Posted on 10/31/2008 2:31:21 PM PDT by Bush Revolution
As a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, I recently had the opportunity to give a speech at a McCain rally as to why I have now switched my support to Sen. McCain. In private e-mails with friends and forum members I have been encouraged to post the text of my speech here for everyone to read.
I can honestly say it was well received by the target audience and I was completely shocked to receive a standing ovation. What I spoke of that day was spoken in truth and from my heart. I hope all here will find it inspirational. Here is the text of my speech.
Quote: Good morning! I am so honored to be here today, and to speak to you about why I am supporting Sen. John McCain for President.
A supporter of Democrats my entire life, I was an avid supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton. But, when she suspended her campaign in June, I knew I would throw my support behind Sen. John McCain. Not out of anger or spite, but because Sen. Hillary Clinton was right when she said she would bring a lifetime of experience to the White House, Sen. McCain would bring a lifetime of experience to the White House, and Sen. Obama would bring a speech.
It was a simple decision and now I am the State Chair for "Citizens for McCain," an organization founded by Sen. Joe Lieberman for Democrats and Independents who put their country first and support the candidate for president who has a proven record of bipartisanship politics.
I agree with Sen. McCain on many issues – the important issues. I trust in his plans for energy independence, tax cuts, creating jobs for Americans, better health care, and as a mother of a soldier who has served in Iraq I trust him to bring our troops home safely and in victory. I trust him to get the government’s spending under control and I trust him to implement policies that will return the strength to our economy and ease the burdens so many Americans carry each day. I trust him to do those things because he has promised those things.
And Sen. McCain says what he means and he means what he says. He is a man of character and those seem to be in short supply in Washington these days. But, Sen. McCain has lead the way in character for many, many years.
I want to relay a story to you that was first presented in the New York Times Magazine in 1997.
In 1982 when Sen. McCain was first elected to the House, Arizona Democratic Congressman Morris “Mo” Udall took him in hand and Sen. McCain has said Mo reached out to him in 50 different ways. Four years later when he was elected to the Senate, Sen. McCain said he felt his greatest debt of gratitude was to Congressman Udall, saying “There was no way Mo could have been more wonderful and there was no reason for him to be that way.”
In the late 1990’s, Sen. McCain made the trip every few weeks to a veteran’s home not far from our nation’s capitol to visit Congressman Udall, who by then lay ill and crippled with Parkinson’s Disease, twisted and disfigured. Udall was rarely conscious and even when he was, showed no signs of recognition.
On one particular day, a nurse entered and said “Almost no one visits anymore.” Once one of the most sought-after men in the Democratic Party, Udall lay dying and was visited regularly by only one single old political friend – Sen. John McCain.
Sen. McCain has reflected on how it affected him when Mo Udall took him in hand all those years ago. Sen. McCain said it was one man saying to another that while they may disagree in politics they didn’t disagree in life. That party political differences only cut so deep. It was the reason Sen. McCain continued to visit Mo Udall, long after Udall lost his political influence. You see, the politics were never all that important. It was the friendship. Congressman Mo Udall died in December 1998.
But, Sen. McCain didn’t forget Mo Udall’s kindness and he carried it forward. When Sen. Hillary Clinton arrived on the Senate floor in 2000, she wasn’t warmly welcomed by the good-old boys club. But, there was one man who was there to welcome her – Sen. John McCain. He reached out his hand, welcomed her, and showed her around, much like Mo Udall had done for him so many years ago.
That, my friends is character and if character is the measure of a man then I would say Sen. John McCain far exceeds the measure.
I want a president with character. I don’t want a president who has to hold repeated press conferences to apologize for and explain his lack of judgment in his personal, business, and religious associations; and I don’t want a president who spent 143 days in the Senate before he decided he was experienced enough to lead this country.
I want a president with proven experience. I want a president who learned long ago that there is great value in bipartisanship politics. I want a president who loves his country and will fight for it. I want a president I can trust.
And I want a president who isn’t afraid to be a maverick, to shake things up, and stand their ground. Known as a maverick for years, Sen. McCain cemented his status when he chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. He sent a clear message not only to Washingtonians but to the world. Change is coming to the White House and it isn’t the false and empty change being touted by his Democratic opponent.
That change is coming in the form of Maverick McCain and Sarah Barracuda Palin and we’ve all been put on notice – the face of Washington politics is going to change - for the better. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are proven reformers and they’re going to march that reform right into Washington together, and starting on day one that reform is going to begin to heal this nation’s troubles.
So today, I am here to ask you do to what Sen. McCain asked in his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention – stand up with him and fight.
Stand up and fight to bring real change, proven change to Washington that will change the course of this country for the better.
So, let’s stand up together, work together, and fight together, regardless of political party, and let’s elect Sen. John McCain as the next President of the United States.
Yes, that is good. Thanks
Very very nice...and a little humbling.
bfltr
Priceless ... Country first. It good to see Hillary supporters around these parts. We don't need some charismatic demagogue in the White House. We need an American.
ping
Not bad. How many Democrats really see things this way?
bfltr
Huh? I don’t know that that means. Sorry.
A year ago if you’d told me I’d be agreeing with a Hillary Clinton supporter about anything I’d have called you crazy.
Now I’m the crazy one.
I’m hoping a lot more than we think.
/s
Dear Puma (sorry I don’t know your name)
I am proud to stand with you.
Hi, I’m sitting here with 2 friends and we were all Hillary supporters who instantly switched to McCain when she suspended.
John McCain is our man. We will fight for him. Vote for him. We absolutely love Palin. Love America.
That should be a McCain ad. Just have that woman look in the camera and read what she just wrote. Powerful!
PUMA ping!
Although I'm from Minnesota, not Missouri, I'll believe it when I see it. It's the same way I feel when I hear nonsense such as blacks are really conservative, or Minnesota is a battleground state.
Why’d this Hill Buzz move websites? ( hillbuzz.blogspot.com ) I guess it may have been being hacked, Hillary’s side went through this same stuff with 0bama. This is a real call to arms. 50 years ago, books were written like “None dare call it treason” “Red Star over Cuba” and now we’ve got this stuff going on now.
I even saw on the Hill Buzz website t-shirts “DemMcCrats”.
Now, imagine somebody tried to pass off a similar story about Barack Obama. You would not believe it for a second.
I thought I would go the rest of my life without seeing a person as narcissistic and as much of a user as Bill Clinton. But Barack Obama is in a whole ‘nuther league.
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