Obama Rally at Nissan Pavilion

Jim Webb is speaking. "The future president of the United States has chosen to join us here in Virginia." "It's my distinct honor and pleasure to introduce Barack Obama to you today."  40 years ago today...raised right hand and took oath of office as United States Marine. Only hours earlier, Sen. Robert Kennedy assassinated. Only two months earlier, Martin Luther King gunned down. Cities burning, riots.  "The United States of 2008 is also a troubled and divided place in a quieter but equally disturbing way." "The last 8 years have been very hard on America, including on our view of ourselves." Fundamental doubts.  More than 2/3 say that America is on the wrong track, that our leaders are not providing us with solutions.  The past 1 1/2 years, we have had great candidates.  Salute to "my friend and colleague" Hillary Clinton - the true strength of the Democratic Party is keeping faith with working men and women in this country. American-style Democracy works.  Enthusiasm and participation that we've seen in our Democratic Party primaries. Millions new voters registered, millions have showed up at rallies like this one. And now, the time has come to truly enter a new era in the history of our party and of our country.  

"This era is going to be led by the next president of the United States, and his name is Barack Obama."

"I am honored to stand alongside this leader, a man of great intellect...stood up to sometimes withering attack with measured responses, unshakable composure...steadiness that we want to see as a commander in chief."  This country needs a president who possesses intelligence and the vision to bring us confidently into the future. Affirmative, inclusive leadership designed to fix the problems of the country. The people of Virginia are going to respond to that kind of leadership when they support Barack Obama this fall. "Barack Obama is going to win Virginia this fall" and he's going to be the next president of the United States.

Barack Obama: "Thank you Virginia!"  Two of the finest public servants in this country. Jim Webb - one of the true leaders in the United States Senator, an indispensable voice for change in Washington.  Ending war in Iraq, standing up for our veterans...nobody has stood stronger than Jim Webb. Keep the sacred trust with the men and women who have served us so well. Proud of Webb's leadership on the GI Bill. He knows we have to change our foreign policy. He knows that a Washington that is working just for Wall Street and not Main Street is not the kind of leadership we need in Washington today. Jim Webb has always fought hard for this country. I'll be proud to fight alongside him, with him for the ideals that have made American the greatest country on earth. If you're in a fight, you want Jim Webb to have your back.

Speaking of people having your back...when I first announced, we weren't getting the big name endorsements.  But there was one person, who about 3 days after I announced, was willing to stand with me in the seat of the old Confederacy, right here in Virginia, and say that the time for change has come.  Tim Kaine proves that "nice guys can finish first." In politics, a lot of people who are your allies, a lot of people you've gotta do business with, but you don't always have a lot of friends. Gov. Kaine is my friend.

When people said to me, why don't you wait, I explained I was running because of what MLK called the "fierce urgency of now."  Couldn't continue a society that's divided, unequal. Because folks marched, stood up, I stand here before you...an inheritor of that legacy...the work done 40 years ago to perfect this union. Now, that same sense of urgency is demanded. We're involved in 2 wars, one that we must win (against Al Qaeda). We're also involved in a war that I believe should never have been fought or authorized, and that war has to come to an end.
At home, all across this country, people are struggling just to make ends meet. We just went through a period of sustained economic growth that resulted in the average American family having less money than when it started. Cost of everything going up, but wages aren't going up.  47 million people without health insurance. Millions of children trapped in poverty, unable to get education they deserve. Our infrastructure is crumbling, our dollar is declining, investment in science and research has diminished. Fundamental aspect of the American dream...people aren't so sure anymore. We can't afford to wait to fix our schools, bring back good jobs, create a more just economic system, end global warming, end the war in Iraq, capture bin Laden, and that's why I decided to run for president of the United States of America.

I had faith in you. Convinced that the American people were tired of a politics about tearing people down, where fat cats write our laws.  American people want a government that will listen to them, hear their voices. Straight talk, honest conversation about challenges ahead. American people are tired of being divided, by race, religion, region, red state, blue state...I was convinced that if we all came together...there was nothing we can not do.  I'm here to report that my bet has paid off, my faith has been vindicated, the American people are ready for change. That's why I stand before you as the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America.

We had the best field...including Sen. Hillary Clinton. She made history. She deserves our honor, gratitude, respect.  My two daughters see themselves differently because she ran for president. The primary didn't leave us divided.  It inspired millions. People have come out in record numbers.  This election is not about me, it's not about Hillary Clinton, it's not about John McCain, it's about you.  At this moment in our history, we do not have an option but to take on challenges...we owe our children a better future, our country a better future.  Let the work begin. Let us start right now, building that better future.  

Differences between Hillary Clinton and me pale in comparison to differences with other side. John McCain and I pledged to have a substantive debate, not personal but about respective visions for the country.  McCain's independence has not been evident in this presidential campaign.  Essentially, McCain offers 4 more years of the same. It's not change when you vote with George Bush 95% of the time...more of Bush's economic policies that have failed, that have not been good for working people.  McCain thinks we've made real progress. I don't know who he's talking to...

[at this point, my wife came home with really REALLY good pizza -- e.g., NOT Dominos or Pizza  Hut -- so, priorities priorities! :)]

Comments

h/t to all the great volunteers (Shawn - 6/6/2008 12:40:03 AM)

Folks in the Democratic Committees like Prince William, Faquier, Stafford, Fredericksburg, Alexandria, Arlington, etc. were out in force and worked hard to make today's event huge success! ... from Bruce Roemmelt and Bill Day to Jhana Porter, Pete Frisbie, Lee Diamond, etc., etc., etc. ... everyone who helped out today deserves our thanks ... they did us all proud on a hot sunny day in Virginia