At the National Conventions, the Words They Used
by Democrats
by Republicans
by Democrats and Republicans
Excerpts from Democrats
Democrats mentioned various topics
some number of times per 25,000 words
After 30 years of inaction, we raised fuel standards so that by the middle of the next decade, cars and trucks will go twice as far on a gallon of gas. (Cheers, applause.) We have doubled our use of renewable energy, and thousands of Americans have jobs today building wind turbines and long-lasting batteries.
And while my opponent would spend more money on military hardware that our Joint Chiefs don't even want, I will use the money we're no longer spending on war to pay down our debt and put more people back to work — (extended cheers, applause)
Over and over, we've been told by our opponents that bigger tax cuts and fewer regulations are the only way, that since government can't do everything, it should do almost nothing.
As Americans, we believe we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, rights that no man or government can take away. We insist on personal responsibility, and we celebrate individual initiative.
You're the reason a young immigrant who grew up here and went to school here and pledged allegiance to our flag will no longer be deported from the only country she's ever called home — (cheers, applause)
If you give up on the idea that your voice can make a difference, then other voices will fill the void, the lobbyists and special interests, the people with the $10 million checks who are trying to buy this election and those who are trying to make it harder for you to vote, Washington politicians who want to decide who you can marry or control health care choices that women should be making for themselves.
(Laughter.) We Democrats — we think the country works better with a strong middle class, with real opportunities for poor folks to work their way into it — (cheers, applause)
(Cheers, applause.) And the Republicans call it, derisively, "Obamacare." They say it's a government takeover, a disaster, and that if we'll just elect them, they'll repeal it.
Oh, they'll cut back on investments in roads and bridges and science and technology and biomedical research. That's what they'll do.
It's a heck of a lot better. It passes the arithmetic test, and far more important, it passes the values test.
Billionaires pay lower tax rates than their secretaries. And Wall Street CEOs — the same ones who wrecked our economy and destroyed millions of jobs — still strut around Congress, no shame, demanding favors and acting like we should thank them.
We just don't want the game to be rigged. (Cheers, applause.) We've fought to level the playing field before. About a century ago, when corrosive greed threatened our economy and our way of life, the American people came together, under the leadership of Teddy Roosevelt and other progressives, to bring our nation back from the brink.
And Mitt Romney — (chuckles) — he wants to give tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, but for middle-class families who are hanging on by their fingernails, his plan will hammer them with a new tax hike of up to $2,000.
The truth is he and Mitt Romney just don't like the president's plan. (Cheers, applause.)
And that's exactly what the Romney-Ryan plan does. You know, they call their plan brave, bold, courageous.
I ask all of you, is it bold to give millionaires another tax cut while forcing seniors to pay more for Medicare?
(Cheers, applause.) This is the president who brought Osama bin Laden to justice, who ended the war in Iraq and is ending the war in Afghanistan.
And among them — among them are the future scientists and entrepreneurs, teachers, artists, engineers, laborers and civic leaders we desperately need. For this country to rise, they must rise.
(Cheers, applause.) Thank you so much. God bless you, and God bless the United States.
Good evening, fellow Democrats. (Cheers, applause.) Good evening. Isn't that American dream story the story of America? (Cheers, applause.)
Medicare is on the ballot. Democrats will preserve and strengthen Medicare. Republicans will end the Medicare guarantee.
It's a choice between a country where the middle class pays more so that millionaires can pay less, or a country where everybody pays their fair share so we can reduce the deficit and create the jobs of the future.
And to me, to my generation and for all the generations to come, our choice is clear. Our choice is a man who's always chosen us, a man who already is our president: Barack Obama.
When I was governor during the worst recession since the Great Depression, Virginia maintained one of the lowest unemployment rates in America. We kept our AAA bond rating.
We went from 25 months of job loss to 28 straight months of private sector job growth. The auto industry is back, and manufacturers are hiring again.
Governor Romney believes — he believes that kids, kids like our "DREAMers" — those immigrant children — (cheers, applause) — those immigrant children who were brought to America's shores through no fault of their own — he thinks they're a drag on the American economy.
He showed that global leadership is a strategic imperative for America, not a favor that we do to other countries. And President Obama kept his promises. He promised to end the war in Iraq, and he has, and our heroes have come home.
(Scattered applause.) We talked about family, religion, business, energy, war and peace and the future of America.
The middle class was being hollowed out. We cannot afford to go back to the failed policies of the past. (Applause.) Now, maybe Governor Romney has forgotten how we got into the mess that President Obama faced, but we haven't — two wars, tax breaks for the wealthiest, the Wall Street bailout, Katrina.
He promised to make membership in al-Qaida a high-risk occupation and begin winding down the war in Afghanistan — done. (Cheers, applause.)
(Laughter.) Otherwise, we're like any other family. We eat dinner, we go to church, we have chores. But some people don't see it that way.
(Cheers, applause.) Give our workers a fair shot, and we'll compete against anyone.
What I didn't tell you was how high the stakes were for my family. In 2007 I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Because of the president's Affordable Care Act, 3.1 million young Americans who were previously uninsured can stay on their parents' health insurance. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan want to repeal health reform and take that coverage away.
(Boos.) They are changing — they are changing the rules, cutting polling hours and imposing requirement intended to suppress the vote. The Republican leader in the Pennsylvania House even bragged that his state's new voter ID law is going to allow Governor Romney to win the state.
One of our first steps is to reduce our energy use by 20 percent in Charlotte's central business district.
And he made the federal government pay small-business contractors not in 30 days but in 15 to help entrepreneurs make their payrolls and buy new equipment.
— and that all governors — all governors expand Medicaid coverage so no more Margarets (sp) die from lack of care.
He understands that we have the finest military in the world, and we have a commitment to keep our faith with our men and women in uniform. Today our Iraq and Afghanistan warriors have displayed enormous discipline and love of country.
This is a time to drive the economy forward. This is a time to drive America forward.
In order to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, Governor Romney will cut education for our nation's children. That's the choice.
When women are in the halls of power, our national debate reflects the needs and dreams of American families. Women leading means that Congress is working to create jobs, make quality child care more affordable, and strengthen the middle class — because we understand the America we love grows the economy and opportunity from the middle out, not the top down.
That's why he made historic investments in higher education, making college more affordable from community colleges to Pell Grant scholarships and student loans.
That's why President Obama signed into law 2 trillion (dollars) in spending cuts, bringing annual domestic spending to its lowest level as a share of the economy since President Eisenhower.
(Cheers, applause.) It is our hope that instructs us to march on. (Cheers, applause.)
Mitt Romney not only wants to make those tax cuts permanent, he wants to add more tax breaks for the wealthy that would make our deficit even bigger.
(Boos.) Here's their economic plan, ladies and gentlemen. If you're a millionaire, you win the lottery.
Rise up to re-elect the leader who will fight to strengthen Medicare. Rise up for President Barack Obama!
Women across our country are fighting for the opportunity that comes with equal pay for equal work and the respect that comes with having control of their medical decisions.
(Cheers, applause.) Reproductive freedom means economic freedom. (Cheers, applause.) And that's what this debate is all about.
(Cheers, applause.) Like — like so many of us, that was the measure of his success in life, being able to earn a decent living that allowed him to support his family.
And last month, they stood with CEOs to announce that they've hired 125,000 veterans and military spouses — (cheers, applause)
He's helped us get jobs, got us help for PTSDs, stood strong for military families. And for me, the most important step was the post-9/11 GI Bill.
From President Obama's first day in office, I've watched him, as I know you have, face these tough decisions and always put the interest of middle-class Americans above those who, often with a larger wallet, have an ever-louder voice.
(Boos.) They wouldn't cooperate to create jobs. They wouldn't try to turn around the economy.
And that's why firefighters support President Obama and Vice President Biden, because they have our backs, and it's our turn to have theirs.
President Obama has walked with our small businesses, our job creators. He knows small businesses are the backbone of our economy.
Excerpts from Republicans
Republicans mentioned various topics
some number of times per 25,000 words
When every new wave of immigrants looked up and saw the Statue of Liberty or knelt down and kissed the shores of freedom just 90 miles from Castro's tyranny, these new Americans surely had many questions.
Now is the moment when we can stand up and say, I'm an American, I make my destiny, we deserve better, my children deserve better, my family deserves better, my country deserves better. (Cheers, applause.) So here we stand. Americans have a choice, a decision.
He led a great — (cheers, applause) — he led a great automobile company and became governor of the great state of Michigan.
In the richest country in the history of the world, this Obama economy has crushed the middle class. Family income has fallen by $4,000, but health insurance premiums are higher.
(Boos.) His $716 billion cut to Medicare to finance "Obamacare" will both hurt today's seniors and oppress innovation and jobs in medicine.
Every American was relieved the day President Obama gave the order and Seal Team 6 took out Osama bin Laden. (Cheers, applause.) On another front, every American is less secure today because he has failed to slow Iran's nuclear threat. In his first TV interview as president, he said we should talk to Iran.
Right now, 23 million men and women are struggling to find work, 23 million people unemployed or underemployed. Nearly 1-in-6 Americans is in poverty.
What did taxpayers get out of the Obama stimulus? More debt. That money wasn't just spent and wasted.
Not only a defender of marriage, he — he offers an example of marriage at its best.
We have led, when necessary, with the armed might of freedom's defenders. And always we have led from the front, never from behind.
We can choose to follow a declining path toward a future that is dimmer and more dangerous that our past, or we can choose to reform our failing government, revitalize our ailing economy and renew the foundations of our power and leadership in the world.
His own secretary of defense has said that cutting our military by nearly a trillion dollars would be devastating, and yet the president is playing no leadership role in preventing this crippling blow to our military. A wise congressman from Wisconsin has said: Our fiscal policy and our foreign policy are on a collision course.
Because his new slogan for his campaign is the word "forward." Forward? A government that spends $1 trillion more than it takes in? An $800 billion stimulus that created more debt than jobs?
(Applause.) I know for many of you watching at home tonight, the last few years have tested your faith in the promise of America. Maybe you're at an age when you thought you would be entering retirement, but now because your savings and investments are wiped out, your future is uncertain.
But most importantly, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will rebuild the foundation of our strength, the American economy, stimulating private sector growth and stimulating small-business entrepreneurship.
Whenever you find yourself doubting us, just think about all those times that America made the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect: our revolutionary founding against the greatest military power of the time; a Civil War, brother against brother, hundreds of thousands dead on both sides, but we emerged a more perfect union; a second founding when impatient patriots were determined to overcome the birth defect of slavery and the scourge of segregation; a long struggle against communism, with the Soviet Union eventually in collapse and Europe whole, free and at peace; and in the aftermath of 9/11, the willingness to take really hard, hard decisions that secured us and prevented the follow-on attack that everybody thought preordained.
My great-grandfather, like many, came to this country in search of the American dream. No sooner had he stepped off the boat than his father died.
Mr. President, you say the rich must pay their fair share. But when you seek to punish the rich, the jobs that are lost are those of the poor and the middle class.
And you know what? We still protect the environment, we protect our families, but we don't over-regulate and kill the job creators in our state. In fact, we want to honor the job creators in our state and work with them because they help our families.
They've put in this hole. And Mitt Romney has a history being a great job creator. Secondly, he was a great governor. He went from billions of dollars in the hole when he became governor to billions of dollars in surplus when he left, and he went from the loss of tens of thousands of jobs when he became governor to the creation of 40,000 new jobs when he left office.
Yet through all the hard work and sacrifice, we pulled together as a family. And as the business grew, so did our extended family. And I speak to you tonight with great concern for our employees, their families, my family and your family.
And, you know, the very best example is "Obamacare." And let me tell you what I hear in the real world about "Obamacare." Just a couple of months ago, a successful restaurant owner in Concord, New Hampshire, told me about his dilemma.
My dad was an old-school guy, a former drill sergeant, blue-collar worker his whole life. He taught us to work hard but think big.
This was a real discussion with someone who understands where small businesses are coming from. You see, Governor Romney, for him, it's not free enterprise — it's not just a theory, free enterprise.
If it's possible — if it's possible to feel your soul being touched, then that's what I felt. As we carried the flag out before a capacity crowd and a worldwide television audience, the silence was deafening.
One type is all about themselves and their success, and the other type works as hard as they can — and certainly succeeds — but their success is motivated by doing good for others. That's how I see Governor Romney.
Mitt never hesitated. He made tough decisions, coalesced a team and moved forward. Time and time again I have seen this decisive leadership.
He issued that challenge again and again. (Cheers, applause.) The church itself was a marvelous vehicle for extending that challenge.
Of 34 advanced nations in the world, American students rank 17th in science, 25th in math. Only one quarter of high school graduates are ready for their next steps.
Governor Bush's school choice program gave me a chance to achieve academic success in a school that was best-fit for me.
Mi padre, Mitt Romney, es un hombre de familia. El es un gran esposo, padre y abuelo. El sabe como unir a nuestro pais y valora que somos una nacion de inmigrantes unidos en el deseo de lograr el suenio (ph)
Let me ask you this: Which one would you choose to invest your life savings?
The court agreed that the Constitution does not allow the federal government to force states to adopt a budget-busting expansion of Medicaid.
The health care lawsuit has reminded all of us that the Constitution limits the power of government.
And that is why that we need leaders who don't play chicken with our nation's defense.
I decided then and there to dedicate to my life to racing and coaching other injured veterans. Being a gold medal paralympian gives me a whole new way to honor and serve my country.
But more and more, I found myself voting with him.
(Cheers, applause.) And not too long ago, The Wall Street Journal said anyone still thinking the U.S.
(Cheers, applause.) God bless you. God bless you, Tampa. God bless you, America. Let's take this country back.
Mitt Romney believes that parents and local community must be in charge of our schools, not the Department of Education. (Cheers, applause.) Yet we all know there is one key to success that has helped people overcome even the greatest of obstacles: hard work.
On June 5th, voters in Wisconsin were asked to choose between going backwards to the days of double-digit tax increases, billion- dollar budget deficits and record job loss, or moving forward with reforms that lowered the tax burden, balanced the budget and helped small businesses create more jobs.
Like many small-business men, my dad borrowed against our house to purchase the machinery to start Gilchrist Metal Fabricating, machines making equipment for drilling oil, generating power, television broadcasting, processing food and many other industries which touch our lives every day, machines run by taxpaying Americans like us.
Mitt's jobs plan will build a stronger middle class through energy independence, schools where our kids, not the teachers unions, come first, free trade, the path to a balanced budget and an end to the uncertainty and the tax hikes that threaten small businesses.
I bring you greetings from the National Federation of Republican Women, an organization of more than 75,000 Republican women across the nation.
I'm delighted to be here with our team, our delegates who every day help sell the fight in every community across this country as we stand up to make Barack Obama a one-term president. (Cheers, applause.)
We need a new generation of leadership to chart the path, to fight for policies that create jobs rather than red tape and to help small businesses succeed rather than helping green energy companies fail.
We'll talk about stopping the regulatory attacks on farmers and small businesses — we can do better.
She put her faith in God, not government. (Cheers.) In 70 days, our nation faces a pivotal election, and our choice is absolutely clear.
We need leadership. We need to elect Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan because we need to believe in America again.
If you voted for Obama and you have buyer's remorse, let me tell you: Mitt Romney is the hope, and Paul Ryan is the change. (Cheers, applause.)
We heard and we will continue to hear a great deal about health care and Medicare in this election. And that's a good thing.
(Cheers.) Let's elect Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan and send Barack Obama and Joe Biden on a permanent vacation. (Cheers, applause.)
It is our duty as citizen activists of this great Republican Party to fight to restore the values of our founding fathers.