There is thunderous pounding and screaming.
There is thunderous pounding and screaming.
He accepts the nomination with, he says, “humility.”
The echo is still annoying.
**
He’s going in hard on a litany of economic woes and the Bush administration’s “failure to respond.”
“We are a better country than this.
He says the administration “Sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.”
“ENOUGH!”
**
“We love this country too much to let the next 4 years be like the last 8.”
The crowd is chanting “EIGHT IS ENOUGH”
**
“John McCain has voted with George Bush 90% of the time.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to take a 10% chance of change.”
**
Now he’s riffing on the “nation of whiners” quote by Phil Gramm… “tell that to military families who shoulder the burden of loved ones leaving on third, fourth, or fifth tours of duty.”
**
He’s mocking the “ownership society” — says it means “you’re on your own.”
“It’s time for them to own their failures.”
Now he’s talking about the 23 million jobs created when Bill Clinton was president…
He’s certainly hitting the economic theme hard, hard, hard.
But will undecided voters conclude that his vision will save them money? or cost them money?
**
“Ours is a promise that says government can’t solve all our problems….
Our government should work for us, not against us.
It should ensure opportunity…
That’s the promise of America…”
‘The fundamental belief that I am my borther’s keeper, that I am my sister’s keeper.”
***
What does change mean?
— eliminate some kind fo taxes for small businesses
— I will cut taxes of 95% of all working families (big applause)
— independence from oil from the middle east (I think he said in ten years, but it’s hard to tell with the echo.)
**
He is saying that McCain voted against higher fuel efficiency standards and investment in alternative fuels.
He said “drilling is a stop gap measure, not a long term solution, not even close”
Invest in next generation of biofuels and renewable fuels.
Big cheers.
**
Michelle and I are only here because we were given a first class education. I will not settle for an America where every child isn’t given the same chance.
**
Well, so far it’s more nuts and bolts than Martin Luther King.
**
Calling on individuals and businesses to make their homes and workplaces more energy efficient.
This is the personal responsibility section: parents turn off the television, father’s must take responsibility.
Loud cheers, but we’ve heard this many time from him.
**
Now he says he’s ready to debate John McCain on who should be commander in chief.
“While senator mccain was turning his sights on Iraq, just days after 9/11…” Obama was focusing on Osama bin Laden.
“My call for a time frame to remove troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush administration.”
**
Democrats are the party of Roosevelt and the party of Kennedy so “don’t tell me Democrats can’t protect America…”
He’s on the offensive, where he needs to be given how well McCain has kept him on the defensive on national security (thanks in part to Hillary’s audio clips from the primary campaign).
**
I will not suggest the senator picks his positions for political purposes…
I love this country and so do you and so does John McCain..
Wow. This is the most aggressive I’ve ever heard him. The crowd is going wild. He was shouting so down here it’s hard to make out what he was saying but it was basically saying, don’t even try to challenge my patriotism.
“I’ve got news for John McCain: we all put our country first”
Big chants of USA! USA!
**
Now he’s talking about a “common purpose”:
“We may not all agree on abortion but we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies…”
He stops short of endorsing gay marriage (he doesn’t) but says “surely we can agree that our gay brothers and sisters” should be able to visit their loved ones in the hospital…
**
He’s talking about the peril of “making a big election about small things.”
I realize I am not the liekeliest candidate for this office… but I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring…. this election has never been about me, it’s about you.”
Someone is whistling at an ear-piercing frequency.
**
“In times like these, change doesn’t come from Washington — it comes from Washington.”
**
Here we go : “45 years ago today…”
They could have hurled words of anger and dischord… but what the peope heard instead… is that in AMerica our destiny is inextricably linked, that together our dreams can be one.
We cannot walk alone, the preacher cried…
We cannot turn back. America, we cannot turn back…
When he raises his voice, he is almost inaudible here on the floor.
He’s talking about “the American promise” and “marching in unity.”
And with that it’s over.
**
He didn’t deliver the kind of soaring speech some here in the audience may have liked — but he delivered a tough critique of McCain and Bush, and some specifics on the economy that were aimed not at this crowd, but the voters in Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and Florida, where this race will be decided.
**
OMG! Those fireworks sounded just like gun shots. I totally ducked and so did the people around me. Stupid, I know.
**
The Obama family sure knows how to colour coordinate.
On the whole, I don;t think it was his most rousing speech. Not like the one in NH after his loss which was almost riveting with its sense of history and struggle. I don’t think this was a speech for the history books. But it may have been teh rifht speech for this point in the campaign.
More fireworks — and here comes the confetti…
**
An advantage of the open stadium is the ability to do these masses of fireworks. Firework smoke for some reason smells like hotdogs.
**
And with that, he’s gone. And I’m off too. It will take forever to get out of here and I have to leave at the crack of dawn for the airport.
See you in Minneapolis-St. Paul next week for the Republican Convention.