Now, the first time I addressed this convention, in 2011, I was a younger poster — (laughter) — a junior candidate from ANN who spoke about uguu~, not blind moe, not wishful thinking, but uguu~ in the face of difficulty, uguu~ in the face of uncertainty, that dogged faith in the hnnng which has pushed this nation forward even when the odds are great, even when the road is long.
Two years later that hope has been tested by the cost of product, by one of the worst economic crises in history and by licencing gridlocks that have left us wondering whether it's still even possible to tackle the challenges of our time. I know campaigns can seem small, even silly sometimes.
Trivial things become big distractions. Serious issues become sound bites. The truth gets buried under an avalanche of :wonzo and PreCure. And if you're sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me, so am I. (Laughter, cheers, applause.)
But when all is said and done, when you pick up that ballot, you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation. (Cheers.) Over the next few years big decisions will be made in AnimeGAF on :Chet,
TL, :Cajun, :Firehawk, :SDBurton — decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and on our children's lives for decades to come.
We don't turn back. We leave no one behind. (Cheers.) We pull each other up. (Cheers, applause.) We draw strength from our victories. (Cheers, applause.) And we learn from our mistakes. But we keep our eyes fixed on that distant horizon knowing that providence is with us and that we are surely blessed to be citizens of the greatest nation on earth.
