#this speech

[aegonsdrunkenpoetry]

[freshgratednutmeg]

The American President, directed by Rob Reiner, screenplay by Aaron Sorkin

Transcript, emphasis mine.

For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested that being president of this country was, to a certain extent, about character, and although I have not been willing to engage in his attacks on me, I've been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being president of this country is *entirely* about character. For the record: yes, I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU. But the more important question is, why aren't you, Bob? Now, this is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question: Why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the Constitution? If you can answer that question, folks, then you're smarter than I am, because I didn't understand it until a few hours ago. America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the "land of the free". I've known Bob Rumson for years, and I've been operating under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn't get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob's problem isn't that he doesn't get it. Bob's problem is that he can't sell it! We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and character. And wave an old photo of the President's girlfriend and you scream about patriotism and you tell them she's to blame for their lot in life, and you go on television and you call her a whore. Sydney Ellen Wade has done nothing to you, Bob. She has done nothing but put herself through school, represent the interests of public school teachers, and lobby for the safety of our natural resources. You want a character debate, Bob? You better stick with me, 'cause Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league. I've loved two women in my life. I lost one to cancer, and I lost the other 'cause I was so busy keeping my job I forgot to do my job. Well, that ends right now. Tomorrow morning, the White House is sending a bill to Congress for its consideration. It's White House Resolution 455, an energy bill requiring a 20 percent reduction of the emission of fossil fuels over the next ten years. It is by far the most aggressive stride ever taken in the fight to reverse the effects of global warming. The other piece of legislation is the crime bill. As of today, it no longer exists. I'm throwing it out. I'm throwing it out writing a law that makes sense. You cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and handguns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I'm gonna convince Americans that I'm right, and I'm gonna get the guns. We've got serious problems, and we need serious people, and if you want to talk about character, Bob, you'd better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card. If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I'll show up. This is a time for serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up. My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I *am* the President.

[ind1exo]

This speech is way deeper than it should have been. 🥲

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

I Am All In Rewatch - Jess - Episode 3x21

But I think it's some of Milo's best work. He really, really pulled me in. He really, really, really pulled me in with this cuz he was so hurt and he was so lost and he was so confused and I, I just loved him in this episode. I, I just fell in love with him again in this episode. So I'm like, you know, I'm, I'm all there for, for Jess now hoping that he, God, I mean just, I mean, getting thrown out by his father, he doesn't even show he, he just shows up and father's rejecting him again. I mean the poor kid, you know, he's, he's, he's in a tough spot. I'm I'm, you know, I, my, my natural protective instincts, you know, just me Scott was, was really just man, just, I was just fired up...He did fail him. He did fail him. And I, and I do feel bad. I, and I know that Luke feels bad and he should feel bad. He did fail him because he, he, with the young kid, it's, you know, you gotta pick your moments to be that rigid and that stern, you know, like I said, in the last podcast, why isn't there a world where, where you can sit somebody down and really talk to them and really support them and really love them. Instead of all of this, this has gotta be my way garbage and you know, and all this. And, and, and, and my God, I just, I don't know how anybody, especially a kid that vulnerable, that smart, that sensitive and that troubled, how is he? He's not gonna respond well to that. You know, you, I mean, they're gonna make mistake after mistake, after mistake, after mistake, the only, and I, and I agreed with Sasha, right? It's like, you gotta love these people, man. You gotta love them and you gotta hug them and you gotta be patient with 'em and they're gonna screw up. And you gotta just factor that into the equation and alter your behavior. So I was, but Luke, again, like Luke is not the guy to raise or, or to be there for this kid...But I wanted to see a softer Luke. I wanted to see a Luke that was more supportive and gentle with that boy and, and loving and open up his heart. Cause wouldn't that have been powerful..But wouldn't the, the most moving scene would've been Luke opening up his heart to that kid and showing him how it affected him. Like imagine Luke in tears. Like shattered.  Like  kid, I'm, I'm dying for you here, man. It would've worked. Right. I think that's gonna be more effective going forward. I support that. -Scott

[myownprivateclusterfuck]

it hits so fucking close to home 

[jeansmartdaily]

Jean Smart | Philanthropic Advocate Award

[the-paris-of-people]

Normal character: I love you

Ben Gross: I know you're moving to India but/I'm cool with long distance/My dad has access to a PJ/You don't have to say anything right now/Devi I'm all in