美国总统大选讲稿

第一篇：美国总统大选讲稿

第一次辩论

税收

奥巴马： 投资在教育和培训。发展新的能源来源，缩减开支

改善教育系统，降低企业税率至25%，关闭漏洞；给予在美国投资的公司减税优惠；

增加美国的能源产量，石油和天然气比过去几年都高，投资风能、太阳能、生物燃料，所以必须终止赤字（如何处理免税代码），丹姆尼州长：在北美范围内能源独立，创造工作岗位；

开放更多贸易，特别是拉丁美洲；（若是中国欺诈则制裁）平衡预算，支持小企业

为中产阶级提供税额减免，通过能源、贸易、正确的培训项目、平衡预算、帮助小企业。教育：培训项目47个由联邦政府管辖，向8个不同的机构汇报，日常管理费用惊人，以你更改让这些钱重新回到各个州，让他们寻找工作需要的培训。

降低税率，降低企业税和个税，但是也减少减税、抵税和免税。

让天然气和石油产量翻番，把输油管从加拿大引过来。要继续燃烧洁净煤，原则是不增加赤字的减税。赤字

罗姆尼：削减开支 鼓励经济增长

不会向中国借钱做事，摒弃不好的项目；把好的项目给各个州运作，如果他认为各个州运作更加高效；让政府高效，削减职员数量，通过人员自然缩减，合并机构和部门；通过让更多的人工作得到更高的报酬从而缴纳更多的税。奥巴马：当政四年，削减开支，减少赤字，不给把工作转移到海外的公司税赋减免，第二次讲稿

第三次讲稿

利比亚、伊朗、恐怖主义、崛起中的中国、阿富汗战争和叙利亚问题成为重点讨论议题。[7]

其中最为引人瞩目的话题是：中国崛起和未来的世界。美国总统大选拿中国“说事儿”，并不稀奇，但是像今年这样频繁而高调，还是首次。中国因素全面渗入大选，两党候选人不仅频繁抛出强硬对华政策，中国崛起还首次成为大选辩论的独立辩题，并压轴“出场”。

奥巴马和罗姆尼对中国问题并未形成“激辩”，而是仿佛一唱一和，纷纷宣称要和中国搞好关系，但中国一定要遵守“游戏规则”，不要再“造假货”，而且人民币要再升值。在对华态度上，两位候选人的区别是，奥巴马平和一些，罗姆尼更加激进，再次称中国是“汇率操纵国”。

实际上，从去年参选之初，罗姆尼便主打强硬对华贸易政策。罗姆尼曾宣称，在当选为美国总统的第一天，就要给中国贴上操纵人民币汇率的标签，并且在知识产权保护方面对中国宣战。进入2012年，奥巴马也开始在国情咨文中表露出对华贸易施压的风向。奥巴马还曾经大力宣扬美国向世贸组织投诉中国。

除了对华贸易政策，“中国因素”还是奥巴马和罗姆尼互相攻击的工具。奥巴马不断讽刺罗姆尼创立的贝恩资本，将产品制造“外包”给中国等国家，剥夺美国人工作，为自己盈利。而罗姆尼则大骂奥巴马对华懦弱，几乎在“恳求北京”。

从大选三辩来看，在谈到任何一个涉华议题时，都不是一人说“是”一人说“否”的情况，这说明民主党和共和党在中国议题方面没有“是”与“非”的根本分歧，选战层面上的意义更大。[

第二篇：美国总统大选电视辩论第三场

美国大选总统候选人第三场辩论在内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校举行，将从美国东部时间19日21时开始，22时30分结束。这场90分钟的辩论，将分成六段各15分钟的段落，候选人有两分钟时间可以回答主持人抛出的问题，并有机会回应对手的谈话。

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。

本文来自小站教育留学频道。

第三篇：2012美国总统大选华盛顿州演讲

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Seattle, Washington 1:00 P.M.PDT THE PRESIDENT: Give it up for Libby!(Applause.)LIBBY BLUME: Hello.Thank you very much for coming.We're all very honored.I'm Libby.I'm the youngest of the Blumes.And I'm very, very proud to present the President of the United States of America.(Applause.)THE PRESIDENT: Yay!Nice job!(Applause.)Thank you.Libby knows the key to good public speaking--be brief.(Laughter.)That always makes people happy.I just want to thank the entire Blume family--especially Libby--(laughter)--but in addition to Bruce and Ann, their other kids--Max, Rebecca, Jacob, and Scooter--for opening up this extraordinary home to us and for their friendship.I'm so grateful to you guys.Thanks for whoever is in charge of the weather.(Laughter.)I've been told this is typical Seattle weather.(Laughter.)But I've been here before so--(laughter.)What I'm going to do is actually be pretty brief at the top because what I'd really enjoy is just answering questions and getting comments and kind of hearing what you guys are thinking about.We've been through an extraordinary period in American history--worst financial crisis, worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.When you think about the Blume family growing up, what a lot of this younger generation has seen is hardship and recession and people being laid off of work.And yet the good news is that America is full of incredibly resilient, wonderful, decent people who have been willing to buckle down and work through these difficult times, and as a consequence, the country I think is on a path of great strength and great promise.We've seen more than 4 million jobs created over the last two years, more than 800,000 just in the last four months alone;the greatest increase in manufacturing employment since the 1990s--a lot of that having to do with an auto industry that has surged back after a period of time when a lot of us thought that they might go under.Here in this region, the last time I was in Seattle--I think it was the last time--we had a chance to visit Boeing, which is as good of a symbol of American ingenuity and American promise--and I teased the CEO there that I deserve a gold watch because we've been selling a lot of planes all around the world.(Laughter.)

And so slowly, in fits and starts, the economy is getting stronger and businesses are starting to invest again.And in fact, you're starting to see companies that had moved to places like China recognizing why would we abandon the largest market in the world? Wages are going up in China and workers are getting more productive here--let's start bringing companies and businesses back.We've still got headwinds.Europe is still in a difficult state--partly because they didn’t take some of the decisive steps that we took early on in this recession.Gas prices are still pinching a lot of folks.The housing market is still very weak all across the country.But the good news is that we have weathered the storm and are in a position now to make sure that the 21st century is the American Century just like the 20th century was.But in order to do that, we've got to make good choices.And when I ran in 2008, I did not run just to get the country back to where it was before the crisis--because there had been problems that had been building for decades.And so the question was, were we finally going to take on some of these core challenges that had been holding us back for far too long? And that's the reason why, even as we were trying to manage the auto bailout, even as we were trying to deal with the banks and the fact that credit was locked up, even as we were trying to make sure that we could immediately put people back to work, we were also looking at what are the long-term things that are going to make a big difference in the life of this country? That's why we took on health care.And I am very proud of the fact that you got 2.5 million young people who have health insurance because they can stay on their parent's plans right now that didn’t have it before--(applause)--and 30 million who stand to get it over the next couple of years.(Applause.)That's the reason why we took on energy.And not only have we increased traditional energy in this country--oil and gas--but we're looking at the energy sources of the future and have doubled clean energy investment, and raised fuel-efficiency standards, doubling fuel-efficiency standards on cars, which will not only end up saving about $8,000 for the average consumer over the life of a car, but is going to take huge amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere and is part of what's contributing to some of the lowest levels of oil imports that we've seen in years--which obviously has national security implications.It's the reason why we took on education.And in addition to investing in reform at the K-through-12 level, we're also making sure that every young person has access to a college education.And we re-channeled money that was going to banks in the student loan program--tens of billions of dollars that are now going directly to students in the form of Pell grants.And now we've got a little more work to do to make sure that interest on their student loans don't double on July 1st.That's why we made investments during the Recovery Act to rebuild our roads and our bridges and our ports, but also to start looking at things like high-speed rail and new broadband lines into rural areas that didn’t have them before--because the fact is that, historically, America grows not just because a few folks are doing well but because we create a platform where everybody can succeed.Anybody who's working hard, everybody who's willing to put in the time and the effort and the energy, anybody who's got a new idea, no matter what they look like, no matter where they come from, they can succeed.And through their success we all succeed.And we're huge admirers of individual initiative and we insist on individual responsibility, but we also recognize this country succeeds together--not apart.And that is going to be probably the biggest theme in this election, because we've got another party on the other side that just has a fundamentally different view about how to make sure that America succeeds.I think they're patriotic folks.I think they care about this country.But I also think that they have a very narrow vision that says, if I'm doing well, then it's up to everybody else to figure their own way.And that's certainly not the reason I'm here.I'm here because my grandfather, after coming back from World War II, was able to study on the GI Bill.I'm here because my mother, a single mom, was able to get scholarships and grants to help her make her way through school.Michelle and I are where we are today because, although we came from very modest backgrounds, we got some of the best education in the world.When I hear people talk about the free enterprise system and entrepreneurship, I try to remind them, you know, all of us made that investment in DARPA that helped to get the Internet started, so there's no Facebook, there's no Microsoft, there's no Google if we hadn’t made this common investment in our future.And that's what we're going to be debating.There are going to be a lot of ups and downs and a lot of other issues, but the fundamental issue is going to be, do we believe that we grow together, or do we believe that “you're on your own” is a better model for how we advance not just our interests but the future of our children.Now, we've still got a lot of work to do.And the reason I'm running is because there's a lot of unfinished business.Still too many people out of work--and there's some things we could be doing right now to put construction workers back to work rebuilding America.There are things we could be doing right now to invest in science and technology to make sure we maintain a cutting edge.We haven't done as much on energy and climate change as we need to do.And so continuing to push for the kinds of work that a company like McKinstry is doing, making sure that we have energy-efficient buildings and companies and universities and hospitals and schools all across the country--we could reduce our consumption of energy by about 20 percent just by making these simple investments and we haven't done that yet.We've made progress, but we've got more work to do.We've still got to reform an immigration system that is broken, and make sure that young people who are raised in this country with our kids, that they're treated as the Americans that they are, and they're given an opportunity to serve and make of themselves what they will, because that's also part of our tradition.We're a great country because what binds us together isn't just what we look like or our last names, but we share a creed.And if you believe in America, then you can be part of it.So we're going to have a whole lot of work to do over the next five years, and I'm not going to be able to get there on my own.I practice what I preach--in the same way that I don't think a society is successful on its own, well, my campaign is not successful on its own.Back in 2008, we didn’t succeed because of

me;we succeeded because of you, because all of you made a common commitment to a common vision of what America should be.And I'm hoping that you're willing to continue with me on this always fascinating journey.(Laughter.)Thank you.(Applause.)

第四篇：美国总统大选的规则（精选）

美国总统大选的规则

每隔4年的11月4日是美国大选的日子，今年因为11月4日是星期天，大选将于11月6日举行。美国目前有3亿多人口，大约有三分之一会参选，每个成年的美国公民都有投票权，他们是选民。但是最后谁会胜出，并不完全取决于选民的投票（popular votes），而是取决于538张选举人票（electoral votes）。这538个选举人，被称为“选举团”（electoral college）。2012年，美国共有100位参议员，无论州的人口多少，每州2位，这是宪法规定，永远不变的；2012年美国50个州共有435位众议员，每州众议员的人数根据各州人口的多少确定，总人数也随着美国总人口的变化而变化；此外，华盛顿哥伦比亚特区还有3位选举人，所以总数是538。因为华盛顿哥伦比亚特区是联邦政府的领地，所以他们既不算众议员，也不算参议员，平时在国会立法投票时他们没有投票权，只是在大选时才有选举权。

严格地说起来，当选民在大选中投票时，他们并没有真正将选票投给自己想选的总统候选人，而是决定自己州的议员将如何投票。例如，你投票选举奥巴马，其实你是命令你的州的议员保证投民主党候选人的票。如果一个州共有10张选举人票，40%的选民投民主党的票，60%的选民投共和党的票，那是不是该州的10位选举人中将有4位投民主党的票，其他6位投共和党的票呢？不是的。如果这个州正好有4位民主党的议员，6位共和党的议员，一旦共和党得到的选民票胜出，则该州所有的10位议员都得投票选举共和党的候选人。只有在立法的过程中，该州的议员（通常）才会分别投各自所代表的政党的票。换言之，两党的候选人争夺一个州，任何一个党只要得到微弱的多数，哪怕只是一票之差，便能赢得该州所有的选举人票。这种总统大选的规则是美国宪法第二条和1804年的第12修正案所规定的。一直延续至今。

目前美国共有538张选举人票，美国宪法规定总统必须多数当选，换言之，无论奥巴马还是罗姆尼，都必须得到270张选举人票才能当选。如果除了民主、共和两党之外还有其他政党或无党派人士参选，而其中得票最多的政党候选人得票未能超过半数，那该怎么办呢？正因为历史上曾经有过这种例外的情况，所以才有1804年的宪法第12修正案。在无人得票超过半数的情况下，所有各州无论人口多少，都具有1票的选举权，无论哪位候选人在超过半数的州胜出，便可以当选为总统。从理论上来说，如果一位候选人在人口最少的26个州胜出，这26个州的选民人数仅占总人口的18.06%，该候选人便能胜出。这种情况在美国历史上只发生过两次，第一次是1801年的汤姆斯•杰佛逊，第二次是1825年的昆西•亚当斯。他们便是由众议院选出来的。

在大选前，电视台和其他媒体会进行民意调查，预测各位候选人得到选民的支持率，通常误差是上下百分之几。今年11月6日星期二，选民将到投票站投票。在加利福尼亚日落之前，至少有一个电视台会宣布哪位候选人获胜。半夜时分，其中一位候选人将宣布得胜，另一位候选人将承认落选，但是这并非正式的选举结果。电视台预测选举结果的方法是“出口调查”（exit poll），即在投票站的出口处调查选民实际投票的情况，从而推算出选举的结果。但是投票后调查并不精确，只是随意抽样（random sampling），在两位候选人旗鼓相当的州，往往需要具体清点所有的选民票后才能确定到底由谁胜出。

大选年12月第二个星期三后的第一个星期一，各州的选举人将到各自的州府正式投票，投票完毕后，接任总统和副总统才正式产生。问题是，公民投票和选举人正式投票之间为什么会有大概一个半月的时间差呢？在19世纪，因为交通不便，点票和汇总很耗时，选举人到州府的旅行时间也很长。如今交通方便，更有电脑点票，这段时间主要用来解决双方可能产生的控诉对方违反选举规则的争议，若是双方得票率非常接近，这段时间将用来重新点票。

选举人投票制有其不公平之处。反对者认为，使用全输、全赢的方法，可能导致某个候选人在全国范围内得到的“选民票”（popular votes）少于对手，却因为得到多数的选举人票（electoral votes）而获胜，这样选出来的总统不能代表全体选民的意愿。这种情况在历史上确实出现过。

根据选举人票分布的情况，从理论上来说，一个候选人只要得到11个人口大州的选票，哪怕在其他39个州一票都没得到，便能当选总统。美国共有12个人口大州：

加利福尼亚、德克萨斯、纽约、佛罗里达、宾夕法尼亚、伊利诺伊、俄亥俄、密西根、新泽西、北卡罗来纳、乔治亚和佛吉尼亚。

以上的12个州是选举的大票仓。只要赢得其中11个，便能得到270张选举人票而当选总统。

此外，纽约和东部的一些大州是民主党的天下，如果民主党在这些州以压倒优势大获全胜，许多选民票会被浪费掉。而共和党在西部及南部的一些人口小州只要以微弱多数获胜，那怕只差几千票，也能囊括那些小州的全部选举人票。显然，如果把东部大州多余的选票分散到一些小州，那就足够赢得若干个小州所有的选举人票。赢得选民票而无缘问鼎白宫的情况，在美国历史上发生过四次。

第一次是1824年。当时美国还没有普及选民投票，有的州还是通过州议会确定选举人。那次大选的两位候选人都是民主共和党人（Democratic-Republican）。克劳福德（William H.Crawford）共得到40,856张选民票，占11.2%，却赢得了41张选举人票，他的对手克雷（Henry Clay）得到47,531张选民票，占13.0%，却因只得到37张选举人票而落选。

1876年，美国共有369 张选民票，获得185张便可以当选。共和党候选人海斯（Rutherford B.Hayes）共得到4,036,298张选民票，却赢得了185 张选举人票，他的对手民主党人提尔顿（Samuel J.Tilden）得到4,300,590张选民票，比对手多近30万票，却因只得到184张选举人票而落选。

1888年，美国共有401 张选举人票，获得201张便可以当选。共和党候选人哈里逊（Benjamin Harrison）共得到5,439,853张选民票，却赢得了233张选举人票，他的对手民主党人克利夫兰（Grover Cleveland）以第22任总统的身份参选，得到5,540,309张选民票，却因只得到168张选举人票而落选。四年之后的1892年，克利夫兰卷土重来，击败哈里逊，再次当选第24任总统。

最近的一次是2000年的小布什和戈尔之争。当时美国的候选人票已经达到538张。小布什（George W.Bush）共得到50,456,002张选民票，却赢得了271张选举人票，戈尔（Al Gore）以在任副总统的身份参选，比小布什多得50,999,897张选民票，却因只得到266张选举人票而落选（其中一人弃权）。

当时佛罗里达共有25张选举人票，第一次点票小布什只获得微弱多数，且小布什的弟弟杰布（Jeb Bush）是佛罗里达的州长，有人怀疑杰布帮助他哥哥作弊。戈尔阵营要求重新计票，佛罗里达最高法院允许重新清点总共大约6,000,000张选票中的175,037张选票。在机器点票过程中，有的选票没有被计算，有的则被重复计算。因为机器的设计有问题，无法辨认遗漏和重复清点的选票，所以只能大约估计，机器清点总数与实际票数并不相符。

在Volusia郡，遗漏和重复清点的选票与机器清点的数字不符。在Orange郡，所有的选票都被重新清点。在Broward郡，选举委员会没有报告第一次机器所遗漏和重复清点的数字，只是报告了正式重新清点中遗漏和重复点票的结果，使戈尔多得了567票，重新点票的标准并不严格，将“有酒窝的无空屑红带”（dimpled chad，恕我不懂技术，无法解释）的选票也计算入内。长话短说，戈尔仅因几百票的差距，而失去了佛罗里达的25张选举人票而获选。

如果候选人得到了多数的选民票而不能当选，投票选举他的选民一定是不满意的。既然如此，为什么起草美国宪法的国父们会允许这样的情况发生呢？

选举有两种形式，一种是全民普选，另一种是通过国会议员选举。当时美国还没有全国性的政党，交通不方便，一个深得民心的候选人的号召力只限于当地，在其他地方可能无人知晓。而来自各地的候选人会把选票分散，将无法代表全国人民的意愿。但是若通过国会选举，则每一位议员必须精准地评估他所代表的州民的民意，然后酌情投票，这便可能造成议员根据自己的看法投票，而不是正确地反映他们所代表的人民的意愿。权衡之下，制定宪法的国父们便采取了折衷的选举人投票法。

事实证明国父们是有远见的，奥巴马是美国的第44任总统，从美国建国至今已经236年，共经过59次大选，一共才出现过四次得到多数选民票而落选的情况，仅占6.7%，若不算第一次，得民心而失天下的情况才5%。

在交通和通讯发达的今天，当年国父们担心的情况已经不存在了。全国性的政党早就建立，几乎每个人都能知道候选人每天的一言一行，先进的技术使得清点选票更为精确，所以有人建议将选举人投票制改为普选。

第五篇：2012美国总统大选西雅图演讲范文

For Immediate Release May 10, 2012

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event--Seattle, WA

Paramount Theater Seattle, Washington 3:00 P.M.PDT THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Seattle!Thank you.(Applause.)Thank you.Thank you very much.Thank you, Seattle!Thank you.(Applause.)Thank you so much.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you, guys.Thank you, everybody.Please, please, have a seat.Thank you.(Applause.)Thank you.Thank you very much.Thank you.Thank you, guys.(Applause.)Thank you very much.It’s good to be back in Seattle.(Applause.)A few people I want to acknowledge.First of all, please give a big round of applause to Sue for that unbelievable story, the great introduction, her incredible courage.(Applause.)She is just a wonderful person.And I was saying backstage as I was listening, she’s the kind of story that you don’t read about in the papers.That’s a story I’d like to read about--(applause)--somebody overcoming so many challenges, doing the right thing.And I could not be prouder to have her introduce me.A couple of other folks that are here today that I want to acknowledge--your outstanding Governor, Chris Gregoire.(Applause.)Your outstanding Lieutenant Governor, Brad Owen is here.(Applause.)One of the best United States Senators in the country, Patty Murray is in the house.(Applause.)Former U.S.Representative and soon-to-be governor, Jay Inslee is here.(Applause.)I want to thank King County executive Dow Constantine.(Applause.)My terrific friend, former King County executive and somebody who did great work for us at HUD in Washington, Ron Sims.(Applause.)State party chair, Dwight Pelz.(Applause.)And of course, somebody who I just love and I’m just such a huge fan of because he’s a great person in addition to being a great musician, Dave Matthews.(Applause.)AUDIENCE MEMBER: I love you!THE PRESIDENT:(Laughter.)I love you, too.(Applause.)So, Seattle, I’m here not just because I need your help--although I do;you’ll hear more about that.I’m here because your country needs your help.There was a reason why so many of you worked your hearts out in 2008.And it wasn’t because you thought it would be easy.You did support a candidate named Barack Hussein Obama.The odds are rarely in your favor in that situation.(Laughter.)You didn’t need a poll to tell you that might not be a sure thing.You did not join the campaign because of me.You came together--we came together--because of a shared vision.We came together to reclaim that basic bargain that built the largest middle class and the most prosperous nation on Earth.We came together because we believed that in America, your success shouldn’t be determined by the circumstances of your birth.If you’re willing to work hard, you should be able to find a good job.If you’re meeting your responsibilities, you should be able to own a home, maybe start a business.You should be able to give your kids the chance to do even better than you--no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, no matter what your last name, no matter who you love.(Applause.)And so we came together.This wasn’t just about me;this was you guys making a commitment to each other to try to bring about change because our country had strayed from these basic values.We’d seen a record surplus that was squandered on tax cuts for people who didn’t need them and weren’t even asking for them.Two wars were being waged on a credit card.Wall Street speculators reaped huge profits by making bets with other people’s money.Manufacturing was leaving our shores.A shrinking number of Americans did fantastically well, but a lot more people struggled with falling incomes and rising costs and the slowest job growth in a century.So it was a house of cards, and it collapsed in the most destructive, worst crisis that we’ve seen since the Great Depression.And sometimes people forget the magnitude of it, you know? And you saw some of that I think in the video that was shown.Sometimes I forget.In the last six months of 2008, while we were campaigning, nearly 3 million of our neighbors lost their jobs;800,000 lost their jobs in the month that I took office.And it was tough.But the American people proved they were tougher.So we didn't quit.We kept going.Together we fought back.When my opponent said we should just let Detroit go bankrupt, we made a bet on American workers, on the ingenuity of American companies, and today our auto industry is back on top of the world.(Applause.)We saw manufacturers start to invest in America again, consistently adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s.Businesses got back to basics, created over 4 million jobs in the last 26 months-– more than 1 million of those in the last six months alone.(Applause.)So we’re making progress.Are we satisfied? Of course not.Too many of our friends, too many of our family are still out there looking for work.Too many homes are still underwater.Too many states are still laying off teachers and first responders.A crisis this deep didn’t happen overnight, and we understand it won’t be solved overnight.We’ve got more work to do.We know that.But here’s what else we know: That the last thing we can afford is a return to the policies that got us here in the first place.Not now.Not with so much at stake.(Applause.)We’ve come too far to abandon the changes that we fought for these past few years.We’ve got to move forward, to the future that we imagined in 2008--where everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody plays by the same rules.That’s the choice in this election.And Seattle, that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States of America.(Applause.)

Now, my opponent in this election, Governor Romney, he's a patriotic American.He’s raised a wonderful family.He should be proud of the great personal success he's had as the CEO of a large financial firm.But I think he’s drawn the wrong lessons from those experiences.He actually believes that if CEOs and the wealthiest investors like him get rich, that the rest of us automatically do, too.(Laughter.)When a woman in Iowa shared the story of her financial struggles, he gave an answer right out of an economics textbook.He said, “Our productivity equals our income,” as if the only reason people can’t pay their bills is because they’re not productive enough.Well, that’s not what’s going on.Most of us who have spent some time talking to people understand that the problem isn’t that the American people aren’t working hard enough, aren’t productive enough-– you’ve been working harder than ever.The challenge we face right now-– the challenge we’ve faced for over a decade-– is that harder work isn’t leading to higher incomes.Bigger profits haven’t led to better jobs.What Governor Romney does not seem to get is that a healthy economy doesn’t just mean maximizing your own profits through massive layoffs or busting unions.You don’t make America stronger by shipping jobs or profits overseas.(Applause.)When you propose cutting your own taxes while raising them on 18 million families, that’s not a recipe for economic growth.And by the way, there’s nothing new about these ideas.I’m just starting to pay a little more attention to this campaign here, and--(laughter)--I keep on waiting for them to offer up something new.But it’s just the same old stuff.(Laughter.)It’s the same agenda that they have been pushing for years.It’s the same agenda that they implemented when they were last in charge of the White House--although, as Bill Clinton pointed out a few weeks ago, this time their agenda is on steroids.(Laughter.)This time they want even bigger tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.This time they want even deeper cuts to things like education and Medicare and research and technology.AUDIENCE: Booo--THE PRESIDENT: This time they want to give banks and insurance companies even more power to do as they please.AUDIENCE: Booo--THE PRESIDENT: Now, somehow they think that these same bad ideas will lead to different results than they did the last time--or they’re hoping you won’t remember what happened the last time when we tried their bad ideas.(Laughter.)Well, I’m here to say, Seattle, that we were there.We remember.We're not going back there.We're moving this country forward.(Applause.)We're moving forward.We're moving forward.(Applause.)Look, we don’t expect government to solve all our problems--and it shouldn’t try to solve all our problems.I learned from my mom that no education policy can take the place of a parent’s love and

attention, and occasionally, getting in your face.(Laughter.)As a young man, I worked with a group of Catholic churches who taught me that no poverty program can make as much of a difference as the kindness and commitment of a caring soul.(Applause.)And Democrats, we have to remember some things.Not every regulation is smart.Not every tax dollar is spent wisely.Not every person can be helped who refuses to help themselves.We believe in individual responsibility.But that’s not an excuse to tell the vast majority of responsible, hardworking Americans--folks like Sue who've done all the right things--“you’re on your own.” That if you're--had the misfortune, like most people do, of having parents who may not be able to lend you all the money you need for college, that you may not be able to go to college.(Applause.)That even if you pay your premiums every month, you’re out of luck if an insurance company decides to drop your coverage when you need it most.(Applause.)That’s not who we are.That’s not what built this country.That's not reflective of what's best in us.We built this country together.We built railroads and highways, we built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge--we built those things together.We sent my grandfather’s generation to college on the GI Bill-– together.We did these things not because they benefited any particular individual, any particular group;we did these things because we were building a platform for everybody to be able to succeed.We were creating the conditions for everybody to be able to succeed.These things made us all richer.They gave us all opportunity.(Applause.)They moved us all together, all forward, as one nation, and as one people.And that’s the true lesson of our past.We love the free market.We believe in rewarding entrepreneurship and risk.But when I hear my opponent and some of these folks talk as if somehow nobody had anything to do with the success of these businesses and our entrepreneurs, I have to remind them that we--we the people--invested in creating the Internet that allowed Microsoft and Google and Facebook to thrive.There's not a business in this country that's not benefiting from roads and bridges and airports--the investments we make together.Every time we've got a kid who's getting a great education in a public school and able to go to get an outstanding education at a public university, we're contributing to the possibilities of the free market succeeding.And that’s the right vision for our future.That’s the reason I'm running for President, because I believe in that vision.I believe in that vision.(Applause.)I’m running to make sure that by the end of this decade, more of our citizens hold college degrees than any other nation on Earth.I want that to happen here in America.(Applause.)I want to help our schools hire and reward the best teachers, especially in math and science.(Applause.)I want to give 2 million more Americans the chance to go to community colleges and learn the skills that local businesses are looking for right now, because that's what we need in the 21st century.(Applause.)Higher education can’t be a luxury.Education is--higher education is an imperative that every American should be able to afford--not just for young people but for mid-career folks who have to retrain, have to upgrade their skills.That’s the choice in this election.That’s why I’m running for President.I’m running to make sure that the next generation of high-tech manufacturing takes root in places like Seattle and Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Charlotte.I want to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs

and profits overseas.I want to reward companies that are creating jobs here in the United States of America.That’s the choice in this election.(Applause.)I am running so that we can keep moving forward to a future where we control our own energy.Our dependence on foreign oil is at the lowest point it's been in 16 years.(Applause.)Because of the actions we took, by the middle of the next decade our cars will average nearly 55 miles per gallon.(Applause.)Thousands of Americans have jobs because the production of renewable energy in this country has nearly doubled in just three years.So now is not the time to--(applause)--now is not the time to cut these investments to pay for $4 billion a year in giveaways to the oil companies.Now is not--now is the time to end subsidies for an industry that's just doing fine on its own.Let’s double down on clean energy that's never been more promising for our economy and for our security and for the safety of our planet.That's why I’m running, Seattle, and that's the choice in this election.(Applause.)For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq.(Applause.)Osama bin Laden is no longer a threat to this country.Al Qaeda is on the path to defeat.And by 2014, the war in Afghanistan will be over.(Applause.)America is safer and it’s more respected because of the courage and selflessness of our diplomats and our intelligence officers, but most of all, because of the United States armed Forces.(Applause.)And as long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, this country will care for our veterans, and we will serve our veterans as well as they’ve served us because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job or a roof over their heads when they come home.(Applause.)My opponent has a different view.He said it was “tragic” to end the war in Iraq.He says he won’t set a timeline for ending the war in Afghanistan.I have set a timeline, and I intend to keep it.(Applause.)After a decade of war that’s cost us thousands of lives, that's cost us over a trillion dollars, the nation we need to build is our own.(Applause.)So we’re going to use half of what we’re no longer spending on war to pay down the deficit, and we’re going to--(applause)--we’re going to invest the rest in research and education, and repairing our roads and our bridges and our runways and our wireless networks.That's the choice in this election.(Applause.)And I’m running to pay down our debt in a way that is balanced and a way that's responsible.After inheriting a trillion-dollar deficit, I signed $2 trillion of spending cuts into law.And now I want to finish the job responsibly and properly, streamlining government, cutting more waste--there’s still more there to be had--but also reforming our tax code so that it’s simpler and fairer and it asks the wealthiest Americans to pay a little bit more.(Applause.)My opponent won’t tell us how he'd pay for his new, $5 trillion tax cut –-a tax cut that gives an average of $250,000 to every millionaire in the country.AUDIENCE Booo--THE PRESIDENT: So we may not know the details, but we know the bill for that tax cut will either be passed on to our children, or it’s going to be paid by a whole lot of ordinary Americans.And I refuse to let that happen again.(Applause.)We’re not going to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut by eliminating medical research projects into things like ovarian cancer or Alzheimer’s.I refuse to pay for another tax cut by kicking children out of Head Start programs, or asking students to pay more for college, or eliminating health insurance for millions of poor, and elderly, and disabled Americans on Medicaid.(Applause.)And as long as I’m President of the United States, I’m not going to allow Medicare to be turned into a voucher that would end the program as we know it.(Applause.)We’ll reform Medicare, not by shifting costs to seniors but by reducing the spending that isn’t making people healthier.There are ways of doing it that preserve this program that is so vital to so many people.So Seattle, that’s what’s at stake.There’s a lot at stake.On issue after issue, we can’t afford to spend the next four years going backwards.America doesn’t need to re-fight the battles we just had over Wall Street reform or health care reform.Listen to Sue.Here’s what I know: Allowing 2.5 million young people to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan--that was the right thing to do.(Applause.)Cutting prescription drug costs for seniors--right thing to do.(Applause.)We’re not going back to the days when insurance companies had unchecked power to cancel your policy, or deny you coverage, or charge women differently from men.We’re not going back.We’re going forward.(Applause.)We don’t need another political fight about ending a woman’s right to choose, or getting rid of Planned Parenthood--(applause)--or taking away access to affordable birth control.I want women to control their own health choices.(Applause.)Just like I want my daughters to have the same economic opportunities as your sons.We’re not going to turn back the clock.(Applause.)We’re not turning back the clock.We’re not returning to the days when you could be kicked out of the United States military just because of who you are and who you love.(Applause.)We’re moving this country forward.We are moving forward to a country where every American is treated with dignity and with respect.And here in Washington you’ll have the chance to make your voice heard on the issue of making sure that everybody, regardless of sexual orientation, is treated fairly.You will have a chance to weigh in on this.(Applause.)We are a nation that treats people fairly.We’re not going backwards.We’re not going backwards.We’re going forwards.(Applause.)We’re going forward.We’re going forward, where everybody--everybody is treated with dignity and respect.We will not allow another election where multimillion-dollar donations speak louder than the voices of ordinary citizens.(Applause.)

And it’s time to stop denying citizenship to responsible young people just because they’re children of undocumented immigrants.(Applause.)This country is at its best when we harness the God-given talents of every individual;when we hear every voice;when we come together as one American family--black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled--everybody striving for the same dream.That’s what we’re fighting for.That’s why I ran for President.That's why I’m running again for President.That’s why I need your help.(Applause.)You know, Seattle, this election is actually going to be even closer than the last.And the reason for that is too many of our friends and neighbors, they're still hurting because of this crisis.And they see what’s going on in Washington, and they don't like it, and so there’s just a frustration level there that will express itself in the election.And I hear it from too many people who are wondering why they haven’t been able to get one of the jobs that have been created.Because even if jobs have been created, until you got a job, that jobs report doesn't mean much.They're wondering why their home is still underwater, or why their family hasn’t been touched by the recovery.So there’s still a lot of--a lot of work to be done.And folks are just--they get so frustrated about Washington.And as I said, the other side, they're not going to--the other side will not be offering these Americans a real answer to their questions.They’re not offering a better vision.They're not offering a new set of ideas.Everybody knows that.There’s nothing you’ve heard from them where you say, man, I didn't think of that.(Laughter.)Now, that's fresh.That's new.Maybe that will work.(Laughter.)That's not what’s going on here.What they will be doing is spending more money than we’ve ever seen before on negative ads –-ads that exploit people’s frustration for some short-term political gain.Over and over again, they’ll tell you America is down and out.America is not working.They’ll say, are you better off than you were--without mentioning that their frame of reference is before the worst crisis in our lifetime.We’ve seen this play before.And here’s the thing, the real question, the question that we have to answer, the question that will actually make a difference in your life and the lives of your children and the lives of your grandchildren-– it's not just about how we’re doing today.It’s about how we’re doing tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.Will we be better off if more Americans get a better education? Will we be better off if we reduce our dependence on foreign oil? Will we be better off if we start doing some nation-building here at home? Will we be better off if we're investing in clean energy? Will we be better off if we ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share? Will we be better off if we invest in new research and science and technology? When we look back four years from now, or 10 years from now, or 20 years from now, won’t we be better off if we have the courage to keep moving forward? AUDIENCE: Yes!

THE PRESIDENT: That’s the question in this election.(Applause.)That's the question in this election.And that outcome is entirely up to you.You’ll have to contend with even more negative ads, with more cynicism, more nastiness--sometimes just plain foolishness.(Laughter.)But if there’s one thing that we learned the last time around, one thing we learned in 2008, there is nothing more powerful than millions of voices calling for change.(Applause.)When you knock on doors;when you pick up the phone;when you talk to your friends;when you decide it’s time for change to happen, guess what? Change happens.Change comes to America.(Applause.)And that’s the spirit that we need again.If people ask you what this campaign is about, you tell them it’s still about hope.You tell them it’s still about change.You tell them it’s still about ordinary people who believe that in the face of great odds, we can make a difference in the life of this country.(Applause.)Because I still believe, Seattle.I still believe.I still believe we're not as divided as our politics suggest.I still believe that we have more common ground than the pundits tell us.I believe we're not Democrats or Republicans first;I think we're Americans first.(Applause.)I still believe in you.(Applause.)I still believe in you, and that's why I’m asking you to still believe in me.(Applause.)I told you in 2008 that I wasn’t a perfect man--maybe Michelle told you.(Laughter.)And I won’t be a perfect President.But I promised back when I was running that first time that I’d always tell you what I thought, and I’d always tell you where I stood, and I’d wake up every single day fighting as hard as I know how for you.(Applause.)And Seattle, I kept that promise.I have kept that promise, and I will keep it as long as I have the honor of being your President.(Applause.)So if you’re willing to stick with me, if you’re willing to fight with me, if you’re willing to work even harder this election than the last one, I guarantee you we will move this country forward.(Applause.)We will finish what we started.I’m still fired up.I’m still ready to go.And we will show the world why it is that the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.Thank you, everybody.God bless you.