Hillary and the Mothers of the Movement ended their busy day of campaigning in North Carolina at Belk Plaza, UNC Charlotte.
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Posts Tagged ‘Charlotte’
Hillary Clinton in Charlotte
Posted in 2016 Election, Appearances, Campaign Events, Clinton/Kaine 2016, Democratic Party, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton 2016, Hillary For America, Hillary for President, Hillary Rodham Clinton, tagged 2016 election, Appearances, campaign events, Charlotte, Clinton/Kaine 2016, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary For America, Mothers of the Movement, North Carolina on October 23, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Hillary Clinton at Sunday Services in Charlotte, N.C.
Posted in 2016 Election, Appearances, Clinton/Kaine 2016, Democratic Party, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton 2016, Hillary For America, Hillary for President, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Uncategorized, tagged 2016 election, Appearances, Charlotte, Clinton/Kaine 2016, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary For America, North Carolina on October 2, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Hillary visited the Little Rock AME Zion Church in Charlotte today for Sunday services.
In Charlotte, Clinton Discusses Urgent Need To Advance Social and Economic Justice in African American Communities
In remarks at Little Rock A.M.E. Church in Charlotte, Hillary Clinton discusses the fact that too many African American men like Keith Lamont Scott have died in police incidents every year, and while we don’t yet know all the facts of Lamont’s case, we must commit to fundamentally reforming our criminal justice system and ensuring opportunity in every community. Reflecting on the challenges that disproportionately affect African Americans, Clinton said, “I worry about the safety and security of my grandchildren, but my worries are not the same as black grandmothers. They have different, and deeper fears about the world that their grandchildren face.”
Clinton also laid out her plans to ensure African Americans can share in America’s prosperity. She vowed to promote policies that would help African Americans get ahead and stay ahead by creating good jobs and quality affordable housing in every zip code. Clinton said, “We are called to care for and cherish each other. It’s not easy, it is not. But that is our mission and that is what we are called to do, not only as Christians but as Americans, as human beings to understand and respect each other. To fight for each other’s children, each other’s dignity, each other’s opportunity as if they were our own.”
Clinton’s remarks, as transcribed, are below:
“This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
I am so […] and so honored to be here. Thank you so much Reverend Dr. Walker. Thanks to the members of the Little Rock A.M.E. Zion. I have to confess – we were putting together the […] Rev. Walker was […]
But he told me his church […] 134 years ago was founded in a house on a rock and that rock has been sturdy and steady […]
I am so delighted to be here with your Congresswoman, Congresswoman Adams, who has a […] path in the Congress, such a […] of conviction. And my thanks also to Donna […] for her leadership for that stirring description […] Thank you so much.
This church for all those years has been a source of strength and solace, for generations of congregants and […] It has helped people get […]. It has helped people deal with the sorrows that come […] and it has […] the world outside challenged the faith that comes from belief. In here, in this magnificent house of worship, we pray for peace when there is too much violence outside of these walls. In here, we are called to confront injustice, even when the world out there fails to see it. In here, we see the world as it is, but we pray for the strength and wisdom to build the world as it should be.
It has been 12 days since Mr. Scott was shot and killed. Twelve days since his wife Rakeiya Scott watched her husband die, and seven children lost their father. Now we don’t yet know all the details about the shooting, but we do know this family and this community is in pain. And therefore we pray for them and we pray for all families who have suffered similar losses. But we do more than pray. As Ms. Bradford said, ‘We do what each of us can do.’ Not everyone can march, but everyone can talk, and everyone can reach out and everyone can vote.
Too many African American families have been in the same tragic situation that the Scott family has found themselves. In fact, the day before Mr. Scott died, another father, Terence Crutcher, was killed in a police encounter in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And there have been many others. So many fathers and sons and even mothers and daughters who have died either after encounters with the police or at the hands of civilians with guns while they were doing things that were ordinary, everyday activities. Walking home from the store with iced tea and Skittles, listening to music in their car with friends.
And we also know – and we must not forget – that violence has touched the families of police officers. Men and women who put on the uniform and put their lives on the line to protect others. From Dallas to Baton Rouge to Philadelphia, the families of fallen officers have also been dealt a great blow and they deserve our prayers as well.
It’s been a hard year, hasn’t it? Think about how many times President Obama has had to console our nation about another senseless tragedy, another shattered family, another distressed community. And our children are watching, and they feel it too. You’ve seen that right here in Charlotte. Last Monday at the city council meeting, 10-year-old Taje Gaddy said, ‘I wake up every morning scared that I won’t get to grow up because I am black.’
A nine-year-old, Zianna Oliphant, who’s here with us today, along with her brother Marquis and her family, also spoke at that city council meeting, with tears pouring down her face. And when I read what she had said, I had tears in my eyes too. She said, ‘We are black people and we shouldn’t have to feel like this. It’s a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed, and we can’t even see them anymore. It’s a shame that we have to go to their graveyard and bury them. We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side.’ What courage and clarity that young lady showed to the world.
But can you imagine, nine years old. She should be thinking about happy adventures, dreaming about all the wonderful things her future holds for her. Instead she’s talking about graveyards. Our entire country should take a moment to really look at what’s going on here, and across America, to imagine what we see on the news, and what we hear about, imagine through our children’s eyes.
I’m a grandmother, and like every grandmother I worry about the safety and security of my grandchildren, but my worries are not the same as black grandmothers. They have different, and deeper fears about the world that their grandchildren face. It makes my heart ache, when kids like Zianna, are going through this and trying to make sense of the absolutely senseless. I know how I would feel. I wouldn’t be able to stand it if my grandchildren had to be scared and worried the way too many children across our country feel right now. But because my grandchildren are white, because they are the grandchildren of a former president and secretary of state, let’s be honest here – they won’t face the kind of fear that we heard from the young children testifying before the city council.
You know, every child deserves the same sense of security, every child deserves the same hope. They should not be facing fear, they should be learning and growing, imagining who they can be, and what their contributions to our country could be as well. We’ve got to take action, we’ve got to start now, not tomorrow, not next year, now. We know we can’t solve all these problems over night, which means we don’t have a moment to lose.
Proverbs tells us, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.’ So let’s hold on to a common vision. Let’s come together to make America a place where every child, no matter who they are, where they’re born or what they look like, has the chance to live up to their God-given potential.
Being stronger together with this common vision means rejecting those forces that try to pit us against each other. We can acknowledge that implicit bias still exists, not just in police departments but throughout our country, without vilifying police officers. We can call for reforms to policing, while still appreciating the many courageous and admirable officers out there who are doing their jobs with honor and integrity.
I think about an officer named Montrell Jackson. You might not have heard of him, but I want you to. He was one of the officers murdered in Baton Rouge. A few days before he died, he wrote on Facebook, he was black but he wore blue. ‘In uniform,’ he wrote, ‘I get nasty, hateful looks. Out of uniform, some consider me a threat. These are trying times. Please don’t let hate infect your heart.’ And then he closed by saying that if anyone saw him on patrol and wanted a hug, ‘I got you.’
Montrell Jackson knew that making our communities safer and juster are not conflicting ideas. And most officers will tell you they can’t do one without the other. I believe we need end-to-end reform in our criminal justice system, not half measures but full measures, with real follow-through. In America everyone should be respected by the law and have respect for the law.
That starts with being honest. Being unafraid to face the facts. Face the fact that black men are far more likely to be stopped, searched by police, charged with crimes and sentenced to longer prison terms than white men for doing the same thing. We need to fix a system where too many black parents are taken from their kids and imprisoned for minor offenses. We need to make sure our police officers are trained in de-escalating tense situations. We need to dismantle the so-called school-to-prison pipeline, and instead invest in education from early childhood through high school into higher education. And yes we have got to fight for common sense reforms to stop the epidemic of gun violence in our communities.
Gun violence is by far the leading cause of death for young black men, more than the next nine causes combined. We’ve got to make sure there are good jobs, equality affordable housing in every zip code in America. We need to make investments in communities that have been left out and left behind. I am a strong supporter of Congressman Jim Clyburn’s plan to put 10 percent of our federal funds into 20 percent of the communities that have generational poverty for 30 years or more.
Now, there are some out there who see this as a moment to command the flames of resentment and division. Who want to exploit people’s fears, even though it means tearing our nation even further apart. They say that all of our problems will be solved simply by more ‘law and order.’ As if the systemic racism plaguing our country doesn’t exist. Now, of course we need safe neighborhoods, no one is against that. Of course, we need communities that are free from the epidemic of gun violence, of course we need that. But we also need justice and dignity and equality, and we can have both. This is not an either-or question for America.
I want us to commit ourselves to this common vision. That is where I will build on the work that President Obama has done. And I will be sure that this is not just about a campaign or an election. This is much bigger than an election. These are issues I’ve been fighting for since I was a young lawyer working for the Children’s Defense Fund. Going to South Carolina to try to get young teenagers, 13, 14-year-olds out of jails with adult offenders. I care deeply about this because it’s not just personal to so many of us, it’s about the kind of country you want to be and the future we want for all of our children and grandchildren. I think about that every time I see my grandchildren or every time I see a bright, energetic, impressive young woman like Zianna. Come up here a minute, would you?
I love your dress.
You know, God loves us all, right? We are called to care for and cherish each other. It’s not easy, it is not. But that is our mission and that is what we are called to do, not only as Christians but as Americans, as human beings to understand and respect each other. To fight for each other’s children, each other’s dignity, each other’s opportunity as if they were our own. Now, make no mistake, this is not easy work. You’ve been doing this since Adam and Eve came here. But it is righteous work. Protecting all of God’s children is America’s calling. Remember what scripture also tells us: ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’ We will not grow weary and we will not lose heart. We will get up every single day have faith in one another and in our future and work for that better day for all of God’s people. Thank you.”
Hillary Clinton in Charlotte, NC
Posted in 2016 Election, Appearances, Campaign Events, Clinton/Kaine 2016, Democratic Party, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton 2016, Hillary For America, Hillary for President, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Uncategorized, tagged 2016 election, Appearances, campaign events, Charlotte, Clinton/Kaine 2016, Gary Johnson, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary For America, Matt Lauer, North Carolina on September 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Hillary held a press conference on the tarmac at Westchester Airport this morning before flying to Charlotte for a campaign event at Johnson C. Smith University. Look for Hillary at the 42 minute mark.
A question at the press conference had to do with Hillary’s serious facial expression at last night’s MSNBC forum and whether she felt she was being held to a different standard. Talk about begging the question! This is what that expression actually means!
In Charlotte, Clinton Vows to Fight Trump’s Dangerous Policies and Bolster Voting Rights
At a voter registration rally in Charlotte on Thursday, Hillary Clinton made the case that Donald Trump is unfit to be president and Commander in Chief. Clinton pointed out the range of Trump’s unacceptable policies, from opposing a federal minimum wage to proposing cutting the estate tax, which would do nothing for working families, but could save his own family $4 billion. Clinton also highlighted Trump’s pitiful performance at the Commander-in-Chief Forum, during which he unpatriotically lavished praise on Vladimir Putin while disparaging our military and attacking President Obama. Clinton added, “We have never been threatened as much by a single candidate running for president as we have been in this election. As your commander-in-chief, I will not trash our country’s most cherished values, I will defend them. And that is especially on my mind because this weekend is the 15th anniversary of 9/11. I was a senator serving, and I will never forget the horror of that day or the bravery of our first responders, the victims, the survivors, people I had the honor to work with and represent.”
Clinton also vowed to support HCBUs as president and make it easier to vote, in light of targeted attempts in North Carolina and across the nation to suppress minority turnout.
Clinton’s remarks, as transcribed, are below:
“Hello! Whoa, it is so great to be here. Thank you all so much. And I was backstage listening to Jordan Polk’s story, and it was just so powerful and moving, and her ability to stand up here, talk about her personal family experience, coming out of Katrina, staying strong, moving forward, being a student here at Johnson C. Smith University. I am so excited.
I want to thank her and I want to thank Dr. Carter. Thank you for welcoming us here. You have welcomed two Clintons in the last year. There’s something about this place that has attracted both my husband and myself. I apologize for being late. We had a disabled airplane on the runway that had to get moved. It took a lot longer than expected. But I’ve been looking forward to joining all of you here in Charlotte.
I want to recognize and thank your mayor, Mayor Jennifer Roberts. There you are. Thank you, Mayor Roberts. I want to thank Trevor Fuller, chair of the Mecklenburg County Commission. I want to acknowledge Josh Stein, candidate for attorney general. And to all of you gathered here today.
It is 61 days until the election. And I think it’s so appropriate to be here in the great state of North Carolina – at a really well-renowned H – you know what I’m saying? – HBCU, historically black college and university.That, like so many others, has played such an important role in our country’s history, producing some of America’s finest leaders. And I am very proud. I was just doing a phone call on the way here with a lot of my young organizers on college campuses across our country, and I got a question from a young woman at another historical black college and university – Fayetteville. And I told her that I have a plan to help all of you afford to go to college. I have a plan to help all of you with student debt to pay it down and pay it off. And I have a special plan of a $25 billion fund specifically aimed at supporting HBCUs. Because we need a lot of opportunities for young people from everywhere. It shouldn’t matter what you look like, where you’re from, or who you love. You deserve to be in college if that is your choice.
So right now we’re up and running, we’re organizing across America, and as Jordan said, this election has such high stakes, but the highest stakes are for young people. Young people across America. This election is going to determine in so many ways what kind of futures you will have. I don’t say that lightly. Everybody always says every election is important, and I happen to believe that. I think it’s one of the great gifts of our democracy that we have the opportunity to choose our leaders. And people – brave people – going back for so many years have fought to preserve that right. And that right is under attack right now, and it is under attack in North Carolina, of all places, a state that often set the standard for moving everybody into the future, and I admired that so much – emphasis on education from literally preschool through college; emphasis on research; emphasis on job creation and innovation. And now North Carolina, under the current governor and legislature, has been trying to restrict people’s right to vote. Well, you know it. North Carolina voters, though, won an important victory when a federal court just struck down this state’s voter ID law. And the federal court brought back more days of what’s called one-stop early voting. And here’s what the court said – this is not me talking. This is what the federal court said. The court said the North Carolina law was designed to target African American ‘with almost surgical precision.’
Now, that’s not just happening in North Carolina, unfortunately. It’s happening across America. And courts have been overturning restrictions that make it harder not just for African Americans but low-income people, Latinos, young people. One of the provisions in the North Carolina law was to make it really hard to vote where you go to school. So this has been a concerted effort to undermine the right to vote, even to make it hard for people with disabilities to cast ballots. Well, what’s the best way to repudiate that kind of underhanded, mean-spirited effort to deprive people of their votes? Get out and vote and make it clear we’re not putting up with that.
These laws are a blast from the Jim Crow past, and they have no place in 21st century America. We should be doing everything we can to make it easier to vote, not harder. That’s why if I’m elected president, I will work to expand early voting. We will enact universal voter registration so every young person in every state is automatically registered to vote when you turn 18. And we will repair the damage done to the Voting Rights Act and take on discrimination in all forms.
Now, HB2 is another example of trying discriminate against people that doesn’t have any place in our modern society. You’ve seen this firsthand in North Carolina. Discrimination is not only wrong, it’s bad for business. The NBA, you know, cancelled the game. PayPal cancelled bringing, I think, 400 jobs. Others are not coming to this beautiful state because they don’t want to be associated with the discriminatory, bigoted policies of your governor and legislature. Now, one thing you can do about that is change your governor in November. And while you’re at it, change one of your Senators. We’re going to need reinforcements up in Washington. We got a big agenda.
And people say to me, well, what is it you’re going to try to get done? Well, I’ll show you real easy. We just published a book. Right? Tim Kaine and I put this book out. It’s called ‘Stronger Together.’ It’s not very long. Not a hard read. But we have this old-fashioned idea that if we’re asking you to support us for president, we ought to tell you what we’re going to do. Not just bluster. Not just empty words. Not just demagogic rhetoric. Real plans that will improve your lives, make our country safer and better. So you could pick this up.
We’re going to build an economy that works for everybody, not just those at the top. Sounds like a good idea. We’re going to make the biggest investment in good-paying jobs since World War II – infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, clean energy jobs. We’re going to make the economy fairer, raise the national minimum wage, get people who work full-time out of poverty. And we are finally going to guarantee equal pay for women’s work. It is long overdue.
Did any of you see any of the Democratic convention? Well, I don’t know. You might have missed one of my favorite sets of speakers. We had these two young people from Kansas, 17 years old, young man, young woman. I’d read this, and I said, let’s contact these young people and find out their story. Here’s their story. Seventeen. Had the same summer job. Knew each other, working in a pizza restaurant. And they were pretty excited. I remember when I got my first real job, not babysitting but actually showing up at a job and having to do it.
And so one day, after they finished work, they were talking, and the young woman said, ‘I think, making $8 an hour, I should be able to at least save something for college.’ And the young man, a friend of hers, said, ‘Well, I’m making $8.15 an hour.’ And she said, ‘Well, why are you making 15 cents more an hour than I am? Neither of us had any experience to do this job. We’re the same age.’ He said, ‘Well, I don’t know. That doesn’t sound right. Maybe there was a mistake.’ So they go to the manager. They tell the manager. And the manager fired them both. And you know what? That’s legal. If you find out you’re not being paid the same for doing the same job, you can be fired. So this is not some made-up problem. And this would raise family incomes. And if you have a mother, a wife, a daughter, or a sister who’s working, it’s your issue. So we’re going to get that done as well.
And like I said, we’re going to make college affordable for everybody, pay down debt. But we’re going to do something else. I think it was a mistake when we got rid of all vocational education in high school. It needed to be improved, don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t training people for the jobs that were out in the marketplace any more. But we got rid of all of it. We need technical education in high school. We need more apprenticeship programs where young people can learn and earn at the same time. And we’re going to go back to emphasizing that in high school, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, creative ideas like coding camps. We’re going to have 1.4 million jobs in 2020 for people who have computer science skills, and we’re going to only, if we continue on our present path, only have 400,000 Americans prepared to do those jobs. I want those jobs to be American jobs. So we’re going to help train people of all ages to be able to do those jobs.
We are also going to defend quality affordable health care for everybody, but we’re going to get the costs down. We’re going to get the costs of prescription drugs down for sure. And we’re going to emphasize two things that we have fallen short on, mental health and addiction services. People I’ve met here in North Carolina and across America talk to me about that all the time. So again, we’ve got our ideas in here. We want you to engage with us, give us your ideas. This needs to be an ongoing conversation. We want you to hold us accountable when we’re in that White House trying to do all of this.
But we also have to keep America safe. And we have to lead the world with steadiness and strength. One of the biggest differences in this campaign is Donald Trump basically says, ‘I alone can fix it,’ we have it is. Think of who that leaves out. That leaves out our troops on the front line. It leaves out our police and fire responders to emergencies. It leaves out our teachers, our educators who are working to help young people. It leaves out everybody. ‘I alone can fix it?’ I was raised to believe that we’re in this together, and together we can fix it. And that is exactly what we’re going to do.
That’s why Tim Kaine and I are running a campaign of issues, not insults. Donald Trump has a different approach. He wants to build an economy that works even better for himself, starting with a $4 billion tax cut for his own family. He’s built a career on stiffing workers, mom and pop contractors, small businesses that did jobs for him and the he refused to pay them. I take this very personally. My father was a small businessman. That’s how he provided a good middle class living for us.
He printed drapery fabrics. He would get the fabric and roll it out on these big long tables, and you’d take a silkscreen and you’d put it down. You’d dump the paint in. You’d take the squeegee. You’d go across. You’d lift it up. You’d go down to the end of one table, start on the other end of the other table. And you’d do it until the job was done. Sometimes I was there helping him. And then he would load the fabric into his car and he would deliver it. I tell you what, I am so grateful he never had a contract with Donald Trump’s businesses.
In fact, I just ran across a story in Las Vegas when I was there a few weeks ago of a small drapery business who got what they thought was the greatest contract ever for Trump’s new hotel in Las Vegas. They delivered the goods, and they were refused payment, for no reason other than it’s a game to him. Everything is a game. It’s like he’s living in his own celebrity reality TV program. You know what, Donald? This is real reality. This is real people. This is real decisions that have to be made for our country.
He actually stood on a debate stage and said wages are too high in America. Now, he’s got some new advisors. He’s had a bunch of advisors. He’s got some new advisors. And they’re all trying to make him look more presidential. Sound more serious. It’s not working too well. But remember what Maya Angelou, who spent the last years of her life right here in this state at Wake Forest, reminded all of us. I think about it often. I was so privileged to know her. When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.
You know, stronger together also means working with our true allies and partners around the world, and last night I offered some thought about ISIS, Iran, how we’re going to reform the VA system to take better care of our vets. And just since last night, when I appeared on that program back-to-back with Trump, just in the last 24 hours, more retired generals and admirals have signed up to support my campaign.
People who have sacrificed and spent their lives protecting our country, valuing what makes us exceptional and already great, see Donald Trump and know he should not be anywhere near the White House. He is temperamentally unfit to be president and commander-in-chief.
Now, tomorrow I will hold a meeting of bipartisan, bipartisan which is what I want to get us back to where Republicans and Democrats work together to make the changes to protect our country. I’m going to be meeting with a bipartisan group of leaders and experts to focus more on these crucial challenges, but it’s hard to forget what Trump did last night. It was a test and he failed it. He trash-talked about America’s generals saying that they’ve been quote ‘reduced to rubble.’ He suggested he would fire them all and hand-pick his own generals since he knows so much about what it takes to be a general.
He attacked dozens of former flag officers. At the same time, and here’s what I want you to really hear, because even I was shocked by this and I didn’t know much could shock me coming out of his mouth anymore, he praised Russia’s strongman Vladimir Putin, even taking the astonishing step of suggesting he prefers the Russian president to our American president. That is not just unpatriotic, it’s not just insulting to the office and the man who holds the office, it is scary; it is dangerous. It actually suggests he will let Putin do what Putin wants and even make excuses for him.
I said this morning – I was trying to think about what other presidents would be imagining hearing that coming out of the nominee for the Republican Party. What would Ronald Reagan say about a Republican nominee who attacks America’s generals and heaps praise on Russia’s president?
We’ve never seen anything like this. And one thing you didn’t hear from him was any plan to take on ISIS, one of the biggest threats facing our country. He says his plan is still a secret. Well, the truth is he doesn’t have a plan. I served on the Senate Armed Services Committee. I served as Secretary of State as you know. I respect the men and women who put their lives on the line for the country that I love and that I believe in.
So whether you’re passionate about more good jobs, better education, healthcare, whether you’re passionate about protecting our country and the brave men and women who serve us, you have to realize, as so many Republicans are, that this is a time to put country over party. I would be saying that even if I were not running against him. We have never been threatened as much by a single candidate running for president as we have been in this election.
As your commander-in-chief, I will not trash our country’s most cherished values, I will defend them. And that is especially on my mind because this weekend is the 15th anniversary of 9/11. I was a senator serving, and I will never forget the horror of that day or the bravery of our first responders, the victims, the survivors, people I had the honor to work with and represent. It’s what kept me really so passionately involved on behalf of the people that I served all during those years.
And that is what I was thinking of 10 years later in the White House Situation Room. I was part of the small group advising President Obama whether or not the intelligence we had was good enough to take a chance to go deep into Pakistan to try to finally bring Osama bin Laden to justice. It was not an easy choice by any means. These never are. That’s why who sits at the head of that table in the Situation Room has to be able to sort out fact from opinion, has to be able to ask the hard questions, pursue even the most difficult leads. We went through that hour after hour after hour. And then the President went around the table asking each of us what we advised, and we were split because it was not some kind of easy layup. I believed it was strong enough that we needed to take action, and I supported taking action that would determine whether or not we were successful. That meant sending in Special Forces.
Now, you know what happened. I was in that Situation Room watching that day – the most stressful 30 minutes of my life probably because you remember one of the helicopters hit its tail on the wall going into the courtyard and became disabled. That meant – thank goodness there were good contingency plans, but you had to get another helicopter in to take out the SEALs who would no longer be able to fly out on that one. But here’s what I want to tell you because it is a story that to me illustrates our values in such a clear, unambiguous way. You’ve heard Donald Trump say he would order our troops to torture. You’ve heard him say he would order our troops to kill family members of terrorists. You would know that he was advocating illegal actions against our own laws as well as the laws of war. Thank goodness there’s a code of honor in our military stronger than the bluster and the bullying of Donald Trump because here is what happened on that night.
Every single second counted. That helicopter had to be blown up, but before it was – and remember the SEALs had gone in, they had taken out the two Kuwaitis, the bodyguards, they’d taken out bin Laden’s son who was there, and they took out bin Laden. They had to get his body out. They had to get themselves out, but here’s what they did first. They rounded up all the women and children, members of terrorist families, they took them outside as far from the helicopter as they could get them in order that they would not be hurt. That, Donald Trump, is what American honor looks like, and that is what we’re going to stand up and defend in the face of your outrageous, disgraceful attacks on the men and women of our armed forces.
We’re going to unify this country, my friends. We are going to bring us back together. We are going to get things done, big things. That’s who we are as Americans. I can’t do any of this unless you join me in this campaign. You can start by going to HillaryClinton.com or texting ‘join,’ j-o-i-n, to 47246. You can knock on doors. You can make phone calls. Register your friends to vote. Attend a house party in your neighborhood. We’re going to keep asking for your help over these next two months. There is so much at stake in North Carolina and in America. No one can sit on the sidelines. The stakes are high for everyone. Join the campaign. Let’s build a future where we’re stronger together. Thank you.”
In other news, ICYMI, Matt Lauer was taken to task by Twitterstorm today for his sorry performance as moderator at last night’s Commander-in-Chief Forum. The hashtag is #LaueringTheBar. If you also notice #Aleppo trending, that would be because on Morning Joe today, Gary Johnson asked “What is Aleppo?” So that happened. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we stand with Hillary!
From the campaign.
This is a longer email than I usually send, but I wanted to share this important column from Jonathan Chait I read last night:
Chait is far from the only media observer discussing the extent to which Lauer fell flat in trying to interview the two candidates for president. But Chait actually discusses what the failures mean, and in doing so, he keys in on something important.“The average undecided voter is getting snippets of news from television personalities like Lauer,” he writes, “who are failing to convey the fact that the election pits a normal politician with normal political failings against an ignorant, bigoted, pathologically dishonest authoritarian.”
If you’re on this email list, you’ve come to know a lot about Donald Trump — his racist and divisive policies, his complete lack of qualifications for the presidency, and his visceral allergy to the facts.
But most voters aren’t like us. Most people are picking up on politics when it finds them on Facebook, on the radio in the car, or when they flip through a magazine in line at the grocery store.
Their information is filtered through the press. And right now, a lot of journalists are failing to hold Trump accountable and grading him on a curve, while forcing Hillary to meet an entirely different standard.
So instead of most voters hearing about how Trump is empowering a new generation of white supremacists, for instance, and having that news placed in a proper, terrifying context, they read stories of Hillary and Trump lumped together.
And that makes our jobs in this election all the more important. We have to do what the media won’t do. We have to be on the air, online, and at people’s front doors, talking to them honestly about the stakes of this race.
And all of that takes resources. It takes you. I’m counting on you. You know this matters. Chip in $5 right now and make sure we can hold Trump’s feet to the fire.
Hillary Clinton Rallies Charlotte Supporters as DNC Readies Convention Kick-Off
Posted in 2016 Election, Appearances, Campaign Events, Democratic Party, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton 2016, Hillary For America, Hillary for President, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Uncategorized, tagged 2016 election, Appearances, campaign events, Charlotte, Clinton/Kaine 2016, Democratic Party, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary For America, North Carolina on July 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »
In Charlotte today, Hillary help a campaign event with enthusiastic supporters.
The convention is open. Let’s get the ball rolling!
Hillary Clinton at the VFW Convention in Charlotte
Posted in 2016 Election, Appearances, Campaign Events, Clinton/Kaine 2016, Democratic Party, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton 2016, Hillary For America, Hillary for President, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Uncategorized, tagged 2016 election, Appearances, campaign events, Charlotte, Clinton/Kaine 2016, Democratic Party, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary For America, North Carolina, VFW on July 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »
At the Charlotte Convention Center, Hillary delivered a speech to the 177th VFW Convention that should leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that she stands firm with our military and veterans and is ready to lead as Commander-in-Chief.
In her remarks, she thanked John R. Allen, U.S. Marine Corps Ret. for this endorsement.
Retired Marine General John R. Allen Endorses Hillary Clinton
Retired Marine General John R. Allen is endorsing Hillary Clinton for President, citing his trust in her ability and experience to keep our country safe and secure. Allen, who retired as a 4-star General after 37 years in uniform, was Deputy Commander of U. S. Central Command and a former Commander of the International Security Assistance Force, overseeing NATO troops in Afghanistan.
Allen’s endorsement comes before Clinton is scheduled to address the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday:
“Through 37 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, I saw some of the toughest challenges that our nation faces around the world, and I know that America has the power to meet those challenges. However, it requires continued leadership and engagement in the world, continued partnership with our allies, and a clear understanding of our adversaries. It requires patience and a deep comprehension of the international landscape to make smart decisions about when and how to use military force as well as an understanding that other tools of American power such as diplomacy and development aid – that will armed forces out of harm’s way unless it is absolutely necessary. And it requires a leader who wants to understand these complex issues and seek advice and counsel. Hillary Clinton is all of those things.
This has been a very personal decision for me. I have stayed out of the political arena my entire adult life, but given the complexities of issues facing our country today and its longtime allies, I felt compelled to speak up and be heard. I have no doubt that she is the leader we need at this time to keep our country safe, and I trust her with that most sacred responsibility of Commander-in-Chief.”
At VFW Convention, Clinton Pledges to Fight for Veterans as President
Clinton Highlights Endorsement by Ret. Marine General John R. AllenAt the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Charlotte on Monday, Hillary Clinton thanked the members of the VFW for their service. She also highlighted Ret. Marine General John R. Allen’s recent endorsement and pledged to fight for veterans and military families as president. Clinton reiterated her support for standing with America’s allies, noted her history of advocating for veterans—including working across the aisle to expand their access to health benefits and defending the new GI Bill from Republican attacks —and laid out her plans to address veterans’ issues as president—from modernizing the Department of Veterans Affairs to expanding job opportunities for veterans. As Clinton said, “I thank you for what you’ve done behind the scenes, as well as in public, to make sure that America keeps our promises, honors our history, and gives our veterans the respect and the opportunities they’ve earned. A lot of the issues you have fought for are at stake in this election.”
Clinton’s remarks, as transcribed, are below:
“Thank you so much Commander. Thank you, thank you so much. Thank you very much Commander for that very warm welcome.
Thank you to your Executive Director, Bob Wallace your Commander-in-Chief, and all the men and women of the V.F.W., of the auxiliary, for your commitment, your service, and your action on behalf of America’s veterans.
This is the 117th National Convention. That is a quite a legacy. And in that time, the V.F.W. has built a record to be proud of.
You have been a moving force behind hallmark achievements: like the creation of the V.A.; the passage of the G.I. Bill; the establishment of national monuments dedicated to those who fought in World War II, the Korean War, the war in Vietnam, women in military service, and veterans disabled for life.
These monuments are sacred places. I’ve been to many of them, also to our cemeteries around the world. People come to sit quietly, maybe lay a flower or a letter or other memento. To reflect on the courage and sacrifice of those who fought for our nation and our ideals. I don’t think it is an overstatement for me to say, those memorials might not exist if it weren’t for you.
So thank you, and thank you for standing up today and every day for veterans’ health, for veterans’ education, for the right of all veterans to dignity and security. And thank you for continuing to push our nation to live up to our obligations to those who serve.
I’ve been a direct beneficiary of your expertise and commitment – some of my top advisors are members of the V.F.W. I’m grateful to all the veterans and retired military leaders who have shared their knowledge and counsel with me – I especially want to thank the V.F.W. for the close consultation you provided as we work to put forth our plan to reform the VA. Today I especially want to acknowledge and appreciate Retired Marine General John Allen, former Deputy Commander of U.S. Central Command and Commander of the International Security Assistance Force overseeing NATO troops in Afghanistan. I had the great privilege of working with General Allen; therefore, I am deeply honored that he endorsed me this morning.
His confidence in me – and that of the other esteemed military leaders who support my campaign – means a great deal to me. But it also imposes a high responsibility on me as well.
So I thank you. I thank you for what you’ve done behind the scenes, as well as in public, to make sure that America keeps our promises, honors our history, and gives our veterans the respect and the opportunities they’ve earned.
A lot of the issues you have fought for are at stake in this election. America is grappling with big questions:
How do we keep our country safe? How do we make the world safer? How do we make sure we give our troops what they need to see their missions through — and when they come home, that they have the support and access to services they need to lead healthy, productive, successful lives?
These challenges matter to me personally, not only as the proud daughter of a veteran. My father, Hugh Rodham, enlisted in the Navy shortly after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He became a chief petty officer responsible for training thousands of young sailors before they shipped out to sea, mostly to the Pacific Theater. After my father died in 1993, I received letters and old photos from men who had served under him, talking about what a difference my dad made in their lives – these are letters that I treasure.
My dad once told me how sad he felt when he left Great Lakes Naval Base and accompanied his trainees to the West Coast to join their ships. He knew some of these bright, energetic young men wouldn’t survive. Some of them probably thought it too. But still, they went to serve. Because they knew our country needed them.
That’s the kind of courage and honor our men and women in uniform demonstrate every single day.
I thought a lot about my father’s experiences later, when I became a Senator from New York serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and then as Secretary of State. I’ve worked hard over the years on many of the issues you care about and work on every day. I am not a newcomer to these issues.
And today, I want to tell you a few of my core beliefs, which will guide me if I have the great honor to be elected this fall.
Because Americans aren’t just choosing a President – we’re also choosing a Commander-in-Chief. The person who decides questions of war and peace, life and death. There’s no more solemn or serious a responsibility than that.
So you deserve to know what we candidates believe about national security, and how we’d go about making life-or-death calls. Because they will affect our men and women in uniform, first and foremost. And they will affect our veterans.
Let’s start here – I believe the United States of America is an exceptional nation, with capabilities that no other country comes close to matching. And we have the world’s greatest military – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. We also have an economy that is larger, more durable and more entrepreneurial than any other on the planet.
And we are guided by values that have long inspired people across the world – a commitment to freedom and equality, justice and diversity – that fundamental American idea that every single person deserves to be treated decently and with respect, no matter who they are.
I believe in standing with our allies because they are part of what makes us exceptional. No country in the world has relationships like we do.
Generations of American troops fought, and yes, died to secure those bonds, because they knew we were safer with more friends and partners and fewer adversaries and enemies. Our men and women in uniform carry that work forward today.
My running mate in this election is a wonderful man from Virginia named Tim Kaine. He’s a U.S. Senator, he was governor of Virginia, mayor of Richmond, Virginia. If you’re not familiar with him yet, I urge you to check him out. He’s a great public servant and a terrific guy. His son is a Marine.
His son is actually deploying today to help defend our NATO allies in Europe. That’s how committed he is – and many others are – to our alliances, and we should be, too. After all, America’s word has to mean something.
I believe in being firm but wise with our rivals – finding common ground where we can, and standing our ground when we must.
That’s the balance that made it possible for me to work with all kinds of nations: to work to increase pressure on North Korea; to work to stand up to the Chinese in the South China Sea; to work with Russia to conclude the new START treaty that reduces nuclear stockpiles, while standing up to them because of their threats to our friends in Eastern Europe. One thing for certain you will not ever hear me is praise for dictators and strongmen who have no love for America.
And yes, I believe with all my heart in democracy. And I believe in diplomacy. It’s often the only way to avoid conflicts that can end up exacting a much greater cost.
I believe the most sacred responsibility of a Commander-in-Chief is deciding whether to send men and women into battle. I have visited our troops in theaters of war and tension. I know how serious this is. Force must only be used as a last resort, and only with a clear and well-thought-out strategy. Our troops deserve nothing less; America expects nothing less.
I believe our troops strive to comport themselves with honor. They deserve a Commander-in-Chief who will never order them to commit war crimes.
I believe in listening to our generals and admirals, because they have invaluable knowledge and experience, and they’re doing one of the most important jobs there is: commanding America’s sons and daughters. As Commander-in-Chief, I will always show them respect and hear them out.
You will never hear me say that I only listen to myself on national security. I believe in doing everything we can to meet threats at home and abroad. I know we live in a dangerous world. That’s why we need real plans, real strategies, to deal with terrorism, including homegrown terrorism. I’ve worked with experienced people from across different fields, and indeed across the political spectrum, to come up with comprehensive strategies for these and other threats.
I will be ready to get to work on Day One – I take nothing more seriously than our security.
Most of all, I believe in American leadership. I believe that who we are as a people, the values that we hold dear, the history that we care about, matters a great deal. I’m not interested in talking provocatively; I’m not interested in insulting people, including our military; I’m interested in bringing our country together — I’m interested in healing the divisions.
We have to protect ourselves against terrorists.
To do that, we need to lead other countries in stopping ISIS, al Qaeda, and other radical jihadist groups. We shouldn’t leave that to the rest of the world to figure out on their own — that won’t keep us safe.
We need a strong global economy, because it’s good for American jobs and exports. That means we should lead in setting and enforcing the rules. If we retreat on either security or the economy, behind some kind of imaginary wall, we will have lost our leadership, our purpose, our chance to prevail in the 21st Century.
Because if America doesn’t lead, we leave a vacuum – and that will either cause chaos, or enable other countries to rush in to fill that void. Then they will be the ones making the decisions about American lives, jobs and safety. The choices, make no mistake about it, might not be to our benefit. That’s not an outcome we can live with.
I have set forth plans and strategies for dealing with these threats. I know how challenging it will be to meet the difficulties that we face in the world today. But you see, I have confidence. I have optimism. I don’t understand people who trash talk about America — who talk about us as being in decline, who act as though we are not yet the greatest country that has ever been created on the face of the earth for all of history.
If you want somebody who will scapegoat other people, peddle fear, and smear, I’m not your candidate. I’m interested in bringing everybody together, rolling up our sleeves, and getting to work to solve our problems.
That’s why, in the Senate, I worked closely with Republicans. Now as some of you might know, I have been the recipient of numerous political attacks for a very long time. I’ve learned to live with that. I have, as Eleanor Roosevelt advised many years ago, ‘If a woman wants to be in a public arena, you’ve better develop skin as thick as the hide of a rhinoceros.’ So when I got to the Senate, I didn’t say, ‘Oh, I’m only going to talk to Democrats. I’m not going to work with Republicans.’ How silly would that be?
I was elected to represent the great Empire State. And I wanted to do everything I could to produce results for the people who honored me by electing me to be their Senator. So I worked with Republicans to increase the benefit paid to family members of the fallen; to expand veterans’ access to military health insurance; to make sure that all members of the Reserves and National Guard, and their families, had access to Tricare military health benefits even when they were not deployed.
I introduced the Heroes at Home Act to establish new services for military members and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries.
I fought successfully in 2007 to amend the 2007 Defense Appropriation Act, to establish a training program for family caregivers helping their loved ones with TBI.
I did all of this because I had met so many wonderful people who were struggling, struggling because they lost a son, or a daughter, a mother, a father, a wife, or a husband. Struggling because their loved one came home and didn’t have the care that he or she needed. They deserved more support from all of us, and I, fortunately, was in a position to advocate for them.
I joined forces with Senator John McCain to personally raise money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which helped build a state-of-the-art wilderness treatment rehab facility in San Antonio to help our seriously wounded service members coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
And let me just say it was a pleasure to work with Senator McCain on that project and many others. I believe that he, and all American prisoners of war, are heroes and deserve the respect that that entails.
As President, I will build on the work I’ve done.
We’re going to have a 21st Century Department of Veterans Affairs that delivers world-class care.
Like you, I was outraged by the V.A. scandals – people waiting months, even years for things like wheelchairs and basic medication – some even dying while languishing on a waitlist for an appointment. Heartbreaking and absolutely unacceptable. That’s why I have put forth a detailed plan about what I would do as President to revamp the V.A. — it will be one of my highest priorities. But I will tell you this: we are not going to privatize the V.A., we are going to reform it and make it work for every single veteran in America.
We will ensure access to timely, quality care; improve the coordination of care, which as you know is a huge problem still; improve care for women veterans, who are often under-served; tackle and at long last, end the epidemic of veteran suicides by expanding access to mental health care, erasing the stigma that still prevents too many from getting the help they need. I know this is a high priority for the V.F.W. and other veterans service organizations. And I will do everything in my power to support you in this critical work.
And we’re going to help more veterans looking for jobs with expanded tax credits for businesses that hire veterans, more support to veterans who want to start their own businesses, better certification and credentialing programs, so the work that veterans did on active duty will be understood and respected as they compete for the jobs in the civilian sector that they deserve to be considered for and hired to perform.
And I’m going to crack down on companies that prey on or discriminate against veterans. They should be ashamed of themselves, and we are going to hold them accountable.
We will also follow the lead of cities like New Orleans, Houston, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas, which have worked to end veteran homelessness. We have lessons to learn from them. Many more cities are making strong progress toward that same goal – we should support them, and end the tragedy of veteran homelessness once and for all.
And I will protect, preserve and defend the post-9/11 G.I. Bill. It has opened doors of opportunity to more than one million veterans and family members. Unfortunately, there are some Republicans in Congress chipping away at it. That’s not just wrong – it is short-sighted. This program helps us recruit and retain the all-volunteer force we need to protect our country. And it’s a way to invest in families and our shared future. We should protect and strengthen it, not let anyone erode it.
So yes, I have a plan to do all this and more. Including supporting military spouses as they seek to build careers. Including standing with women, standing with LGBT veterans to make sure they get the support they’ve earned.
You can go to my website, and I hope you will, hillaryclinton.com, and read all the details. I hope you will, not only because I want you to know, but there’s a lot of expertise in this room. I want your ideas too. I have this old-fashioned notion: you run for President, you should tell people what you want to do, as specifically as possible. So they can actually make up their minds. And then you should be held accountable as to whether or not you deliver results. So here’s my bottom line.
This is something that I care deeply about. But I know a lot of veterans still feel invisible, powerless, like their country has forgotten them. That is just totally wrong. It’s unacceptable, and we have to work together to make sure we end that.
We can disagree about the details. I’m sure we will from time to time. You see I actually believe as someone who’s been in public life and public service, it’s better if we have honest, candid conversations. That’s the best way in a democracy for us to come up with the best solutions. But we should be guided by our values.
We can all agree that our troops deserve serious, strategic leadership. We can all agree we have to be serious and committed about the complexity of the challenges we face, here at home and around the world. Beneath whatever disagreements we might have as a country about how to get where we need to go, surely we can start listening to one another again. Respecting one another, our individual experiences that bring so much to the debate.
My father made sure I understood that the freedoms and rights we enjoy as Americans didn’t come out of thin air. People sacrificed for them. Fought, bled and died for them. People like you, and the generations of soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who have made our country strong, proud and free.
All of you, everyone who has served deserve our thanks, and more importantly, our respect. You deserve a country and a president and a commander-in-chief who honor your service. Not just with words but with deeds.
That’s what the V.F.W. has stood for. To make sure that America lives up to that standard.
And as President, I will be working alongside you as I did as Senator to make sure that we produce results. I know this is the first time that one of our two major parties has ever nominated a woman.
And I know, that it takes a little getting used to, even for me. But here’s what I want you to know. I will get up every single day in the White House, doing everything I possibly can to protect our country, to treat our men and women in uniform with the care, and concern and respect they deserve. To make good on our nation’s promises to our veterans. That’s how I was raised, that’s what I have done, and I promise you that’s what I will do. Thank you, V.F.W. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. Thank you all very much.”
Let’s show those who trash our country and our military who the next Commander-in-Chief should be!
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Charlotte
Posted in 2016 Election, Appearances, Campaign Events, Democratic Party, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton 2016, Hillary For America, Hillary for President, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Uncategorized, tagged 2016 election, Appearances, Barack Obama, campaign events, Charlotte, Democratic Party, Hillary 2016, Hillary Clinton, Hillary For America, North Carolina on July 5, 2016| 8 Comments »
It was a very short ride on Air Force 1 from Joint Base Andrews to Charlotte. From the moment they stepped out of the plane, the friendship, team spirit, and mutual respect and admiration between President Obama and Secretary Clinton were on full display.
It’s pretty clear that Barack Obama loves campaigning. He was having a great time.
“Someone who has never forgotten where he came from. And Donald, if you’re out there tweeting: It’s Hawaii.” —Hillary on @POTUS
“It means so much to have @POTUS’s support in this campaign. He knows a thing or two about winning elections.” —Hillary
“President Obama’s job was to save us from a second Great Depression—and that’s exactly what he did.” —Hillary
“Under @POTUS and @JoeBiden, we’ve had 75 straight months of job growth. I want us to see 75 more.” —Hillary
“We’re going to make college debt-free for all…and help millions of people struggling with existing student debt.” —Hillary
We’re going to crack down on companies that ship jobs and profits overseas, and reward the ones that share profits with employees instead.
It’s wrong that some millionaires can pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries, and we’re going to stop it.
Our families and workplaces have changed in the 21st century. It’s time for our policies—from paid leave to equal pay—to be updated, too.
“When I look at @POTUS, I see someone who—in spite of obstruction he’s faced—still reaches for common ground and common purpose.” —Hillary
“He’s a statesman—leading not just our country but the entire world. This is a president who knows how to keep us safe and strong.” —Hillary
“The world hangs on every word a president says, and Donald Trump is…temperamentally unfit to be our Commander-in-Chief.” —Hillary
“In America, we don’t tear each other down, we lift each other up. We build bridges, not walls.” —Hillary
“I don’t know about you, but we’re fired up and ready to go!” —Hillary
“I’m here today because I believe in Hillary Clinton. I want you to help elect her as the next President of the United States.” —@POTUS
“I saw the passion that she feels for anybody who’s experienced injustice. … It was personal to her.” —@POTUS on Hillary
“Let me tell you, my faith in Hillary Clinton has always been rewarded.” —@POTUS
“I saw how she treated everybody with respect…that’s how you judge somebody. How they treat others when the cameras are off.” —@POTUS
“I saw how you can count on her. How she won’t back down. How she won’t quit.” —@POTUS on Hillary
“There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton. That’s the truth.” —@POTUS
“If your concern is who’s going to look out for working families…the other side’s got nothing to offer you.” —@POTUS
“She will be a stateswoman who makes us proud around the world. … She knows what it takes to be Commander-in-Chief.” —@POTUS on Hillary
“Don’t boo, vote! Booing doesn’t help. You need to vote.” —@POTUS on Donald Trump’s dangerous policies
“The fact is, Hillary is steady. Hillary is true. … That’s how real change and real progress happen.” —@POTUS
In North Carolina, President Obama and Hillary Clinton Share Their Vision for an America that is Stronger Together
In their first joint appearance of the campaign, President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigned together in Charlotte, North Carolina, and laid out their shared vision for building an America that is stronger together. Clinton praised President Obama’s accomplishments and emphasized her commitment to expanding on his progress, saying, “We’re going to build on the vision for America that President Obama has always championed – a vision for a future where we do great things together, not as red states and blue states but as the United States.” Clinton also affirmed her ambitious vision for an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top—reiterating the five bold economic goals she has set out on the economy.
President Obama spoke of his friendship with Clinton—from Senate colleague, to presidential campaign rival, to partners in government—and emphasized Clinton’s readiness to serve as president, her vision for an America that works for everyone, and the economic and security dangers of a Trump presidency. As President Obama said, “She is and will be a stateswoman who makes us proud around the world. She’ll deploy diplomacy whenever possible, but she also knows what it takes to be a commander-in-chief, and I know she will never hesitate to use force when it is necessary to protect us…That’s strength. That’s leadership. And that’s why Hillary Clinton has to be the next president of the United States of America.”
Clinton and Obama’s remarks, as transcribed, are below:
HILLARY CLINTON:
“Thank you so much. Hello Charlotte. It’s great to be back in North Carolina with so many friends:
With Congresswoman Alma Adams, and Congressman David Price, and Congressman G.K. Butterfield.
And your next U.S. Senator, Deborah Ross.
And your next Governor, Roy Cooper.
And of course, with our president, Barack Obama.
I feel very privileged because I’ve known the President in many roles. As a colleague in the Senate. As an opponent in a hard-fought primary. And as the President I was so proud to serve as Secretary of State. But I’ve also known him as the friend that I was honored to stand with in good times and hard times. Someone who has never forgotten where he came from. And Donald, if you’re out there tweeting, it’s Hawaii.
Over the years, we’ve had some memorable experiences together – like storming a secret meeting of foreign leaders at a global climate summit. That was fun. You should have seen the Chinese guards try to stop us. Now, they put their arms out and the President just went right through. Then they put their arms out, and I went right under. And the President, with that amazing smile of his, said, ‘Hey, we’ve been looking for you.’
Now through it all, as we went from rivals to partners to friends, my esteem for him just kept growing. So did my admiration for his brilliant wife, Michelle, and those two amazing daughters that they have raised. My husband and I know how hard it is to raise a child in the public eye, in the fishbowl of the White House. But the Obamas have done a fabulous job. Malia – who just graduated from high school and celebrated her 18th birthday yesterday – and Sasha who has the energy and enthusiasm of a wonderful young woman. Now I happen to think those two young woman might be the most impressive accomplishment of all for our President.
Now it means so much to have the President’s support in this campaign. After all, he knows a thing or two about winning elections – take it from me.
And he also knows that despite all the progress we’ve made under his leadership, and yes we have, we still have a lot of work to do.
President Obama’s job, one that he did not ask for but was handed to him, was to save us from a second Great Depression – and that is exactly what he did. Actually, I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for saving our economy.
We’ve added 14 million private-sector jobs. The auto industry just had its best year ever. 20 million people now have health care. Clean energy production has soared. I could go on and on, but you get the idea. That’s what leadership looks like.
Our next president has a different job to do – building on the progress that President Obama has made. We have to continue to take on deep structural challenges that existed long before the crisis. We can see it here in North Carolina and across the country: inequality is too high, wages are too low, and it’s just too hard to get ahead.
We need an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top.
So we’re setting five big, ambitious goals.
First, under President Obama and Vice President Biden, we’ve had 75 straight months of job growth. I want us to see 75 more. So in my first 100 days as President, we’ll make the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II.
And when I say good-paying jobs, I mean exactly that. Donald Trump thinks wages are too high. He actually stood on the debate stage and said that. He wants to get rid of the federal minimum wage altogether.
Well, I think anyone who is willing to work hard should be able to find a job that pays well enough to raise a family. So we’re going to increase the federal minimum wage, and give the middle class a raise. That’s good for our families, good for our economy, and boy is it good for our country.
Second, we’re going to make college debt-free for all. And we’re going to build on the President’s idea to make community college free. And we’re going to help millions of people struggling with existing student debt save thousands of dollars.
Third, we’re going to rewrite the rules, and crack down on companies that ship jobs overseas and profits to go with them. Let’s reward the companies that share profits with their employees instead.
And we’re going to defend and strengthen the tough reforms President Obama put in place on the financial industry – not tear them up like Donald Trump says he’ll do. We need to make sure that Wall Street can never wreck Main Street ever again.
Fourth, we’re going to make sure that Wall Street, corporations, and the super-rich pay their fair share of taxes. It is just plain wrong that a millionaire can pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries, and we’re going to stop it. And oh, by the way, we’re going to keep asking to see Donald Trump’s tax returns.
And finally, we’re going to step up and respond to the way American families actually live and work in the 21st century. Our families, our workplaces have changed, so isn’t it time for our policies to change?
Donald Trump can accuse me of playing ‘the woman card’ all he wants, but if fighting for equal pay and affordable childcare and paid family leave is playing the woman card, then deal me in.
Most of all, most of all– most of all though, we’re going to build on the vision for America that President Obama has always championed – a vision for a future where we do great things together, not as red states and blue states but as the United States.
When I look at President Obama, I see a leader with heart, depth, and humility. Someone who, in spite of the obstruction he’s faced, still reaches for common ground and common purpose.
Some of you might remember, that he and I competed against each other as hard as we could back in 2008. But when it was over, I was proud to endorse him and campaign for him.
And I’ll never forget when he called me the Sunday after the election, asking me to come to Chicago. It turned out he wanted me to be Secretary of State, and I don’t think anybody saw that coming – especially me.
And as I travelled on behalf of our country, a lot of people around the world asked how President Obama and I could work so well together after being such fierce competitors. In some places, the person who loses an election gets exiled or executed, not asked to be Secretary of State.
But President Obama asked me to serve, and I accepted. You know why? We both love our country.
That is how democracy is supposed to work. We just celebrated 240 years of independence. In America, we put common interest before self-interest. We stand together because we know we’re stronger together.
That’s the kind of president Barack Obama has been. He’s made difficult, even unpopular decisions for the good of our country. I have sat with him in the Situation Room and seen him make the hardest choices a president faces. He does it with steady, principled leadership.
He’s a statesman, leading not just our country but the entire world. It was his vision, it was his vision and diplomacy that secured a historic global agreement on climate change, put a lid on Iran’s nuclear program, opened up Cuba, and rallied the world to curb the spread of nuclear weapons. I saw him go toe-to-toe with the toughest foreign leaders, and to give the order to go after Osama bin Laden. This, my friends, is a president who knows how to keep us safe and strong.
Compare that to Donald Trump. Can you imagine him sitting in the Oval Office the next time America faces a crisis? The world hangs on every word our President says, and Donald Trump is simply unqualified and temperamentally unfit to be our President and Commander-in-Chief.
So here in North Carolina this election is our chance to say, ‘Our country is better than this.’ In America, we don’t tear each other down, we lift each other up. We build bridges, not walls. We don’t call the country we love a disaster or a laughing stock – we know America already is the greatest country on earth.
Just think about those early patriots who met in Philadelphia that hot summer of 1776. They knew we would all rise or fall together.
Nobody who looked like Barack Obama – or me – would have been included back then. But we’re here today because the story of America is the story of hard-fought, hard-won progress. So, I want you to remember that for 240 years, our history has moved in that direction – slowly at times, but unmistakably. As the President has reminded us, the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.
So if you believe, along with me and the President, that our best days as a nation are still ahead of us, please, join us in this campaign. Take out your phone right now. Take out your phone and text JOIN to 47246. Or go to hillaryclinton.com. We are hiring organizers right here in North Carolina.
We’re going to fight for every vote in this state, and with your help, we’re going to win it. So, I don’t know about you but we are fired up and ready to go. Ready to win this election.
Please join me in welcoming the President of the United States, Barack Obama.”
PRESIDENT OBAMA:
How you doing, Charlotte? Are you fired up? Ready to go? Fired up? I am – I’m fired up. Hillary got me fired up. She got me ready to – ready to do some work. So I hope everybody had a great Fourth of July. I love you back. Now, first of all, let me just say, I like any excuse to come to North Carolina. I just like North Carolina. I love the people in North Carolina. I used to – when we used to campaign here, I used the say, even the people who aren’t voting for me are nice. You k“now, that’s not true everywhere.
So you’ve got great people here. And then you’ve got great food. North Carolina’s got some food. In fact, I will find some place to stop and get some food before I head back to DC. I know y’all have recommendations. I know I can’t go to your house to get the food – although I’m sure you’re an excellent cook. And then you’ve got great basketball. You’ve got great basketball. We all know that. We all know that. But I’m not going to get in between all the Tar Heel and Wolf Pack, and –You know? Yeah, Blue Devils, I – see, I […] – I’m not going to get in – I’m not going to get into all that. You just have great basketball in North Carolina.
So I love an excuse to come to North Carolina. But I’m here for a simple reason. I’m glad to see our outstanding congressional delegation. You are lucky to have them. I’m glad you’ve got an outstanding candidate for the Senate, and an outstanding candidate for governor. And I’m going to be working for them too. But I’m here today because I believe in Hillary Clinton. And I want you to help elect her to be the next president of the United States of America. Now, this is not –
Now, as Hillary mentioned, this is not the first time we’ve campaigned together. We went up to New Hampshire after our primary in 2008. We went to Unity, New Hampshire, just in case people missed the point. That was the name of the town. Unity, New Hampshire. And we had gone through what was one of the longest, toughest primaries in history. And primaries are always tough, because you’re arguing with your friends instead of the folks you disagree with. Sometimes you’ve got to find things to disagree about, even though you don’t really disagree.
So we were crisscrossing towns from New Hampshire to Nevada, and as much as I had admired her when we served together in the Senate, I came away from that primary admiring her even more. Because during that year and a half, I had had a chance to see up close just how smart she was, and just how prepared she was. Especially since I had to debate her a couple dozen times. And let’s be clear, she beat me, like, in the – now, you don’t have to rub it in. You don’t have to rub it in, now. She beat me, you know, at least the first half, and then I just barely could play her to a draw. I always had to be on my game, because she knew every fact. And she knew every detail.
And then during those 18 months, I saw the passion that she feels for anybody who’s experienced injustice. Anybody who’s faced discrimination. Anybody who does everything right and still can’t seem to get a fair shot. Whether it was workers who had lost their jobs, or kids unable to afford college. And you could tell it was personal to her. Because she had seen struggles in her own life. She had known challenges in her own life, and she could identify and empathize with people who were doing the right thing and wanted to make sure that they got a fair shake. And then, during the primaries, again and again, I saw how even when things didn’t go her way, she’d just stand up straighter and come back stronger. She didn’t give up. She didn’t pout. She just kept on going. She was the Energizer Bunny. She just kept on.
And the bottom line is, she had to do everything I had to do, but she was like Ginger Rogers, she had to do it backwards in heels. And at the end of our contest, I saw the grace and the energy with which she threw herself into my campaign. Not because she wasn’t disappointed about the outcome of the primary, but because she knew there was something that was at stake that was bigger than either of us. And that was the direction of our country. And how are we going to make sure that all the people who were counting on us could see a better life.
So we may have gone toe to toe from coast to coast, but we stood shoulder to shoulder for the ideals that we share. So maybe Hillary was surprised, but I wasn’t surprised when I asked Hillary to represent our interests and our values around the world, as America’s Secretary of State. I knew she would do a great job. I knew she would perform. I knew the regard in which she was held in capitals all around the world. I knew that the minute she took that job, there was a stature and a seriousness that would immediately mend some of the challenges that we had had around the world during that time.
Now, let me tell you, North Carolina, my faith in Hillary Clinton has always been rewarded. I have had a front row seat to her judgment and her toughness and her commitment to diplomacy. And I witnessed it in the situation room where she argued in favor of the mission to get bin Laden. I saw how as a former Senator from New York, she knew – she understood, because she had seen it. She had witnessed it, what this would mean for the thousands who had lost loved ones when the Twin Towers fell. I benefited from her savvy and her skill in foreign capitals, where her pursuit of diplomacy led to new partnerships, opened up new nations to democracy, helped to reduce the nuclear threat. We’ve all witnessed the work she’s done to advance the lives of women and girls around the globe.
She has been working on this since she was a young woman, working at the Children’s Defense Fund. She’s not late to the game with this. She’s been going door to door to make sure kids got a fair share. Making sure kids with disabilities could get a quality education. She’s been fighting those fights. And she’s got the scars to prove it. And, you know, Hillary and I shared a – we shared a big hug the first time we saw each other after we finally realized one of the great causes of her career: finally guaranteeing access to quality, affordable health insurance for every single American, because that’s something she got started, and we picked up that baton and were able to get it across the finish line.
The bottom line is, she was a great Secretary of State. And by the way, that’s not just my opinion. That was view of the American people and pundits throughout the time that she was serving as Secretary of State. Before the whole political machinery got moving. You remember that? It wasn’t long ago. It’s funny how that happens. Everybody thought she was doing a great job. That’s because she did do a good job. But it’s funny how the filter changes a little bit. Same person. Done the same work. But, you know, that filter is a powerful thing.
But you know what, it wasn’t just what happened in the limelight that made me grow more and more to admire and respect her. It was how she acted when the cameras weren’t on. It was knowing how she did her homework. It was knowing how many miles she put in traveling to make sure that America was effectively represented in corners of the globe that people don’t even know about. There weren’t any political points to be had, but she knew that it was important. I saw how she treated everybody with respect, even the folks who aren’t quote unquote ‘important.’ That’s how you judge somebody. Is, how do they treat somebody when the cameras are off, and they can’t do anything for you? Do you still treat them right? Do you still treat them with respect? Do you still listen to them? Are you still fighting for them?
I saw how deeply she believes in the things she fights for. And I saw how you can count on her, and how she won’t waiver, and she won’t back down, and she will not quit, no matter how difficult the challenge, and no matter how fierce the opposition. And, if there’s one thing I can tell you, Charlotte, it’s those things matter. Those things matter. I am here to tell you that the truth is, nobody fully understands the challenges of the job of president until you’ve actually sat at that desk. Everybody’s got an opinion. But nobody actually knows the job until you’re sitting behind the desk. Everybody can tweet, but nobody actually knows what it takes to do the job until you’ve sat behind the desk. I mean, Sasha tweets. But she doesn’t think that she thereby should be sitting behind the desk.
So you can’t fully understand what it means to make life and death decisions until you’ve done it. That’s the truth. But I can tell you this. Hillary Clinton has been tested. (Applause.) She has seen up close what’s involved in making those decisions. She has participated in the meetings in which those decisions have been made. She’s seen the consequences of things working well and things not working well. And there has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton. Ever. And that’s the truth. That’s the truth.
So the bottom line is, I know Hillary can do the job. And that’s why I am so proud, North Carolina, to endorse Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States. Now, I recognize to some degree I’m preaching to the choir. I know I probably don’t need to tell anybody here why we need Hillary’s steadiness and her levelheadedness and her brilliance and her temperament right now. Right now. Because we’ve been through some tumultuous times in this new century. And we continue to face all kinds of challenges and change in the years ahead. And in this – this November, in this election, you are going to have a very clear choice to make. Between two fundamentally different visions of where America should go. And this isn’t even really a choice between left and right, or Democrat or Republican. This is a choice between whether we are going to cling to some imaginary past, or whether we’re going to reach for the future.
This is about whether we have an America that works for everybody, or just a few people. And Hillary is not somebody who fears the future. She believes that it is ours to shape. The same way it’s always been. Hillary understands that we make our own destiny, as long as we’re together. As long as we think of ourselves not as just a collection of individuals or a collection of interest groups, or a collection of states, but as the United States of America. She knows that. She knows that when it comes to our economy. Because she knows our economy works best not when it only benefits a few at the top, but when everybody’s got a fair shot at success.
As Hillary mentioned – look, when I came into office, things were not in very good shape, you will recall. We were losing 800,000 jobs a month. Pursuing, by the way, the same proposals that the Republicans are still peddling. And over the past six years, our businesses have created more than 14 million new jobs. We cut the unemployment rate in half. Manufacturing jobs have grown for the first time since another President Clinton was in office. By the way – and by the way, because they’re always talking about us being these spendthrift Democrats – I just want to point out, we cut our deficit by nearly 75 percent. They didn’t. They did not.
Wages for families are finally starting to rise again. But we’ve got so much more work to do. Because in the 21st century, we’re not going to – we’re not going to help families. We’re not going to create jobs just by pretending that we can turn back the clock, and women are going to somehow not be in the workforce anymore. And people of color suddenly are not going to be competing and wanting a better future for their kids. We’re not going to suddenly ignore all the progress that’s been made over the last 30 years. We’re not going to build walls around America, or put technology back in the box. We’re not going to reverse hard-won rights for women or minorities or Americans with disabilities to fully participate in the workforce. We’re not going to do that.
If we’re going to give working families, all families, a chance to succeed, we’ve got to make sure they can afford childcare. And they’ve got sick leave and paid leave. And we’ve got to make sure women get equal pay for equal work. And we should make it easier, not harder, for our workers to organize for better wages and working conditions. And we shouldn’t eliminate the minimum wage. We should raise it high enough so if you work full time, you don’t live in poverty. Each of these policies – the policies Hillary mentioned – would help working families feel more secure in today’s economy. She’s actually got a plan. It’s actually paid for. You can actually look at it.
Now, the fact that we haven’t gotten all these ideas done, it’s not the fault of immigrants or unions or some liberal socialist scheme. It’s very simple. Republicans in Congress and Republican governors have been blocking these ideas for the last eight years. It’s that simple. So, look, I just want to be clear. Not everybody votes on the economy. I understand. There are other issues. But if your concern is who’s going to look out for working families – if you’re voting your pocketbook – if you’re asking who’s actually going to stand up for the guy on the construction site, or the guy on the – in the factory, or the woman who’s cleaning a hotel room, or somebody who’s really working hard, the working family – if that’s your concern, this isn’t even a choice. Because the other side has nothing to offer you. The other side’s got nothing to offer you.
I’m going a little off script here, but I just want to repeat this. If your concern is working people, then this is not a choice. I don’t care whether you’re white, black, Hispanic, Native American, polka dot, male, female – I don’t care – if what you care is, who’s going to be fighting for ordinary folks who are fighting for a better life for themselves and their children, then I don’t know how you vote for the guy who’s against the minimum wage, against unions, against making sure that everybody gets a fair shot, against legislation for equal pay, against sick leave and family leave, against all the things that working families care about.
So if you’re voting for the other team, it’s not because of the economy. It’s not because of the economy. You’ve got to be clear about that. I mean, even the Republicans on the other side don’t really know what the guy’s talking about. They really don’t. They really don’t. You ask them, they’re all like, I don’t know. Then they kind of duck the other way. Am I joking? No. So you can choose a path that divides us with harsh rhetoric and pits working people against each other, all the while pushing policies that will just help folks at the top do even better. But that’s not helping working families.
Or we can transform our politics so they’re responsive to working families. So that all people of all races and all backgrounds get a higher wage. And all folks get quality healthcare and a decent retirement. And all children in this country get a better education that lets them dream bigger than their circumstances. That’s what Hillary Clinton believes, that’s why I’m supporting her for president of the United States. And that’s why you should too.
Now, to me, that in and of itself would be enough to make the choice. But we’ve got some other choices. You can go the path that denies climate change is real – or you can choose the path where American jobs and businesses lead the world to combat it. Now, over the last seven years, we have doubled renewable energy in this country. We’ve – remember when we were all concerned about our dependence on foreign oil? Well, let me tell you, we’ve cut the amount of oil we buy from other countries in half. Remember when the other team was promising they were going to get gas prices down in, like 10 years of – we did it. Did it.
So we’ve been able to shape an energy policy that’s good for families, good for your pocketbook, and with Secretary Clinton’s help, America ultimately led nearly 200 other nations to an agreement to save this planet for future generations. Now, maybe you don’t care about this. Maybe you think 99 percent of scientists are wrong. Or you can […]. But the point is, we’re not done with this. So where we go from here is up to you. You can vote with the climate deniers who want to tear up the agreements we’ve crafted, and doom our kids to a more dangerous world, or you can vote to keep putting people back to work building a cleaner energy future for all of us. That’s part of what’s at stake in this election. That’s one of the reasons I’m supporting Hillary Clinton for president.
Hillary mentioned how we operate on the world stage. Now, let me just say, I know the other guy talks about making America great again. I – America is really great. And just the other day, somebody was writing about, wow, when you look at the surveys in the world, turns out that when Obama came into office the world didn’t think we were that great, but now they think we’re the greatest. They think we’re the strongest. They think we’re the best positioned. We were in a hole before I came into office, but right now the world, the rest of the world, thinks we’re pretty darn great. And by the way, you can look that up. That’s a fact. That’s not, like, just something I just made up and tweeted. So there are actually, like, surveys done. They poll people so you actually know what people think. You don’t just assert it. And it turns out that’s what they think. You can look it up.
Part of the reason of that is because we had an outstanding Secretary of State. Part of the reason is that Hillary understood and continues to understand that just a bunch of tough talk doesn’t replace the hard work of diplomacy; a bunch of phony bluster doesn’t keep us safe. And she understands we can’t retreat from a world that needs American leadership. That’s why she offers a smarter approach that uses every element of American power to protect our people and to protect our allies. She is and will be a stateswoman who makes us proud around the world. She’ll deploy diplomacy whenever possible, but she also knows what it takes to be a commander-in-chief, and I know she will never hesitate to use force when it is necessary to protect us. And she’ll know how to mobilize the world around the causes that we believe in, that we know are right, and make sure other countries pull their own weight. That’s strength. That’s leadership. And that’s why Hillary Clinton has to be the next president of the United States of America.
AUDIENCE: I’m with her! I’m with her! I’m with her!
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I’m with her. I’m with her. Part of the reason why we are here is because we all share the belief that this country only lives up to its potential when every single one of us gets a chance to succeed – black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, young, old, rich, poor, Turkish American – gay, straight, male, female. All of us matter. All of us share the same creed. All of us pledge allegiance to the same flag. That doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything. We all have different ideas and beliefs, and that’s part of what makes America great. But I agree with Hillary that our democracy works best when there are basic bonds of trust between us, when we recognize that every voice matters, and the people who disagree with us most strongly love our country just as much as we do. You never heard Hillary Clinton demonize other people. You haven’t heard her not be willing to engage in folks even with they disagree with her. You ask about folks in the Senate who were on the other side – they liked working with her, even though some of them had done everything they could to tear her down when she was First Lady. She still worked with them.
And that brand of leadership is how we’re going to get things done. That’s how we can protect more of our kids from gun violence. After Newtown – after Newtown, the other side blocked any new gun safety reforms. After Orlando, they blocked any new gun safety reforms. They’re not listening to 90 percent of the American people – Democrats and Republicans – who support background checks and making sure somebody who’s on a no-fly list can’t actually go out and purchase an automatic rifle. Hillary knows how to build coalitions. And she knows we can take smart steps to protect both our rights and our kids so they can go to the movies, or to church, or to a nightclub, or to school. And if you believe that too, then there’s no choice here: you’ve got to vote for Hillary Clinton.
Her brand of leadership can fix a broken immigration system so that it lives up to our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. Unless you’re a Native American, somebody brought you here. Somebody came here. You came from someplace else, now. So I just want to be clear about that. And not everybody had their papers straight when they came. I’m just saying. And you know, there are millions of striving young people whose lives hang in the balance, and they want to give something back to this country that they love. They want to serve in our military. They want to go to college. They want to be doctors. They want to cure diseases. And for years, the Republicans who run this Congress, they talk a good game about immigration reform and then they don’t do anything. And now they’ve picked a nominee whose only plan is to build a higher wall. That’s not a plan. No, no, no, no, no, hold on a second. I was waiting for this opportunity. Don’t boo, vote. Don’t boo, vote. Booing doesn’t help. You need to vote.
But if you care about a smart immigration policy that controls our borders and makes sure that it’s lawful but also gives everybody opportunity, this is your candidate. You’ve got to vote in this election. And you know what? If you don’t think your vote matters – […] – choose his own […] Don’t boo. You’ve got to vote. He wants to nominate (inaudible) he does. That’s not a good thing. That’s not […] plan. The Supreme Court is no joke. The people who sit on that bench […] our responsibilities and duties to each other as citizens affect […] of our daily lives.
This is not a reality show. This is not entertainment. This is real. This is not a reality show; this is reality. And being president of the United States means you have to deal with reality. When a crisis hits, […] walk off the set. […] scriptwriter. You can’t be reckless. You don’t have the luxury of just saying whatever pops into your head. You’ve actually got to know what you’re talking about. You’ve got to actually do your homework. You can’t just kick out reporters. You can’t go to another country and if they ask you a question you don’t like, just kick them out – because you’re in another country. You’ve got to apply steady judgment. Even when things don’t go your way. You’ve got to make the tough calls even when they’re not popular and even when they won’t pay off right away or increase your poll numbers. You’ve got to be able to handle criticism without taking it personally. You’ve just got to brush it off and get the job done. That’s some of what I’ve learned while serving as your President. That’s some of what Hillary has learned as a Senator, as a Secretary of State. And that’s why I’m voting for Hillary Clinton to be the next president of the United States.
So let me – I know I’ve gone on too long. This is what happens – you haven’t campaigned in a while, you start just enjoying it too much. So let me just simplify this, and let me be blunt. I want to be blunt. Can I be blunt? I’m going to be blunt. Hillary has got her share of critics. That’s what happens when you’re somebody who’s actually in the arena. That’s what happens when you’ve fought for what you believe in. That’s what happens when you dedicate yourself to public service over the course of a lifetime. And what sets Hillary apart from so many others is she never stopped caring, she never stopped trying. We’re a young country, so we like new things, and I’ve benefited from that culture. Let’s face it: when I came on the scene in ’08 everybody said, ‘Well, he’s new.’ They don’t say that now, because I’m not. But sometimes we take somebody who’s been in the trenches and fought the good fight and been steady for granted. Sometimes we act as if never having done something and not knowing what you’re doing is a virtue. We don’t do that, by the way, for airline pilots. We don’t do that for surgeons. But somehow we think president of the United States, yeah, let’s just get – I don’t know, who’s that guy? Come on.
And so as a consequence, that means that sometimes Hillary doesn’t get the credit she deserves. But the fact is Hillary is steady and Hillary is true and she’s been in politics for the same reason I am: because we can improve other people’s lives by doing this work, and we don’t care about the slings and arrows that are thrown at us, because we know that’s how real change and real progress happens, and that we, if we’re willing to work hard, can finish – can bring about changes that make life better for some kid out there, some senior out there, somebody who’s unemployed out there. And it may take more than a year. And sometimes it takes more than a term. And sometimes it takes more than one presidency, or even one generation. And yeah, that’s old-fashioned. I think she’ll fess up to that. But we want people to believe that their government can work and that their president cares, and that every child in this country should have the same chance that this country gave us. Because we weren’t born with a silver spoon. And we know that behind all the division and sometimes angry rhetoric of this election year and all the petty bickering and point-scoring and the punditry, the ordinary American – Americans are good, and they are generous, and they are hardworking, and they got an awful lot of common sense, and we share a certain set of common values and hopes and dreams.
That’s why I ran in 2008, and I believe in those values and those ideals more than ever, and I believe in you, the American people, more than ever. And I am more optimistic about our future than ever. And that’s why my faith – my faith is stronger about the simple American ideal, as old as our founding, that people who love their country can change it for the better. I have seen it happen. I have run my last campaign, and I couldn’t be prouder of the things we’ve done together, but I’m ready to pass the baton. And I know that Hillary Clinton is going to take it. And I know she can run that race – the race to create good jobs and better schools and safer streets and a safer world, and that’s why I’m fired up, and that’s why I’m ready to go, and that’s why I’m with her, and that’s why I need you to work just as hard to make sure that Hillary Rodham Clinton is the next president of the United States of America.
God bless you, North Carolina. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.”
Hillary Clinton Stumping for Kay Hagan in North Carolina
Posted in 2014 Election, Appearances, Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Speaking Engagements, Uncategorized, tagged 2014 elections, Appearances, Charlotte, Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Kay Hagan, North Carolina, Speaking Engagements, U.S. Senate on October 25, 2014| 5 Comments »
Crowds piled into the Charlotte Convention Center this afternoon to see Kay Hagan and welcome Hillary Clinton. According to CNN’s Dan Merica it took Hillary under two minutes to mention her little granddaughter named Charlotte who will turn one month old tomorrow on Hillary’s birthday.
Hillary and Kay Hagan spoke for a little more than a half hour during which a heckler briefly interrupted shouting about immigration. Hillary told the audience that Senator Hagan has a comprehensive plan for better jobs, better wages, and better schools. She said the fact that women in NC still get paid less than men for the same work costs those families thousands of dollars and that women’s rights are like the canaries in the coal mine. If they are not protected everyone is at risk.
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“When people attack you, you always have to remember that a lot of what others say about you has a lot more to do about them than you.” – Hillary Rodham Clinton
Madame Secretary
Tenacious!
Pretty in Pink!
Perfect!
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