Full disclosure: I really like Barak Obama and I feel inspired every time I hear him speak (twice live, now, and several speeches in podcasts and on tv). But I will try to do this in reporting mode just to describe what he said.
Now, one thing that will be very difficult about writing this up is that Obama's speechifying is so much more filled with actual style than the other candidates I've seen. With the others, I was pretty much able to write down what they said like a very slow recorder. With Obama, I found it very difficult to write what he said because how he said it was so engaging that I started to write that down, but the real point could be summarized in one sentence, and I may or may not have actually written that particular sentence down. Kind of hard to explain, but, for example, when he says "When I become president, the era of Scooter Libby justice, of Brownie incompetence, of Karl Rove politics will be over." That's a pretty long (and stylish, I think) way of saying something about Bush's legacy or the current standard, or the type of administration he'll have.
Okay, so, on with the scene...
The setting is "The Armory", which is basically a huge gymnasium space that's attached to the Radisson in Manchester. The place was pretty full, though I think there may have been some empty seats in the back (but there were a lot of seats). The audience was a serious mix of all ages and races (well, as much racial mix as you might get in NH, which isn't saying much for people from major cities or places like CA). We waited for a long time for the doors to open (I got there a bit after 4), they opened at 5, and Obama came out around 5:45. Before he spoke, one of the local politicians spoke about him and introduced him.
Obama came out from the side door and shook hands across the fence (the seats were behind a fence area) and did lots of smiling and welcome. Oh, and I'd like to point out that he was wearing a tie, since somebody made a disparaging comment to me after seeing him in a picture sans tie.
He started his speech by thanking the local organizers and recognizing them in the audience. Then he pointed out that Santa was in the audience. Santa then held up a "Stop Global Warming" sign. Obama said, "That's right. What we want for Christmas is a sustainable planet!"
Then the real speech started. "I want your vote." He asks who in the audience is undecided and about 20% raise their hands (and I'm guessing many undecided people didn't want to raise their hands).
He says he's been traveling a lot. The size of the crowds is inspiring. But it's also the makeup of the crowds that is inspiring. Young and old, all races, all religions, democrats, independents, "and, yes, even republicans". He tells a funny story about people coming up to shake his hand and whispering "Barak, I'm a republican." He'll say back, "That's okay. Why are we whispering?"
He says that people recognize we are at a defining moment in history. There is no incumbent, no incumbent VP, and George W Bush will not be on the ballot [gigantically huge cheer from the crowd]. "My cousin, Dick Cheney, will not be on the ballot." [Laughs and clapping from the audience]. He goes on to joke about how when they do that geneology stuff, you hope to be related to George Washington, or Willie Mays, not Dick Cheney!
Then he gets into the thing I mentioned above, about the era of Libby/Brownie/Rove being over.
He says this is a defining moment and you have to ask yourself, "What is next for America?" We are in peril, people are working harder for less. We're paying more for health care, college, more to heat our homes, more to put gas in the tank... People have lost faith, they feel cynical and frustrated.
He goes on to say that people have come to expect fear and falsehoods that lead us into a war that we shouldn't have been in.
Americans want to believe we can achieve something as a country. Right now in this moment, we have a chance to bring people together in a working majority.
People have said they'd do this before, but health care is something that's been talked about for decades but costs are still going up. Drug and insurance companies spent $1 Billion in 10 years to block changes to the health care system.
Energy independence is something we've talked about for decades but we're seeing more importing of oil, and higher prices. The prices we're paying are higher than they've ever been and Exxon-Mobile's profits are higher than they've ever been.
We need a fundamental change. We can't have a traditional campaign. We need to tell people what they NEED to hear, not just what they want to hear. If we're serious about governing, we can't be afraid to lose an election. He believes we should be led not by polls, but by principles. We need not just a change in policy, but a change in leadership. We need to think about not just how to win, but why we should!
He talks about a 6-person focus group he did in Portsmouth (about 45 min away). The focus group was about economics. And these are the stories you hear everywhere. One woman (65 years old) had to leave her job. She has $2900/month in drug payments and she's living on Social Security. She started crying during the session. She's worked in her job for 47 years and got laid off. Then a young couple, a teacher and a land trust guy. They have two kids and can never get ahead. They can't save and can't start college funds.
This is why he became a community organizer... to help people get back on their feet.
People do not expect the government to solve all of their problems! They just believe things like they shouldn't be bankrupted when they get sick. And DC is not listening. They don't hear your voices. What's needed is not just a slight change in policies. We need tax breaks for the people who need them, not for the CEO's who make more in an hour than most people do in a month. People need help with drug costs.
Other candidates say, "I know how to work the system." But how is that useful when the system isn't working? I think the days of corporate lobbyists setting the agenda are over. They will not down out the voices of the American people. We need trade agreements that don't undermine American workers.
Obama's mother died when she was 53. He knows about how the health care system is messed up. When she was dying, she should have been spending her time with family, not reading all the paperwork and figuring out health costs.
If he's elected Americans will be able to get health care as good as his, with no exclusions for pre-existing conditions. They will negotiate for the cheapest drugs. And he pledges to do this all by the end of his first term.
Education. Invest in early childhood education. Reward great teachers, higher salaries, more support. And no more policies like No Child Left Behind that leave the money behind! We shouldn't base the future of a school on a single test, especially one that leaves out things like arts and music. For college, students should have a tax credit and in return we'll ask for community service or national service after graduation.
Americans are tired of sending $1 Billion a day to hostile nations for foreign oil and melting the ice caps. We need to cap greenhouse gases, invest in solar, wind, and bio diesel. Increase the MPH requirements! Cutting out the middle east oil will be good for us in terms of environment and national security.
You all need to insist on somebody who is going to tell you the truth. My job will be to keep you safe. We will maintain the strongest fighting force in the world, but we have to take care of them, and use them judiciously. I opposed this war in Iraq from the start. I will end it. I will bring the troops home within 16 months. And then we'll finish the fight we started in Afghanistan. We've been distracted from this.
And we need to not just end the war, but change our mindset. He got into arguements with Clinton about wanting to talk to enemy leaders. People called his views "naive". But JFK said, "Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate." We need to have a strong president to represent this country and talk to our adversaries.
"(quotish) I want to tell the world that America is back. We are ready to lead. Yes we will lead with military, but that's not the main way. We will lead by building schools and public health centers in areas of need. We will fight against Darfur because genocide is never okay. We will close Guantanamo, restore habeas corpus, and outlaw torture, because that's not what America is about."
He says he is not running for ambition or because it's his turn. He is running because, as Martin Luther King says, there is a "fierce urgency of now." This is not about red and blue, this is not about the same arguments we've been having for ages. This is about the fact that he does not want to, in four years, see awful things have happened in this country because we didn't do something about it now.
He talks about historical figures who stood up for what they believed, even though they were a small voice. But civil rights marchers, and leaders for women getting the vote, and the environmental movement, they spoke up and they did make a difference and changed the world.
If some people stand up, then a few more feel they can stand up, then a few hundred, and then a few thousand. We have a chance to change this country and this world. He tells the great story of "Fired up! Ready to go!" which you can google to hear.
Then Questions.
Q: This is Nancy. "Define American unity."
A: We are not as divided as our politicians would have us believe. We have common beliefs in hard work and responsibility. We believe in family and community. Americans want to be respected. and we believe government should be wise on spending. We believe we should leave a better lives for our children. Our politics are designed to highlight division and strong conflicts. So focusing on those issues is common. But we agree on the goals, in general, we just need to work out how to get there. Example: health care... we all agree it costs too much.
Q: Rosie from Manchester. What are your thoughts on immigration?
A: This is the latest example of a political wedge. We need stronger boarder security, we need to monitor visas, and crack down on employers of illegal immigrants. This will slow the influx and many will go home. But many of them have roots here and are basically living as Americans. (makes a joke about Romney and his hired help) We have to have a path to legalization. Have a fine, learn english, back of the line, but let these people come out of the shadows and then they can't be exploited. We need to fix the legal system. Then we can be a nation of laws AND a nation of immigrants.
Q: A Manchester senior in high school. What have you done to earn my first vote?
A: I spent my life in public services. I started working when I was young to help people less fortunate. I was a civil rights lawyer, helping those who needed defense. I was a constitutional law professor, so you know I will actually uphold the constitution and have great respect for it. I help fixed the death penalty system in IL. I worked on health care, reformed welfare, ethics reform. I got Republicans and Democrats working together. I worked on nuclear non-proliferation. I opposed the Iraq war. I've worked on everything from the grass roots level up to the highest level of government. But I've always brought people together, I am always straight-speaking and accountable.
Q: Thanks for a positive campaign. Would you have republicans in your cabinet?
A: I think it's a bit premature for me to announce my cabinet! [lots of laughter] I have much respect for many republicans I've worked with: Dick Lugar, Chuck Hagel, and I don't always agree with him, but I really like how Schwartzeneger has handled the climate change issue. Abe Lincoln, greatest president, and founder of Repub party. I think a cabinet member should be excellent at what they do and they should have integrity, and of course those qualities are not limited to democrats. I want people who have independence, not yes-men (or yes-women).
Q: Lots of angst in the middle east
A: Israel/Palestine... we've lost a lot of time and lives in 7 years. Bush finally started up recently, but we have to remain actively engaged and get them to understand that it is in their best interest for the long term to come to an agreement.
My view
I could listen to Obama speak all day long. He fills me with so much inspiration and hope. And a politician that is smart, educated, well-spoken, practical-but-progressive, AND actually gives a sense of hope is something I have not witnessed in my lifetime. I can't speak to how experience matters or how he'll defend himself in a fight, but I admire the man, and I think I will be voting for hope. I'm sick of being depressed and scared about the future of this country!
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