Wednesday, April 30, 2008

On Barack

Barack Obama spoke recently at CollegeTown, IN (really, you've got two choices, one sucks one doesn't).

Reaction
Awesome.  The crowd was huge, I know, it was his kind of town but still - he had all ages and all races and all types.  It was an experience.  I especially liked how he called BS on the 'gas tax suspension', and followed it up with how he believes it should be handled.  Also loved the emphasis on 'ending the game' instead of voting in someone who can 'better play the game'


Notes:
  • wow.  what a crowd.  all ages, all races.  someone fainted even before he arrived...
  • cool "Yes we can" song/chant thing going on.  good video
  • baron hill gives same intro he gave hil-hil, follows with Endorsement
  • he acts so young!  the way he shook baron hill's hand was awesome, that youthful, shake/grab with the half hug
  • witty, check.
  • goes into great detail about the primary in IN, where to vote, when, how
  • shout out to baron hill
  • will replace white house bowling alley with basketball court
  • witty, check.
  • people still yelling I love you
  • ----------------------------------------------------------
  • why run?  references King, 'urgency of now'
  • afghanistan = ok, iraq = nope
  • 'issue touching' goes domestic
  • avg family has lost $1000 in income in 7.5 years
  • health premiums have gone up 47% in 7.5 years
  • all this issue touching goes to his larger point - the URGENCY of now
  • goose bumps, check.
  • america is tired of 'tear-down politics' - time for lifting up
  • spontaneous chant of "Yes we can", check.
  • pokes a little fun, bush won't be on ballot in november. 
  • pokes a little fun, doesn't want to go on cousin cheney's family hunting party. witty, check.
  • have to change washington cuz their policies will live on after they're gone, if we don't
  • mccain = bush x3, including the economy.......although McCain said originally that the bush tax cuts offended his conscience
  • someone faints
  • here's the note exactly as it was taken:
               abs(clinton-obama)<<<<<<(abs(or(clinton, obama)-mccain))
  • which i think means that the differences between hil-rod and barack are tiny compared to those between the democratic party and mccain, and obama goes on to promise a unified democratic party in november, win or lose the primary
  • drug + insurance lobbying > $1 billion in 10 years
  • $1 billion / day oil imports
  • we don't need someone who can play hte game better (as say opponents), we NEED SOMEONE TO END THE GAME
  • On the Gas Tax Suspension Idea: mccain jumps on it, hrc says 'me too'.....reality?  $28 savings in 3 months, less cash to fix roads and bridges.  is a GIMMICK so that politicians can act like they're doing something and avoid the real issues
  • his answer?  repeal bush cuts, give middle class tax cut, focus on long term energy strategy centered on renewables.  emphasizes he said this in detroit, not to an environmental group
  • emphasizes he went to Wall Street and said end the tax cuts for the wealthy.  says 'wall st can prosper only if main st can too'
  • another fainting
  • $400 million/day in iraq.....but they have oil revenue they're not investing!
  • moves on to education....need to emphasize on, all ages, pay teachers better, have high standards but not a single, hig-stakes standardized test situation
  • $4000 college tuition credit, every year, in exchange for national service - habitat for humanity, homeless shelter, etc
  • national security....won't hesitate to strike enemies, to defend america
  • but will use force wisely
  • emphasizes better support troops (references to homeless vets, the GI bill, medical care)
  • iraq was a distraction that made us less safe
  • not just end the war - end the mindset that took us there, the politics of fear, focus on diplomacy, gives JFK quote, 'don't negotiate our of fear, rather, don't fear to negotiate'
  • restore america as leader in world, close guantanomo, restore habeas corpus
  • will obey the constitution
  • unite not divide, talks about the campaign as something they decided they wanted to be able to be proud of, win or lose.  election is about YOU, not HRC, me, MCC.....but the opponents want to make it about me (obama) to distract from the YOU and the ISSUES
  • finishes with some of his story, its (or hrc's) possibility only in america, quotes the declaration of independence, emphasizes that reality <<< our ideals

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