Speaking With Supporters
John and Elizabeth Edwards returned home to Raleigh, N.C. on Wednesday, March 3rd. Senator Edwards spoke to friends, family, campaign supporters, volunteers, and staff in the Broughton High School Gymnasium.
Speech At Broughton High School, Raleigh, N.C. Wednesday, March 3, 2004
Thank you all so much for being here. I have never loved my country more than I do today. You know, the truth is, all my life, America has smiled at me and today I am smiling right back!
More than anything, I love the American people. The people I have listened to; the people I have embraced, the people who made me laugh, inspired me, inspired you. People who made me think. People who have made me reach.
And today, I see their faces. I see the faces of the men and women who worked in the mill in Robbins, North Carolina-the mill my father worked in, the mill I worked in. I can picture their faces as clear as they are in front of me right now, lint in their hair an grease on their faces, men and women who represent the best of what America is.
They went to work day after day, decade after decade in the mill because they believed that if they worked hard and did what was right, they could build a better life for themselves and their families.
I see the faces of the workers at Tower Automotive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They are wondering where do they go after the doors to their factory close? What do they do? Have they not done the right things in America? Have they not worked hard, been responsible, raised their kids? Where do they go now and will they have a president and an administration who understands their lives and who will stand up for them?
I see the faces of the young men and women that I met in Afghanistan, at night. They are proud of their country, proud of serving their country, but worried about their families back home. They are worried about what would happen when they went back.
I see the men and women at Page Belting in Concord, New Hampshire who wonder if anyone understands the struggles that they face and most Americans face every day in their lives.
And I also see the earnest, young, wise faces from central high school in Des Moines to Pomona College in California. Young people, looking desperately for inspiration-looking for someone who will lift them up, make them believe again that in our America, with their help, with their energy, and their enthusiasm, everything is possible.
Most of all I see all these faces, turning from skepticism and despair to inspiration and hope, because they believe in this country. They believe in themselves and they know that you and I together are going to change this country, and build one America that works for all of us.
It has been my greatest honor to have walked with you. From the beginning, this has never been my campaign. This has been your campaign. And I am blessed to have been a part of it. And I'm also blessed to be back here at Broughton High School with so many friends and family, members of my community.
Today I've decided to suspend my campaign for the presidency of the United States.
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Bobbie Edwards' Peanut Butter Pie
Now you can enjoy the recipe that has delighted campaign volunteers and staff. With your special contribution to the campaign, Bobbie Edwards (the senator's mother) will e-mail you her recipe for peanut butter pie with fudge sauce. Have a taste for yourself.
Video And Photos From The Campaign Trail
Photo Gallery:
Check out the new campaign photo gallery with pictures snapped by supporters around the country -- and photos from the Edwards family.
Event Video:
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