Commentary
When the boss speaks, you listen
Bruce Springsteen gave his usual endorsement for the Democratic candidate last night, but this time it brought down the house.
Following is a transcript of Bruce Springsteen’s speech at the Hillary Clinton rally in Philadelphia on Monday night during a performance of “Thunder Road”:
Good evening! It’s an honor to be here with President and Mrs. Obama, President Clinton and Chelsea, and if we all do our part tomorrow, President-elect Clinton.
The choice tomorrow couldn’t be any clearer. Hillary’s candidacy is based on intelligence, experience, preparation, and on an actual vision of an America where everyone counts: men and women, white and black, Hispanic and Native, where folks of all faiths and backgrounds can come together to address our problems in a reasonable and thoughtful way.
That vision of America is essential to sustain, no matter how difficult its realization.
Hillary sees an America where the issue of income distribution should be at the forefront of our national conversation, where the progress we’ve made in reducing our unemployment is not enough — we must do better. She has a vision of universal health care for all that will build on the work of President Obama. She sees an America that needs to be fairer, where our highest courts look to protect the rights of all of our citizens and not just the privileged. She sees an America where the issue of immigration reform is dealt with realistically and compassionately. And she calls for an America that participates in the welfare of our planet — both in world affairs and in global science — and where the unfinished business of protecting the rights of women is not an afterthought, but a priority.
That’s the country where we will indeed be stronger together.
Now, briefly, to address her opponent: this is a man whose vision is limited to little beyond himself, who has a profound lack of decency that would allow him to prioritize his own interests and ego before American democracy itself. Somebody who’d be willing to damage our long-cherished and admired system rather than look to himself for the reasons behind his own epic failure. That’s unforgivable. Tomorrow that campaign is going down.
Let’s all do our part so we can look back at 2016 and say we stood with Hillary Clinton on the right side of history. That’s why I’m standing here with you tonight, for the dream of a better America.
Watch the full performance:
Originally published at on