Here is a complete transcript of President Barack Obama’s remarks at a campaign event in Madison, Wis., on the last day of the presidential campaign, Nov. 5, 2012.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Hello, Wisconsin.
(APPLAUSE)
Are you fired up? (APPLAUSE)
Are you ready to go?
(APPLAUSE)
I cannot imagine not being fired up after listening to Bruce Springsteen.
(APPLAUSE)
I can’t thank him enough for everything that he’s done for this campaign. He is an American treasure. He gets embarrassed when you talk about him that way. But he tells a story of what our country is and what it should be and what it can be. And I get to fly around with him on the last day that I will ever campaign, so that’s not a bad way to end things.
(LAUGHTER)
This is an incredible crowd and it’s good to be back.
(APPLAUSE)
The weather is cooperating. You know, it sort of feels like Chicago -- nice, nice and brisk.
There are a couple other people I want to thank before we get started. Your next senator from the great state of Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin, is here.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: She’ll follow in the footsteps of two other outstanding Wisconsin senators, Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, who are here.
(APPLAUSE)
Your next Congressman, Mark Polchan is here.
(APPLAUSE)
And let’s give it up for the Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin: Paul Soglin.
(APPLAUSE)
Now, for the past week, even in the midst of all this campaigning and electioneering, way too many TV commercials.
(LAUGHTER)
All of us, including Bruce, have been focused on one of the worst storms of our lifetimes. And I had a chance to visit New Jersey. Every day I’ve been talking to mayors, governors, and local officials and families. And we mourn those lives that have been lost.
And whenever I talk to folks in the region, I tell them the same thing that I say whenever a tragedy besets the American family, and that is, the American people come together and make a commitment that we will walk with these folks whose lives have been upended every step on the hard road ahead and the hard road to recovery. We’ll -- we’ll carry on. No matter how bad the storm is, we will be there, together.
(APPLAUSE)
No matter how bad the storm is, we recover together.
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We’re all in this together. We rise or fall as one nation and as one people.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And you know, Madison, that spirit has guided this country along its improbable journey for more than two centuries. It’s carried us through the trials and tribulations of the last four years.
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.
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The American auto industry is back on top. Home values are on the rise. We’re less dependent on foreign oil than any time in 20 years and we’ve doubled the production of clean energy across America.
(APPLAUSE)
Because of the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform, the war in Iraq is over. The war in Afghanistan is coming to close. Al Qaida is on the path to defeat. Osama bin Laden is dead. We’ve made progress these last four years.
(APPLAUSE)
We’ve made progress these last four years, but the reason we’re all gathered here, in addition to listening to Bruce, is because we know we’ve got more work to do. We’ve got more work to do as long as there’s a single American who wants a job, but can’t find one. Our work is not yet done as long as there are families working harder and harder, but still falling behind. We’ve got more work to do.
As long as there’s a child anywhere -- in Madison, in Wisconsin, in America, who’s languishing in poverty and barred from opportunity, our work is not yet done. The fight goes on.
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Our fight goes on because this nation cannot succeed without a growing, thriving middle class and sturdy, strong ladders for everybody who’s willing to work to get into the middle class. Our fight goes on because we know America’s always done best, we’ve always prospered, when everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody’s doing their fair share, everybody’s playing by the same rules, that’s what we believe. That’s why you elected me in 2008, and that is why I am running for a second term as President of the United States.
(APPLAUSE)
AUDIENCE: Four more years, four more years, four more years.
OBAMA: Now, Wisconsin, tomorrow you have a choice to make. And it’s -- it’s not just a choice between two candidates or two parties, it’s a choice between two different visions for America. The choice between returning to the top down policies that crashed our economy, or a future that’s built on providing opportunity to everybody, and growing a strong middle class.
(APPLAUSE)
Understand, Wisconsin, as Americans we honor the strivers, the dreamers, the -- the small business people, the risk takers, the entrepreneurs who’ve been the driving force behind our free enterprise system.
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