Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Armani exchange cuts an extra $10 off all men’s polo shirts as part of its latest sale. That’s among the best sales we’ve seen from Armani Exchange this year. Shipping starts at $6, or get free shipping on orders of $100 or more via coupon code “SPRING09″. Sales tax is added where applicable.
Balding, sweaty 40-something men in Fred Perry polo shirts were transported back to the late 1970s as they bounced around unselfconsciously, while post-Margaret Thatcher indie kids sloshed their pints in the air and enjoyed this unique experience for the first time. No one was standing with their arms folded here.
There has recently been a new range of Ed Hardy shirts
released - here are my recommendations for the best designs.
‘Red Cross Fun’ t shirt - A red cross nurse and a heart.
Available background is red. Unlikely to be a fake because
this print is brand new.
‘King Skull’ t shirt - A green skull, crown and wings. A
long sleeve t shirt in charcoal. Sales of this one have
been huge and it will continue to be a hot item as we head
up to Christmas.
‘EH Eagle’ t shirt - An eagle, skull with the Ed Hardy
banner. Rose edging. The backgrounds available are black or
army green / grey.
‘Devil Pin Up’ t shirt - A pin up girl, with a heart and
dagger. It’s available on black.
Men’s ‘Death or Glory Platinum’ Long Sleeved T-Shirt - This
is my favorite. The foreground design is a skull with a
dagger, death or glory banner. The background has some nice
detailing in the design. Available in charcoal or chocolate.
Whether you’re buying for yourself or for a gift, if you
buy one of the new Ed Hardy designs mentioned above you’re
sure to look great on the street, and turn heads.
Company Info
The company is currently run by the Lacoste family. Procter and Gamble is license-holder for the fragrance line. Lacoste is headquartered in Paris. Lacoste currently has its production capital in Troyes, France, though they delegate production of international clothing to numerous factories in over 12 countries around the world, including those found in Peru, Morocco, Indonesia, Romania and Italy. After a 2 year search in the Central American region, Lacoste established production for its US customers in the Miramar Free Trade Zone in El Salvador. El Salvador operations will be managed by a new the local subsidiary Textil El Salvador (TRANS). More information for Men’s lacoste polo shirts is here.
History
In 1963, Bernard Lacoste took over the management of the company from his father René. Significant company growth was seen under Bernard’s management. When he became president, around three hundred thousand Lacoste products were sold annually. The Lacoste brand reached its height of popularity in the US during the late 1970s and became the signature 1980’s “preppy” wardrobe item, even getting mentioned in Lisa Birnbach’s Official Preppy Handbook of 1980. The company also began to introduce other products into their line including shorts, perfume, optical and sunglasses, tennis shoes, deck shoes, walking shoes, watches, and various leather goods.More information for Men’s lacoste polo shirts is here.
In the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, Izod and Lacoste were often used interchangeably because starting in the 1950s, Izod produced clothing known as Izod Lacoste under license for sale in the U.S. This partnership ended in 1993, when Lacoste regained exclusive U.S. rights to distribute shirts under its own brand. In 1977, Le Tigre Clothing was founded in an attempt to directly compete with Lacoste in the US market, selling a similar array of apparel, but featuring a tiger in place of the signature Lacoste crocodile.More information for Men’s lacoste polo shirts is here.
More recently, Lacoste’s popularity has surged due to French designer Christophe Lemaire’s work to create a more modern, upscale look. In 2005, almost fifty million Lacoste products sold in over one hundred and ten countries. Its visibility has increased due to the contracts between Lacoste and several young tennis players, including American tennis star Andy Roddick and French rising young prospect Richard Gasquet. Lacoste has also begun to increase its presence in the golf world, where noted 2 time Master champion, José María Olazábal and Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie have been seen sporting Lacoste shirts in tournaments.
Bernard Lacoste became seriously ill in early 2005, which led him to transfer the presidency of Lacoste to his younger brother and closest collaborator for many years, Michel Lacoste. Bernard died in Paris on March 21, 2006.
As of 2006, Lacoste licenses its trademark to various companies. For example, Devanlay owns the exclusive worldwide clothing license, Pentland Brands has the exclusive worldwide license to produce Lacoste footwear, Procter & Gamble owns the exclusive worldwide license to produce fragrance, and Samsonite holds the worldwide license to produce Lacoste bags and small leather goods.
In June 2007, Lacoste introduced their very first e-commerce site for the US market.More information for Men’s lacoste polo shirts is here.
Brand management
Lacoste had a long standing dispute over the logo and clothing lines with Crocodile Garments. Crocodile uses a crocodile logo that faces left while Lacoste uses one that faces right. The two fought for the logo rights in China which was won by Crocodile in 2003. Crocodile in return agreed to change its logo to have a more vertical tail and more scales for its logo.More information for Men’s lacoste polo shirts is here.
René LACOSTE entered the legend of tennis when he and his team-mates “The Musketeers”, stole the Davis Cup away from the Americans for the first time, in 1927. Not forgetting his 3 French Open victories (1925, 1927 and the ROLAND-GARROS stadium in 1929), his two victories in Great Britain (WIMBLEDON 1925 and 1928) and two U.S. OPEN titles at Forest Hills (1926 and 1927).René LACOSTE was born in France on 2nd July 1904 and died on 12th October 1996. The true story of the “Crocodile” begins in 1927. René LACOSTE liked to recount how his nickname became an emblem recognized throughout the world.
“I was nicknamed “the Alligator” by the American press, after I made a bet with the Captain of the French Davis Cup Team concerning a suitcase made from alligator skin. He promised to buy it for me if I won a very important match for our team.The public must have been fond of this nickname which conveyed the tenacity I displayed on the tennis courts, never letting go of my prey!”
“So my friend Robert GEORGE drew a ‘crocodile’ which I then had embroidered on the blazer I wore on the courts. An attentive spectator at René LACOSTE’s Davis Cup matches was the winner of the BRITISH Womens golf title, Mademoiselle Simone THION de la CHAUME, who soon became his wife and constant support.
In 1933, René LACOSTE and André GILLIER, the owner and President of the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm of that time, set up a company to manufacture the logo-embroidered shirt. The champion had designed this for his own use on the tennis court, as well as a number of other shirts for tennis, golf and sailing - as can be seen in the first catalogue, produced in 1933.
To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time that a brand name appeared on the outside of an article of clothing - an idea which has since become extremely successful.
This shirt revolutionized mens sportswear and replaced the woven fabric, long-sleeved, starched classic shirts.The first LACOSTE shirt was white, slightly shorter than its counterparts, had a ribbed collar, short sleeves with ribbed bands and was made of a light knitted fabric called “Jersey petit piqué”.
Today, it continues to offer the same quality, comfort and solidity on which it built its name and which constitute its uniqueness. To purchase Lacoste polo shirts at http://www.polooo.com
2000S
2000
“I knew I had to start Ralph Lauren Media—it belongs to a new world I wanted to know. Our goal here is to always stay invigorated, charged up, more exciting, stay young, stay contemporary.”
Ralph Lauren Media opens the Polo.com Web site. For over 30 years, Polo Ralph Lauren has reflected the American lifestyle on a global scale—now Polo.com will transform the world of Ralph Lauren from multipage magazine ads and four-walled retail stores into the dynamic full motion and sound experience of the Internet. Providing services, content and product sales to an increasing community of users, the Web site allows Polo Ralph Lauren to create a context around the products that have defined the Polo Ralph Lauren experience.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates welcomed David Lauren to the stage during the keynote address at Comdex (Nov. 12, 2000) –the largest gathering of information-technology professionals in North America. Buy men’s classic fit polo shirts at http://www.polooo.com
2001
The Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation establishes the American Heroes Fund following September 11th, to allow Polo’s 10,000 employees worldwide, as well as their customers, the opportunity to participate in the relief effort. Polo Ralph Lauren matched employee contributions dollar for dollar, also donating 10 percent of customer purchases at Ralph Lauren stores and on Polo.com during the month of October. The majority of the $4 million raised goes to establishing the American Heroes Scholarship Program, through the Citizens Scholarship Foundation of America, which provides college scholarships to children of the victims. Other beneficiaries include the Twin Towers Fund, the September 11th Fund, the Red Cross, the New York Police and Fire Widows and Children’s Fund, and the New York Police Department Foundation. Buy men’s classic fit polo shirts at http://www.polooo.com
2002
Having started the company with 26 boxes of ties in 1967, Ralph Lauren celebrates the 35th anniversary of a now $10 billion global business that produces designer menswear, womenswear, childrenswear, home collections and fragrances. The media honors Ralph Lauren with cover stories in Time magazine (international), Town & Country and Architectural Digest; an interview in Oprah magazine by the queen of tv; the Vogue/VH1 Fashion Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. Buy men’s classic fit polo shirts at http://www.polooo.com
2003
Discover the global world of Ralph Lauren by visiting Global.Polo.com. Polo Ralph Lauren launches Web sites, localized by country, to support its growing international business. The sites include fashion shows, local store information, company history, current advertising campaigns and its exclusive RL Style Guide.
2004
In October Ralph Lauren launched Rugby, a full lifestyle collection designed for men and women ages 16 to 25. The line features iconic rugby shirts, polos, jackets, suits, dresses, outerwear and accessories. Rugby is fashion-forward yet grounded in Ralph Lauren’s signature preppy style. The first Rugby store opened on Newbury Street in Boston on October 23, 2004.
2005
On March 14, 2005, Polo Ralph Lauren and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) sign a four year global partnership making Polo Ralph Lauren the official apparel sponsor of the US Open through 2008. As part of the partnership all on-court ball persons and officials will be dressed in specially designed Ralph Lauren apparel. “Polo Ralph Lauren will bring a new dimension of style to the US Open,” says Arlen Kantarian, chief executive, professional tennis, USTA. Buy men’s classic fit polo shirts at http://www.polooo.com
2006
March 29, 2006, a 24,000-square-foot Ralph Lauren flagship store opens in the Omotesando shopping area of Tokyo, Japan. The store features the full range of Ralph Lauren designs and merchandise, as well as an exclusive, limited-edition collection of exquisite handbags and accessories. “The opening of our Tokyo flagship store represents a significant milestone for our company. We will create a statement in Japan that will further advance the world of Ralph Lauren in this important part of the market where quality and design are highly valued,” says Ralph Lauren.
2007
Polo Ralph Lauren expands its global fashion empire to Russia with two flagship locations in Moscow. The first store opens in the heart of Russia’s Tretyakovsky shopping district. A second location opens within Barvikha Luxury Village, half an hour from downtown Moscow.
“Opening stores in Russia is more then just a strategic company initiative, the real excitement is communicating with a new culture. The Russian consumer will be able to experience my vision for the first time and it is thrilling.” -Ralph Lauren. Buy men’s classic fit polo shirts at http://www.polooo.com
1990S
1991
Super Sale is initiated; the annual designer sale in Washington, DC, is sponsored by Ralph Lauren, the Washington Post and Vogue. The event raised over $3.5 million for research at the Nina Hyde Center. Super Sale continues until 1998.
1992
Audrey Hepburn, one of Ralph Lauren’s favorite childhood stars, presents him with the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award. A recognized leader in his field, Lauren is the only designer to receive the CFDA’s four highest honors—the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Womenswear Designer of the Year Award and the Menswear Designer of the Year Award, as well as Retailer of the Year.
1993
“I felt that sports and fitness were going to become the fashion of the 1990s. People were feeling the need to work out; they were changing into wanting to live not as spectators, but as doers.
That was extremely exciting for me—the rush of wanting to be healthy, the rush of being strong, active, full of energy, the sense of doing something physical. I was always athletic…I wanted clothes that would reflect that and fulfill that need, clothing that was developed with that kind of activity in mind.”
The Polo Sport line is introduced as Ralph Lauren meets the national changing attitude toward fitness and health with an entire fitness lifestyle. At the same time, the first Polo Sport store at 888 Madison opens across the street from the Rhinelander mansion.
Polo Sport demonstrates the authenticity of the product design by becoming the official outfitter of the America team for the America’s Cup. Using the team in its advertising, Polo Sport raises national awareness for the underdog America team, who go on to win the America’s Cup.
Polo Sport line for women launches in 1996. Buy men’s custom-fit polo shirts at http://www.polooo.com
1994
Ralph Lauren founds, with the CFDA, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, an international awareness campaign that, to date, has raised over $10 million from campaigns in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Iceland and the United Kingdom.
1996
Polo Ralph Lauren and Polo Sport the Fitness Fragrance become the title sponsors of the Polo Sport Race to Deliver, benefiting God’s Love We Deliver, which serves hot meals to homebound people with AIDS/HIV. This commitment continues to the present.
1997
Ralph Lauren receives CFDA’s 1996 Menswear Designer of the Year Award.
1998
Polo Ralph Lauren announces a corporate gift of $13 million to the Save America’s Treasures Campaign to preserve the Star-Spangled Banner, which is housed at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
In 1999, the Star-Spangled Banner Restoration Laboratory opens to the public, allowing the over 2.5 million annual visitors to the Smithsonian to view the restoration of the Star-Spangled Banner as it is occurring.
1999
“The [Rhinelander] mansion had just opened, and we had a great party. When I left the party to go to dinner, I thought, ‘Where can I go now? That will keep my mood like this, keep me feeling good like this?’ The excitement of retailing is that it allows you to bring your vision into diverse areas; the restaurant is another expression of that vision.”
RL restaurant opens in Chicago adjacent to the flagship store, the largest Polo store in the world. The restaurant, a glamorous space, is designed with antique furniture and fixtures, and a private collection of photography, sketches and oil paintings from the Chicago Historical Society’s Archives. The executive chef is Giancarlo Gottardo. The restaurant is a collaboration between Ralph Lauren and restaurateurs Nino Esposito and Genarro Vertucci of New York’s Vico, Sette Mezzo and Sette MoMA. The restaurant marks a foray into new territory. Buy men’s custom-fit polo shirts at http://www.polooo.com
1980S
1980
New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger states that the true design symbol of the 1980s was not Philip Johnson or Robert Stern—but Ralph Lauren.
“Lauren has become a kind of one-man Bauhaus, a producer of everything from fabrics to furniture to buildings, all of which, taken together, form a composite, a fully designed life.” Buy RL Polo shirts here
1981
The Santa Fe collection debuts. Lauren draws on the patterns and colors of the Navajo Indians and the American Southwest with concho belts, petticoat skirts, Indian patterned sweaters and blanket jackets. As with his Westernwear collection, Lauren captures the essence of the American cultural experience, forging a connection between Polo Ralph Lauren and the romance of the American West and launching a major fashion look with worldwide influence and appeal. Buy men’s RL Polo shirts here.
1983
“This was a vision of how I would love to live. I wasn’t just creating a sheet—I was creating a complete home, which could reflect the kind of world people wanted to live in.”
The Ralph Lauren home collection debuts. Ralph Lauren makes history as the first fashion designer to launch an entire home collection. The luxurious line includes bedding, towels, area rugs, wall coverings and tabletop and table coverings, which combine to create a timeless, and truly American, home.
In the following years, the Ralph Lauren home collection introduces expertly crafted furniture, lighting, carpeting, and in 1995, the Ralph Lauren paint collection.
The home collection combines all the elements the designer is known for: product innovation, color, exquisite, authentic detailing and an exciting lifestyle approach to home products. Buy women’s RL Polo shirts here at http://www.polooo.com
1985
Ralph Lauren begins a partnership with the Telluride Film Festival with his sponsorship of the Abel Gance Open Air Cinema, a tradition that continues to this day.
1986
“To me it’s the most beautiful store in the world: the details, the world it creates, the mix, the textures…it’s a store that has an emotional impact. I’ve watched so many people come into it—and be dazzled when they enter.”
Polo Ralph Lauren opens a flagship store in the famous Rhinelander mansion on Madison Avenue at 72nd Street.
Originally designed by Kimball & Thompson in the 1890s for a society matron who fell into debt during construction, the Rhinelander was never lived in; it was divided into retail spaces, and it slowly fell into disrepair for almost a century.
When Ralph Lauren takes over the reconstruction of the Rhinelander as a flagship store, less than five percent of the building’s original interior remains. The entire building is designed to re-create the classic opulence of the original mansion. This involves extensive research into what few original plans and physical evidence could be found, and creatively piecing them together.
The results are stunning. The Polo Ralph Lauren store raises the bar of the retail experience. Shopping in the Rhinelander transforms the cinematic feel of Ralph Lauren clothing and advertising into a physical environment—and tourists come from all over the world for the thrill of shopping in the mansion.
From the imposing architecture, to the dramatic, rich interior, to the quality of the sales staff, the Rhinelander mansion is more than a store, more than a museum—it is the ultimate retail experience. Buy Classic men’s RL Polo shirts here at http://www.polooo.com
1970S
1970
“I’m not a fashion person. I’m anti-fashion. I don’t like to be part of that world. It’s too transient. I have never been influenced by it. I’m interested in longevity, timelessness, style—not fashion.”
Ralph Lauren wins his first Coty Award for Menswear. (The Coty Awards became the Council of Fashion Designers of America/CFDA Awards.) Please click here to purchase Ralph Lauren Polo online?
1971
“My wife has great style—she would go into boy’s stores for shirts and hacking jackets, and people always wanted to know where we got those clothes. Her look reminded me of a young Katharine Hepburn, sporty and non-fashion—the kind of rebel girl on horseback with the wind blowing through her hair that people would look at. I designed the shirts for her.”
The 1970s open with the introduction of Ralph Lauren womenswear. Lauren creates a daring line of men’s tailored shirts for women—reinventing a classic men’s look for women’s style.
The women’s line also brings the birth of the polo player emblem. Originally on the cuff of women’s tailored shirts, the now ubiquitous logo begins the Polo signature status combined with designer appeal.Please click here to purchase Ralph Lauren Polo online?
1972
Polo’s original mesh shirt with the polo player logo is introduced in 24 colors. No other sport shirt offers the same combination of quality and variety. The shirt instantly becomes an American classic.
Polo Ralph Lauren romances the preppy heritage of American menswear, creating what will be a major touchstone for the company in the years to come. The Polo mesh shirts—along with the oxford button-down shirts, chinos, tweed jackets, denim and chambray shirts—develop iconic status as the embodiment of the Polo lifestyle. Please click here to purchase Ralph Lauren Polo online?
1974
“Gatsby was this self-made man, and he was all about looking glamorous and wealthy and mysterious.”
When Paramount Studios asks Ralph Lauren to design the men’s costumes for Jack Clayton’s movie The Great Gatsby, starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, Lauren clothes the entire male cast in his current line, a 1920s-inflected series of men’s suits and sweaters deeply influenced by the American icons Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The legendary pink suit that Lauren designs for Gatsby epitomizes 1920s style—and its popularity led to a major revival of Ralph Lauren’s designs inspired by that time period.
“My clothes are always visions of what I believe in. Someone once told me I was a writer, and it’s true—I write through my clothes. They’re whole stories, not just clothes.” Please click here to purchase Ralph Lauren Polo online?
1975
Ralph Lauren wins the American Fashion Award. Please click here to purchase Ralph Lauren Polo online?
1976
Ralph Lauren enters the Coty Hall of Fame for Menswear, and also wins his second Coty Award for Womenswear, the first time a designer has won awards for both menswear and womenswear in the same year.
1977
Ralph Lauren enters the Coty Hall of Fame for Womenswear.
1978
Ralph Lauren makes fashion headlines and captures the country’s imagination with the launch of his Westernwear collections for men and women. Drawing on our American heritage and his own personal style, Lauren’s Western looks are authentic and highly spirited—including rugged shearling vests, rancher’s jackets, prairie skirts and fringed buckskin.
Inspired by the spontaneous wit, solid design and romance of original Western clothes, Lauren creates authentic, impeccably made Western fashions. He is heralded as “the maverick who recaptured America for America” and starts a Western style stampede throughout the world.
Ralph Lauren, who has always been attracted to and fascinated by the cowboy mystique, chooses to promote the Westernwear collection by appearing in the original Westernwear ad campaign, since it is so clearly related to his personal style.Please click here to purchase Ralph Lauren Polo online?
1979
“The multipage ads are like movies, broad strokes of excitement, multidimensional; if I could have made the models speak, I would have.”
Polo begins advertising and catapults the brand into the American consciousness. Continuing in the spirit of the Polo philosophy that individual clothes are not as important as the lifestyle and the world they reflect, Polo pioneers advertising with little or no text, and, more importantly, a sweeping, cinematic scope.
The original 20-page spreads, all in vivid color, revitalized and energized magazines with a pageant of seamless worlds and fascinating characters that consumers could relate to, follow and admire. Often using non-models in their ads (including Buzzy Kirbox, a surfer, and Tom Moore, an architect) in real settings, Polo establishes an advertising tradition that celebrates the entire spectrum of the American experience. Please click here to purchase Ralph Lauren Polo online?
1960S
1967
Ralph Lauren establishes the Polo label with an instantly successful line of ties. In direct opposition to the narrow ties and conventional styles of the time, Lauren designs wide, handmade ties using unexpected, flamboyant, opulent materials. The ties quickly become a menswear status item.
A tie was the way a man expressed himself. I believed that men were ready for something new and different. They didn’t want to look as if they worked for IBM. A beautiful tie was an expression of quality, taste, style.
Already interested in promoting a lifestyle with his ties, Ralph Lauren names his line after a sport that embodies a world of discreet elegance and classic style: Polo.
1968
I believe in a level of taste, a total feeling. It is important to show the customer how to wear these ties, the idea behind the look.
His exceptional ties are only the first step. Ralph Lauren is at the forefront of the men’s fashion revolution in America. He is the first to merge classic American style with the refinement, tailoring and sensibility of European fashion. Lauren establishes Polo as a leading menswear company dedicated to providing a total look.
I never went to fashion school? I was a young guy who had some style. I never imagined Polo would become what it is. I just followed my instincts.
1969
“My customers were people who needed a change and didn’t know how to do it—people who were looking for something new, but didn’t like the transience of fashion.”
Polo by Ralph Lauren establishes the first shop-within-a-shop designer boutique for men in Bloomingdale’s in New York City.
Want to buy Ralph Lauren Polo online? Please click here.
The US new president Barack Hussein Obama Jr. speech
Posted by: admin
January 12th, 2009 >> Uncategorized
Hello, Chicago!
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voices could be that difference.
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It’s the answer that – that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day. It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him, I congratulate Governor Palin for all they’ve achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House.
And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Auma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you’ve given me. I am grateful to them.
To my campaign manager David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign who built the best – the best political campaign I think in the history of the United States of America；to my chief strategist David Axelrod, who has been a partner with me every step of the way, to the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.
It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; it grew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.
I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for their child’s college education. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for 221 years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hands by calloused hands.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter can not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other.
Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.
Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let’s remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends — though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president too.
And all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those – to those who would tear the world down: we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright: tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
That’s the true genius of America, that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight’s about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She is a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election, except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons, because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America: the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the Dust Bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “we shall overcome.” Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.
Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there’s so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves, if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time: to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
Yes We Can.
Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
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