Remarks by the First Lady at a Campaign Event

Miami University
Oxford, Ohio

2:30 P.M. EDT
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Wow!  (Applause.)  Oh, you guys are so awesome.  (Applause.)  Thank you so much.  Wow.  Three more days!  (Applause.)  All right. 
 
If you haven't noticed, I'm thrilled to be here.  (Applause.)  But before we get started, something that I just have to do, given what's going on on the east coast in terms of the weather, we need to take a moment just to always say how focused we are, how heartbroken Barack and I are about those who have suffered because of the hurricane, Sandy. 
 
And as you all know, Barack has been working tirelessly with our governors and our mayors and our extraordinary first responders to make sure that those communities get all the support that they need.  And even in these times of great excitement, we've got to stay focused on the fact that when people suffer in this country, we all come together.  And we have to keep our thoughts and prayers going out to everyone there and make sure we stand behind them.  Okay?  (Applause.)  
 
So let me get started by first thanking Alex for that very kind introduction and for everything he is doing for our campaign.  (Applause.)  I also want to thank your provost as well as his wonderful wife who have joined us today -- thank you so much for hosting us here at Miami University.  Yes, it's good to be on campus.  (Applause.)  You all have a really beautiful campus.  (Applause.)  You realize how lucky you are, don’t you?  It's really nice. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Good football team!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Good football team!  (Applause.)
 
But I also want to recognize Justice Yvette McGee Brown for her service, and she's here today as well.  (Applause.)   And of course, we have a surprise guest, one of our dear friends who has been working his tail off -- and we love him.  He's worked since the day Barack started running, he's keeping young people focused, he is one of the smartest young artists that we know out there.  He is talented, he is very cool, and he is our dear friend -- will.i.am is here.  (Applause.)  There he is.  So will has been working; he's been in Cincinnati, he's been all over the state and other states to make sure that folks -- particularly young people -- get out to vote. 
 
But most of all, I want to thank all of you.  Thank you for taking the time to be here.  And I can tell you all are pretty fired up and ready to go, aren't you?  (Applause.)  Yes! 
 
And I'm feeling pretty fired up and ready to go myself, because in just three days, we have the opportunity to reelect an honest, decent man -- (applause) -- a man whose courage and integrity that -- we have seen at work every single day for the last four years, the man that I have known and loved for 23 years -- my husband, our President, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)
 
And I have to tell you, all that stuff about him -- he's smart, talented, all that -- but what really made me fall in love with Barack all those years ago was his character.  It was truly his compassion and conviction, and the fact that he has always been committed to helping others.
 
And I also loved that he was so devoted to his own family, especially the women in his life.  (Applause.)  I saw -- and it was important for me to see the respect he had for his mother, how proud he was that she put herself through school while still supporting him and his sister as a single mom. 
 
And I saw the tenderness he felt for his grandmother.  I saw how grateful he was that long after she should have retired, she was still getting up every day, catching her bus to the job at the community bank, doing whatever it took to support their family.  And he also watched as she was passed over for promotions simply because she was a woman, but he also saw how she kept getting up, kept doing that same job year after year without complaint and without regret.
 
See, the thing is, with Barack, I found a real connection because in his life story, I saw so much of my own.  Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I watched my father -- (applause) -- we've got some South Siders here, some Chicagoans -- but I watched my father make that same uncomplaining journey every day to his job at the city water plant.  And I saw how he carried himself with that same dignity -- you all may have seen that in your lives -- that same pride in being able to provide for his family; that same hope that his kids would one day have opportunities he never dreamed of. 
 
And like so many families in this country, see, our families just weren’t asking for much.  They didn’t want much, and they didn’t begrudge anyone else’s success.  They didn’t mind if others had much more than they did -– in fact, they admired it.  That’s why they pushed us to be the best we could be. 
 
But they simply believed in that fundamental American promise that even if you don’t start out with much, if you work hard and do what you’re supposed to do, then you should be able to build a decent life for yourself and an even better life for your kids and grandkids.  And they also believed that when you’ve worked hard, and done well, and you've finally walked through that doorway of opportunity, you don't slam it shut behind you.  You reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.  (Applause.)  
 
And that is how Barack and I and I know so many of you were raised.  And more than anything else, that is what this election is all about.  It’s a choice.  It's a choice about our values, and our hopes, and our aspirations.  It’s a choice about the America we want to leave for our kids and our grandkids.  
 
And what does that America look like?  What do we believe?  We believe in an America where every child in this country has access to good schools -- the kind of schools that push them -- (applause) -- and inspire them, and prepare them for jobs of the future.  We believe in an America where no one goes broke or loses their home because someone gets sick or loses a job.  (Applause.)
 
We believe in an America where we all understand that none of us gets where we are on our own, and we treat everyone -- do you hear me -- everyone with dignity and respect, from the teachers who inspire us to the janitors who keep our schools clean.  (Applause.)  And in this America that we are working to build together, we believe that the truth matters; that you don’t take shortcuts or game the system. 
 
And finally, we believe in keeping our priorities straight.  Because everyone here knows good and well that cutting Sesame Street is no way to balance our budget.  (Applause.)  Instead, we know that we need to cut wasteful spending, but we also have to make smart investments in things like education and infrastructure for an economy built to last.  And that is what my husband stands for.  That's the country he’s been working to build for four years.
 
And let me tell you, since the day he took office, on issue after issue, crisis after crisis -- because I've been right there with him -- that is what we’ve seen in our President. 
 
Let's think back to when Barack first took office.  This economy was on the brink of collapse.  And you don’t have to take my word for it.  Newspapers were using words like “meltdown," “calamity;” declaring “Wall Street implodes," “Economy in Shock.”  As many of you know, the auto industry was in crisis.  The economy was losing 800,000 jobs a month, and a lot of folks wondered whether we were headed for another Great Depression.  And that is absolutely what Barack faced on day one as President. 
 
But instead of pointing fingers, instead of placing blame, your President got to work.  (Applause.)  See, he was thinking about folks like my Dad, folks like his grandmother.  And that’s why he cut taxes for small businesses and working families -- because he believes that here in America, teachers and firefighters shouldn't be paying higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires.  That’s not right.  We know that.  (Applause.) 
 
And that’s why, while some folks were willing to let the auto industry go under -- you remember that?  Do you know who I'm talking about?  (Laughter.)  With more than a million jobs that would have been lost, Barack had the backs of American workers.  He put his faith in the American people, and that’s why, today, the American auto industry is back on its feet again.  (Applause.)  
 
And, yes, while we have more work to do to completely rebuild our economy, there are more and more clear signs every day that we are on the road to recovery:  Exports have grown in this country by 45 percent.  Companies have hired more workers in October than at any time in the last eight months.  We have now had 32 straight months -- the majority of my husband's presidency -- of private sector job growth, nearly five and a half million new jobs created under this President right here in the United States of America.  (Applause.) 
 
And then, when it comes to giving our young people the education they deserve, just let me explain one thing -- Barack knows that like me and like so many of you, we never could have attended college without financial aid -- never.  (Applause.)  We wouldn't be here if it weren't for financial aid.  Our parents didn’t have the money to give us to go to college.
 
So when it comes to student debt, Barack and I, we've been there.  And that’s why Barack fought to double funding for Pell grants and keep interest rates down.  (Applause.)  Because we have a President who understands how important it is for all of our young people, regardless of how much money their parents make, all of them have a chance to attend college without a mountain of debt.  (Applause.) 
 
And finally, when it comes to understanding the lives of women, we know that my husband will always have our backs, because Barack is a man who knows from personal experience what it means for a family when women aren’t treated fairly in the workplace.  (Applause.)  And that is why the very first bill he signed into law as President of the United States was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to make sure women get equal pay for equal work.  (Applause.)  And let me tell you this -- that is why Barack will always, always fight to ensure that we as women can make our own decisions about our bodies and about our health care.  (Applause.) 
 
And let us not forget about health reform.  Because of health reform he passed -- the historic reform he passed -- insurance companies can no longer charge women more than men for the same treatment.  (Applause.)  Also, because of this reform, they can't discriminate against any of us because we have a preexisting condition like diabetes or asthma. (Applause.)  And as you all know, young people can stay on your parent’s insurance until you’re 26 years old.  (Applause.)
 
And this is the one that always gets me, because it affects so many people -- if you get a life-threatening illness and you need really expensive treatment, insurance companies can no longer tell you, "sorry, you’ve hit your lifetime limit and we’re not paying a penny more."  That is now illegal because of health reform.  (Applause.) 
 
So three more days for four more years.  (Applause.)  And I am here because I know that all of you are going to be out there for the next three days talking to folks.  You're going to be out there.  And when you're out there talking to folks who are trying to decide who is going to keep America moving forward for four more years, here's some of the stuff you can tell them.
 
I want you to tell them in addition to all that Barack has done for our economy, for health care and education, tell them that this is the President who ended the war in Iraq.  (Applause.)  Remind them that Barack Obama, along with all of us, we took out Osama bin Laden.  You remind them about that.  (Applause.)  Tell them how their President has been fighting every day to make sure our veterans and military families get the benefits they have earned.  (Applause.)
 
Please tell them about all of the young immigrants in this country who will no longer have to live in fear of being deported from the only country they have ever called home.  (Applause.)  Tell them about our brave servicemembers, men and women fighting for this country who will never again have to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.  (Applause.) 
 
And if they want to know more, we've got a website -- send them to barackobama.com/plans.  They can learn about everything this man is going to do for the next four years to create more jobs, reduce our deficit in a balanced way, and so much more.
 
But here’s what I really want you to tell them, what I think is at the core of this election.  I want you to tell them that Barack Obama knows the American Dream because he’s lived it.  (Applause.)  And he has been fighting every day so that every one of us in this country can have that same opportunity no matter who we are, or where we’re from, or what we look like, or who we love.
 
But I also want folks to be very clear that while he is so proud of all that we’ve achieved together -- because understand no President does anything alone -- my husband is nowhere near satisfied.  Barack of all people in this country knows that there are still too many people hurting.  But as President Clinton said, it’s going to take a lot longer than four years to finish rebuilding an economy from the brink of collapse.  Everybody knows that.  (Applause.) 
 
But here’s what I know for sure -- over these past four years together, slowly but surely, we have been pulling ourselves out of that hole that we started in.  We have been making really meaningful change and moving forward.
 
So here's what we have to ask ourselves over these next few days, before anyone casts a ballot:  Are we going to turn around and go back to the same policies that got us into that hole in the first place?
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Are we going to just to sit back and watch everything that we’ve worked for and fought for to just slip away.
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Or are we going to keep moving this country forward?  (Applause.)  What are we going to do?  What are we going to do?  I think we need to be going forward!  Forward!  Forward!
 
AUDIENCE:  Forward!  Forward!  Forward!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  But in the end, here’s the thing -- the answer to these questions is now on all of us.  Because, truly, all of this hard work, all of the progress that we’ve made, understand it is all at stake.  It's all at stake.  The choices couldn’t be more clear.
 
And as my husband has always said, this election is going to be even closer than the last one.  That is the only guarantee, so brace for it.  And it will all come down to what happens in a few key battleground states -- especially this state, right here in Ohio.  Right here.  (Applause.)   
 
So especially for our young people, just to put it in perspective -- because these numbers shock me -- just to understand that back in 2008, Barack won Ohio by about 262,000 votes.  And while that might sound like a lot, when you break that number down across precincts throughout an entire state, that’s just 24 votes per precinct, all right?  Twenty four.  That’s how these races work.  And just for the record, if it's that close for a presidential race, keep that in mind when it's time to vote for governors and mayors and city councils.  (Applause.)  
 
So if you think about that, that really could mean -- just one vote in a neighborhood could make a difference.  Just a single vote in an apartment building could make the decision.  Just one more vote in a dorm room could change the direction of a nation. 
 
So if there is anyone here, or anyone that you know in your life that might be thinking that their vote doesn’t matter, that their involvement doesn’t count, that in this complex political process that regular folks can’t possibly make a difference -- if you know anyone out there feeling or ever thinking that, I just want you to have them think about those 24 votes. 
 
I mean, look around you.  We all know 24 people who maybe didn’t vote last time, maybe not sure, don’t know whether they're going to make it if it rains a little bit, maybe they won't go.  But I want you to think about how with just a few more hours -- because there are hours left -- a few more hours knocking on doors or making phone calls, with just a few more hours helping to get people to the polls on Tuesday, just a few of you here -- shoot, look at all of us here -- all of us here today can swing an entire precinct for Barack Obama. 
 
And when we win enough precincts, we will win this state.  And when we win this state, we’ll be well on our way to putting Barack in the White House for four more years.  (Applause.)  Four more years.  Twenty-four votes -- think about that. 
 
So before you leave today, here's the plan -- and we've got a plan.  (Laughter.)  You find someone with a clipboard; sign up to volunteer for the campaign over these next few days.  It's weekend time, students.  (Laughter.)  You've got a weekend, right?  Anything you were going to do -- there's a party or you're going to take somebody out on a date -- (laughter) -- postpone it, or bring your date.  Do that date-vote thing.  (Laughter and applause.)  A great way to impress a date is to take them to help people vote.  That’s a good thing.  (Laughter.)  
 
But for the next three days, really, we want you to talk to everyone you know.  Talk to your friends, your neighbors, the cousin you haven't texted in a while; send them to vote.barackobama.com for all the information they need to cast their votes.  And if you can, get them to vote early.  I voted early because I want to spend Election Day getting out the vote, and I hope that all of you do the same.  You can even vote tomorrow, Sunday afternoon, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Monday you can vote until 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon, all right?
 
So there is no excuse.  So make sure everyone you know votes early or gets to the polls on Tuesday.  That’s the plan.  It's a secret plan, top secret.  (Laughter.)  I might have disclosed something, because there are a few people with cameras and mics back there, but I think we'll be okay.  (Laughter.)  All right, we got it?  (Applause.)  We got this?  (Applause.)   
 
And make no mistake about it -- just know this -- four more years! 
 
AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years! 
 
MRS. OBAMA:  We got this -- with your help.  Because as you can see, make no -- what we do for the next three days could absolutely make the difference between waking up the day after Election Day and looking at ourselves and thinking, “Could I have done more?”, or feeling the promise of four more years.
 
So from now until Tuesday, we need you to work like you've never worked before.  Keep pushing and struggling and moving forward.  Because, truly, that is how change always happens in this country.  That is the real secret for all our young people right? 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  I love you, Michelle!
 
MRS. OBAMA:  Some of us who have been around for a little bit -- we love you -- I love you more!  (Applause.)  I love you more!  No, I'm serious.  I am so serious.  You know, you all are our future.  And we want you to start off with the best possible opportunities possible.
 
Because we know from our history in this country that change is hard, right?  Shoot, life is hard.  And all of you, as you're starting out, you're going to hit so many bumps and barriers along the way.  And life just requires a ton of patience and persistence and tenacity.  You've seen this President.  You've seen him face issue after issue.  You've seen him stay calm and focused.  That’s what we want you all to do in life.
 
And understand that if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting that good fight and doing what we know in our hearts is the right thing to do, see, then here's the truth -- eventually we get there.  We always do.  That is why we -- all of you, especially our young people, you have every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead.  Your futures are bright.  Because we know that here in America, we always move forward.  We never go backwards.  We always make progress.
 
And in the end, that’s what this is about.  Hopefully, that’s why we're here.  Because that’s what elections are always about.  Don’t let anybody tell you differently.  Elections are always about hope.  (Applause.)
 
What kind of hope am I talking about?  The hope that I saw on my father’s face as I crossed that stage to get my college diploma -- the diploma that he took out loans to help me get.  The hope that Barack’s grandmother felt as she cast her ballot for the grandson she loved and raised -- that’s the hope I'm talking about.  The hope of all those men and women in our lives who worked that extra shift for us, who saved and sacrificed and prayed so that we could be here and be something more.  The hope that so many of us feel when we look into the eyes of our kids and our grandkids -- that’s the kind of hope I’m talking about. 
 
Because in the end, the only reason we are doing this is for our kids.  That is why we’re here -- because we want to give all of our kids a solid foundation for their dreams.  We want to give all of our kids opportunities worthy of their promise, because I don’t care where you're from, what party you believe in, we know good and well that every child in this country is worthy.  We want to give them that sense of limitless possibility; that belief that here in America, the greatest country on the planet -- understand there is always something better out there if you’re willing to work for it.
 
So what me and the President and hopefully all of you tell yourselves every day is that we cannot turn back now.  Absolutely not.  We will not turn back now.  Because we have come so far, but we have so much more work to do.
 
So here's my last question:   Are you ready for this?  (Applause.)  Can we do this?  (Applause.)  Are you all fired up? Are you ready to go?  Three more days, four more years.  Let's get it done.
 
Thank you.  God bless.
 
END 
2:57 P.M. EDT
 

Remarks by the President at FEMA Headquarters

Washington, D.C.

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, listen, I just completed not only a meeting with our team here at FEMA and all of our Cabinet officers who are involved in the recovery process along the East Coast, but we also had a conference call with the governors of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, as well as many of the municipalities who have been directly affected by this crisis and this tragedy.

We still have a long way to go to make sure that the people of New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, and some of the surrounding areas get their basic needs taken care of and that we start moving back to normalcy.

A couple of things that we've emphasized:  Number one, that it is critical for us to get power back on as quickly as possible.  And just to give people an example of the kind of work we're doing -- the military, DOD, thanks to the work of Leon and others, have been able to get military transport facilities to move cherry-pickers and personnel from as far away as California to get that equipment into the area so we can start getting some of the power back on as quickly as possible.  It is a painstaking process, but we're making progress.

Number two, we're getting assets in to pump as much water out as possible.  Lower Manhattan obviously is a particularly acute example, but there are problems with flooding that are affecting substations throughout the region.  That's going to continue to be a top priority.

Number three, making sure that people's basic needs are taken care of.  As we start seeing the weather get a little bit colder, people can't be without power for long periods of time, without heat for long periods of time.  And so what we're doing is starting to shift to identify where we can have temporary housing outside of shelters so people can get some sense of normalcy.  They can have a hot meal; they can have the capacity to take care of their families as their homes are being dealt with.

Number four, debris removal still important.  Number five, making sure that the National Guard and other federal assets are in place to help with getting the transportation systems back up and running -- that's going to be critical.

What I told the governors and the mayors is what I've been saying to my team since the start of this event, and that is we don't have any patience for bureaucracy, we don't have any patience for red tape, and we want to make sure that we are figuring out a way to get to yes, as opposed to no, when it comes to these problems.

The other thing I emphasized, though, is that it is much easier for us to respond if we know what these problems are out in these areas, so if everybody can help publicize the number 800-621-FEMA -- 800-621-FEMA -- then individuals can register with FEMA and immediately get the assistance that they need. 

And so the more that folks in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut understand that there are a lot of resources available for them, not just with respect to housing, but also with respect to childcare, medicine, a whole range of support, then we want to make sure that they contact us as soon as possible if they're in distress because help is available.

Let me just close by saying this:  Obviously we've now seen that after the initial search and rescue, the recovery process is difficult and it's painful.  But the governors at the local level -- Governors Christie, Cuomo, and Malloy -- they are working around the clock, their teams are working around the clock.  We are incredibly grateful to the heroism and hard work of our first responders, many of whom themselves have had their homes flooded out.  Our hearts continue to go out to those families who have been affected and who have actually lost loved ones -- that's obviously heartbreaking. 

But I'm confident that we can continue to make progress as long as state, local and federal officials stay focused.  And I can assure you everybody on this team, everybody sitting around the table has made this a number-one priority and this continues to be my number-one priority.

There's nothing more important than us getting this right.  And we're going to spend as much time, effort and energy as necessary to make sure that all the people in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut know that the entire country is behind them in this difficult recovery effort.  We are going to put not just 100 percent, but 120 percent behind making sure that they get the resources they need to rebuild and recover.

Thank you very much, everybody. 

END

Remarks by President Obama and President Clinton in Bristow, VA

Jiffy Lube Live
Bristow, Virginia

10:25 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT CLINTON:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Hello, Bristow! (Applause.)  Hello.  (Applause.)  I'm glad to be back in Virginia.  I want to thank Congressman Gerry Connolly.  I want to ask you to make sure Tim Kaine wins this election on Tuesday.  (Applause.)  And it was great to hear the Dave Matthews Band again.  (Applause.)

But, as you can see, I have given my voice in the service of my President.  (Applause.)  But I have the honor of introducing the President tonight and sort of setting up his speech.  And I want to tell you that four years ago, when he ran, both Hillary and I worked very hard -- we did, together, over a hundred appearances.  But I am much more enthusiastic about Barack Obama’s election tonight than I was even four years ago.  (Applause.)

There are five simple reasons.  First of all, in a time torn by ideological warfare and contentious partisanship, he has the right philosophy.  (Applause.)  The President knows that “we're all in this together” works a lot better than “you're on your own.”  (Applause.)  He knows that an economy that builds the middle class and gives poor people an honorable way to work their way into it is a lot better than four more years of trickle-down. We've been there, we've done that.  (Applause.)

He knows that a budget based on arithmetic is a lot better than one based on illusion.  (Applause.)  And he knows that practical cooperation is better than all this constant ideological conflict.  And we saw it, didn’t we?

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

PRESIDENT CLINTON:  We saw it in the way the President got off the campaign trail and responded to Sandy.  (Applause.)  And all over America, people were thrilled to see him working with the Republican Governor of New Jersey and the Mayor of New York City, who is an independent -- and who endorsed President Obama, in part because of this -- (applause) -- and the Democratic governors of New York and Connecticut. 

There is no Republican or Democratic way to rebuild after a flood, to save lives, to start again, to turn the electricity on, to clean the debris.  But what I want to tell you is cooperation works better when there is no disaster, and if you don't have cooperation, you have the makings of a disaster.  Barack Obama is a proven cooperator. (Applause.) 

He even offered the Republicans, unilaterally, in an attempt to get a budget deal, a trillion dollars in spending cuts.  They said, thank you very much; no deal.  We will not see one penny raised on the wealthiest Americans, even if it will get rid of $4 trillion in debt. 

But he kept going, and the door is still open. And when you reelect him, the door will be open and they will walk through that door.  (Applause.)

The second reason that I'm for President Obama is that he has done a good job with a bad hand.  Keep in mind, all through 2007 and 2008, then-Senator Obama crossed America with Senator Clinton and Senator Biden and other good Democrats, all talking about how bad the economy already was.  Medium family income after inflation was lower than it was the day I left office.  Poverty was up.  All these things Mr. Romney talks about now were true before the crash -- because of the policies he now advocates.

Then came the crash, just six weeks before the election.  And he took office when the economy was losing 800,000 jobs a month.  Now, the economy lost jobs for about 15 months.  But when it started again, and President Obama’s jobs program started kicking in, in just 33 months we've had 5.5 million jobs, as of yesterday.  (Applause.)

Now, when someone criticizes an officeholder, you have a right to ask them, compared to what?  (Laughter.)  So let’s look at our most recent comparison.  If you don't count the losses in the crash against President Bush, and you just look at the seven years after the brief slowdown we had when the .com stocks crashed a little bit and the onset of the crash in September 2008 -- just that seven-year period, there were 2.6 million private sector jobs.  In 33 months, less than half that time, twice as many jobs -- 5.5 million.  Barack Obama has done a good job with a bad hand.  (Applause.)

The third reason I'm for him is that he has fulfilled his solemn responsibility to be a good Commander-in-Chief.  (Applause.)  He has advanced the nation’s security by ending the war in Iraq, by bringing our troops home from Afghanistan -- (applause) -- by fighting terror, modernizing the military, and aggressively pursuing diplomacy to make a world with more friends and fewer adversaries.  (Applause.)

And he’s got a heck of a Secretary of State.  (Applause.)

But more important -- most important of all to me, he has shown a consistent, unbreakable commitment to take care of the men and women in uniform when they come home.  (Applause.)  

For all these reasons, he was endorsed by a self-described moderate Republican, and one of the most distinguished military leaders since World War II, General Colin Powell -- (applause) -- who also pointed out that his opponent’s main advisors are the same neo-cons that took us into war in Iraq on bad intelligence. 
Barack Obama is your choice for Commander-in-Chief.  (Applause.) 

The fourth reason I’m for him can best be described in a phrase once used by the second President Bush -- believe it or not, he said something I really agree with.  (Laughter.)  And he often got made fun of, but it’s true.  He said, the President is the “decider-in-chief.”  (Laughter.)   Okay?  So let’s look at how these deciders stack up. 

Barack Obama decided to sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  (Applause.)   And that is not just a women’s issue.  Anybody who, like me, was a kid in a family where both the mother and the father worked, know that every father with any sense wants his wife to be paid an equal amount for equal work so they can raise the kids.  (Applause.) 

Now, this law has been on the books for a couple of years now.  And when Mitt Romney, who wants to be the “decider-in-chief,” was asked, well --

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

PRESIDENT CLINTON:  Wait, wait, wait.  He was asked, well, Governor, would you have signed the bill?  (Laughter.)  I mean, folks, he’s going to have a lot harder decisions than this.  (Laughter and applause.)  I mean, there's a law; it’s been there; there's an answer to this question.  You can answer yes, or you can answer no.  But when you are the “decider-in-chief,” you don't need to just shuffle along.  You can’t do that.  (Laughter.) 

Barack Obama wants to keep funding Planned Parenthood, and Mitt Romney doesn’t.  (Applause.) 

Barack Obama decided that America could not afford to let the automobile industry die, and he saved it.  (Applause.)  And Mitt Romney opposed what he did.  And now he keeps trying to -- he’s tied himself in so many knots over this automobile deal, he could be hired as the chief contortionist for the Cirque du Soleil.  (Laughter.)  But he was against it. 

And I know something about this.  I grew up in this business.  And it wasn’t just General Motors and Chrysler.  There's a reason that all the German and Japanese companies that make cars in America -- who didn’t get a penny out of this deal  -- were for the automobile restructuring, because they knew if General Motors quit buying parts, the parts manufacturers would go down, and they were toast. 

It’s another example of “we’re all in this together” works better than “you’re on your own.”  Barack Obama made the right decision, and his opponent was wrong.  (Applause.) 

And in an unbelievable attempt to distract the voters of Ohio, where one in eight jobs depends on the car business, he accused the President of allowing Jeep to move jobs to China.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

PRESIDENT CLINTON:  Now, I have to tell you, I took that personally, because the Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio was open when I was President, and I remember how hard it was for us to get it there, and the work we did in the White House to get it there.  I know that they are expanding that plant, hiring more people, taking on new production lines.  (Applause.) 

And first Jeep said it wasn’t so; then Chrysler said Governor Romney was wrong; then even General Motors rebuked him. Now, you know, when I was a kid, and I got my hand caught in the cookie jar -- (laughter) -- well, my face sort of turned red and I took my hand out of the cookie jar.  (Laughter.)   Not Governor Romney.  He’s just digging for more cookies.  (Laughter.) 

When General Motors and Chrysler and Jeep all said this is bull, what did he do?  He then said, because Fiat owns the controlling interest in Chrysler, that the President had worked with the Italians to move jobs to China.  (Laughter.)  You know, first he took after Latinos on the immigration deal, and then a lot of other people in ways I won’t take your time up with.  Now, he’s going after the Italians?  If the Irish are next, I’m toast. (Laughter.) 

Far worse -- after every single reputable authority said this is a false charge, he put it on television and then doubled down and put more money behind the ad -- because he believes that middle-class people are so scared about their jobs and so uninformed that they will buy any line of bull they see on television.  I think they and you are smarter, and Barack Obama will be elected President again.  (Applause.) 

Finally and most important, I’m for President Obama because his plans for the future are better.  That's what really matters. (Applause.)  And in sum -- he’s going to talk about this -- but I’ll just give you a brief outline.  He wants us to begin to invest even more in the new jobs of the 21st century -- in infrastructure, in information technology, in clean energy, in manufacturing, in modern agriculture.  And he wants to educate and empower people to do those jobs.  (Applause.) 

He wants to help middle-aged, non-college-educated, long-time unemployed workers get back in the mix by going to community colleges and getting skills that will get them good jobs.  (Applause.) 

And he has literally revolutionized the student loan law.  (Applause.)  From now on, beginning next year -- listen to this  -- every person in America who has a college loan, beginning next year, will, first of all, get it at a lower cost, and will have the absolute right to pay that loan back as a low fixed percent of their income for 20 years.  (Applause.)  And since, in this last decade, we have fallen to 15th or so in the percentage of our young people with four-year college degrees, this is great.  It means nobody ever has to drop out of college again -- ever -- because of the cost.  (Applause.) 

One of the reasons middle-class people didn’t get a pay raise in the last decade is that health care costs went up so much.  The health care law has not only allowed 3 million young people to be on their parent’s insurance policy for the first time -- (applause) -- has not only made it possible, beginning next year, if he wins, for more than 30 million Americans, many with preexisting conditions, to be insured -- (applause) -- not only has made it illegal for women to be charged more than men for the same health care -- (applause) -- but for the last two years, we’ve got the lowest inflation in health care costs in 50 years.  (Applause.)  If this keeps going, the ideologues will lose every argument they have to voucherize Medicare and privatize Social Security. 

Barack Obama is doing it the right way -- bring health care costs down; bring health care coverage and quality up.  (Applause.)

Finally, he’s got a budget based on arithmetic -- cuts of $4 trillion -- $2 in spending cuts for every one dollar in revenue increases.  And he only asks people like me -- I love saying this; I never had a nickel before I left the White House -- he only asks those of us in high-income groups to pay a little more so we can balance the budget, get rid of the debt, and manage our future.

Now, how does that compare with Governor Romney’s plan?  You remember they told us at their convention that the debt was the biggest problem in the world -- remember that?  They forgot to tell us that we never had permanent debt in peacetime until they convinced everybody that government would mess up a two-car parade and that there was no such thing as a bad tax cut -- about 30 years ago.  Then they tripled and quadrupled the debt -- before I took office -- in 12 years.  Then I gave you four years of declining deficits and four years of surpluses.  (Applause.)

Then -- wait.  Then they got back in with the same old theory that Governor Romney is advancing and they doubled the debt again.  So this should explain something to you.  Obama’s plan brings the debt down and it’s based on arithmetic. 

What is Romney’s plan?  Another big tax cut for upper-income people -- you have the highest of us -- highest income people, 60 percent of the tax cut.  And then cut education and cut the investment in all these areas that are going to create 21st century jobs -- cut them a lot.  Repeal the student loan law, making the loans more expensive and harder to repay, and keeping us down there in the rankings of college graduates.  And don't produce a budget.

You say, well, Governor, you want to spend $2.5 trillion more than the President wants to spend.  You want to cut taxes $5 trillion more than he wants to cut taxes.  And you’ve only identified about a trillion dollars’ worth of tax deductions on companies that you want to repeal to lower the corporate income tax -- that's President Obama’s idea. 

But that leaves $6.5 trillion.  How are you going to fill that hole?  And even if you fill it, you won't have reduced the deficit a penny; you won't have reduced the long-term debt a penny.  How are you going to do that?  “See me about that after the election.”  (Laughter.) 

He has no budget.  I want to vote for the President who has a budget, who has a plan that will produce broad-based prosperity.  (Applause.)  I want to vote for the President who’s been a good Commander-in-Chief and a good “decider-in-chief.”  (Applause.)  I want to vote for a President who’s been through the fire of these last four years and brought America out on the other side ready to take off.  (Applause.) 

And lastly, just remember this.  You know, Governor Romney has promised us 12 million jobs.  You’ve all heard it, haven’t you?  He says, “by just electing me.”  (Laughter.)  People will be so elated -- (laughter) -- that you're going to get 12 million jobs. 

Now, I'm sure it was just an oversight -- (laughter) -- or as the President has told us, America is in the grip of this huge public health epidemic.  There’s this virus going all over America, backed by hundreds of millions of dollars, spreading a condition known as Romnesia.  (Laughter.)  And it is so prevalent that even his opponent could have picked up a little of it.  But anyway, he forgot to tell you that just days before he promised you that 12 million jobs, a distinguished independent business forecaster, Moody’s Analytics, said, we're going get 12 million jobs in the next four years if we just don't mess up what President Obama has already done.  (Applause.)

So it is my great honor to introduce to you -- (applause) -- the next President, the “decider-in-chief,” the Commander-in-Chief, the man who brought you back and will take us forward -- Barack Obama!  (Applause.)  

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Virginia!  (Applause.)  Are you fired up?  Are you ready to go?  (Applause.) 

You've got to be fired up after Bill Clinton.  (Applause.)  He has been traveling all across the country for this campaign.  He’s been laying out the stakes so well that our team basically calls him the “Secretary of Explainin’ Stuff.”  (Laughter.) 

The only Clinton working harder than him is our Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.  (Applause.)  And I am so grateful to both of them.  The only problem is, I was in the back -- I was enjoying listening to President Clinton so much, I had to run up to get my cue.  (Laughter.)  I was sitting there, just soaking it all in. (Laughter.)  He was a great President; he has been a great friend.  So I want everybody to give President Bill Clinton a big round of applause.  (Applause.)   

Speaking of outstanding public servants, your next senator, your former governor, Tim Kaine, is in the house.  (Applause.)   Your outstanding Congressman, Gerry Connolly, is here.  (Applause.)  And I want everybody to please thank Dave Matthews for the outstanding performance.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  (Applause.)  And I'm glad to see all of you. 

For the past several days, obviously, all of us have been focused on the devastation that’s been taking place all along the East Coast.  Virginia got hit but was spared some of the worst brunt of the storm.  But I've been to New Jersey; we've been on the phone every day with folks from Connecticut and New York.  And as a nation, we mourn those who have been lost.  Our hearts and prayers go out to the families who are going through just some unbearable pain.  So many folks have been impacted. 

It's going to be a long, hard road to recovery.  But every time I've spoken to folks in the region, what I've told them is that America will be with them every step of the way.  (Applause.)  America will be there on this hard road ahead.  We will help them rebuild together, because that’s what we do as Americans.  (Applause.)

Which is why, during the course of tragedy, we've also been inspired over these last few days by heroes -- firefighters and National Guardsmen and women, and EMS folks, and police officers running into buildings, wading through water; neighbors helping neighbors cope with tragedy; leaders of different political parties working together to fix what’s broken, not worrying about who's getting credit, not worrying about the politics of it; a spirit that says no matter how bad a storm is, we bounce back.  No matter how tough times are, we’re all in this together.  We rise or fall as one nation and as one people.  (Applause.)

And that spirit -- that spirit has guided this country along its improbable journey for more than two centuries.  It’s what’s carried us through the trials and tribulations of the last four years. 

Remember in 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  Today, our businesses have created nearly 5.5 million new jobs.  (Applause.) The American auto industry is back on top.  Home values are on the rise.  Housing construction is coming back.  We’re less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in the last 20 years.  Because of the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform, the war in Iraq is over.  (Applause.)  The war in Afghanistan is coming to a close.  Al Qaeda has been decimated.  And Osama bin Laden is dead.  We are safer than we were four years ago.  (Applause.)

So we’ve made real progress, Virginia.  We’ve made real progress.  But, Virginia, we’re here tonight not only to listen to Dave Matthews -- (laughter) -- not only to hear “the master,” Bill Clinton, break things down for us -- (applause) -- but we’re also here because we’ve got more work to do.

As long as there’s a single American who wants a job and can’t find one, our work is not yet done.  As long as there are families working harder but still falling behind, our work is not yet done.  As long as there’s a child anywhere in Virginia, anywhere in this country, who is languishing in poverty and barred from opportunity, our work is not yet done.  We’ve got more work to do.  (Applause.)

Our fight goes on, Virginia, because we know this nation can’t succeed without a growing, thriving middle class.  Our fight goes on because America has always done best when everybody has a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same rules.  That’s what we believe. 
That’s why you elected Bill Clinton in ‘92.  That’s why you elected me in ‘08.  That’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States.    (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, Virginia, in three days, you’ve got a choice to make.  And even if you’ve made the choice, you’ve got to go talk to some folks who haven’t.  (Applause.)  And you’ve got to tell them it’s not just a choice between two candidates or two parties.  It’s a choice between two different visions of America.  It’s a choice between top-down economics that crashed our economy -- or bottom-up, middle-out economics that create a strong and growing middle class.  (Applause.)

As Americans, we honor the strivers and the dreamers, the entrepreneurs, the small business people, the risk-takers, who are the driving force behind our free enterprise system.  And we believe the free enterprise system is the greatest engine of growth and prosperity the world has ever known.  But we also know, in this country, the market works best, the free enterprise system works best, more businesses are created, more jobs are created, when everybody has a chance to succeed -- (applause) -- when everybody has the chance to get a good education and learn new skills; when we support research into medical breakthroughs or new technologies -- because we know that we can't do that on our own.  We’ve got to pool our resources to discover the future.

We know that America is stronger when everybody can count on affordable health insurance, when everybody can count on Medicare and Social Security to give them a dignified retirement.  We know the market works better when there are rules of the road to protect kids from toxic dumping; to protect consumers from being taken advantage of by unscrupulous credit card companies or mortgage lenders. 

We believe that there’s a role for rules and regulations that are smart, and then we also believe there are some things we should leave to the people.  For example, we don't think politicians in Washington are very smart about controlling health care choices that women are perfectly capable of making themselves.  (Applause.)

Now, for eight years, we had a President who shared these beliefs -- you just heard him.  (Applause.)  President Clinton’s economic plan asked the wealthiest Americans to pay a little bit more so we could reduce our deficit and invest in the skills and ideas of our people.  And the interesting thing is, at the time, the Republicans in Congress -- and a certain Senate candidate by the name of Mitt Romney --

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Don't boo --

AUDIENCE:  Vote!

THE PRESIDENT:  You got to vote.  Don't boo.

But this Senate candidate named Mitt Romney said that Bill Clinton’s plan would hurt the economy and would kill jobs.  Sound familiar? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE PRESIDENT:  It turns out his math was just as bad back then as it is today.  (Laughter.)  Because by the end of President Clinton’s second term, America had created 23 million new jobs.  Incomes were up.  Poverty was down.  Our deficit became the biggest surplus in history.   (Applause.)

So, Virginia, we know that our ideas work.  What about their ideas?  We tried those, too.  After Bill Clinton left office, for eight years we tried giving big tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.  We tried to strip away regulations so that Wall Street and insurance companies and oil companies were free to do whatever they pleased.  And what did we get?  Falling incomes, record deficits, the slowest job growth in half a century, and an economic crisis that we’ve been cleaning up after ever since.

So we tried one way; it worked.  We tried another way; it didn't work -- which presents a dilemma for Governor Romney, since he wants to go back to the same policies that didn’t work.

Governor Romney is a very talented salesman.  So in this campaign, he has tried as hard as he can to repackage these same ideas, and he's got I think President Clinton called it "the brass" to call it change.  (Laughter.) 

Now, let me tell you, we know what change looks like.  (Applause.)  We know what change looks like, and what Governor Romney is selling ain’t it.  (Applause.)  Giving more power to the biggest banks isn’t change.  Another $5 trillion tax cut for the wealthy -- that’s not change.  Refusing to answer questions about the details of your policies until after the election -- that’s definitely not change.  (Applause.)  Ruling out compromise by pledging to rubber-stamp the tea party folks in Congress -- that’s not change.

AUDIENCE:  Booo --

THE PRESIDENT:  Changing the facts when they’re inconvenient to your campaign -- not change.  (Applause.)  I mean, that’s old. That’s the attitude in Washington that needs to change.  (Applause.)

Now, Virginia, after four years as President, you know me.  (Applause.)  You know me.  So when you're trying to sort through this argument about change, part of what you have to ask yourself is, who do you trust? 

AUDIENCE:  You!

THE PRESIDENT:  When you're talking about the economy and policy that’s so critical to our future, you've got to ask yourself, who do you trust? 

AUDIENCE:  You!

THE PRESIDENT:  You may not agree with every decision I’ve made -- Michelle doesn’t agree with every decision I've made.  (Laughter.)  There may be times when you're frustrated at the pace of change -- I'm frustrated sometimes with the pace of change.  But you know I mean what I say and I say what I mean.  (Applause.)  You know what I believe.  You know where I stand.

When I said we would end the war in Iraq, we ended it.  (Applause.)  When I said we would pass health care reform, we passed it.  (Applause.)  When I said we’d repeal "don't ask, don't tell," we repealed it.  (Applause.)  You know I tell the truth.   And most importantly, you know I will fight for you and your families every single day, as hard as I know how.  (Applause.)   

So let me tell you, I know what real change looks like because I’ve fought for it.  I've got the scars to prove it.  And you have, too.  And after all we’ve been through together, we can’t give up on it now.  We've got to keep pushing forward.  That’s why I'm running for a second term.  That’s why I need your vote.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  Virginia, let me describe very briefly -- I know folks are cold -- but let me describe -- (laughter) -- what am I talking about when I'm talking about forward?  What do you I mean by real change?

Change is a country where every American has a shot at a great education.  (Applause.)  Now, government alone can't do that.  Parents, you've got to parent; students, you've got to study.  But don’t tell me that hiring more teachers won’t help our economy grow.  Don’t tell me that students who can’t afford college should just borrow money from their parents.  That wasn’t an option for me; it wasn't an option for Bill Clinton -- I'll bet it’s not an option for a lot of you. 

That’s why I want to cut the growth of tuition in half over the next 10 years.  (Applause.)  That’s why I want to recruit 100,000 math and science teachers so we don’t fall behind the rest of the world.  (Applause.)  That’s why I want to train 2 million Americans at our community colleges to get the skills businesses are hiring for right now. 

That’s real change.  That’s what we're fighting for in this election.  That’s what's at stake. 

I want us to live up to this country’s legacy of innovation. I’m proud I bet on American workers and the American auto industry.  But I'm even prouder we're not just building cars again, we're building better cars -- cars that by the middle of the next decade will go twice as far on a gallon of gas.  (Applause.)  That kind of innovation, that kind of forward thinking, we don’t have to restrict it just to the auto industry -- I want to bring manufacturing back on all kinds of things. 

We've got thousands of workers building long-lasting batteries, building wind turbines all across the country.  So instead of subsidizing oil companies' profits when they're making money hand over fist, I want to support energy jobs of tomorrow, which will cut our oil imports in half, which will help our environment, help our national security.  I don’t want a tax code that rewards companies for creating those jobs overseas -- I want to reward companies that are creating those jobs in Virginia.  (Applause.)  That’s the future I see for this country.

Change is turning the page on a decade of war so we can focus on nation-building here at home.  As long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we'll pursue our enemies with the strongest military the world has ever known.  And Virginia carries more than its load when it comes to defending this country, and we are grateful to this state.  But we also understand, to be strong it's time to use some of the savings from winding down two wars to pay down our debt and rebuild America -- fixing roads, putting folks back to work rebuilding our bridges, making sure our schools are state of the art.  (Applause.)

And that’s especially important for our veterans.  We want to put them to work -- because if they have fought for our country and defended our freedom, they shouldn’t have to fight for a job when they come home.  (Applause.)  That’s my commitment to them.  That’s what's at stake in this election. 

And President Clinton talked about it -- we've got to reduce our deficit.  That’s real change.  But we've got to do it in a balanced, responsible way.  I’ve signed a trillion dollars’ worth of spending -- we can do more.  But if we’re serious about deficit reduction, if we're not just using it in TV ads and then once you get into office -- like Dick Cheney -- he said, "it doesn’t matter" -- then we also have to ask the wealthiest Americans to go back to the tax rates that they paid when President Clinton was in office.  (Applause.) 

And the reason is because budgets are about choices, about priorities.  What are we going to invest in?  As long as I'm President, I'm not going to turn Medicare into a voucher just to pay for another millionaire's tax cut.  (Applause.) 

So, Virginia, we know what change is.  We know what the future requires.  We know, also, that it won’t be easy.  Back in 2008, I talked about this.  I warned some of you -- maybe you weren't believing me -- I said, change -- real change -- isn't just about changing presidents or changing parties, it's about changing our politics.  (Applause.)  

I ran because the voices of the American people -- your voices –- had been shut out of our democracy for too long by lobbyists and special interests, and politicians who were willing to say anything and do anything just to keep things the way they are -- the protectors, the guardians of the status quo.  And that status quo in Washington has fought us every step of the way over the last four years. 

They spent millions of dollars trying to prevent us from reforming health care, millions of dollars trying to prevent us from reforming Wall Street.  They engineered a strategy of gridlock in Congress, refusing to compromise on ideas that in the past both Democrats and Republicans had supported. 

And what they’re counting on now is that you're going to be so worn down by all the squabbling, so tired of the dysfunction, so weary of what goes on, on Capitol Hill, that you're just going to give up and walk away --

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  -- and just put them back in power, or let them stay there.  In other words, their bet is on cynicism. 

But, Virginia, my bet is on you.  (Applause.)  My bet is on you and the decency and the good sense of the American people. And it’s not a partisan bet I’m making.  When the other party has been willing to work with me to help the middle class, I’m right there with them.  I’m happy about it.  I would have less gray hair if they're ready to go.  Come on.  (Laughter.) 

When we cut taxes for middle-class families and small businesses, we had some Republican support -- that was great.  We had some courageous Republican senators work with us to repeal “don't ask, don't tell” -- we celebrated them.  (Applause.)  We embraced them. 

I’ll work with anybody of any party to move this country forward.  And, Virginia, if you want to break the gridlock in Congress, you’ll vote for leaders like Tim Kaine who feel the same way, whether they're Democrats, Republicans or independents -- (applause) -- leaders who will put people first and put the election aside for a moment.

But we’re still going to have some fights because there are some values that are at stake.  There are some principles we’ve got to fight for.  If the price of peace in Washington is cutting deals that will kick students off financial aid, or get rid of funding for Planned Parenthood, or let insurance companies discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, or eliminate health care for millions on Medicaid who are poor or elderly or disabled, or kick kids off of Head Start -- I’m not buying that.  That's not a price I’m willing to pay.  (Applause.) That's not bipartisanship.  That's not change.  That's surrender to the same status quo that has hurt middle-class families and everybody who is striving to get into the middle class for way too long.

And, Virginia, I’m here and I’m running for a second term because I’m not ready to give up on that fight.  (Applause.)  I’m not ready to give up on that fight.  And I hope you aren’t either. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  I hope you aren’t either.

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  The folks at the very top in this country don't need another champion in Washington.  They will always have a seat at the table.  They’ll always have access and influence.  Regardless of who is President, they’ll find a way to have their voices heard.  They’ve got money they can spend.  There are lobbyists they can hire. 

The people who need a champion are the Americans whose letters I read late at night after a long day in the office; the men and women I meet on the campaign trail every day.  The laid-off furniture worker who’s having to retrain at the age of 55 for a new career in a new industry -- she needs a champion. 

The restaurant owner who has got great food but needs a loan to expand and the bank turned him down -- he needs a champion.  (Applause.)  The cooks and the wait staff and the cleaning staff working overtime in some Vegas hotel, trying to save enough to buy a first home or send their kids to college -- they need a champion.  (Applause.)

The autoworker who got laid off and thought the plant would never reopen, and now he’s back on the job, filled with pride and dignity, not just because he’s building a great car, but he knows he’s building America -- he needs a champion.  (Applause.)

That teacher who is in an overcrowded classroom, digging into her own pocket for school supplies, not always getting the support she needs, but knowing every day, maybe she’s touching that one child and something is going to break through -- she needs a champion.  (Applause.)

All those kids in inner cities and small farm towns, in the valleys of Ohio, in these rolling Virginia hills -- kids dreaming of becoming scientists or doctors or engineers or entrepreneurs or diplomats or businessmen or even a President -- they need a champion in Washington because they don't have lobbyists.  (Applause.)  The future never has lobbyists, but it’s the dreams of those children that will be our saving grace. 

And that's why I need you, Virginia, to make sure their voices are heard, to make sure your voices are heard.  (Applause.)  We have come too far to turn back now.  (Applause.) We’ve come too far to let our hearts grow faint.  Now is the time to keep pushing forward -- educate all our kids, train all our workers, create new jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, discover new sources of energy, broaden opportunity, grow our middle class, restore our democracy -- and make sure that no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like, no matter what your last name is, no matter who you love, you can make it in America if you try.  (Applause.)

And, Virginia, that's why I’m asking for your vote.  (Applause.) 

I was backstage with David Plouffe -- some of you guys know he’s sort of a mastermind of campaign organization.  And we were talking about how, as the campaign goes on, we’ve become less relevant.  I’m sort of a prop in the campaign.  (Laughter.)  He’s just bothering a bunch of folks calling, asking what’s going on. But the power -- the power is not with us anymore.  The planning, everything we do, it doesn't matter -- because now it’s all up to you.  (Applause.) 

It’s up to the volunteers.  It’s up to somebody knocking on a door.  It’s up to somebody making a phone call.  (Applause.)  It’s up to somebody talking to their mom or their dad, or their wife or their husband, or grandma or grandpa.  And that's how democracy is supposed to be.  It’s up to you!  (Applause.)  You’ve got the power.  (Applause.)

And that's why I need you, Virginia.  Don't get tired.  Don't get weary.  (Applause.)  If you’re willing to knock on some doors with me, and make some phone calls for me, grab some friends for me -- (applause) -- turn out to vote for me, we’ll win Virginia.  (Applause.)  We’ll win this election.  (Applause.) We’ll finish what we started.  We’ll move forward.  Together we’ll renew the bonds and reaffirm the spirit that makes the United States of America the greatest nation on Earth.  (Applause.)

God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

END
11:18 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the President in Lima, OH

Lima Senior High School
Lima, Ohio

4:03 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Ohio!  (Applause.)  Hello, Spartans! (Applause.)  Can everybody please give John a big round of applause for that great introduction?  (Applause.)  Let’s give it up for your former governor, our friend, Ted Strickland.  (Applause.) 

It is good to be in Lima.  (Applause.)  It’s good to be here.  Good to be back.  I have missed you guys.  I hadn’t been here in a while.  (Applause.) 

Obviously, for the past few days, all of us have been focused on what’s been happening on the East Coast in one of the worst storms in our lifetime.  A lot of people died, and our hearts go out to the families.  They’re in our thoughts and prayers.  

And I was in Jersey a couple of days ago.  I’ve been talking to the governors and the mayors every day over the last week.  And what I’ve been telling them is it’s not just me, it’s the entire country, including the people of Ohio, who stand with them.  We are going to stand with the people of New York -- (applause) -- stand with the people of New Jersey, stand with the people of Connecticut, stand with the people of West Virginia every step of the way.  We will not stop until we have rebuilt.  That’s what we’re going to do.  (Applause.)  That’s what we’re going to do. 

And the interesting thing is when you go through something like this, when you see a crisis of this proportion, it’s terrible and it’s sad, but you also are inspired by what you see -- by heroes running into buildings and wading through water to save others; neighbors helping neighbors cope with tragedy; leaders of different political parties working to fix what’s broken, instead of trying to figure out how to score political points.  (Applause.)  It’s a spirit that says no matter how bad the storm is, no matter how tough times may get, we always bounce back.  (Applause.)  We’re all in this together, as one nation and as one people.  (Applause.) 

That spirit has guided this country along its improbable journey for more than two centuries.  And it’s what’s carried us through the trials and tribulations of the last four years. 

Remember, in 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.  Today, our businesses have created nearly 5.5 million new jobs -- and this morning, we learned that companies hired more workers in October than at any time in the last eight months.  (Applause.) 

Home values are on the rise.  Housing construction is moving up.  We’re less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in the last 20 years.  Because of the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform, the war in Iraq is over.  (Applause.)  The war in Afghanistan is coming to a close.  Al Qaeda has been decimated, and Osama bin Laden is dead.  (Applause.) 

Oh, oh, oh -- and one more thing, an American auto industry that had been written off is back on top of the world.  (Applause.) 

So we’ve made real progress these last four years.  But, Ohio, we’re here because we know we’ve got more work to do.  As long as there is a single American who wants a job and can’t find one; as long as there are families who are working harder and harder but falling behind; as long as there’s a child somewhere in Lima or anywhere in Ohio, or anywhere in the country who is languishing in poverty and barred from opportunity, then our fight goes on.  Our work is not yet done. 

Our fight goes on because we know that this nation cannot succeed without a growing and thriving middle class.  Our fight goes on because America always does best, always thrives when everybody gets a fair shot, when everybody is doing their fair share, when everybody is playing by the same rules.  (Applause.) That’s what we believe.  That's why you elected me in 2008.  And that’s why I’m running for a second term as President.  (Applause.)

Did I hear some drums back there?  (Applause.)  We’ve got the band right here.  (Applause.)  I like that.  (Laughter.)  Everybody give it up for the band.  (Applause.) 

Now, Ohio, in four days, you’ve got a choice to make -- it’s not just a choice between two candidates or two parties.  It’s a choice about two different visions for America.  It’s a choice between a return to the top-down economic policies that almost crashed our economy -- or a future that’s build on a strong and growing middle class.  (Applause.) 

When we talk about the economy -- I want everybody to be clear -- we honor the entrepreneurs, the small business people, the strivers, the dreamers, the risk-takers.  They’re the force behind our free enterprise system, and that free enterprise system is the greatest engine or grown and prosperity the world has ever known. 

But we also believe that the market works, our economy grows, jobs are created, people succeed when we give everybody a good education -- (applause) -- we give everybody the chance to learn new skills; when we invest in research and medical breakthroughs and new technologies.

We believe America is stronger when everybody can count on affordable health insurance, when everybody can count on Medicare and Social Security.  (Applause.)  When there are rules to protect our kids from pollution; when there are rule in place to protect consumers from being taken advantage of by credit card companies or mortgage lenders.

We believe that our democracy works best when everybody has a voice.  And we believe that politicians need to know that they should focus on creating jobs and growing the economy, but they don’t need to control health care choices that women can make for themselves.  (Applause.)

And here’s the thing, Lima -- for eight years, we had a President who shared our beliefs -- his name was Bill Clinton. (Applause.)  And his economic plan asked the wealthiest to pay a little bit more so we could reduce our deficit and invest in the skills and ideas of our people.   And you know what, at the time, Republicans in Congress and a Senate candidate by the name of Mitt Romney said Bill Clinton’s plan would hurt the economy and kill jobs.  Sound familiar?  It turns out his math was just as bad back then as it is today.  (Laughter.)  Because by the end of President Clinton’s second term, America had created 23 million new jobs.  Incomes were up.  Poverty was down.  Our deficit became the biggest surplus in history. 

So, Ohio, we’ve tried our ideas and they worked.  They worked.  We tried the other folks’ ideas -- they don’t work.  Because we tried those -- for the eight years before I took office, we tried their ideas.  We tried giving big tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.  We tried giving insurance companies and oil companies and Wall Street a free license to do whatever they pleased.  And what did we get?  We got falling incomes, record deficits, the slowest job growth in half a century, and an economic crisis that we’ve been cleaning up after ever since.   

So our ideas work; their ideas don’t.  Our ideas help the middle class; their ideas squeeze the middle class.  Our ideas are responsible for reducing the deficit; their ideas are responsible for raising it.

Now, Governor Romney is a very talented salesman.  And in this campaign, he’s tried as hard as he can to repackage these bad ideas and offer them up as change.  He says suddenly -- he now suddenly he’s the candidate of change.  (Laughter.)  But we know what change looks like, and what he’s trying to sell, that ain’t it.  (Applause.)  It ain’t it.

Giving more power to the biggest banks -- that's not change. Another $5 trillion tax cut that favors the wealthy -- not change.  Refusing to answer questions about the details of your policies until after the election -- not change.  That’s the oldest trick in the book.

Ruling out compromise, pledging to rubber-stamp the tea party’s agenda in Congress -- not change.  Trying to change the facts when they’re inconvenient to your political campaign -- that's definitely not change.  That’s what Governor Romney has been doing these last few weeks.   

Right here in Ohio -- John talked about this -- folks who work at Jeep plants have been having their employers; they’re all worried -- are we losing our jobs?  Are our jobs being shipped to China?  And then their bosses are having to say, what are you talking about?  And the reason they're worried is because Governor Romney is running an ad that says so.  The problem is it’s not true.  The car companies themselves have said, no, we’re adding jobs here in Ohio; we’re hiring workers, putting in a new plant, new equipment.  The head of GM said creating jobs in the United States should be a source of bipartisan pride.  I couldn’t agree more.

Look, I understand Governor Romney has had a tough time here in Ohio because he was against saving the auto industry.  And it’s hard to run away from a position when you’re on videotape saying, “let Detroit go bankrupt.”  But you’ve got own what you say.  This isn’t a game.  These are people’s jobs at stake.  These are people’s lives.  Companies like GM and Chrysler, they put a lot of time and effort and money into building up their brand, and letting Americans know that the American auto industry is back.  And we don’t want suddenly a bunch of ads saying stuff that’s not true.  You don’t scare hardworking Americans just to scare up some votes.  That's not what being President is all about. 

When I made the decision to rescue the auto industry, it wasn’t popular, even here in Ohio.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  It was to me!  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  But I knew it was the right thing to do.  Betting on American workers was the right thing to do.  Betting on American ingenuity and know-how, that was the right thing to do.  (Applause.)  And that paid off in Lordstown, in Toledo, where companies are creating new auto jobs -- not in China -- right here in Ohio, right here in United States of America.  (Applause.) 

So, the thing is here, as you make this choice, as you talk to your friends or your neighbors, you got to remind them one of the things you’re choosing is about an issue of trust.  After four years as President, you know me.  (Applause.)  You may not agree with every decision I’ve made.  You may be frustrated sometimes at the pace of change.  But you know that I say what I mean and I mean what I say.  (Applause.)  You know what I believe.  You know where I stand.  You know I tell the truth.  (Applause.)  And you know I fight for working families every single day, as hard as I know how.  (Applause.) 

So when I tell you I know what real change looks like, I know because I’ve got the scars to prove it.  I fought for it.  (Applause.)  And you guys have been there with me.  And after all we’ve been through together, we can’t give up now.  We cannot give up now. 

So let me tell you about change over the next four years.  Change is a country where every young American has a shot at a good education.  (Applause.)  That’s not just the government’s job.  Parents -- we’ve got to parent.  Students -- you got to study.  But don’t tell me that hiring more teachers won't help grow this economy.  Don’t tell me that students who can’t afford college should just borrow money from their parents.  That wasn’t an option for me; it probably wasn’t an option for a whole lot of you. 

That’s why I want to cut the growth of tuition in half over the next 10 years.  (Applause.)  That’s why I want to recruit 100,000 math and science teachers so our kids don’t fall behind the rest of the world.  (Applause.)  I want to train 2 million Americans at our community colleges with the skills that businesses are looking for right now.  That’s how you grow an economy.  That’s how you create jobs.  Educate folks, make sure we’ve got the best workers in the world.  That’s what will attract more companies to want to start here and stay here.  That’s what change is.  That’s what we’re fighting for in this election.   

Change comes when we live up to this country’s legacy of innovation.  We’re not just building cars again; we’re building better cars.  I was talking to John backstage -- the cars we’re building now are better.  They’re smarter, more durable, and these are cars that by the middle of the next decade will go twice as far on a gallon of gas -- (applause) -- which, by the way, that saves you money, but it also makes us more energy independent.  That’s good for our national security, it’s good for our environment.

Today there are thousands of workers here in Ohio and all across the country building long-lasting batteries, building wind turbines, building clean energy sources for the future.  I don’t want to subsidize oil company profits when they’re making hand over fist.  I want to support the energy jobs of tomorrow -- the advanced manufacturing of tomorrow.  I want to cut our oil imports in half.  I want that work done here in America.  I want to reward companies for creating jobs here in Ohio.  (Applause.) I want to reward companies to create the next generation of manufacturing here in America, making products stamped with the words:  Made in America -- with American workers.  That's what we're fighting for.  That's the future I see for this country.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  Change -- real change -- is turning the page on a decade of war so we can do some nation-building here at home.  (Applause.)  Now, as long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will pursue our enemies with the strongest military the world has ever known.  (Applause.)  But it’s time to use the savings from ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to pay down our debt, to rebuild America.  Let’s put workers back to work right now, repairing roads and bridges, making sure our schools are state of the art all across this country.  (Applause.)  

And let’s focus on our veterans as they come home -- (applause) -- because anybody who fights for our freedom shouldn’t have to fight for a job or a roof over their heads when they come home.  (Applause.) 

That’s my commitment to our veterans, but that's also what’s going to keep us strong.  And that's what’s at stake in this election.   

Now, change is a future where we reduce our deficit, but we do it in a balanced, responsible way.  I've cut a trillion dollars’ worth of spending; I intend to do more.  But if we're serious about the deficit, and we also want to make sure we're still helping kids go to school, investing in basic research that creates new products and new jobs, making sure that our roads are straight, that we've got cutting-edge infrastructure all across the country, that we're sending broadband lines into rural communities -- if we're going to make sure we're competitive, then we can't just cut our way to prosperity.  We've also got to ask the wealthiest Americans to go back to the tax rates they were paying when Bill Clinton was in office.  (Applause.) 

And let me tell you, I will be fine without a tax cut.  I really will.  Mitt Romney will definitely be fine without a tax cut.  (Laughter.)  Don't need it.  And as long as I'm President, I'm not going to turn Medicare into a voucher just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut.  (Applause.)  I’m not going to make young people pay more to go to college just for a tax cut for me or Mitt Romney.  (Applause.)

So, Lima, we know what change is.  We know what the future requires.  And, by the way, we know it’s not going to be easy.  These last four years we had to fight, and it’s never going to be easy.  We talked about this in 2008.  When I ran in 2008, I wasn’t just talking about changing presidents; I wasn’t just talking about changing parties.  I was talking about changing our politics. 

I ran because the voices of the American people -- your voices -- had been shut out of our democracy for way too long by lobbyists and special interests, by politicians who will do whatever it takes and say whatever it takes to keep things just the way they are -- protectors of the status quo.  And over the last four years, the status quo in Washington has fought us every step of the way. 

They spent millions to try to stop us from reforming health care; spent millions trying to stop us from reforming Wall Street; spent millions trying to stop us from reforming our student loan programs.  They engineered a strategy of gridlock in Congress, refusing to compromise even on ideas that they used to support. 

And what they're counting on now is that you’re going to be so fed up, so worn down by all the squabbling, all the arguing in Washington, so tired of all the dysfunction, that you’re just going to give up, walk away, and let them go ahead and keep their power. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  No?  No. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  In other words, they’re betting on cynicism. Ohio, my bet is on you.  (Applause.)  My bet is on hope.  My bet is on the decency and goodness of the American people.  (Applause.)  And my fight is for you.

Look, I would love to see peace and cooperation in Washington.  I'd love it.  That would make my life easier.  (Laughter.)  And when the other party has been with me to help middle-class families, to help working families, I've worked with them happily -- like when we cut taxes for middle-class families and small businesses, some of them supported me.  When we came together to repeal “don't ask, don't tell,” some courageous Republican senators supported that.  (Applause.)

I will work with anybody, of any party, to move this country forward.  (Applause.)  And if you want to break the gridlock in Congress, you're going to vote for leaders who feel the same way whether they're Democrats, Republicans or independents -- people who are willing to put people first instead of putting elections first.  (Applause.)

But if the price of peace in Washington is cutting deals that kick students off of financial aid, or getting rid of funding for Planned Parenthood, or let insurance companies discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, or eliminate health care for millions on Medicaid who are poor or elderly or disabled -- I’m not going with that.  (Applause.)

That's too high a price to pay.  That's not bipartisanship.  That's not change.  That's just surrendering to the same status quo that’s hurt middle-class families for way too long.  And I don't know about you, Ohio, but I’m not ready to give up on the fight.  I may have gotten grayer, but I’m still determined.  I’m determined to help working families all across Ohio.  I’m determined to build ladders of opportunity for folks who are having a hard time but want to get into that middle class.

And I hope you’re not tired either. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  I hope you’re not weary.

AUDIENCE:  No! 

The folks at the very top in this country, they don't need another champion in Washington.  They’ll always have a seat at the table.  They’ll always have access.  They’ll always have influence.  We understand that.  But the people who really need a champion are the Americans whose letters I read late at night; the men and women I meet on the campaign trail every day; the laid-off furniture worker who’s retraining at the age of 55 for a new career at a community college -- she needs a champion. 

The restaurant owner who needs a loan to expand after the bank turned him down -- he needs a champion.  The cooks and the waiters, and the cleaning staff working overtime in some Vegas hotel, trying to save enough to buy a first home or send their kid to college -- they need a champion.   

The autoworker who was laid off and thought the plant would never reopen, and now is back on the job filled with pride and dignity, building a car -- he needs a champion.  (Applause.)

All those kids -- all the kids in inner cities and small farm towns -- black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, able, disabled -- kids all across this country, in rolling hills in Virginia, or in the valleys of Ohio, or right here in Lima, kids dreaming of becoming scientists or doctors, engineers or entrepreneurs, diplomats or even a President -- they need a champion in Washington.  (Applause.)  They need somebody fighting for them because the future is theirs but they’ll never have lobbyists in Washington working for them, they need a President who is working for them.  (Applause.)  They need a President who is fighting for them.  (Applause.) 

And that's why I need you, Ohio -- to make sure their voices are heard, to make sure your voices are heard.  We’ve come too far to turn back now.  We’ve come too far to let our hearts grow faint.  Now is the time to keep pushing forward to educate all our kids, to train all our workers, to create new jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, discover new sources of energy, broaden opportunity, grow our middle class, restore our democracy, and to make sure that no matter what you look like or where you come from, what your last name, where you started, no matter what, you can make it in America if you try.  (Applause.)

Ohio, that’s why I need your vote.  And if you’re willing to work with me and knock on some doors with me, and make some phone calls with me, and turn out to the polls with me, we’ll win this election.  We’ll win Ohio.  (Applause.)  We’ll strengthen the bonds between our people.  We’ll refer -- we’ll reaffirm the spirit that makes the United States of America the greatest nation on Earth. 

God bless you and God bless the United States of America.  Now let’s go vote!  (Applause.)

END
4:28 P.M. EDT