Tonight marks the beginning of a comeback, a comeback for America.



You know, only a week ago, a win looked like it was impossible, but then you got out and told America what they needed to hear.



You said we would fight for every job. You said that we would fight to get health care for all Americans. You said we’d fight to secure our border. You said you’d fight for us to be able to get lower taxes for middle-income Americans and Michigan heard and Michigan voted tonight. Congratulations…



Tonight proves that you can’t tell an American that there’s something they just can’t do, because Americans can do whatever they set their hearts on.



And tonight is a victory of optimism over Washington-style pessimism.



Now, tonight, we are celebrating here in Michigan. I’ve got to tell you that.



Guess what they’re doing in Washington. They’re worrying, because they realize, the lobbyists and the politicians realize, that America now understands that Washington is broken. And we’re going to do something about it.



You see, America understands that Washington has promised that they’d secure our borders, but they haven’t. Washington told us that they would live by high ethical standards, but they haven’t. Washington told us that they’d fix Social Security.

AUDIENCE: But they haven’t!

 Washington told us that they’d get us better health care and better education.

AUDIENCE: But they haven’t!

 Washington told us they’d get us a tax break for the middle-income Americans.

AUDIENCE: But they haven’t!

 Washington told us that they’d cut back on the earmarks and the pork-barrel spending, but they haven’t. And Washington told us they’d reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but they haven’t.

And who’s going to get the job done? AUDIENCE: We are!



 You guys, it was not very far from right here that Ann and I and our family behind us began our campaign at the Henry Ford Museum of Innovation…

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Mitt, we love you!

 Wow, that’s powerful. I’ll tell you.

And at that Museum of Innovation, we said that we were going to take innovation and change to Washington, recognizing that there’s no way that an insider in Washington is going to turn Washington inside- out, but we’re going to do that.



American voters said that knowing how America works is more important than knowing how Washington works. And what we’re going to see in the next few days is Democrats saying that they’re the party of change. You’re going to hear Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and John Edwards saying that they’re the party of change, and I think that they would bring change to America, just not the kind that we want.

You see, I think they take their inspiration from the Europe of old, big government, big brother, big taxes. They fundamentally in their hearts believe that America is great because we have a great government, and we do have a great government. But that’s not what makes us the best nation, the strongest nation, the greatest nation on earth. What makes us such a great nation is the American people.

I take my inspiration from Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush…

 … who took their inspiration from the American people, hardworking American people, people who believed in opportunity, who loved education, God-fearing people, people who also loved their families, people deeply patriotic. It is that characteristic of the American people that makes us the most powerful nation on Earth.

Ronald Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, said we are a great and good people. It’s exactly what we are. It’s why we will always be the most powerful nation on Earth.



Now, you heard right here in Michigan our campaign. We said we were going to strengthen our military with additional troops and better equipment and better care for our veterans when they come home. We also said that we’re going to strengthen our families. We said we’re going to strengthen the economy. I will never accept defeat for any industry here in America. We’ll fight…



I have a couple of questions for you. Is Washington, D.C., broken?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

 Can it be fixed?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

 Are we the team that’s going to get the job done?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

 All right, let’s take this campaign to South Carolina and Nevada and Florida and all over the country. Let’s take it all the way to the White House.



Thank you so much.

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