US Elections 2008: Obama winning speech at Chicago

Barack Obama clinched the much expected victory in the US Presidential elections as the world was waiting with bated breath, to become the forty fourth president of the United States of America. Until hours after the counting begun, media did not have the nerve to declare that he is on the way to win these elections considering the experience of what happened in the previous elections. However once huge margin started appearing, CNN and other media networks one after the other started flashing news of him winning the most defining elections of the current era. At the same time photographs and videos of people around the world celebrating, spread on the internet. From Software developers in Bangalore to the aboriginals in Africa, Entrepreneurs in Australia to Politicians in Europe, every one hailed the maturity people of America showed by electing an American with African origin,who spent his formative years in Asia and has a middle Asian middle name. Given below is the historic speech he gave at the celebrations in Chicago.

Hello, Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain.

Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.

I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.


I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton ... and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years ... the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady ... Michelle Obama.

Sasha and Malia ... I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us ...to the new White House.

And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe ... the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best , the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.

To my chief strategist David Axelrod ... who's been a partner with me every step of the way.

To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics ...

you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.


It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy ... who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

This is your victory.

And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.

You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime , two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

I promise you, we as a people will get there.

[Audience: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!]

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.


But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years , block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people.

Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those , to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons: because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America , the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

[Audience: Yes we can]

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

Audience: Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.

[Audience: Yes we can.]

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

Yes we can.

[Audience: Yes we can]

America, we have come so far.We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves , if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

Also Read: History to be created

Expert Analysis: Mega tremors in the state

The writer is a senior journalist and political analyst with more than two decades of experience in Telugu Journalism. He is a one time colleague and family friend of our other columnist, Usha. We sincerely thank him for immediately accepting and writing this analysis exclusive to ohmyroots.

Mail your comments to rameshmvatohmyroots@gmail.com

Stay tuned for more expert analysis

Lofty ideals but unclear means

Five thousand miles from India, at around eight thirty in the night, my friends and me sitting in front of our laptops were eagerly awaiting for the arrival of Chiranjeevi to deliver his maiden speech in his first ever political meeting. The venue for the meeting, tirupati remembered me a book I read in my grandfather’s library about the late NTR. It is an autobiography about him written by a journo of an English newspaper soon after he won the elections in 1984. In one of the pages is a photograph of the legend appearing as lord venkateswara and below it is a comment, when the movie “Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam” was released people actually used to give arathi and pray to him on the screen. Such is the aura of him. It should not create any surprise that he swept the elections in 1984. Now Chiranjeevi starting his political journey from the temple town (NTR also had the first political meet here) seems to be having the same kind of aura. How else can you describe around ten lakh people (numbers reported by IBN live and Andhra Jyothy) almost the size of the population of Vijayawada, one fourth of Sydney turning up for the meeting. Anyone’s heart will miss a beat seeing such a huge gathering of people waiting for a person they love. Chiranjeevi is no exception. He truly appeared to be amazed by the gathering and he started his speech with a gaze and words of gratitude.

I loved the way he carried over the press meet and was expecting another terrific performance from him as a politician. However, it can be said that his entire speech hovered somewhere around above average. It started excellently, turned average for some time and picked up at the end. Once greeting the people who gathered there he sspoke without carrying any written speech in his hands. He spoke in perfect Telugu informing people about his struggle as a child, student and in the early days of his career. He remembered how his mother worked hard to bring him up. He told the story of how he achieved success of becoming a megastar from being the eldest son of a police constable. He also donned Characters that are endearing to lowest strata in the society. He acted as a dalit boy in his debut movie “Pranam Khareedu”, a shoe maker in “Swayam Krushi”, a person who dedicates his life for the welfare of his village in “Rudraveena”. He had a great time with his fans trying to become one among them and raising the curiosity among everyone about the party’s name, before he declared it.


As he started revealing the ideals of the party, his speech lost the initial punch. He read them from a written speech and the way he read them it appeared that he himself had no access to it till minutes before giving the speech. He had lofty ideas to make the state Santhoshandhra Pradesh. If he had revealed them like the way he told his personal story, it would have had a wonderful effect. It would have instantaneously struck a chord with the people listening to him across the world. He had ideas to help economically backward people in the forward castes as well. Instead of considering the naxalism as a law and order problem he wants to work to affect the very roots of it. He is against selling government lands (which actually belong to the people) for the sake of getting funds for populist schemes. He wants to take steps to reduce the consumption and effects of alchohol, though he is not sure what they are. He is dedicated to whatever verdict people give regarding Telengana and he is going to stick to it. Though he has great ideas for the overall development of the state, the question is how his party plans to raise the necessary funds for it. As some leaders commented, it is a bit true that his agenda in some ways resembled that of TDP.

He inaugurated the party’s flag by the hands of a handicapped boy. Later, a song in the lines of “Nenu Saitham” specially written for the party by Suddala Ashok Teja was telecast on the screen. In addition to informing everyone his humble back ground (may be as a reply to the attacks of congress politicians that he does not know about people’s problems) he told that till now everyone has seen only one side of him. There is another side which would be revealed to everyone from now on. He is going to work with a proper plan (not clear what it is) to tackle the problems of corruption.


Chiranjeevi fans went wild in their frenzy to see him. They did not mind alighting the huge banners set up though they know they might fall down even killing themselves. They did not come down until Chiranjeevi himself requested them. They almost went berserk when he came forward on the Dias giving tough time to the police and the security. As per reports two people died of heart attack and around forty people were injured in the stampede. At the end of the meeting the mega star requested his fans to go home safely.

Advertisements of the state government came as speed breakers to the live telecast of the meeting. The congress government wanted to piggy back on the TRP’s of the programme to tell every one of the schemes it has started in its regime. I do not know whether they achieved it, they were really irritating.

The meeting must have surely caused a political earth quake with the huge turnout and Chiranjeevi’s above average performance as a politican might have given some hope to the politicians. One of the newspapers reported that a smile came on the face of Chandrababu Naidu after the speech by Chiranjeevi. What does all this signify? The next few months are going to be the most interesting and Chiranjeevi has to improve and prove himself to create history and gain a chance to serve the people as he wishes.

Tirupati is where the action is

I got hell lot of assignments today and I cannot say how much I detested staying in office. I really want to catch all the action back home in Andhra Pradesh, leaving everything atleast for today. There is no way I can go there now, atleast I want to keep myself updated about the happenings through the internet. For people like me who were bored that not much interesting news is coming from Andhra Pradesh, it is now time to quench the thirst. The biggest news to come in as everyone knows is the Chiranjeevi’s party meeting at the temple town of Tirupati. How did the media respond to it? How other parties are responding to it? Whatz the action in the mega star’s party and how are the arrangements? What is the speech going to be?

Eenadu tried reporting everything as it is. I really liked it. It would be great if it follows this approach for everything. It did not go overboard or wrote badly about it. It stuck to the fundamentals of reporting. Andhra Jyothy like a megastar fan is really excited about the meeting. Though the front page appeared normal covering other major happenings as well, the inner pages is where all the information is. As always the headings were impacting and the actual information will be written in the article. It wrote “Chiru mania every where” and analysed how many people are coming from different regions of Andhra Pradesh. It reported that around ten lakh people are expected to come. Again there is a report below that says fifteen to twenty lakh people are expected to come. It also gave some insider information on how the preparations are going? “The Hindu” as always posted information that every body already knows and would be bored of reading except for people who want to improve their English writing skills. Sakshi also reported the same way as Eenadu did. It also added some spice by publishing an article that the people who worked hard for the setting up of the party are now forgotten.



There were lot of disparities in the reports. While some reported that hell lot of special trains, buses, Lorries, tractors and every type of conceivable vehicles are carrying hell lot of passengers to Tirupati and that the city is already jam packed with people and vehicles, there are some which reported that the special trains starting from Rajahmundry and Kakinada are going almost empty. As per the reports the arrangements for the meeting include large digital screens, vinyl displays, digital audio equipments, helicopters, a private event management company to manage them all. Hey, doesn’t this resemble some movie awards related arrangement. Pavan Kalyan is moving in the area of the meeting bare legged and wearing white robed clothes. He is going to listen to the mega speech sitting among lakhs of people. The problem is, he really wants to convey something through his actions, but I really could not get a clue what it is. Chiranjeevi’s one more brother is down with a 104 degrees fever. A swamiji advised Chiranjeevi to do some kind of penance to ease the god of snakes as a number of snakes were killed in the preparations for the meeting. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) arranged “Maha Laghu Darshanam” (the most hated of all kinds of darshanams available at the temple, where you would be having a telescopic view of the god for a split of a second) for the fans of Chiranjeevi visiting the temple at Tirumala. A CD named "Mega Prasthanam" is being sold and fans of Chiranjeevi queued up to buy their copy.

Congress party is trying hard to attract the attention of the BCs. It announced scholarships to some more castes belonging to the backward classes. It wants to win these elections by hook or crook and does not mind spending lot of money. Whatz the problem in that, the money is not coming from their pockets. It is coming from the people’s pockets and they are very good at claiming all they spent once they come back to power. A factory belonging to Chiru’s first daughter’s father-in-law is closed and its workers are now on the roads questioning Chiranjeevi to take care of family matters first before saying that he is pro-poor. The word is that TDP is behind their agitation. Communists want to tie up with Chiranjeevi if they like the Chiranjeevi party’s agenda. But how do they like Chiranjeevi looking for Lagnam, Varjyam, and Manchi Roju for everything?

That’s all for now, it seems my manager is calling. I got to give him the status of the assignments today. Catch you later probably in the live telecast of the meeting or sometime after that analysing it. Stay tuned.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Chiranjeevi’s daily routine since the time he declared his entry into politics reflects the planning that went into the setting up the political party. Utmost care is taken to show everyone that the party is not restricted to a particular community (the community Chiranjeevi belongs to). The close group of people consisting of his friends and immediate family that normally surrounds him is also not seen, atleast when the press meets him. He is meeting people from various communities, religions and social groups. In a cinematic style, a handicapped person who came to greet the mega star became the first registered member of the party. Firebrand Dalit Leader Kathi Padma Rao joined his party, surprising everyone and trying to win the hearts of dalit communities. Chiranjeevi broke new ground even in this too. There would not be any fanfare when the leaders join. He handed them a rose and welcomed them into the party. News is leaking out that the leaders from his community would be the last to join. He is also restricting himself from commenting on his rival political parties. Infact, he is not giving them any chance to attack him. However, Congress is not leaving any opportunity. Its leaders continued to say that he is no competition; he is zero or something else. I could not stop my laughter when Palvai Govardhan Reddy commented “Chiru Bochugadu”. No one can beat congress in attacking others in the most comical way.

It is also too early to say that Chiranjeevi is very successful. The actual political battle will be unleashed after August 26. We have to wait and see how it is going to be.

And many a ways it resembled a movie release. Many journos compared the press meet with audio release function of a movie. Tiny Tit Bits about the movie would be released to the media and if the songs are good, it adds hype to the movie ensuring good openings. Chiranjeevi did the same thing. He gave tit bits of information. He gave a peek into how the policies of the soon to be born political party are going to be. He gave enough information to create the necessary hype for the Tirupati meeting and ensure huge turn out.

Also Read: Blockbuster Debut,
Chiranjeevi: To be or not to be

Can Congress prove history wrong?

Is congress committing the same mistake the NDA (at the central) and TDP (at the state) committed in the previous elections? At that time NDA is certain that India broke into the league of so called developed countries and campaigned relentlessly that India is shining like never before. It went hi-tech in pumping the message into the minds of the people through websites, SMS, TV Programmes. People for whom India was really shining did not care enough to come out of their homes on a national holiday. Same is the case with the TDP at the state. Very few people will deny that the Chandrababu Naidu government worked really hard in some aspects. It also went to the polls on development mantra. However the common man was unable to correlate what the hell is the development they were talking about when nothing that matters to him has changed. Now Congress is also focussing on the development mantra. It boasts that it worked for the development of the common man and brought a number of policies to help the farmers. Will it work this time? Whenever the government speaks about development, people will always check the message with his circumstances. And chances are very less that the result would be positive. Indians got used to the idea that India is a developing country and will always be so and the corruption,the care-a-damn nature of the representatives and bureaucrats is something we have to live with now and in the future too. When a political party says that they have changed these, it amuses them than creating a positive impact. They always voted for parties that promise development than to the parties that spoke they worked for the development of the country. Now, Congress views that its policies were designed to affect the common man directly and it will help win the elections next year. Can it prove history wrong?