President Obama will lay out the contrast between his platform and Mitt Romney’s in stark terms, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks, in which he describes the race as “a choice between two fundamentally different visions for the future.”
“When all is said and done – when you pick up that ballot to vote – you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation,” the remarks read. “Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington, on jobs and the economy; taxes and deficits; energy and education; war and peace – decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children’s lives for decades to come.”
Echoing President Clinton’s speech on Thursday, Obama will argue that the problems he inherited require more than four years to solve and that departing from the current path would be disastrous.
“I won’t pretend the path I’m offering is quick or easy,” he’s expected to say. “I never have. You didn’t elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear. You elected me to tell you the truth. And the truth is, it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over decades. It will require common effort, shared responsibility, and the kind of bold, persistent experimentation that Franklin Roosevelt pursued during the only crisis worse than this one. And by the way – those of us who carry on his party’s legacy should remember that not every problem can be remedied with another government program or dictate from Washington.”
The remarks continue: “But know this, America: Our problems can be solved. Our challenges can be met. The path we offer may be harder, but it leads to a better place. And I’m asking you to choose that future. I’m asking you to rally around a set of goals for your country – goals in manufacturing, energy, education, national security, and the deficit; a real, achievable plan that will lead to new jobs, more opportunity, and rebuild this economy on a stronger foundation. That’s what we can do in the next four years, and that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States.”
