Barack Obama 2004 Campaign Weblog

Barack Obama 2004 Campaign Weblog: "When we first began this improbable journey, nobody thought we had a chance. People said: 'He can't win, he's got no money, no organization, and no one can pronounce his name.' But you told them loud enough so that the whole state could hear: Yes, We Can!

And now, tonight, nearly two years later, you've made me the next United States Senator from Illinois, and all I can say is thank you!
Thank you for believing that Government can help people find jobs that pay a living wage. Thank you for believing that Government can make a difference in making sure that people don't go bankrupt when they get sick. Thank you for believing that there are better days ahead, and that together we can, and will, make a difference.
It is your abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation that make America a beacon of hope and freedom around the world - the same faith that gave my father the courage to leave Kenya to come study in America. And it is this same faith that I saw in a woman I met the other day named Marguerite Lewis.
Marguerite and I spoke at a rally on the South Side. She said that she wanted to thank me for running a positive race, and wanted me to know that she had voted for me. Ordinarily this wouldn't be unusual, except that Marguerite is 104 years old."