e this country together.

This has been one of the longest， most closely fought contests in history. And that s partly because we have such a formidable opponent in Senator Hillary Clinton. Tonight， many of the pundits have suggested that this party is inalterably divided that Senator Clinton s supporters will not support me， and that my supporters will not support her.

Well I m here tonight to tell you that I don t believe it. Yes， there have been bruised feelings on both sides. Yes， each side desperately wants their candidate to win. But ultimately， this race is not about Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama or John McCain. This election is about you the American people and whether we will have a president and a party that can lead us toward a brighter future.

This primary season may not be over， but when it is， we will have to remember who we are as Democrats that we are the party of Jefferson and Jackson； of Roosevelt and Kennedy； and that we are at our best when we lead with principle； when we lead with conviction； when we summon an entire nation around a common purpose a higher purpose. This fall， we intend to march forward as one Democratic Party， united by a common vision for this country. Because we all agree that at this defining moment in history a moment when we re facing two wars， an economy in turmoil， a planet in peril we can t afford to give John McCain the chance to serve out George Bush s third term. We need change in America.

The woman I met in Indiana who just l