Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Barack Obama's victory speech 11/4/2008

Full transcript from CNN.

  • Autosummarized to 25% of original
  • Summary: 516 words in 26 sentences
  • Original document: 2, 039 words in 108 sentences
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 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.

Sen. 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. I miss them tonight. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. 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.

The road ahead will be long. I promise you, we as a people will get there.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. 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.

What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

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. America, we have come so far. 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?

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

Autosummarized to 10% of the original:
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.


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


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.


Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this
campaign. I miss them tonight. 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.


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

America, we have come so far. 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?


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

John McCain's concession speech 11/4/2008

Full transcript from CNN.

  • Autosummarized to 25% of original
  • Summary: 313 words in 21 sentences
  • Original document: 1,179 words in 62 sentences

Thank you. Thank you, my friends. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.

A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Sen. Barack Obama to congratulate him.

To congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love.

Sen. Obama believes that, too.

Sen. Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. No doubt many of those differences remain.

These are difficult times for our country. Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. It's natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate's family than on the candidate, and that's been true in this campaign.

We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican Party and our country.

To all my campaign comrades, from Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter, to every last volunteer who fought so hard and valiantly, month after month, in what at times seemed to be the most challenged campaign in modern times, thank you so much. A lost election will never mean more to me than the privilege of your faith and friendship.

This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life, and my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Sen. Obama and my old friend Sen. Joe Biden should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.

Tonight -- tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Sen. Obama -- whether they supported me or Sen. Obama.

Americans never quit. We never surrender.

We never hide from history.

Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America.


Autosummarized to 10% of the original:

Thank you. Thank you, my friends. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly.

Sen. Obama believes that, too. Sen. Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country.

Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate's family than on the candidate, and that's been true in this campaign.

Tonight -- tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Sen. Obama -- whether they supported me or Sen. Obama.

Americans never quit. We never surrender.

We never hide from history.

Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America.