At last, our moment has arrived. The time where the United States of America turns the page, writes a new chapter and wins back the world's love the respect. The time for all of us to bring about change. The time for parties and people to unite, to hope again, to believe again, and to elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States.
So much has been written, and analyzed, and studied, and pondered about this contest, but it's for good reason - it's the most important election of our lives. Next to that obvious fact, a 21-month campaign, long and difficult and tiring though it may be, is a small consideration.
And then, as if this epic tale needed one more chapter, it got written late Sunday night in Hawaii, when Madelyn Payne Dunham passed away at the age of 86. She lived a life full of success and accomplishment, working on a bomber assembly line in World War II and building a solid career with her husband - all the while raising a grandson that, God willing, will soon be president.
We all obviously mourn Toot's loss, but we also celebrate her life, and thank her for the strong and steady example she set for Barack throughout her life. We know she is up in heaven, looking down on what we are doing, and is proud. We must win this for her, if nothing else.
At least in Syracuse, we have watched with a bit of envy as millions have lined up in lines hours long so that they could vote early in the states that allow it, including pivotal ones like Virginia, Florida and Ohio. And we have marveled at the crowds, including the 100,000 gathered right now in Manassas - which, I can assure you, is part of real Virginia. And how fitting that he brings up the FIRED UP and READY TO GO story one more time, to remind us what this is all about.
Tomorrow, at long last, we get our turn to go to the polls. And whether we vote early in the day or late in the day, we'll likely be spending most of Election Day hard at work, making sure that every single person that can vote and wants to vote will be able to do so. Nothing, absolutely nothing, that we do is as important as this service.
So much of our lives, so much of American history, has led up to this moment. In the face of a struggling economy, two wars, crises in health care, education and the environment, we can choose to go down the same negative, destructive and divisive path we have taken in recent decades, or we can choose to do something different.
What began, officially, on a chilly winter Saturday 21 months ago, in Springfield, in the shadow of the old State House where Lincoln said a house divided against itself could not stand, climaxes(hopefully) Tuesday night in front of tens of thousands at Grant Park in Chicago.
So get out there and vote for Barack Obama - then spend the rest of Election Day working hard to make sure people get out to the polls all over this wonderful country of ours to also vote for Barack. It is time for our country to unite, to be FIRED UP and READY TO GO, to bring about a new day. Tomorrow, we make history.
YES WE CAN!!
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