I saw both McCain and Obama today - Democratic Underground

madaboutharry

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Fri Feb-15-08 08:02 PM
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I saw both McCain and Obama today

Going along on my son's field trip today, I attended events held by both McCain and Obama. It was two completely different worlds. McCain spoke to somewhere around 500 people, give or take a little. It was incredibly interesting to actually stand in a room with these people. They were seniors and some veterans and mostly people I would describe as older. There was no energy or excitement in the room. It was actually kind of weird. I can't figure out a way to describe it. First, we were all asked to stand up and say the pledge of allegiance. Then someone came on stage to praise the veterans in the audience. The theme seemed to be veterans and the military. McCain then came on stage. The first thing he spoke about was terrorism and the evil people in the world who want to do us harm and how he will protect us. Then he attacked the democrats over the surveillance bill.
Of course he said that the Bush tax cuts have to be made permanent and listed the amount of tax increases average Americans would have to pay if they were not made permanent.

Mercifully, we had to leave early so we could get to the Obama rally. One more thing, McCain is indeed an old man. He is stooped, his hair is totally white, and he moves slowly. I am just stating a fact here.

One more thing, I honestly don't get these people. I looked around the room as McCain was talking and wondered what was going on in their heads. I wondered how a person could think this war in Iraq was a good thing, how massive tax cuts are helping our society, or how global warming can actually be questioned.

We had reserved seats at the Obama rally, so we were up very close. It was really something. There is no doubt that this man has a kind of charisma that allows him to fill up a room the moment he walks in. After being introduced by a woman who works full time and has no health insurance, Obama simply bounded up on to the stage and started talking to the crowd. The place holds about 5,000 and it was completely packed. The crowd was so excited and the entire venue was full of energy. Obama first spoke about health insurance, stating that his plan will in fact insure everyone. People can purchase the federal health plan Obama himself has and people will pay according to their income. Or people can choose to keep what they have, with a rate reduction. He promised to get our troops out of Iraq in 2009. He spoke about global warming and greenhouse gases, the housing and sub-prime crisis, and the energy crisis. He spoke of the solutions he has.

And he spoke about hope. He spoke about how we have an opportunity at this moment in time to make a decision to change the course of this country.

I know many think he is arrogant, but he didn't come across that way at all. When you see him in person, he cuts a striking figure. He is simply full of confidence and a belief that things in this country drastically need to change and that he can be the president who can set us on a new road. He talked a lot about policy and gives the impression that he may be something of a wonk.

It was clear that McCain has no desire to change anything. Except ending pork barrel spending. His example was "The Bridge to Nowhere." He left out the fact that it was a republican senator who tried to push that through. That was pretty much it. The same war, the same energy policy, a few bones here and there to address global warming (which may or may not be a real thing). Oh, and everything the Democrats do is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Hillary is coming to town on Monday.