For the third time, I was lucky to be able to see Barack Obama in person. Two of those events were held in my hometown, Grand Rapids Michigan. It pays to live in a battleground State. The first time I saw Obama live was his first event held in Michigan after the contentious primary. It was the John Edwards Endorsement. The second time I saw Obama live, along with Joe Biden, was in Battle Creek Michigan. I diaried that rally here. The third time was this morning in the heart of Conservative West Michigan, Grand Rapids. You couldn't tell this morning that Grand Rapids is GOP stronghold.
Early crowd estimates are about 16,000.
There were a few protestors out on the cold gray morning, a very few.
One of things I love best about the crowds that gather to witness history, it represents all walks of life.
An Obama toddler
An Obama teen
The crowd
His two biggest applause lines were:
He [McCain] says he’ll take on corporate lobbyists now, but he put seven of the biggest lobbyists in Washington in charge of his campaign. And if you think those lobbyists are working day and night to elect him just to put themselves out of business, well I’ve got a bridge to sell you up in Alaska.
We’ll start by ending a war in Iraq that’s costing $10 billion a month while the Iraqi government sits on a $79 billion surplus.
At one point though, the crowd got a little testy with Obama. "If I'm president..." The crowd cut him off with shouts of "When! When!" Obama replied, "I'm superstitious, folks" to laughter and cheers of Yes We Can.
Barack spoke to us about the bailout, sorry the Economic Stabilization Package, about job loss in Michigan, about tax cuts for middle America, about the need to reform our health care system, about the need to provide every child in America with a world class education. He spoke to our inner Angels.
Some of my favorite parts of the speech:
And at each and every moment, we’ve risen to meet these challenges because we’ve never forgotten that fundamental truth – that here, in this country, our destiny is not written for us; it’s written by us.
Because together, we cannot fail. Not now. Not when we have a crisis to solve and an economy to save. Not when there are so many Americans without jobs and without homes. Not when there are families who can’t afford to see a doctor, or send their child to college, or pay their bills at the end of the month. Not when there is a generation that is counting on us to give them the same opportunities and the same chances that we had for ourselves.
Now it falls to us. Together, we cannot fail. And I need you to make it happen. If you want the next four years looking just like the last eight, then I am not your candidate. But if you want real change – if you want an economy that rewards work, and that works for Main Street and Wall Street; if you want tax relief for the middle class and millions of new jobs; if you want health care you can afford and education that helps your kids compete; then I ask you to knock on some doors, make some calls, talk to your neighbors, and give me your vote on November 4th. And if you do, I promise you – we will win Michigan, we will win this election, and then you and I – together – will change this country and change this world. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.
Kossack TomP had a diary this morning on the Rec List on Barack's remarks, you can find that here.
Fired Up, Ready to Go! Let's go knock on some doors! Obama Action Center