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Obama rally addresses the economy
More than 3,500 Obama-Biden supporters gathered downtown Minneapolis on Friday to hear Barack Obama’s plan for the economy. The rally took place as McCain addressed thousands of supporters in Blaine.
Bill Clinton’s phrase “It’s the economy, stupid!” seems to have resonated with the Obama-Biden campaign as it tries to persuade voters Obama has a viable plan to fix the economy. The rally is an indicator of the campaign’s efforts to hone its message as economic woes on Wall Street and across America deepen. Speakers R.T Rybak, Majority House leader Margaret Anderson Kelliher, and Representative Keith Ellison stuck close to Obama’s economic plan.
Nick Kimball, spokesman for the Obama campaign in Minnesota, said there has been a shift in voters’ concerns as the economy weakens. “We’re having conversations with about 10,000 a night through door knocking and phone calls,” Kimball said. “It’s very clear that people are looking for details about the eocnomy and they want to know exactly what the candidates are going to do about this crisis we’re in.”
Obama’s five-point plan consists of providing tax breaks for the middle class, bringing a responsible end to the war in Iraq, regulating Wall Street, investing in renewable energy sources, and cracking down on lobbyists. How specifically Obama and Biden will accomplish these was not the focus of Friday’s rally, but the five points appeared frequently and visually. During one speech five supporters held up poster boards representing each point.
Carol Bouska, an Obama supporter, said the rally was refreshing for its focus on a single issue rather than personality or celebrity. “The campaigns have become about style over substance, and we have to get back to the issues,” Bouska said, “It was really good to be at the rally because even though Obama and Biden weren’t there, there were a lot of people gathered there because they actually care about the economy.”
Comments
Economy
It appears that the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act and bank deregulation has brought the US to this financial implosion. Separating and more rigidly overseeing insurance, private & business banking as well as Wall Street would possibly be great steps to help our economy. Too much power and too much greed aren’t healthy for anyone…not even the greedy.
U.S. Economy as an election issue
Since it's clear that the Wall Street debacle was already chipped in stone long before the taxpayer bailout, I'm glad it occured when it did...weeks before the November 4 election. The stakes are so high that the campaign will now center on the issues, including social security, medicare, good healthcare for all Americans, investment in green energy, and the wars.
Real Change
It’s good to see Obama taking McCain to task for blindly supporting the privatization of Social Security. Now that the discussion is back on the issues, we are really seeing who is best to lead our country. Obama has had a greater impact than any other candidate in modern history on energy, foreign, and health policy. Most of his money comes in donations under $200 as opposed to McCains majority of donations in amounts $2300 and over. By inspiring millions to give and volunteer, he has not only freed his campaign from majority ownership by the strings attached to donations $2300 and over, and has proven himself a more transformational leader than McCain.
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