Obama in Portland: America is Back!

[sandnsea]

So much to tell! If you get a chance to go hear this man speak, GO!

Foremost, He said: “We Can End This War Without George Bush.” He is echoing Kerry, Richardson, Dodd, etc – they are going to spin this Petraeus report and it is important to Call Your Republican Senators and Reps NOW, Keep The Pressure On. That’s exactly what John Kerry said, we are more unified than the media is reporting and the Republicans are waivering. Don’t let these media reports influence your dedication to end the war.

It was a fantastic event in Portland. He drew as many paying attendees as some other politicians drew to free events in the past. It was a nice crowd, not your typical Portland Dem crowd in my estimation. These were voters, no doubt about it. There were 20-somethings to very elderly, every race, nationality and religion. Lots of parents brought their kids. Justin Timberlake was also in town, maybe that’s why there weren’t many teens. Obama made a joke about it – warned people they were in the wrong place if they were looking for Justin Timberlake; that he doesn’t sing, and while he dances a little bit, he wasn’t going to be doing any dancing that night.

I sat next to a lady who had shook John Kennedy’s hand in Portland in 1960. :loveya:

You already know he can electrify a crowd so I won’t bore you with that. My favorite parts:

As President, he will go to the world and say… America Is BACK!! We want to work with you on climate change, HIV/AIDS, ending the genocide in Darfur…Building schools in the ME that teach science and math instead of violence and hate. We will work with you world, to change the path we’re on.

He also rejected the arrogant stubborn foreign policy that refuses to talk to dictators – and said that that was NOT America, that torturing people and holding people without the ability to answer charges was NOT America, he had a whole list of things and got the crowd fired up on that note too.

George Bush has been a great advertisement for the Democratic Party, but we need to have more to say to make the changes we need. No more tinkering around the edges.
He won’t be perfect, but he will listen to everybody and he will tell the people the truth, even if they don’t want to hear what needs saying.

He ends with asking us to believe in ourselves and believe in what America can be again, and to get…

Fired Up! and Ready To Go!

(pics to follow in a while, didn't get home 'til 2 am)

[Missy M]

1. His words about....

believe in what America can be again, remind me of Ronald Reagans words.

[sandnsea]

2. Or John Kerry

Who said we are the "Last Best Hope" on a regular basis.

But thanks for your post all the same, :eyes:

[MH1]

19. "America is Back!" - I like it

and I think most Americans will.

It straight out says we've been under a cloud, but once we throw the bastards out, we can be the good guys again.

[Missy M]

20. Yep, that's what Ronnie said.

[MH1]

21. And? I guess people liked it.

I don't really see what your point is.

[sandnsea]

24. He went to countries around the globe

and told them "America is Back", and we are going to "work with you" to address all the challenges we collectively face. ???

Because I don't remember Ronnie saying that at all. I remember him being the original bloviating cowboy, and the world hating him.

[durrrty libby]

3. All Fluff No Stuff.................... It ain't happenin

[Tellurian]

4. Fluff doesn't win elections..

A Primary win should be a distant thought for Obamamines...

[Nedsdag]

25. Fluff?

You mean "change + experience" isn't fluff enough?

To be honest, change + experience = false advertising.

[Tellurian]

26. No, I mean fluff..

Obama is Univ of Chicago where they are very very long on high-flown theories and grand rhetoric. They can't put their theories into details or into action on a day-to-day basis. When they try to apply their theories at a micro-level, they bog down and divert into the byways and pathways of details. If it doesn't come easily, they get bored trying to actually implement something that requires prolonged effort, massive details and consensus - so they decide to just go off and tell everyone how to think without having to work through the boring group dynamics.

Sound familiar? Lots of grand speeches but very general; specific plans that seem tossed together (healthcare); and "I don't like the US Senate 'cause I'm not important enough when there are 99 others so I want to be Prez and tell the world how to think and what to do.

And that is Obama's real problem.!

[Nedsdag]

40. Keep it up, Tellurian!

The more you knock him, the more you move me to support him.

Hillary's so-called grand plan for health care is going to cure all ills? I doubt it.

[sandnsea]

5. These were voters

That's the most important 3 words I said. These were voters.

[durrrty libby]

7. That's nice. Keep repeating. These were voters These were voters

It's not Kansas anymore Toto

It's not Kansas anymore Toto

It's not Kansas anymore Toto


Works like a charm :rofl:

[sandnsea]

9. And he likes the American people

as opposed to your spiffy little sig line there.

[durrrty libby]

11. Well of course he does

O8) O8) O8)

[sandnsea]

14. Yep!

Not always stirring the pot of negativity and cynicism like some other candidate we could name.

[Forkboy]

15. Thank you, Dr Seuss.

Try limericks...

There once was a Hillary supporter from Nantucket
Who told other's supporters to go suck it
Then he looked in the mirror
And it all became clearer
He was no smarter than a bucket

[durrrty libby]

22. pfffft

There once was a busybody named Boy
Spent nights loving his toy

Then Godzilla broke free
By kicking Boy’s knee

Put a Fork in’m.....he’s toast

[Forkboy]

23. You know what they say about imitation.

Though like most imitations your's was a dud.

Thanks for the....effort?

[Laurab]

33. I wish I could recommend a post.

Well done, Mr. Forkboy, and the attempt at imitation was pitiful!

[Nutmegger]

39. Who said?

You said?

I don't think so.

[ripple]

6. Thank you for sharing this, sandnsea

I met Obama at a fundraiser long before he was running for president and I, too, was filled with an overwhelming sense of optimism about what we can achieve both individually and collectively as a nation. He truly gets it. :patriot:

[beachmom]

8. Thanks for your report, Sandnsea. I saw Obama at YearlyKos

and you are right about the electricity. Also, I thought he was really, really funny, always a good trait in a presidential.

Glad you had a great time.

[sandnsea]

10. People left dancing

couples were holding hands, it was really great.

Side note, we also used the GPS to get around which is really cool. No maps, no missed turns, no fighting. We might get in the car together more often!

And, I shook the hand of the hand that shook John Kennedy's! She told me her story, and then just grabbed my hand, like she just had to share what she had gotten. It was a real "moment".

[sandnsea]

17. Portland's Green Convention Center

I also put up a quick post about the convention center because it had some interestig green features that I hadn't seen before.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x111701

[Adelante]

12. How thrilling, sandnsea

I'm so happy for you. Frenchie attended the one in San Francisco and her reactions were very similar to yours.

[politicasista]

13. K&R

Thanks for the real-world recap. :kick:

[Terri S]

16. Another k & r!

Thanks, sandnsea!

A little something for the fluff vs substance crowd:

Substance Breeds Hope

By Michael Mouton
In his article Wednesday, cleverly titled “Rock the Barack,” Mark Coombs ’08 argued that the message of “Hope,” which has been one of the central themes of Obama’s campaign, although inspiring, lends little substance to the candidate’s credentials. I would have to agree; the day that a nation votes for a president simply because that individual promises to spend eight years inspiring the populous will be the day that “informed democracy” is dragged out to the parking lot and summarily executed (figuratively speaking). Coombs, however, has befuddled his causalities.

Imagine yourself a 40-something constitutional law professor at U. Chicago and state senator of Illinois. You decide you’re going to run for senator and then president. You have an epiphany: you’ll center your campaigns around a message of “Hope.” You’ll even write a book with the word “Hope” on the cover to drive home the point. Better start appointing your cabinet, because that should do the trick, right? Actually, chances are you’d tank. If every “skinny kid with a funny name” could pull off two radically successful campaigns with nothing more than a catchy stump speech, the presidential field would be swelling with anyone who cared to have a go at what Coombs refers to as the “Top Job.”

Obama has not managed to raise more money this soon in the primary than any other presidential primary campaign in the history of the American political system simply because he promises “Hope.”

Rather, the substance of his political record and his ideas inspire hope in Americans, who then support his candidacy.

link

[silverweb]

18. Thank you, sandnsea!

GObama!

[Ethelk2044]

27. I love it. Go Obama!

[GeorgeGist]

28. Who are we ...

to be teaching the world how to manage their houses?

Maybe Barak didn't understand Michelle. We need more than a 'man of the house'.

[sandnsea]

29. "We will work with you world" n/t

[Colobo]

30. Viva Obama! Nuff said!

[calteacherguy]

31. Sounds great, and I like the "America is Back!" slogan.

That's exactly what the world wants to hear...the real America. We need to regain our legitimacy and moral leadership. The world is waiting.

[Odin2005]

32. The REAL America is back...

...once Obama is in the oval office.

GOBAMA!!!!

[Laurab]

34. K & R & thanks! n/t

[illinoisprogressive]

35. Obama is amazing in person. electrifying. And sandandsea, may I ask

what did they lady who shook JFK's hand say about Sen. Obama? may I ask?

[sandnsea]

37. Well, lemme think

We actually talked about everything but Obama. The mood was hope, change, unity, a new century, a new world. It was unspoken, if you know what I mean. That's pretty much how it was with everybody. It just seemed to be "known" that this was a group of people who wanted the bickering to stop and the country to come together and get things done. It was definitely not the anarchist types, although the Bush lines got great applause. The couple we stood in line by had been to some protests, but they were 60 and not thrilled with the anarchists either. They said he reminded them of Bobby Kennedy. Heard a few people mention that. I was really taken by the difference in the crowd than what I had previously seen in Portland. I really had been worried he was getting too many young people who wouldn't show up to vote, but that wasn't true at all.

Also, the pictures didn't turn out. The lighting was really awful and it came out in the pictures. It just created a real blurry effect. The College Democrats sponsored the event and maybe they could have had someone with better stage skills. But that's okay, it isn't like there's an Obama picture shortage out there.

Did you see Mos Def on Bill Maher? He thinks Obama is going to win because he looks pretty and will appeal to America's vanity. lol. Somebody was complaining about the show last night, but I was impressed as hell. That kid knew his stuff, even if I didn't agree with him 100%. He is helping with the Jena 6 too.

Also, did you see my post about that recent NC poll. 58% women. Well if they're polling at a time of day when they know women are most likely to answer the phone, and they're not weighting the response, no wonder Hillary is winning them.

[sandnsea]

38. Another blog on the event

I post because it's true about the line, it's what I meant about it not being a typical rowdy Portland crowd. And also because of the cute battery story.

http://www.amandafritz.com/node/1240#comment

[Imagevision]

36. New leadership that's why I'm supporting Obama - Hillary, a blast from the past-style in leadership

[flpoljunkie]

41. Thanks, sandnsea. I love reading about the enthusiasm of those attending Obama rallies.