11月4日イリノイ州シカゴのグランドパークに20万人を超える支持者の前で、オバマ氏は演説「アメリカに変化は訪れた（Change Has Come to America ）」を行った（以下は、その冒頭の部分）。高校生の頃、岩波新書でキング牧師の「自由への大いなる歩み」を読んだときのことを思い出した。高校の英語の教科書で、キング牧師の「私には夢がある（I have a dream）」が掲載されているが、あれから45年が経過した。人権、経済、教育、環境問題など世界的な規模で困窮し、急速に変化しなければならない時代だからこそ、誕生した大統領だと思う。日本では、どのような変化がこれから起こるのだろうか。

Hello，Chicago．
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible，Who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time，Who still questions the power of our democracy，tonight is your answer．
It's the answer spoken by young and old，rich and poor，Democrat and Republican，black，White，Hispanic，Asian，Native American，gay，straight，disabled and not disabled.　Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states．We are，and always will be，the United States of America．
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day．It's been a long time coming，but tonight，because of what we did on this date in this election at this definlng moment，Change has come to America．