Rep. Rick Boucher (D-9th) and Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) introduced Sen. Obama to the enthusiastic crowd. Sen. Webb was particularly effective when he compared the judgment of Obama in selecting Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate and that of John McCain in choosing the obviously ill-prepared Gov. Sarah Palin.
Sen. Obama basically repeated his stump speech, but he added several new comments. He criticized McCain's health insurance plan, which would tax employer-paid health benefits for the first time, as well as McCain's plan to partially pay for his health initiative by cutting Medicare and Medicaid funds.
Obama also told a story about being with Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio and visiting a diner in southern Ohio to get a piece of pie.
Employees in the diner told Obama that their boss was a die-hard Republican. When the boss came out of the kitchen and served the pie himself, Sen. Obama asked him, "So, how's business these days?"
The diner owner said business was way down because people had less money to eat out. Obama then asked him, "Well, who's been in charge in Washington the past eight years?"
After the man acknowledged that the Republicans had overseen the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, Obama told him, "You might want to try the Democrats for a change."
After leaving the civic center, Sen. Obama made an impromptu stop at a hair salon on Jefferson St. in Roanoke, in part to thank the owners for an Obama sign he spotted in their window.
I was very busy in my office yesterday morning and arrived at the Roanoke Civic Center late but got the last seat in my section. Therefore, I was fairly close to the action and arrived just in time to hear both 9th District Congressman Rick Boucher and Senator Jim Webb speak prior to Barack Obama's entrance onto the stage.
As you know, the thundering response to Obama from well over 8,000 people in attendance was wildly enthusiastic and absolutely deafening for several minutes as he shook hands and acknowledged the crowd repeatedly before beginning his prepared remarks.
This was my sixth occasion (in date order - Richmond, Bristol, Lynchburg, Denver, Lebanon) to see Obama in person, and he appeared to be considerably more relaxed and even more at ease with the audience than I had witnessed previously. His numerous impromptu reactions and replies to various vocal supporters and his frequent use of humor made him all the more genuine.
I was especially gratified to see so many exuberant young people there, and I made particular note of the cultural, demographic and racial mix of the audience here in my hometown. Most notably, I saw no evidence of the feared "Bradley" or "Wilder Effect" here in Roanoke.
After all these decades, I'm certainly glad that I won't have to move in order to finally live in a blue state, starting very soon...
Thanks again!
Steve
As throughout the campaign, the rally in Roanoke mirrored the diversity of our country, engaging EVERYONE in the process of leading our great United States. It is heart-warming and encouraging for our future.
Dawn