YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE 
THAT IT HAS BEEN EIGHT YEARS 
SINCE I FIRST CAME TO THIS 
CONVENTION TO TALK WITH YOU 
ABOUT WHY I THOUGHT MY HUSBAND 
SHOULD BE PRESIDENT.
REMEMBER HOW I TOLD YOU ABOUT 
HIS CHARACTER AND CONVICTION, 
HIS DECENCY AND HIS GRACE.
THE TRAITS THAT WE'VE SEEN EVERY
DAY THAT HE'S SERVED OUR COUNTRY
IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
I ALSO TOLD YOU ABOUT OUR 
DAUGHTERS, HOW THEY ARE THE 
HEART OF OUR HEARTS, THE CENTER 
OF OUR WORLD, AND DURING OUR 
TIME IN THE WHITE HOUSE, WE'VE 
HAD THE JOY OF WATCHING THEM 
GROW FROM BUBBLY LITTLE GIRLS 
INTO POISED YOUNG WOMEN.
A JOURNEY THAT STARTED SOON 
AFTER WE ARRIVED IN WASHINGTON.
WHEN THEY SET OFF FOR THEIR 
FIRST DAY AT THEIR NEW SCHOOL.
I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT WINTER 
MORNING AS I WATCHED OUR GIRLS, 
JUST 7 AND 10 YEARS OLD, PILE 
INTO THOSE BLACK SUVs WITH ALL 
THOSE BIG MEN WITH GUNS.
AND I SAW THEIR LITTLE FACES 
PRESSED UP AGAINST THE WINDOW, 
AND THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK
WAS, WHAT HAVE WE DONE?
SEE, BECAUSE AT THAT MOMENT, I 
REALIZED THAT OUR TIME IN THE 
WHITE HOUSE WOULD FORM THE 
FOUNDATION FOR WHO THEY WOULD 
BECOME AND HOW WELL WE MANAGED 
THIS EXPERIENCE COULD TRULY MAKE
OR BREAK THEM.
THAT IS WHAT BARACK AND I THINK 
ABOUT EVERY DAY AS WE TRY TO 
GUIDE AND PROTECT OUR GIRLS 
THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF THIS 
UNUSUAL LIFE IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
HOW WE URGE THEM TO IGNORE THOSE
WHO QUESTION THEIR FATHER'S 
CITIZENSHIP OR FAITH.
HOW WE INSIST THAT THE HATEFUL 
LANGUAGE THEY HEAR FROM PUBLIC 
FIGURES ON TV DOES NOT REPRESENT
THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THIS COUNTRY.
HOW WE EXPLAIN THAT ONE SOMEONE 
IS CRUEL OR ACTS LIKE A BULLY, 
YOU DON'T STOOP TO THEIR LEVEL.
NO, OUR MOTTO IS, "WHEN THEY GO 
LOW, WE GO HIGH."
WITH EVERY WORD WE UTTER, WITH 
EVERY ACTION WE TAKE, WE KNOW 
OUR KIDS ARE WATCHING US.
WE AS PARENTS ARE THEIR MOST 
IMPORTANT ROLE MODELS, AND LET 
ME TELL YOU, BARACK AND I TAKE 
THAT SAME APPROACH TO OUR JOBS 
AS PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY 
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR WORDS 
AND ACTIONS MATTER.
NOT JUST TO OUR GIRLS, BUT THE 
CHILDREN ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
KIDS WHO TELL US, I SAW YOU ON 
TV, I WROTE A REPORT ON YOU FOR 
SCHOOL.
KIDS LIKE THE LITTLE BLACK BOY 
WHO LOOKED UP AT MY HUSBAND, HIS
EYES WIDE WITH HOPE, AND HE 
WONDERED, IS MY HAIR LIKE YOURS?
AND MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, 
THIS NOVEMBER WHEN WE GO TO THE 
POLLS, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE 
DECIDING.
NOT DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN.
NOT LEFT OR RIGHT.
NO, IN THIS ELECTION AND EVERY 
ELECTION IS ABOUT WHO WILL HAVE 
THE POWER TO SHAPE OUR CHILDREN 
FOR THE NEXT FOUR OR EIGHT YEARS
OF THEIR LIVES.
AND I AM HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE IN
THIS ELECTION, THERE IS ONLY ONE
PERSON WHO I TRUST WITH THAT 
RESPONSIBILITY.
ONLY ONE PERSON WHO I BELIEVE IS
TRULY QUALIFIED TO BE PRESIDENT 
OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THAT 
IS OUR FRIEND, HILLARY CLINTON.
THAT'S RIGHT.
SEE, I TRUST -- I TRUST HILLARY 
TO LEAD THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE 
I'VE SEEN HER LIFELONG DEVOTION 
TO OUR NATION'S CHILDREN.
NOT JUST OUR OWN DAUGHTER WHO 
SHE HAS RAISED TO PERFECTION, 
BUT EVERY CHILD WHO NEEDS A 
CHAMPION.
KIDS WHO TAKE THE LONG WAY TO 
SCHOOL TO AVOID THE GANGS.
KIDS WHO WONDER HOW THEY'LL EVER
AFFORD COLLEGE.
KIDS WHOSE PARENTS DON'T SPEAK A
WORD OF ENGLISH BUT DREAM OF A 
BETTER LIFE.
KIDS WHO LOOK TO US TO DETERMINE
WHO AND WHAT THEY CAN BE.
YOU SEE, HILLARY HAS SPENT 
DECADES DOING THE RELENTLESS, 
THANKLESS WORK TO ACTUALLY MAKE 
A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES.
ADVOCATING FOR KIDS WITH 
DISABILITIES AS A YOUNG LAWYER.
FIGHTING FOR CHILDREN'S HEALTH 
CARE AS FIRST LADY AND FOR 
QUALITY CHILDCARE IN THE SENATE.
AND WHEN SHE DIDN'T WIN THE 
NOMINATION EIGHT YEARS AGO, SHE 
DIDN'T GET ANGRY OR 
DISILLUSIONED.
SHE -- HILLARY DID NOT -- 
HILLARY DID NOT PACK UP AND GO 
HOME BECAUSE AS A TRUE PUBLIC 
SERVANT, HILLARY KNOWS THAT THIS
IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN HER OWN 
DESIRES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS.
SO, SHE PROUDLY STEPPED UP TO 
SERVE OUR COUNTRY ONCE AGAIN AS 
SECRETARY OF STATE, TRAVELING 
THE GLOBE TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE.
AND LOOK, THERE WERE PLENTY OF 
MOMENTS WHEN HILLARY COULD HAVE 
DECIDED THAT THIS WORK WAS TOO 
HARD, THAT THE PRICE OF PUBLIC 
SERVICE WAS TOO HIGH, THAT SHE 
WAS TIRED OF BEING PICKED APART 
FOR HOW SHE LOOKS OR HOW SHE 
TALKS OR EVEN HOW SHE LAUGHS.
BUT HERE'S THE THING, WHAT I 
ADMIRE MOST ABOUT HILLARY IS 
THAT SHE NEVER BUCKLES UNDER 
PRESSURE.
SHE NEVER TAKES THE EASY WAY 
OUT.
AND HILLARY CLINTON HAS NEVER 
QUIT ON ANYTHING IN HER LIFE.
AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE KIND 
OF PRESIDENT THAT I WANT FOR MY 
GIRLS AND ALL OUR CHILDREN, 
THAT'S WHAT I WANT.
I WANT SOMEONE WITH THE PROVEN 
STRENGTH TO PERSEVERE.
SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THIS JOB AND 
TAKES IT SERIOUSLY.
SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT THE
ISSUES A PRESIDENT FACES ARE NOT
BLACK AND WHITE AND CANNOT BE 
BOILED DOWN TO 140 CHARACTERS.
LOOK, BECAUSE --
BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE THE 
NUCLEAR CODES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
AND THE MILITARY IN YOUR 
COMMAND, YOU CAN'T MAKE SNAP 
DECISIONS.
YOU CAN'T HAVE A THIN SKIN OR 
TENDENCY TO LASH OUT.
YOU NEED TO BE STEADY AND 
MEASURED AND WELL INFORMED.
I WANT A PRESIDENT WITH A RECORD
OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
SOMEONE WHOSE LIFE WORK SHOWS 
OUR CHILDREN THAT WE DON'T CHASE
FAME AND FORTUNE FOR OURSELVES.
WE FIGHT TO GIVE EVERYONE A 
CHANCE TO SUCCEED.
AND WE GIVE BACK EVEN WHEN WE'RE
STRUGGLING, OURSELVES, BECAUSE 
WE KNOW THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE 
MORE SOFT, BUT THERE, FOR THE 
GRACE OF GOD, GO I.
I WANT A PRESIDENT WHO WILL 
TEACH OUR CHILDREN THAT EVERYONE
IN THIS COUNTRY MATTERS.
A PRESIDENT WHO TRULY BELIEVES 
IN THE VISION THAT OUR FOUNDERS 
PUT FORTH ALL THOSE YEARS AGO, 
THAT WE ARE ALL CREATED EQUAL.
EACH A BELOVED PART OF THE GREAT
AMERICAN STORY.
AND WHEN CRISIS HITS, WE DON'T 
TURN AGAINST EACH OTHER.
NO, WE LISTEN TO EACH OTHER.
WE LEAN ON EACH OTHER BECAUSE WE
ARE ALWAYS STRONGER TOGETHER.
AND I AM HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I 
KNOW THAT THAT IS THE KIND OF 
PRESIDENT THAT HILLARY CLINTON 
WILL BE, AND THAT'S WHY IN THIS 
ELECTION, I'M WITH HER.
YOU SEE, HILLARY UNDERSTANDS 
THAT THE PRESIDENT IS ABOUT ONE 
THING AND ONE THING ONLY.
IT'S ABOUT LEAVING SOMETHING 
BETTER FOR OUR KIDS.
THAT'S HOW WE'VE ALWAYS MOVED 
THIS COUNTRY FORWARD, BY ALL OF 
US COMING TOGETHER ON BEHALF OF 
OUR CHILDREN.
FOLKS WHO VOLUNTEER TO COACH 
THAT TEAM, TO TEACH THAT SUNDAY 
SCHOOL CLASS BECAUSE THEY KNOW 
IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
HEROES OF EVERY COLOR AND CREED 
WHO WEAR THE UNIFORM AND RISK 
THEIR LIVES TO KEEP PASSING DOWN
THOSE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY.
POLICE OFFICERS AND PROTESTERS 
IN DALLAS WHO ALL DESPERATELY 
WANT TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE.
PEOPLE WHO LINED UP IN ORLANDO 
TO DONATE BLOOD BECAUSE IT COULD
HAVE BEEN THEIR SON, THEIR 
DAUGHTER, IN THAT CLUB.
LEADERS LIKE TIM KAINE.
WHO SHOW OUR KIDS WHAT DECENCY 
AND DEVOTION LOOK LIKE.
LEADERS LIKE HILLARY CLINTON WHO
HAS THE GUTS AND THE GRACE TO 
KEEP COMING BACK AND PUTTING 
THOSE CRACKS IN THAT HIGHEST AND
HARDEST GLASS CEILING UNTIL SHE 
FINALLY BREAKS THROUGH, LIFTING 
ALL OF US ALONG WITH HER.
THAT IS THE STORY OF THIS 
COUNTRY.
THE STORY THAT HAS BROUGHT ME TO
THIS STAGE TONIGHT.
THE STORY OF GENERATIONS OF 
PEOPLE WHO FELT THE LASH OF 
BONDAGE, THE SHAME OF SERVITUDE,
THE STING OF SEGREGATION, BUT 
WHO KEPT ON STRIVING AND HOPING 
AND DOING WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE
SO THAT TODAY, I WAKE UP EVERY 
MORNING IN A HOUSE THAT WAS 
BUILT BY SLAVES.
AND I WATCH MY DAUGHTERS, TWO 
BEAUTIFUL, INTELLIGENT, BLACK 
YOUNG WOMEN, PLAYING WITH THEIR 
DOGS ON THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN.
AND BECAUSE OF HILLARY CLINTON, 
MY DAUGHTERS AND ALL OUR SONS 
AND DAUGHTERS NOW TAKE FOR 
GRANTED THAT A WOMAN CAN BE 
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
SO LOOK.
SO, DON'T LET ANYONE EVER TELL 
YOU THAT THIS COUNTRY ISN'T 
GREAT, THAT SOMEHOW WE NEED TO 
MAKE IT GREAT AGAIN, BECAUSE 
THIS RIGHT NOW IS THE GREATEST 
COUNTRY ON EARTH.
AND AS MY DAUGHTERS PREPARE TO 
SET OUT INTO THE WORLD, I WANT A
LEADER WHO IS WORTHY OF THAT 
TRUTH.
A LEADER WHO IS WORTHY OF MY 
GIRLS' PROMISE AND ALL OUR KIDS'
PROMISE.
A LEADER WHO WILL BE GUIDED 
EVERY DAY BY THE LOVE AND HOPE 
AND IMPOSSIBLY BIG DREAMS THAT 
WE ALL HAVE FOR OUR CHILDREN.
SO IN THIS ELECTION, WE CANNOT 
SIT BACK AND HOPE THAT 
EVERYTHING WORKS OUT FOR THE 
BEST.
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO BE TIRED OR 
FRUSTRATED OR CYNICAL.
NO, HEAR ME.
BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER, WE 
NEED TO DO WHAT WE DID EIGHT 
YEARS AGO AND FOUR YEARS AGO.
WE NEED TO KNOCK ON EVERY DOOR.
WE NEED TO GET OUT EVERY VOTE.
WE NEED TO POUR EVERY LAST OUNCE
OF OUR PASSION AND OUR STRENGTH 
AND OUR LOVE FOR THIS COUNTRY 
INTO ELECTING HILLARY CLINTON AS
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 
OF AMERICA.
SO LET'S GET TO WORK.
THANK YOU, ALL.
GOD BLESS.
