Marcie0516

Text of John Kerry's Concession Speech
By John F. Kerry
CNSNews.com Information Services
November 03, 2004

(Sen. John Kerry delivered the following remarks at Faneuil Hall in Boston on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 2 p.m.)

Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you. I love you. I love you, thank you. Thank you, thank you so much.

Thank you so much. You just have no idea how warming and how generous that welcome is, your love is, your affection. And I'm gratified by it.

I'm sorry that we got here a little bit late and little bit short.

I spoke to President Bush and I offered him and Laura our congratulations on their victory.

We had a good conversation, and we talked about the danger of division in our country and the need -- the desperate need for unity, for finding the common ground, coming together.

Today I hope that we can begin the healing.

In America, it is vital that every vote count, and that every vote be counted. But the outcome should be decided by voters, not a protracted legal process. I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail.

But is now clear that even when all the provisional ballots are counted, which they will be, there won't be enough outstanding votes for us to be able to win Ohio.

And therefore we cannot win this election.

My friends, it was here that we began our campaign for the presidency and all we had was hope and vision for a better America. It was a privilege and a gift to spend two years traveling this country, coming to know so many of you.

I wish that I could just wrap you up in my arms and embrace each and every one of you individually all across this nation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. ...

I will always be particularly grateful to the colleague that you just heard from who became my partner, my very close friend, an extraordinary leader, John Edwards.

And I thank him for everything he did.

Thank you, sir.

John and I would be the first to tell you that we owe so much to our families. They're here with us today. They were with us every single step of the way. They sustained us.

They went out on their own and they multiplied our campaign all across this country.

No one did this more with grace and with courage and candor, that I love, than my wife Teresa, and I thank her.

And our children were there every single step of the way. It was unbelievable. Vanessa, Alex, Chris, Andre and John from my family, and Elizabeth Edwards, who is so remarkable and so strong and so smart.

And Johnny and Kate, who went out there on their own, just like my daughters did. And also Emma Claire and Jack, who were up beyond their bedtime last night, like a lot of us.

I want to thank my crewmates and my friends from 35 years ago, that great band of brothers who crisscrossed this country on my behalf for 2004.

They had the courage to speak the truth back then and they spoke it again this year. And for that, I will forever be grateful.

And thanks also, as I look around here, to friends and family of a lifetime, some from college, friends made all across the years, and then all across the miles of this campaign.

You are so special. You brought the gift of your passion for our country and the possibilities of change. And that will stay with us and with this country forever.

Thanks to Democrats and Republicans and independents who stood with us, and everyone who voted, no matter who their candidate was.

And thanks to my absolutely unbelievable, dedicated staff lead by a wonderful campaign manager, Mary Beth Cahill, who did an extraordinary job.

There's so much written about campaigns and there's so much that Americans never get to see.

I wish they could all spend a day on a campaign and see how hard these folks work to make America better. It is its own unbelievable contribution to our democracy and it's a gift to everybody, but especially to me, and I'm grateful to each and every one of you.

And I thank your families and I thank you for the sacrifices you've made. And to all the volunteers all across this country who gave so much of themselves. You know, thanks to William Field, a 6-year-old who collected $680 a quarter and a dollar at a time, selling bracelets during the summer to help change America.

Thanks to Michael Benson from Florida, who I spied in a rope line holding a container of money and it turned out he had raided his piggy bank and wanted to contribute.

And thanks to Ilana Wexler, 11 years old, who started Kids for Kerry all across our country.

I think of the brigades of students and people, young and old, who took time to travel, time off from work, their own vacation time, to work in states far and wide. They braved the hot days of summer avisited your community halls, I've heard your stories.

I know your struggles, I know your hopes. They are part of me now.

And I will never forget you and I'll never stop fighting for you.

You may not understand completely in what ways, but it is true when I say to you that you have taught me and you have tested me and you've lifted me up and you've made me stronger.

I did my best to express my vision and my hopes for America. We worked hard and we fought hard, and I wish that things had turned out a little differently.

But in an American election, there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as Americans.

That is the greatest privilege and the most remarkable good fortune that can come to us on Earth.

With that gift also comes obligation. We are required now to work together for the good of our country.

In the days ahead, we must find common cause. We must join in common effort, without remorse or recrimination, without anger or rancor. America is in need of unity and longing for a larger measure of compassion.

I hope President Bush will advance those values in the coming years.

I pledge to do my part to try to bridge the partisan divide.

I know this is a difficult time for my supporters, but I ask them, all of you, to join me in doing that. Now, more than ever, with our soldiers in harm's way, we must stand together and succeed in Iraq and win the war on terror.

I will also do everything in my power to ensure that my party, a proud Democratic Party, stands true to our best hopes and ideals.

I believe that what we started in this campaign will not end here.

Our fight goes on to put America back to work and to make our economy a great engine of job growth.

Our fight goes on to make affordable health care an accessible right for all Americans, not privilege.

Our fight goes on to protect the environment, to achieve equality, to push the frontiers of science and discovery and to restore America's reputation in the world.

I believe that all of this will happen, and sooner than we may think, because we're America, and America always moves forward.

I've been honored to represent the citizens of this commonwealth in the United States Senate now for 20 years. And I pledge to them that in the years ahead, I'm going to fight on for the people and for the principles that I've learned and lived with here in Massachusetts.

I'm proud of what we stood for in this campaign and of what we accomplished.

When we began, no one thought it was possible to even make this a close race.

But we stood for real change, change that would make a real difference in the life of our nation and the lives of our families. And we defined that choice to America.

I'll never forget the wonderful people who came to our rallies, who stood in our rope lines, who put their hopes in our hands, who invested in each and every one of us. I saw in them the truth that America is not only great, but it is good.

So with a grateful heart, I leave this campaign with a prayer that has even greater meaning to me now that I've come to know our vast country so much better thanks to all of you and what a privilege it has been to do so.

And that prayer is very simple: God bless America.

Thank you.

約翰．凱瑞的敗選演說講詞

By John F. Kerry
CNSNews.com Information Services
November 03, 2004

（參議員　約翰．凱瑞在十一月三號下午兩點於波士頓法尼爾廳發表了下面的言論。）

非常謝謝你們，謝謝，謝謝。我愛你們，我愛你們，謝謝你們，謝謝你們，非常的謝謝你們。

非常謝謝你們，你們不了解你們的歡迎、你們的愛、你們的感情有多麼的溫暖、有多麼的慷慨，而讓我覺得我深深感激。我很抱歉我們來的稍晚了一點，而且（票數也距離勝利）少了一點。我已經和布希總統談過話，我並且對他和蘿拉的勝利表達我的恭賀之意。我們有很令人滿意的談話，在談話中我們討論到我們國家的分裂危機；以及需要找出讓國家團結、擁有共識的迫切需求，這是我們需要同心協力的，今天我希望我們可以開始療傷的旅程。

在美國，有一個很重要的觀念：每一張選票都有價值，而且每一張選票都應該被計算到，但是這個選舉結果應該是由選民來決定；而不是一個冗長的司法程序來決定。如果我們有機會可以贏得勝利的話，我不會這樣放棄奮鬥。

但是，現在很明顯的，即使把所有的臨時選票算入（而它們也會被算入），仍沒有很足夠的票數來幫我們贏得俄亥俄州，因此，我們無法贏得這個選舉。

我的朋友，我們就是在這個場地開始了我們的總統競選活動，而且我們所希望的、所憧憬的就是一個更好的美國，對我來說這是一個殊榮、禮物在這兩年走遍這個國家，進而認識你們這麼多的支持者。我希望我能用我的手臂環繞你們，能擁抱每一個分散在這個國家的人，我打從內心深處的感謝你們。

我將會永遠對我競選搭檔的同事、我非常親密的朋友、一個卓越的領導者～約翰．愛德華茲～懷著感激之心，我也感謝他做的每一件事，謝謝你，先生！

約翰和我會是第一個告訴你們我們欠我們家庭的實在太多，今天他們都在這裡陪伴著我們，他們也在大選路上的每一步與我們相伴，他們讓我們能堅持下去，他們靠著自己的力量走出去，他們使我們的競選活動在全國以倍數般的成長。

沒有人能比我的太太泰瑞莎做得更多，她用我所愛的優雅、勇氣、真誠方式（來幫我助選），為此我謝謝她。

我們的孩子們也陪著我們在競選路上走每一步路，他們的表現（好的）讓人無法置信，我們家的凡妮莎、亞厤、克力斯、和約翰；以及卓越、堅強、聰明的伊麗莎白．愛德華茲；和如同我的女兒般靠著他們自己的力量出去助選的強尼以及凱特；以及如同我們大多數的人一樣，在超過就寢時間卻醒著陪我們的艾瑪、克萊兒、以及傑克。

我也要謝謝我的競選辦事處的夥伴、以及陪伴我超過三十五年的朋友們，這些偉大的兄弟們代替我為了２００４年的選舉交叉的橫跨這個國家，他們在以前有勇氣來說出事實，而他們在今年又同樣的說出事實，為此我會終身感激。

看看我的周圍，這些感謝也要給我一生的朋友、家庭，一些人是從大學時代認識的，一些朋友是在這幾年認識的，他們都為了這個競選而跋涉千里，你們是特別的，你們把你們為國家、為改變可能性的熱情帶來當成我的禮物，這些禮物會永遠的伴隨我們，也會永遠的伴隨這個國家。

謝謝民主黨、共和黨、以及其他與我們同陣線的獨立派人士、以及所有投票的人（不管他們心中的理想人選是誰）。也謝謝我的驚人的、奉獻的競選團隊，這個團隊在一個偉大的競選辦事處負責人—瑪莉．貝斯．卡西爾領導之下，她做得無與倫比，他們為競選所做的努力值得大書特書，其中有好多努力是美國人在也沒有機會能看到的。

我希望美國人能花一整天的時間在競選總部裡，看看這些人有多麼賣力的為了另一個更好的美國而努力，這些努力對我們的民主是讓人無法置信極佳貢獻，這也是給每一個人（特別是我）的禮物， 為此我非常感激你們每一位。

我也謝謝你們的家庭，我謝謝你們所犧牲奉獻的一切，以及那些在全國各地的志工，你們付出了極多，我希望你們了解，我要謝謝威廉．幅萊德，這一個六歲小孩他在暑假中靠著賣手鐲，而收集了價值六百八十元的二十五分錢硬幣、和一塊錢，他只是為了要幫助改變美國。

我也要謝謝從佛羅里達來的麥克．班森，我在保護線中看到他的身影，他手握著一個裝滿零錢的容器，而這些零錢是他從小豬撲滿拿出來捐獻了。我也要謝謝伊萊納．威克斯勒，一個十一歲的小孩，他發起了這個橫跨我們國家的凱瑞兒童後援會。

每當我想到成群結隊的學生、民眾，不管是年輕還是年老，他們花時間來跋涉、從工作中請假、用掉他們的休假時間，只是為了要能在各州努力（的助選），他們無畏於炎炎的夏日，辛勤的拜訪社區。因此，我聽到你們的故事了，我也了解你們的掙扎、你們的希望，現在它們已成為我的一部分，我將不會忘記你們，我也永遠不會停止為你們奮鬥，你們也許不會完全了解為什麼我這麼說，但是我所說的都是真實的，你們教我許多、你們測驗我、你們幫我舉得更高、你們讓我更強壯。

我已盡全力來表達我對美國的願景、希望，我們都為了這個夢賣力的工作、賣力的奮鬥，我希望結果能有那麼些微的不同，但是在美國的選舉中，是沒有輸家的，因為不管我們心目中的領導者是否成功了，隔天當我們醒來我們仍然是美國人，這是在地球上能帶給我們最偉大的恩賜以及最卓越的好運。

隨著這個禮物伴隨而來的是義務，我們現在必須要為國家的利益來攜手合作，在之後的日子裡，我們必須要找到共同的目標，我們必須不帶懊悔或責備；沒有憤怒或仇恨的一起努力，美國現在需要團結，並且極度渴望能有更多的同理心。我希望布希總統能在未來幾年設法促進這些價值，我也承諾會盡我所能為黨派鴻溝間搭起橋樑。

我知道對於我的支持者來說這是一個極為困難的時刻，但是我請求你們，你們所有的人，能加入我的行列來做同樣的事。特別是現在，當我們的士兵正身楚險境，我們必須要團結在一起，來贏得在伊拉克的勝利，來贏得對恐怖主義的戰爭。

我也將會進我全力來確保我的政黨，一個值得驕傲的民主黨，來成為我們最好的夢想、最好的典範。我相信我們在競選活動所開始的事情將不會在這裡結束，我們的奮鬥仍然會持續，我們仍然奮鬥的讓美國回歸正軌、讓我們的經濟能起飛、能帶來更多的工作；我們將會持續的奮鬥讓醫藥保險能讓全部的美國人能負擔的起，而不是只是個特權；我們也將會繼續保護環境、去達到平權、去推進科學的探索與發現、去恢復美國在世界的聲譽。

我相信這些終將會實現，而且將會比我們預料的還要快發生，因為我們是美國人，而美國人總是往前看的。

我很榮幸的成為美國參議員的代表，到今天為止已經有二十年了，我會對他們發誓，在未來的幾年，我將會為人民、為我所學習到並且在麻省實行的理念來奮鬥。

我為這個競選所代表的理念而驕傲，我也會我們所完成的事情而驕傲，當我們開始競選時，沒有人料想到我們可以將這場戰打得如此難分軒輊，但是我們主張真實的改變，這些改變會讓我們的國家、我們的家人能有一個真正不同的環境，我們為美國定義了這個選擇。

我不會忘記那些來到我們選舉集會、那些站在我們的陣線、那些將他們的希望寄放在我們的手中、那些投資在我們每一個人身上的極好的民眾。我從他們那裡，了解了一個事實，那就是美國不僅是美好的，它更是偉大的。

最後，以如此感恩的心，我以一句禱告來告別這次的競選活動，感謝大家，我才能對我們廣闊的國家理解得更深，這實在是我的殊榮，也因為如此這句禱告現在對我意義更深。

此禱告非常的簡單：願上帝保祐美國。