Harness that optimism and do great things.

Question: Are generally optimistic of pessimistic about the way the world is headed?

Robert Menendez: Optimistic. I believe we face great challenges in our country and in the world. And yet in some of the greatest challenges, we have found some of the greatest opportunities to change the course of history and make it so much better. You know it was optimism that took a country from the Great Depression; and by the optimism created by President Roosevelt and his programs, brought us into a new era. It is optimism in the midst of the Cold War that had President Kennedy say that we could put a man on the moon and ultimately achieve it. It is optimism that has led us to some of the most incredible technological advances that we might have ever envisioned happening as a people. So it is when we harness that optimism, and imbue it in our people, and call upon them to meet the great challenges that we do great things. And so I’m an optimist.

Recorded on: 9/12/07