OBAMA UNEDITED

‘You Didn’t Build That,’ Uncut and Unedited

Contents:

  • Exclusive: Unedited Obama race video unveiled
  • The Globe and Mail
  • Search form
  • You are here
  • Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event in Roanoke, Virginia

    • Which brings me to my final point — our democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted. All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into the task of rebuilding our democratic institutions.

    Exclusive: Unedited Obama race video unveiled

    When voting rates are some of the lowest among advanced democracies, we should make it easier, not harder, to vote. When trust in our institutions is low, we should reduce the corrosive influence of money in our politics, and insist on the principles of transparency and ethics in public service. When Congress is dysfunctional, we should draw our districts to encourage politicians to cater to common sense and not rigid extremes.

    And all of this depends on our participation; on each of us accepting the responsibility of citizenship, regardless of which way the pendulum of power swings. Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift.

    The Globe and Mail

    But it's really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power — with our participation, and the choices we make. Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms. Whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law. America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured.

    In his own farewell address, George Washington wrote that self-government is the underpinning of our safety, prosperity, and liberty, but "from different causes and from different quarters much pains will be taken…to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth;" that we should preserve it with "jealous anxiety;" that we should reject "the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest or to enfeeble the sacred ties" that make us one.

    We weaken those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so corrosive that people of good character are turned off from public service; so coarse with rancor that Americans with whom we disagree are not just misguided, but somehow malevolent. We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more American than others; when we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt, and blame the leaders we elect without examining our own role in electing them.

    It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we've been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours. Because for all our outward differences, we all share the same proud title: Ultimately, that's what our democracy demands. Not just when there's an election, not just when your own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.

    If you're tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet, try to talk with one in real life. If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do some organizing. If you're disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself. Presuming a reservoir of goodness in others can be a risk, and there will be times when the process disappoints you.

    But for those of us fortunate enough to have been a part of this work, to see it up close, let me tell you, it can energize and inspire.

    And more often than not, your faith in America — and in Americans — will be confirmed. Mine sure has been. Over the course of these eight years, I've seen the hopeful faces of young graduates and our newest military officers. I've mourned with grieving families searching for answers, and found grace in a Charleston church. I've seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch, and our wounded warriors walk again. I've seen our doctors and volunteers rebuild after earthquakes and stop pandemics in their tracks. I've seen the youngest of children remind us of our obligations to care for refugees, to work in peace, and above all to look out for each other.

    That faith I placed all those years ago, not far from here, in the power of ordinary Americans to bring about change — that faith has been rewarded in ways I couldn't possibly have imagined.

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    I hope yours has, too. Some of you here tonight or watching at home were there with us in , in , in — and maybe you still can't believe we pulled this whole thing off. You're not the only ones. Michelle — for the past 25 years, you've been not only my wife and mother of my children, but my best friend. You took on a role you didn't ask for and made it your own with grace and grit and style and good humor. You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody.

    And a new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. You've made me proud. You've made the country proud. Malia and Sasha, under the strangest of circumstances, you have become two amazing young women, smart and beautiful, but more importantly, kind and thoughtful and full of passion. You wore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily. Of all that I've done in my life, I'm most proud to be your dad. To Joe Biden, the scrappy kid from Scranton who became Delaware's favorite son: You were the first choice I made as a nominee, and the best.

    Not just because you have been a great vice president, but because in the bargain, I gained a brother. We love you and Jill like family, and your friendship has been one of the great joys of our life. To my remarkable staff: For eight years — and for some of you, a whole lot more — I've drawn from your energy, and tried to reflect back what you displayed every day: I've watched you grow up, get married, have kids, and start incredible new journeys of your own. Even when times got tough and frustrating, you never let Washington get the better of you.

    The only thing that makes me prouder than all the good we've done is the thought of all the remarkable things you'll achieve from here. And to all of you out there — every organizer who moved to an unfamiliar town and kind family who welcomed them in, every volunteer who knocked on doors, every young person who cast a ballot for the first time, every American who lived and breathed the hard work of change — you are the best supporters and organizers anyone could hope for, and I will forever be grateful.

    You are here

    Now, before I finish, can I say, by the way, that some of you have been standing for a while and I see a couple folks slumping down a little bit. But they cannot defeat America unless we betray our Constitution and our principles in the fight. Let me tell you something -- there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. Often, this alternative vision roots itself in the notion that by virtue of race or faith or ethnicity, some are inherently superior to others, and that individual identity must be defined by "us" versus "them," or that national greatness must flow not by what a people stand for, but by what they are against. In 10 days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy: Mine sure has been. It has no power on its own.

    Because, yes, you changed the world. That's why I leave this stage tonight even more optimistic about this country than I was when we started. Because I know our work has not only helped so many Americans; it has inspired so many Americans — especially so many young people out there — to believe you can make a difference; to hitch your wagon to something bigger than yourselves.

    This generation coming up — unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic — I've seen you in every corner of the country. You believe in a fair, just, inclusive America; you know that constant change has been America's hallmark, something not to fear but to embrace, and you are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward. You'll soon outnumber any of us, and I believe as a result that the future is in good hands. My fellow Americans, it has been the honor of my life to serve you. I won't stop; in fact, I will be right there with you, as a citizen, for all my days that remain. For now, whether you're young or young at heart, I do have one final ask of you as your president — the same thing I asked when you took a chance on me eight years ago.

    I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written:.

    He loves them, he loves them not: A look at Donald Trump's volatile celebrity friendships. Tillerson, Trump's pick for secretary of State, seeks to allay fears about his ties to Russia. The president frequently speaks about the role of government in a free-market society, as he did in his State of the Union address:. Our free enterprise system is what drives innovation. Just think of all the good jobs — from manufacturing to retail — that have come from these breakthroughs. Twice, Obama is shown saying: Kennedy and Ronald Reagan — speaking about the power of free enterprise.

    It then shows selectively edited clips of Obama. In the two-and-a-half-minute video, Obama is shown saying: In fact, Romney himself during a July 17 speech in Pennsylvania provided a more complete account of what the president actually said.

    Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event in Roanoke, Virginia

    He goes on to describe the people who deserve the credit for building this business. And, of course, he describes people who we care very deeply about, who make a difference in our lives: We need those things. We value school teachers, firefighters, people who build roads. But, you know, we pay for those things.

    The taxpayers pay for government. But they did not build this business. Article text size A.

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    Published November 6, Updated June 19, Follow us on Twitter globeandmail Opens in a new window. Report an error Editorial code of conduct. Log in Subscribe to comment Why do I need to subscribe? I'm a print subscriber, link to my account Subscribe to comment Why do I need to subscribe? We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate. All comments will be reviewed by one or more moderators before being posted to the site. This should only take a few moments.