Obama's "Change-We-Need" Town Hall: Part 2---What You Didn't Read in the Morning Paper

It's inconvenient to have a Democrat who's far, far greater an inspiration than that supposed "great communicator" and actor of the 1980s.  Inconvenient truths, especially at the hands of a McCain-complicit media, break through only with difficulty.  And so, with no sense of irony, the McCain campaign's "base" parroted McCain's disparaging remarks about Obama's communications ability (you know he's "only able" to make a good speech).  And they've tried to twist and contort Obama's talent into a "bad thing."  They mock the very same communications they are supposed to be specialists in, and so, they mock themselves and their own field.  But anyone who hears Barack Obama talk knows there is much more there than just communications, or speech making.

Moreover, John McCain is barely functional media-wise, worse now than even George W. Bush, but the public is not told that.  Nor are they allowed to see for themselves, video clips, such as the McCain cognitive meltdown over his birth control stance, relegated to You Tube and buried lest viewers see the real state of the Republican candidate.    

In too many media write-ups, the candidate with a real smile and a genuine regard for other people is dissed in favor of the plastic dime-store maverick, who nervously throws a last-second smile on his face when he realizes he forgot to smile. Unless we tell them, many Americans won't know that Barack Obama is as gifted a communicator and change agent as we are likely to see for many years.  

Through the zoom lens of the camera, though, one can see Obama relate to the crowd--how he builds palpable resonance for potent issues, how he nurtures the comfort of heartfelt discourse, and how earnestly he pledges to help, how much he enjoys his interactions with voters, and how even- tempered and even-keeled he is.  In sharp contrast to the nervous little man, with eyes darting nervously and intensely back and forth, Barack Obama's face of a thousand expressions illuminates what he says, what he feels, and how refreshingly genuine he really is.  It's right there before your eyes, if only the media care to see.

Tuesday and Wednesday, on both cable and network news, we were shown competing images of Obama and McCain: McCain and his NOVA crowd, 23,000 strong, perhaps his record.  One big rally for McCain is a really big deal-if you are John McCain.  Obama has repeatedly outdrawn that, pulling in 70,000 at Portland's Riverfront Park and, of course, the 80,000 or so at Mile High Stadium at the DNC.  By contrast we got a tightly cropped shot of Obama in Norfolk, speaking in a room with his audience sitting near book shelves.  

From the beginning of the Lebanon town hall, Barack Obama staked out his real ownership of the change label.  Surprised to hear that?  McCain's supporting the Bush agenda 90% of the time does not represent change. John McCain's tax policies, lobbyist-rich campaign, energy dependence and oil-economy, and health care proposals (a 5,000 tax cut when health insurance costs many families 12,000 a year up front) are not what Americans need and they do not represent change.  

If McCain has his way, Obama said, we'll continue to spend $10 billion dollars a month in Iraq, while the Iraq people get more and more revenue from their (US) bank accounts.  In technology, McCain represents the status quo as well.  But we put a man on the moon.  We can solve our energy problems.  Obama talked about one issue after another and one contrast from McCain after another.  But it was hard to tell from the morning papers, or cable "news."

In the Roanoke Times, Michael Sluss did indicate that Barack Obama drew "sharp distinctions" between himself and John McCain, but except for the distinction of Obama's focus on the poor and middle class, contrasted to McCain's seeming indifference to them, Sluss didn't say what the rest of the contrasts were.  

And yet when the McCain campaign set up a media post Lebanon Town Hall conference call to hawk the myth of the "lipstick" distraction, many were only too happy to spread the nonsense.  

Sluss even went to far as to repeat phony claims of Obama's "elitism," this from supporters of a man who doesn't' know how many houses he owns and think $5 million in yearly income is "Middle Class,"  a point not lost on Obama, though, obviously ignored by Sluss.  

Sluss did quote the line, "If your like an ordinary person, making 30, 40, 50 thousand dollars, then you realize how tough things are."  But then Sluss embraced the Republican frame to slice and dice the speech --all in the news section.  John McCain is so beyond understanding ordinary Americans' lives that it's astounding that anyone can aid and abet his let-them-eat-cake proposals for America.

Sluss even allocated space in his "article" for a quote by disgruntled gubernatorial loser, Jerry Kilgore, slamming Obama for even coming to SW Virginia! "Obama's outreach to Southwest Virginia has drawn criticism from McCain backers."   But tell readers of the region what Obama actually said, no... A transcript, maybe.  No way!  Not when there's opinion to be molded.

Then listen to the Sluss's wording on the subject of guns:

"Obama took on the issue of guns without being asked about it, insisting that he poses no threat to law-abiding gun owners." Insisting?  Sluss sounds for all the world like he's making an accusation here.  Yet how much clearer does Barack Obama have to be?  

"I will not take your shotgun away.  I will not take your rifle away.  I will not take your handgun away.  If you want to find an excuse not to vote for me, don't use that one because it just aint true."  

Here's more of what you did not hear in the newspaper.  In the Q and A, one person asked if Obama would support stem cell research.  Yes, Obama replied.  And he lamented that, for several years, we've had a president who doesn't believe in science, stem cell research, global warming, energy independence, and the importance of teaching science and math.

On kids and religion, at the hands of the media..."Can we stop the culture war?" another asked. Obama said that Sarah Palin is religious is a good thing.  If there's a public policy position to debate, we'll debate that.  But don't question someone's faith.

"How do we respond to Republicans who claim health care costs put too much burden on employers?" asked an audience member. Obama cautioned that he's not persuaded that the ones who messed things (concerning health care insurance) up should be trusted to evaluate or propose solutions.

If we do nothing, things will get worse, Obama said.  Instead Obama said that a multi-layered approach will not just lessen the impact to costs, but also make more efficient, higher quality health care possible. "We have to reform health care in a fundamental way," he said.   The millions getting their routine care in emergency rooms would get visits for a fraction of the cost.  Obama would deliver other efficiencies and cost-cutting strategies as well. The Obama plan would also emphasize reducing bureaucracy, greater emphasis on prevention, improved record keeping and coordination of care.  John McCain plans to eliminate the tax break to employers who offer health insurance.  Obama would not.  If John McCain has his way about half of Americans will no longer have insurance because if the incentives are gone, employers won't offer insurance, Obama warned.

In the Obama plan, no one will be denied health insurance because of age or health status.  If they wish, individuals would be allowed to keep their health insurance offered by their workplace.  Or, they can buy into the plans that Congresspersons and Senators enjoy.  Another option is to buy insurance on the open market.  (Separately, Obama has said that an insurance exchange would help citizens not wanting to buy into Congress's plan, to buy an individual health insurance policy and assure citizens get the coverage they need at an affordable price.) He would "crack down on insurance companies which collect a lot of premiums and then refuse to pay claims."  "They shouldn't be able to get away with that," he said.  (Thunderous applause...)

One commenter applauded Barack Obama's service and community organizing. Obama said he was "kinda surprised Republicans made fun of that."  He thinks service to community and country are crucial.  "Even John McCain says he expects us to perform service. So why would he make fun of it?" "We rise and fall together.  I am my brother's keeper."  (Thunderous applause punctuated Obama's sentence.  Approving Obama supporters clearly see that their mission is to be good citizens and good neighbors, to look out for each other and to have some degree of safety net.)

What will Obama do about No Child Left Behind?
Obama answered: " In a speech I gave in Dayton today, I said the goals were good.  We want kids to do well."  But  they left the money out of NCLB. We can't expect school districts to "do more with less." Everything is based on a single test.  There's no real measures of progress, so eventually teachers start teaching to the test.  "It makes for uninspiring teachers and uninspired students," Obama said.  

In response to the question, "Will you bring energy prices down?" Obama said that John McCain has been there (in Washington) for 26 years and hasn't done anything (to improve energy independence).  Barack emphasized we need a mix of natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear (contingent on development of safe storage techniques), biodiesel and coal sequestration.  
Kennedy decided we'd go to the moon.  Engineers didn't know how.  But they figured it out.  "That's the kind of spirit we need in the White House."  Obama continued:

You know I was laughing at, John McCain.  He said, I'm going to tell those lobbyists that they're not going to run Washington anymore. Now, he said that with a straight face despite the fact that his campaign chairman was one of the biggest corporate lobbyists in Washington, his campaign manager is one of the biggest corporate lobbyists in Washington.  Who exactly is he going to tell?  Is he going to tell all the people who are working for him right now, who are running all those campaign ads that aren't true?  Is he going to tell them that they're not going to have any influence in Washington anymore?

That's why I want everyone here to remember the choice in this election.  As I leave ya, I just want you to know I'm not perfect.  And I'm not going to solve every problem overnight.  But the one thing you can count on from me is I will always tell you what I think.  I will always tell you where I stand. I'll be honest with you about the challenges we face.  And most importantly I will wake up every single day fighting for you and thinking about you.  That will be my job as president.  I hope you give me the opportunity.  Thank you Virginia.  God bless you.  Thank you Lebanon.  Thank you.

As one who saw (in person) John F. Kennedy speak in 1960, I have not been so impressed by a candidate, or so moved--until Tuesday. I hope and pray that the campaign organizers seek increasingly large venues. The more people who hear Barack Obama, the more will vote for him.  See and hear Barack Obama and you can't help but see the possibilities for America--if we "just" get out the vote.

I must admit I am glad I was there as a blogger and shameless partisan.  I could wear my appreciation on my sleeve, in my heart, and in my memories of a day I will never forget.    

Barack is right: "This is our time." And time has run out for the abusers of power, the squanderers of our nation's economy, the exploiters of the sick and the poor.  While John McCain spun every factless one-liner and ad he could muster, Barack Obama showed he gets the situations at home and abroad.  He proposes postitive change.  He appeals to the best in each of us....

Now our job is to spread the word.  Nx100.  Tell at least 100 people between now and November.  Find creative ways to do it.  Download his DNC speech to video ipods.  Show it to those who haven't heard him yet.  Tell everyone who will listen that this is their moment too.  Our candidate--and theirs-- is Barack Obama.    

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