BARACK OBAMA Thank you, Iowa. You know, they said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high. They said this country was too divided; too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose. But on this January night – at this defining moment in history – you have done…

BARACK OBAMA Ten months ago, I stood on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, and began an unlikely journey to change America. I did not run for the presidency to fulfill some long-held ambition or because I believed it was somehow owed to me. I chose to run in this election…

BARACK OBAMA Thank you Lee, for hosting me here at the Wilson Center, and for your leadership of both the 9/11 Commission and the Iraq Study Group. You have been a steady voice of reason in an unsteady time. Let me also say that my thoughts and prayers are with your colleague, Haleh Esfandiari, and…

BARACK OBAMA Let me begin by saying thanks to all you who’ve traveled, from far and wide, to brave the cold today. We all made this journey for a reason. It’s humbling, but in my heart I know you didn’t come here just for me, you came here because you believe in what this country…

BARACK OBAMA On behalf of the great state of Illinois, crossroads of a nation, land of Lincoln, let me express my deep gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention. Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let’s face it, my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign student,…