Full text of the speech here (thanks to hyper).
As usual, Senator Obama has delivered an inspirational speech to the American people. Thus far, the loudest applause has followed his quoting of Mark Twain,
Patriotism is loving your country all of the time, and your government when it deserves it.
Followed by a standing ovation and then the astounding idea, which is likely as old as America herself, that,
Time may prove that dissent against government that does not uphold the ideals of America, may prove to be the greatest form of patriotism yet.
Now, of course I'm paraphrasing, because I'm writing as I'm listening. But I think such a speech on partiotism deserves such immediate attention. Now is the time for us to decide the direction of debate on the American condition and on patriotism. For far too long, the Republican party has held the gavel when setting the agenda on these issues.
Through their use of fear as a weapon against ideology, and by claiming, for far too long, that they are the true keepers of patriotism and American ideals, the Republicans have painted a picture of liberalism as bad, and conservatism as the only answer to preserving the country.
Obama has definitively attacked these assumptions:
No political party has a monopoly on patriotism.
What a time it will be when a man of such ideology once again leads our country. What a time it will be to have a man of such intellectual stature, who looks beyond the false divide of a dichotomous political system of "left vs. right" and "blue vs. red".
Following Obama, I quote our Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
I would like to add the following quote from Obama's speech that is an important statement on the climate of political campaigns (thanks to Muzikal203 for posting this below):
No further proof of such sacrifice is necessary. No one should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign, and that goes for the supporters of both sides. We must always express our profound gratitude for our men and women in uniform. Period. Full stop.
Unfortunately, most of the media will focus primarily on the statements regarding some questioning of McCain's ability to lead; questions rooted in General Clark's statements. It's important, however, that we not lose our grip on the importance of the American ideology as a fundamental basis for American patriotism. I truly think that this is our time to guide that discussion. It can be as simple as linking these ideals to our debates on any number of current political issues (the recent supreme court decision on Habeas Corpus is a great example. It's too bad that Justice Scalia has preempted some of that discussion by focusing on Amercian deaths instead of the fundamental right that has been a stronghold of populism since the 13th century).
The dichotomy of party politics that has divided our nation for decades now, threatens the delicate balance of the Constitution, and the ideals that form the basis of the Constitution. It is our duty as patriotic Americans to not let that delicate balance tip in any direction that does not recognize and uphold the ideals that form the basis of our Democracy.