Kerry/Gore concession speeches

[ourbluenation]

I have no idea why this popped into my head but it's frustrating that these two candidates best "real" moments were in their concession speeches. I wish they had been more like this during their campaigns. Why are these pols so afraid to just be their fabulous real selves all the time. Even my rethug friends said stuff like "if they were more like this I would have considered them...". Bill was the real deal...that's why he was so popular.

Who is the real deal now? You know...what you see is what you get...Clark?

I would love it if Al would run again, balls to the walls, holding nothing back. The man just makes so much sense.

JTT

[ourbluenation]

1. here's the speeches...

Here's Al's speech...

<http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/algore2000concessionspeech.html>


Here's Kerry's...

<http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_1103.html>

[TriMetFan]

2. Because they are to scare to make waves.

That is why a women will never be President, because most women tell it like it is. Now Clark does have a chance or Kucinich.

[ourbluenation]

3. Yes on the Clark

He's got charmisma and he's not scared of anything. What you see is what you get. I'm leaning towards him. Kucinich makes a ton of sense but he sadly has zero charisma. Zip. Zilch.

[eridani]

4. In person he has plenty of it

Doesn't photograph well, but is radiant in person. If I had a quarter for all the women attending events who said "He's so much cuter in person"...............

[AlGore-08.com]

Obviously I'm for Gore running, but I think he gave some great speeches

A couple excerpts from some Gore speeches from 2000 for folks to get a taste.

http://www.algore-08.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=123

Speech Transcript: Remarks to the NAACP 91st Annual Convention

Wednesday, 12 July 2000

(snip)

Talk doesn't cost much. The true test is whether you are willing to take a stand when the Confederate flag is flying over a state capital and you see that it needs to come down but you are afraid to speak out.

Talk doesn't cost much. Taking a stand when it matters requires courage.

Talk doesn't cost much. The true test is to come here to Baltimore and vow to appoint a Supreme Court that lives up to the legacy of this city's greatest son, Thurgood Marshall, and interprets the Constitution in the way our founders intended it to be interpreted, not to give a commitment to the far right wing to stack that court, because stacking the court would threaten civil rights and threaten the fundamental guarantees of liberty in this country.

And when there is a closed-door meeting with the far-right-wing representatives and they come out and say that, "We heard everything we needed to hear about the Supreme Court," that may not be public, but it is not difficult to understand.

Talk doesn't cost much. The true test is telling Trent Lott and Tom DeLay the time has come for a tough new law against hate crimes because they are different.

We need to pass hate crimes legislation, because when we don't stamp out the sparks of hatred, we risk a fire at the very foundation of our house.

And when James Byrd is dragged to his death behind a pickup truck, then the governor of his home state ought to at least heed the family's plea for action.

In the words of James Byrd's nephew, "I asked him personally if he would use his influence to help pass the bill, and he told me no."

One brief sentence that said the word "yes" would have mattered a whole lot more to the cause of justice than a whole speech that didn't even mention hate crimes, the future of the Supreme Court, taking down the Confederate flag, ending racial profiling or defending affirmative action or Bob Jones University. One sentence with the word "yes" would have mattered a whole lot more.

I'm not asking you to read my lips, I'm asking you to read my heart and watch my feet and watch the work of my hands when joined with yours.

Standing together, marching together, we have a lot of work to do.

Let's heed the lessons of Clarence Mitchell, Charles Hamilton Houston, Roy Wilkens and Ben Hooks, Rosa Parks. Let's fight together. Let's struggle together. Allow yourselves to believe that we can do the right thing and be the better for it.

Let's make this country what it is intended to be. Let's rise above our differences. Let's establish respect for difference. Let's pass the legislation. Let's make the march that will take us to the mountaintop of justice and prosperity and progress and freedom for all of the people of the United States of America.

I want your help. I want to fight for you. I want to fight for your families and the future of America.

God bless you and thank you.


http://www.algore-08.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=83&Itemid=123

Speech Transcript: Rally at Wayne State University
Saturday, 14 October 2000

And the outcome really is up to you. This is a close race. It's close here, it's close nationwide. Even up. So don't let anybody tell you that what you do and what you say will not determine the outcome. You personally might very well make the difference.

Now, as for my role, I want you to know this - - I've said this before, but I want to repeat it. I know full well that if you entrust me with the Presidency, I won't always be the most exciting politician, like Dennis Archer. But I will work hard for you every day and I will never let you down. And I will fight for you. Because I know this in my heart about the job of President. It is the only position in the Constitution that is filled by an individual who is given the responsibility to fight not just for one group or one area of the country or the wealthy and the well connected or the powerful. A President is charged with the responsibility to fight for all of the people, especially those who need a champion, who's willing to stand up and fight for you. That's why I'm running for President.

And I need your help. When you leave this place, I want you to consider it your personal mission to chart the future course of our nation for the next four years. The choice is between diverting the surplus and our resources and our destiny toward the old trickle down approach, or continuing a sound economic plan that will continue the prosperity, create more jobs, balance the budget, and invest in people, education, middle class tax cuts, health care, retirement security.

But it is up to you. When you leave this place, I want you to think long and hard about what you personally will say to one of your neighbors or one of your friends who, in an idle moment says: "I'm not sure who I'm going to vote for, what do you think?" I want you to arm yourselves, I want you to arm yourselves not only with the names Gore and Lieberman and Stabenow and Kilpatrick and all the other candidates that you support. I don't want you to just say "Vote for Al Gore". I want you to arm yourselves with the arguments about these issues that we've discussed here. Take some time to tell them that prosperity itself is on the ballot this fall.

Prosperity itself is at stake in this election. Jobs are at stake. Families are at stake. Health care, our schools, the environment - - they're at stake. Social Security is on the ballot this fall.

CROWD: Gore, Gore, Gore, Gore!

GORE: Medicare is on the ballot this fall. Prescription drugs are on the ballot this fall. Civil Rights are on the ballot this fall.

Now, after you have given your choice and after you have given them your reasons, then I want you to give something else. And this is the last thing I'm going to ask you for. It's something that is difficult for you to give. It's something that people hardly ever give any more. I want to ask you to open your hearts and push past any fear of disillusionment, push past any fear of disappointment, push past any fear of having a broken heart, once you have invested your heart in the outcome of this election and in your choice for the future of our nation. Too many good people with high ideals and strong dreams have themselves decided to remain at arm's length from the political process, because they believe their hearts are brittle. And they don't want to get too involved, because if they get their hopes up, their hopes might be shattered. If they get their dreams invested in a particular outcome, then they think they might be disappointed and they may not be able to handle it.

Hear me well: your hearts are not brittle. Our country is not brittle. Your future is at stake. We need you - - not only to give them your choice and to give them the reasons - - give them your passion. If anybody is cynical, if anybody says it doesn't make a difference who wins, it doesn't make a difference which agenda governs us over the next four years, it doesn't make a difference the direction we take, I want you to tell them: "Wait a minute! I know for a fact that it makes a difference. It makes a difference to me. It makes a difference to you. It makes a difference to your family." And one of the reasons is it makes a difference if you have a President who's willing to fight for you. I ask for your passion, I want your hearts, I want your vote, I want your enthusiasm, because I want to fight for you! I want to fight for your families! I want to fight for Michigan, and Detroit and your future! God bless you. Let's win this election!


http://www.algore-08.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=86&Itemid=123

Speech Transcript: Remarks on contesting the Florida vote count
Monday, 27 November 2000

Good evening. Thank you for taking the time to listen tonight.

Every four years, there is one day when the people have their say. In many ways the act of voting and having that vote counted is more important than who wins the majority of the votes that are cast. Because whoever wins, the victor will know that the American people have spoken with a voice made mighty by the whole of its integrity.

On that one day every four years, the poor as well as the rich, the weak as well as the strong, women and men alike, citizens of every race, creed and color, of whatever infirmity or political temper all are equal. They are equal, that is, so long as all of their votes are counted.

A vote is not just a piece of paper. A vote is a human voice, a statement of human principle, and we must not let those voices be silenced. Not for today, not for tomorrow, not for as long this nation's laws and democratic institutions let us stand and fight to let those voices count.

If the people do not in the end choose me, so be it. The outcome will have been fair and the people will have spoken. If they choose me, so be it. I would then commit and do commit to bringing this country together. But whatever the outcome, let the people have their say. And let us listen.

Ignoring votes means ignoring democracy itself. And if we ignore the votes of thousands in Florida in this election, how can you or any American have confidence that your vote will not be ignored in a future election? That is all we have asked since election day: a complete count of all the votes cast in Florida. Not recount after recount, as some have charged, but a single full and accurate count. We haven't had that yet.

Great efforts have been made to prevent the counting of these votes. Lawsuit after lawsuit has been filed to delay the count and to stop the counting for many precious days between Election Day and the deadline for having the count finished. And this would be over long since except for those efforts to block the process at every turn. In one county, election officials brought the count to a premature end in the face of organized intimidation. In a number of counties, votes that had been fairly counted were simply set aside. And many thousands of votes that were cast on Election Day have not yet been counted at all. Not once.

There are some who would have us bring this election to the fastest conclusion possible. I have a different view. I believe our Constitution matters more than convenience. So, as provided under Florida Law, I have decided to contest this inaccurate and incomplete count in order to ensure the greatest possible credibility for the outcome. I agree with something Governor Bush said last night: we need to come together as a country to make progress. But how can we best achieve that? Our country will be stronger, not weaker, if our next President assumes office following a process that most Americans believe is fair. In all our hands now rests the future of America's faith in our self-government.

The American people have shown dignity, restraint and respect as the process has moved forward. This is America, when votes are cast, we count them. We don't arbitrarily set them aside because it's too difficult to count them. In the end, in one of God's unforeseen paths, this election may point us all to a new common ground, for its very closeness can serve to remind us that we are one people, with a shared history, and a shared destiny. So this extraordinary moment should summon all of us to become what we profess to be: one indivisible nation. Let us pledge ourselves to the ideal that the people's will should be heard and headed and then together let us find what is best in ourselves and seek what is best for America.

Two hundred years from now, when future Americans study this Presidential election, let them learn that Americans did everything they could to ensure that all citizens who voted had their votes counted. Let them learn that democracy was ultimately placed ahead of partisan politics in resolving a contested election. Let them learn that we were indeed a country of laws.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.

[AlGore-08.com]

5. Self delete - dupe

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