Gov. Mary Fallin summoned memories of her Tecumseh childhood as an ideal of American optimism and opportunity.

“When I look back on my childhood, my America,” Fallin told the crowd on Thursday, “I don’t see a perfect place. But we were united by a simple belief: that no matter who you were or where you came from, better days were just ahead for America.

“We understood poverty in Tecumseh,” she said. “But it wasn’t a destiny that was inevitable. We were optimistic about the future, and knew we could succeed with hard work, a good education and faith in God.”

Fallin acknowledged the lack of opportunities for women and “the shadow of institutional discrimination” but suggested that both had been corrected long ago, with her own political success as at least partial proof.

“The American people are longing for the American dream where they can get a fair shake at life and the opportunity to succeed,” Fallin said. “We must make America one again and restore confidence in the strength of our nation.”

Doing that, according to Thursday’s message, requires the election of Donald Trump.

Or, more specifically, the defeat of Hillary Clinton.

Randy Krehbiel 918-581-8365 randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com

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