[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio.]
Thank you. Thank you so much everyone. We worked hard to be here. I cannot thank you enough for that. Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Delaware have spoken. No more politics as usual.
I can't thank you enough because you because you guys partnered with me, believed in me from the beginning, stood with me in the face of adversity, and because of that we are here tonight. You believed in me and I cannot thank you enough. Thank you so much.
I want to specifically thank all of our volunteers. We have an army of volunteers who are committed to a cause greater than themselves. If I could quote Christina, our -- our volunteer coordinator -- Where is she? Get over here! I think she has every single one of your numbers in her cell phone -- on speed dial. She's going to be calling you a lot. But if I could quote something that I read from her in -- in a recent newspaper article. She said, "It's more of a cause than a campaign, and the cause is restoring America," 'cause America -- the America we're fighting for is worth restoring.
I want to share a story with you about a gentleman I spoke with named "George" -- right here at this Elks lodge. But before I get to that story, I want to -- I can't thank everyone by name because we'd be here by midnight because so many people have sacrificed so hard. But I specifically want to thank the 9-12 patriots for laying the foundation and stirring things up in Delaware; the Founder's Values group, and all of the Delaware Tea Party groups. You guys are the visionaries and leaders who made this possible, 'cause you rallied everyday Americans outside the political establishment, brought them involved, and created a grassroots network that made all of this possible.
So, and I also want to thank the Tea Party Express for getting behind [me]. Where are they? And [indecipherable] and my father, and my mother -- and my whole family's behind me. My mother is a spunky woman. Don't ever tell her something can't be done. That's a challenge to prove it can be done. She's right. She's right.
So let me tell you about George, as a reminder of what tonight is all about, and what the next month and a half will be all about. I sat here with him at the picnic tables in the back. And he -- he told me a story of how when he would come over -- come -- come home from -- from deployment overseas, people would spit on him as he returned in his uniform. And he said, "That hurt, but I knew but I knew what I was fighting for, and I knew the freedom's in America were worth defending even if the people back home didn't understand it." He said, "What I see going on in America hurts the same way. But it's worse because it is the very people who are supposed to be protecting our freedoms that are taking them away.
And my sister and I -- we were driving home from the picnic and we were just like, "We have got to endure and win. We have got to work hard." I stood before most of you a little over a week ago and said, "We are not in this to come close. We're in this to win. And we're in this to win big." And win big we did.
Don't ever underestimate the power of, "We, the People." We, the people, will have our voice heard in Washington, D.C. once again, because I believe this isn't just about this U.S. Senate race. This is about changing the system, changing the political system in Delaware so that more everyday Americans can step up to the plate without worrying about character assassination and run for office; because we need citizen-politicians in Dover and in Washington, D.C. to get our state and our country back on track. So that's what this is all about.
Now, without all of your help and...folks like George, this would not have been possible. So you are the real winners tonight, because you have shown that we can win it with a will and a determination. And it is that same determination that we are going to take to Washington, because it will be a partnership.
I can advocate for what is right to do in America. But without your support that legislation won't get anywhere. So this partnership doesn't end on election day. It just begins on election day.
Now, a lot of people have already said that we can't win the general election. It is those same --
[audience chants "Yes we can!"]
Yes we can! Yes we will! I love it! It is those same so-called experts who said we had no chance of winning the primary. It will be hard work, but we can win. And if those same people who fought against me worked just as hard for me -- we will win.
The common sense men and women of Delaware of the "same old" coming out of Washington. They don't want more of the same. Well, we are not more of the same. So, hold on to your hats, folks, 'cause we're in for a fight....
And everyone's already asking how we're going to get along tomorrow; and I say: the greater good. We have to unite for the greater good for what is right in America. And a united Party, a united "We, the People," can win back our country. We don't to have to wait till Return Day to bury the hatchet.
So, I'm asking all of you, on everyday Americans, to help us win through the general [election]. We won this with just a tenth of what my opponent raised -- just a tenth. So, we need more. We need a lot more than that. We need -- It might only still take a tenth of what my opponent has, but if everybody who's watching, everyone who's listening, goes to christine2010.com and makes a contribution right now, well have the support we need to hit the ground running tomorrow morning.
And let me remind everyone -- people -- the other thing that the so-called experts are talking about is the low vote number in Delaware. Well that is true. It's a strategic advantage we have. So making a 100 dollar contribution is like making a 1000 dollar contribution elsewhere. So we're counting on you guys to help us win this because win this we must. And I believe we can.
So, again -- there's another I gotta thank. You betcha. Thank you, governor Palin for your endorsement. Because she got out behind -- she got behind us war-weary folks, and gave us a boost of encouragement when we needed it, and she was a vote against the politics of personal destruction.
So, as we go forward I'd like to make the focus of this election on the issues: how we're going to get jobs back in Delaware; how we're going to protect the security of our homeland; how we're going to take care of our veterans; how we're going to make sure that future generations are not saddled with crippling debt. So, I'm hoping that that can be the focus of the general election. We're going to be continuing to roll out our solutions and our proposals for what we want to do, when I get to Washington the day after election day.
For those of you who might not know -- because this is the special election for the seat once held by Joe Biden, the winner can be sworn in the day after election day. And when we, the people, speak again in November we're going to make sure that that possibility [be]comes a reality, and I'll be serving in that lame duck session.
So let me close with some words of wisdom from Thomas Jefferson: When the people feel the government -- "When the people fear the government there is tyranny. When the government fears the people there is liberty."
I wish you could see what I see. Thank you. We stand for liberty. Everyone in this room stands for liberty. And we can do this. We can win in November. So thank you for standing with me and standing with liberty up till now. And thank you for continuing to stand with me in November.
God bless you.
Book/CDs by Michael E. Eidenmuller, Published by
McGraw-Hill (2008)
Audio Note: AR-XE = American Rhetoric Extreme Enhancement
Page Updated: 1/23/22
U.S. Copyright Status: Text, Audio = Uncertain.