"The Audacity of Hope"
——2004年民主党全国代表大会的演说
第一节 2004的民主党代表大会
民主党全国代表大会每隔4年在选举年举行。全国代表大会的3个主要功能是：提名总统和副总统候选人；讨论并通过党的竞选纲领；制定党派规则。来自全国50个州、哥伦比亚特区和海外领地的代表、民主党官员以及外国要人都会出席这一会议。
1824年，随着推选总统和副总统候选人的党团会议制度变得岌岌可危，民主党内提出举行全国代表大会的设想。1832年，民主党首届全国代表大会在马里兰州巴尔的摩召开，由来自全国各地的代表投票选择总统和副总统候选人。
多年来，民主党全国代表制度在本质上发生了巨大变化。由于总统候选人和副总统人选通常在会前已经确定，代表们只是在大会上完成投票形式，而不会改变此前总统预选的结果。
通常，民主党全国代表大会持续4天。第一天用来完成一些例行事务，包括主题发言人讲话；第二天，代表们讨论并通过民主党竞选纲领和其他规定；总统竞选人在第三天获得正式提名；最后一天，副总统人选获提名，两人随即发表接受提名的演讲。
但是要想获得民主党的提名是件非常困难的事情，2004年和奥巴马一同竞争的民主党人一共有七位，其中最大的威胁莫过于布莱尔·豪尔（Blair Hull）。豪尔是一个富有的商人，计划斥资数百万角逐提名，来势汹汹、志在必得。奥巴马则采取稳扎稳打的战略，他极力寻求非裔美国群体和党内自由派人士的支持，其中包括著名的杰西·杰克逊牧师。拉什的坚定支持者也是奥巴马需要着力争取的对象，当年和拉什的选战得不偿失，许多拉什的铁杆选民至今耿耿于怀。但是，奥巴马也有自己的优势。所谓的为黑人着想、为人民服务的声誉并非靠金钱和广告堆起来的，奥巴马勤恳服务社区的记录和在州议会优异的表现有力地证明了自己的能力和诚意。黑人群众开始相信眼前这位有着白人血统的年轻人的确是他们最好的代言人，以前的质疑烟消云散。对于白人来讲，奥巴马不是一个传统的黑人，或者简直就是一个白人。他的母亲祖祖辈辈都是白人，他接受过白人的精英教育，他在《哈佛法律评论》的事迹被当作传奇交口传诵，他似乎就是一个集中了一切优点的选项。
最大的竞争对手豪尔后来因为个人婚姻问题一蹶不振，这给了奥巴马更大的机会。在应对其他竞争对手的威胁时，奥巴马的竞选团队发挥了巨大作用。阿克塞罗德在电视宣传方面巧手运作让奥巴马的公众形象不断提升，“是的，我们能！”（“Yes， we can”）一时间成为让所有人为之激动的竞选口号。奥巴马的追随者相信“是的，我们能”的确能够为美国污浊的政治空气带来一缕清风，能够为民众的生活带来实实在在的改变。
虽然选票结果揭晓之前形势对奥巴马来说已经非常有利，但最后结果还是让许多人着实吃了一惊，95%的黑人站在了奥巴马一边，总选票的53%被悉数收入囊中，奥巴马在诸多对手中脱颖而出，一骑绝尘。在选举结束之后的庆功宴上，人群里不断发出“Yes， we can！ Yes， we can！”的呼声，这种发自内心的支持和狂热的场景是美国选举多年未见的景象。为了这一胜利奥巴马付出了很多，而且将付出更多。最大的付出莫过于，如果奥巴马最终当选，他将远离自己的家人长期呆在国会山。父亲当年只身前往哈佛求学的故事对于奥巴马来说不只是一种崇拜而且还是禁忌。
现在，挡在奥巴马国会参议员道路上的对手只剩下一个——共和党的杰克·瑞安（Jack Ryan）。但是杰克的竞选活动一开始就不是很光彩，这也最终导致了他的失败。为了了解奥巴马的一举一动，杰克雇用了一个人全程跟踪奥巴马，还把奥巴马的言行举止用摄像机全拍了下来。这一行为显然超出了合法竞争，有侵犯隐私之嫌。奥巴马巧妙地在最恰当的时间和地点向媒体揭露了杰克的这一伎俩，如饥似渴的新闻媒体哪能放过这个机会，第二天这件事情就上了报。杰克及其竞选团队不得不公开赔礼道歉，而杰克自己更是被这件事情以及自己的婚姻危机弄得灰头土脸，与自己的参议院梦想越来越远。共和党盘算着要更换候选人选。
风头正劲的奥巴马引起了民主党大佬们的注意。受约翰·克里（John Kerry）之邀，奥巴马出席了2004年民主党全国代表大会并在大会上作基调演讲“无畏的希望”，这对于奥巴马来说意义非凡。基调演讲是要表现该政党、该年政党的总统候选人、该代表大会想向全国观众传递的思想或政策信息。能够与前总统比尔·克林顿、杰西·杰克逊牧师和纽约州前州长马里奥·科莫（Mario Cuomo）同台致辞，本来就是一种至高无上的荣誉。
2004年7月27日，面对5000余名代表，奥巴马从自己的身世娓娓谈起，展望美国未来的走向，整篇演讲酣畅淋漓、妙语连珠，将大会带向了高潮。
面对美国意识形态极化、党派政治日益强烈的现状，奥巴马在演讲中称：“这里不存在一个自由派的美国和一个保守派的美国，而只有一个美利坚合众国。这里不存在黑人的美国和白人的美国、拉美裔的美国和亚洲裔的美国，而只有美利坚合众国。很多所谓的专家喜欢将我们的国家分成红色的州和蓝色的州：红州是共和党人的地盘，蓝州是民主党人的天下。但我要对他们说：我们蓝州人信仰庄严的上帝，我们红州人不喜欢联邦政府的官员在图书馆打探我们的阅读兴趣。我们蓝州人也给小棒球队做教练，我们红州人也有同性恋朋友。反对伊拉克战争的是爱国者，支持伊拉克战争的也是爱国者。我们是一个民族，所有人都宣誓效忠星条旗，所有人都捍卫美利坚合众国。”
奥巴马憧憬一个融合团结的美国，而不是一个四分五裂的美国，他大胆地说：“希望是上帝赐予我们的最好礼物，是这个民族的基石，是坚信不曾见到的前景，是坚信明天会更好。”
这种乐观的积极向上的精神感染了在场的所有听众，也感染了电视机前的美国人。可以说，17分钟的基调演讲使奥巴马一鸣惊人，成为民主党最炙手可热的政治明星，从此迈向了全国的政治舞台。
第二节 无畏的希望“The Audacity of Hope”
Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention
July 27， 2004
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， born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats， went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father， my grandfather， was a cook， a domestic servant.
But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place： America， which stood as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before. While studying here， my father met my mother. She was born in a town on the other side of the world， in Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor he signed up for duty， joined Patton's army and marched across Europe. Back home， my grandmother raised their baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war， they studied on the GI Bill， bought a house through FHA， and moved west in search of opportunity.
And they， too， had big dreams for their daughter， a common dream， born of two continents. My parents shared not only an improbable love； they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name， Barack， or "blessed，" believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined me going to the best schools in the land， even though they weren't rich， because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential. They are both passed away now. Yet， I know that， on this night， they look down on me with pride.
I stand here today， grateful for the diversity of my heritage， aware that my parents' dreams live on in my precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story， that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me， and that， in no other country on earth， is my story even possible. Tonight， we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation， not because of the height of our skyscrapers， or the power of our military， or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple premise， summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago， "We hold these truths to he self-evident， that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life， liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
That is the true genius of America， a faith in the simple dreams of its people， the insistence on small miracles. That we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm. That we can say what we think， write what we think， without hearing a sudden knock on the door. That we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe or hiring somebody's son. That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution， and that our votes will he counted - or at least， most of the time.
This year， in this election， we are called to reaffirm our values and commitments， to hold them against a hard reality and see how we are measuring up， to the legacy of our forbearers， and the promise of future generations. And fellow Americans - Democrats， Republicans， Independents - I say to you tonight： we have more work to do. More to do for the workers I met in Illinois， who are losing their union jobs at the Maytag plant that's moving to Mexico， and now are having to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour. More to do for the father I met who was losing his job and choking back tears， wondering how he would pay $4，500 a month for the drugs his son needs without the health benefits he counted on. More to do for the young woman in East St. Louis， and thousands more like her， who has the grades， has the drive， has the will， but doesn't have the money to go to college.
Don't get me wrong. The people I meet in small towns and big cities， in diners and office parks， they don't expect government to solve all their problems. They know they have to work hard to get ahead and they want to. Go into the collar counties around Chicago， and people will tell you they don't want their tax money wasted by a welfare agency or the Pentagon. Go into any inner city neighborhood， and folks will tell you that government alone can't teach kids to learn. They know that parents have to parent， that children can't achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white. No， people don't expect government to solve all their problems. But they sense， deep in their bones， that with just a change in priorities， we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life， and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all. They know we can do better. And they want that choice.
In this election， we offer that choice. Our party has chosen a man to lead us who embodies the best this country has to offer. That man is John Kerry. John Kerry understands the ideals of community， faith， and sacrifice， because they've defined his life. From his heroic service in Vietnam to his years as prosecutor and lieutenant governor， through two decades in the United States Senate， he has devoted himself to this country. Again and again， we've seen him make tough choices when easier ones were available. His values and his record affirm what is best in us.
John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded. So instead of offering tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas， he'll offer them to companies creating jobs here at home. John Kerry believes in an America where all Americans can afford the same health coverage our politicians in Washington have for themselves. John Kerry believes in energy independence， so we aren't held hostage to the profits of oil companies or the sabotage of foreign oil fields. John Kerry believes in the constitutional freedoms that have made our country the envy of the world， and he will never sacrifice our basic liberties nor use faith as a wedge to divide us. And John Kerry believes that in a dangerous world， war must be an option， but it should never he the first option.
A while back， I met a young man named Shamus at the VFW Hall in East Moline， Illinois. He was a good-looking kid， six-two or six-three， clear-eyed， with an easy smile. He told me he'd joined the Marines and was heading to Iraq the following week. As I listened to him explain why he'd enlisted， his absolute faith in our country and its leaders， his devotion to duty and service， I thought this young man was all any of us might hope for in a child. But then I asked myself： Are we serving Shamus as well as he was serving us？ I thought of more than 900 service men and women， sons and daughters， ands and wives， friends and neighbors， who will not be returning to their hometowns. I thought of families I had met who were struggling to get by without a loved one's full income， or whose loved ones had returned with a limb missing or with nerves shattered， but who still lacked long-term health benefits because they were reservists. When we send our young men and women into harm's way， we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going， to care for their families while they're gone， to tend to the soldiers upon their return， and to never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war， secure the peace， and earn the respect of the world.
Now let me be clear. We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued and they must be defeated. John Kerry knows this. And just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam， President Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure. John Kerry believes in America. And he knows it's not enough for just some of us to prosper. For alongside our famous individualism， there's another ingredient in the American saga.
A belief that we are connected as one people. If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read， that matters to me， even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for her preion and has to choose between medicine and the rent， that makes my life poorer， even if it's not my grandmother. If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process， that threatens my civil liberties. It's that fundamental belief - I am my brother's keeper， I am my sister's keeper - that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams， yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many， one.
Yet even as we speak， there are those who are preparing to divide us， the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well， I say to them tonight， there's not a liberal America and a conservative America - there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America； there's the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States； Red States for Republicans， Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them， too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States， and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people， all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes， all of us defending the United States of America.
In the end， that's what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope？ John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope. I'm not talking about blind optimism here - the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't talk about it， or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. No， I'm talking about something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs； the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores； the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta； the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds； the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him， too. The audacity of hope！
In the end， that is God's greatest gift to us， the bedrock of this nation； the belief in things not seen； the belief that there are better days ahead. I believe we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity. I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless， homes to the homeless， and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair. I believe that as we stand on the crossroads of history， we can make the right choices， and meet the challenges that face us. America！
Tonight， if you feel the same energy I do， the same urgency I do， the same passion I do， the same hopefulness I do - if we do what we must do， then I have no doubt that all across the country， from Florida to Oregon， from Washington to Maine， the people will rise up in November， and John Kerry will be sworn in as president， and John Edwards will be sworn in as vice president， and this country will reclaim its promise， and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come. Thank you and God bless you.
