Here's a summary of Barack Obama's comments tonight at the rally with Jim Webb in Old Town Alexandria.Obama started by declaring that he was "fired up" for Jim Webb, and that he was "here for one primary reason; I need some help in the U.S. Senate!" Obama then noted that the last time he was campaigning in Virginia, it was last year for Tim Kaine. Now, it's time to do it again for Jim Webb.
According to Obama, the country has "gone off track" and, wherever he goes, "people want to see a change." This Administration and Congress, unfortunately, has brought us huge deficits, a disastrous war in Iraq, no progress on important areas like education, etc. For all those reasons, the Democrats' slogan this year should be, as Newt Gingrich suggested recently, very simply, "Had enough?!?"
Playing off this theme, Obama noted that he's "had enough of can't-do, won't-even-try government." He's had enough of government that lets oil companies write energy legislation and drug companies write health care policy. He's had enough of a government that doesn't show "reverence" for our young servicemen and women fighting in Iraq. And he's had enough of people who focus on terrorism for a few months prior to November in "every even-numbered year." Obama's response to all of these things is simple and powerful: "I've had enough of that!"
Unfortunately, according to Obama, the Bush/Allen Republicans have come to represent "absolutism" and "ideology" over "practical," "non-ideological," "trustworthy" government. That's what the American people, who at their core are "enormously decent," want from their leaders - government that gets things done for everyone, not government that puts a rigid ideology ahead of everything else.
The question in Virginia right now is this: "are we able to recognize that [type of] leadership when it's presented to us?" With Jim Webb, according to Obama, we've got "womeone we call can be proud of." With Jim Webb, we've got a man whose "heroism is unquestioned." With Jim Webb, we've got a man who has "served in government at every level," who has been a "teacher," a "civic leader," and a father. And with Jim Webb, we've got a man who fits the statement, "we like our warriors to be scholars and intellectuals as well."
According to Obama, this election in Virginia is critical because we need six seats to take back the U.S. Senate, and Obama can "count four seats." That means "we need a couple more," and Virginia is one of the "genuine battlegrounds" for those two seats. Taking back the Senate this year is crucial, according to Obama, for a number of reasons - the Supreme Court, the 46 million people without health insurance, the need to achieve energy independence, and much more. And Jim Webb is the man to do it.
Great speech by Barack Obama. I can totally see why this guy is considered such a "rock star." Amazing.
Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign. The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.