinta-feira, 28 de agosto de 2008

O político mais profissional da América

"What a year we Democrats have had. The primary began with an all-star line up and came down to two remarkable Americans locked in a hard fought contest to the very end. The campaign generated so much heat it increased global warming.
In the end, my candidate didn't win. But I'm very proud of the campaign she ran: she never quit on the people she stood up for, on the changes she pushed for, on the future she wants for all our children. And I'm grateful for the chance Chelsea and I had to tell Americans about the person we know and love. Now, I'm not so grateful for the chance to speak in the wake of her magnificent address last night. But I'll do my best".

"Hillary told us in no uncertain terms that she will do everything she can to elect Barack Obama. That makes two of us. Actually, that makes 18 million of us — because, like Hillary, I want all of you who supported her to vote for Barack Obama in November".
"Everything I learned in my eight years as President and in the work I've done since, in America and across the globe, has convinced me that Barack Obama is the man for this job. (...)
Barack Obama is ready to lead America and restore American leadership in the world. Ready to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Barack Obama is ready to be President of the United States".

"Most important, Barack Obama knows that American cannot be strong abroad unless we are strong at home. People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power".

"Look at the example the Republicans have set: Americans workers have given us consistently rising productivity. They've worked hard and produced more. What did they get in return? Declining wages, less than 1/4 as many new jobs as in the previous eight years, smaller health care and pension benefits, rising poverty and the biggest increase in income inequality since the 1920s".

"America can do better than that. And Barack Obama will do better than that. But first we have to elect him".

"The Republicans will nominate a good man who served our country heroically and suffered terribly in Vietnam. He loves our country every bit as much as we all do. As a Senator, he has shown his independence on several issues. But on the two great questions of this election, how to rebuild the American Dream and how to restore America’s leadership in the world, he still embraces the extreme philosophy which has defined his party for more than 25 years, a philosophy we never had a real chance to see in action until 2001, when the Republicans finally gained control of both the White House and Congress. Then we saw what would happen to America if the policies they had talked about for decades were implemented."

"Now, their candidate is promising more of the same. More tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans that will swell the deficit, increase inequality, and weaken the economy. More band-aids for health care that will enrich insurance companies, impoverish families and increase the number of uninsured. More going it alone in the world, instead of building the shared responsibilities and shared opportunities necessary to advance our security and restore our influence."

"They actually want us to reward them for the last eight years by giving them four more. Let’s send them a message that will echo from the Rockies all across America: Thanks, but no thanks. In this case, the third time is not the charm."

"Sixteen years ago, we prevailed in a campaign in which the Republicans said I was too young and too inexperienced to be Commander-in-Chief. Sound familiar? It didn’t work in 1992, because we were on the right side of history. And it won’t work in 2008, because Barack Obama is on the right side of history."

"Barack Obama will lead us away from division and fear of the last eight years back to unity and hope. If, like me, you still believe America must always be a place called Hope, then join Hillary, Chelsea and me in making Senator Barack Obama the next President of the United States."


p.s. - Para Andrew Sullivan, o discurso de Bill Clinton foi uma obra-prima.

1 comentário:

Anónimo disse...

Será que já estou a viver nos EUA ou em Portugal? Será que tenho de tirar um curso de inglês para ler um blogue do jornal português Público??? Pena já ter 55 anos é como diz o ditado Burro velho não aprende línguas... Lamento muito não saber inglês mas o Público tem o dever de facilitar.