Ben sitting very patiently in his stroller playing with a friend's Cars magnet set. During the rally he kept saying, "The cheering is too loud!" He was so tired that day and I was planning on putting him down for a nap, but couldn't pass up the chance to see Obama in person. Responsible parenting gets thrown out the window during election season.
We arrived just in time to see the campaign motorcade arrive. Pictured is Obama's campaign bus, complete with tinted windows, and I would guess bulletproof siding. Interesting that it doesn't have any signage on the outside, very incognito. The rally opened to the public at 11 a.m. and Obama was scheduled to speak at 1:30. We arrived downtown around 1 p.m. and had to park in an obscure location because all the regular lots were full. We were the only people walking down the sidewalk on the opposite side of the building from where the rally was being held and saw tons of policemen and police cars. All of a sudden, about 25 police motorcycles came down the street, lights flashing, and we knew it was the motorcade procession. Obama's black bus was first, followed by two less fancy buses holding the traveling press corps. When we saw them pass, we started running to get into the rally before he started speaking. 
Part of the police escort.
Kayla, me, Ben, and Katy waiting for the speakers to start. The mayor of Columbus spoke for about five minutes and then Obama came on right at 1:30. That was refreshing, compared to waiting for over an hour to hear Senator McCain, who showed up late. There were tons of Obama volunteers registering people to vote and encouraging them to go across the street where early voting is avaiable (very controversial here in OH). They also gave away free water and pizza, which was nice on such a warm afternoon.
Sharpshooters on the roof above the rally, scanning the crowd for possible threats.
Obama speaking: He's right below the big light, a bit to the left in a light blue shirt. He spoke for thirty minutes and was very engaging. While it was still much of the unspecific stump speech, his speaking style was more informal and interesting that Sen. McCain. He addressed the economy and bringing jobs to OH, helping out small businesses, etc. I appreciated that he didn't indulge in many personal attacks against McCain, but rather spoke about what he would do as president.Overall, this rally was much more lively than the McCain one. The crowd was also incredibly diverse: racially, socioeconomically, and age-wise. That gave it lots of energy, which probably also had to do with the fact that it was held outdoors vs. in a cramped auditorium. It also seemed less staged, but I wasn't there as far in advance to see any stagecraft. Another interesting note: The exact same songs were played at both rallies. "Life is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered - I'm Yours," and "Only in America." Lots of country songs. For some reason I expected much cooler music at the Obama rally. Maybe there's a standard Presidential Campaign Rally playlist that the candidates just download from iTunes.
I was very impressed with Kayla for her civic engagement and the fact that she was totally keyed in during the whole rally. Not many 15-year-olds can say as much. The most unique experience of the day came after the event was over. We were walking back to the car and decided to wait around to see the motorcade drive away. Again, we were the only people on that same corner, besides an older couple. Obama's bus pulled out and we thought it would drive straight, but instead it turned right in front of us, about five feet away. We looked into the windows and could see Obama's outline, thanks to his distinctive ears. Kayla waved at him and he waved back at us. An exciting way to end the day.
Sadly, after attending two rallies and watching two campaign debates, I am still an undecided voter. Is anyone else in the same boat? Or what swayed you to one candidate vs. the other, if you don't mind sharing? What issues are most important to you?
9 comments:
What swayed me the most is theis foreign policies. With Ferenc being in the military and being overseas I focus a lot on the war. There a lot of things I don't agree with McCain on, but I believe his foreign policy is better then Obama's. Ferenc loves being in Iraq and despite what the media says, most of the Iraqis and Kuwaitis like us being there.
I think that Obama is a great speaker. I'd rather watch him give a speech than watch McCain give a speech, but I think Obama is just a speaker. I don't trust him to implement a lot of what he speaks about. I like what McCain is talking about a lot better than what Obama is talking about.
But I'll get off my little soap box. I could talk politics for hours...
Judging by Ben's face I take it he's no longer an Obama fan. He looks rather pained to be there. Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've heard him cheer "Obama 08!" I bet Ben he's covertly wearing his McCain underoos. He's the most politcally minded three-year-old I know.
I'm a bit jealous about you seeing Obama's full-fledged, might-as-well-be-Secret-Service motorcade, and especially getting to see him up close at the corner after! Although, I just have to say...I think Cohen is probably missing his Cars magnets! Did Ben woo, or perhaps, lambaste you into keeping it another few days?
We finally did give the magnets back on Sunday, without a fuss, even.
Here is what I like about Obama:
1. His proposal on healthcare is a step in the right direction--it isn't radical, but it will help ensure that more Americans have access to health coverage (BTW, his policy proposal does not include a mandate, contrary to what the McCain/Palin camp erroneously claims during debates). The McCain proposal is short sighted in that the tax credit does not increase to help people keep up with rising healthcare costs, which are projected to increase exponentially over time.
2. I've been against the Iraq war from the start (which does not mean that I discredit or disrespect the service given by our military, including my brother in law) and his views on the situation are similar to mine. I also appreciate that he is willing to embrace diplomacy as a solution rather than threatening military action constantly when the world knows that our military resources are being stretched quite thinly at the moment.
3. Taxes: the Republican policies of the last 8 years have been disastrous for most of us "real people" who work to try to maintain a middle class lifestyle. Obama's tax plan will benefit those who need relief most--the middle class. Time has proven that "trickle down" economic policies embraced by the Republicans do not work. The fact is that most Americans are making less than they did 20 years ago, when income is adjusted for inflation. Tax cuts for high net worth individuals and deregulation for big corporations has simply served to make the rich richer. It is unthinkable to me that the wealthiest nation in the world has a poverty rate that approaches 10%. These policies of the recent past have skewed the distribution of wealth in our nation and are not conducive to a healthy, productive society.
But the most appealing thing to me about Barack Obama is that his vision for America is my own: that we can learn to live and work alongside people who are different from us, so that we all benefit from the wealth of diversity that our nation has to offer the world and work to create a society in which all can prosper.
Both Nick and I feel McCain is the better candidate. Although the ability to handle foreign affairs, the economy, becoming energy independent, etc. are all important, a candidate’s moral stand is also important and a big factor in securing my vote. Both candidates support traditional marriage. However, both candidates aren’t pro-life. Although many like to champion the right to choose, I like what Elder Russell M. Nelson recently said in the article Abortion: An Assault on the Defenseless when he said, “As Latter-day Saints, we should stand up for choice-the right choice-not simply for choice as a method.” One of the reasons why I believe moral issues like abortion should also be given high priority when making a decision on who to vote for is because as Latter-day Saints we know our society will not prosper for long (God is merciful and gives us ample time to repent) if we continue to disobey His commandments (obviously thinking of murder with regards to abortion). So, whether one candidate is truly better at the healthcare, education, or whatever, is not going to matter if we choose to let our moral standards go to the wayside.
I think that focusing on one moral issue is near-sighted and does a disservice to those that take the democratic process seriously.
While I represent my faith in standing up for moral issues, such as only allowing abortions in certain specific situations, the Loving and Merciful God I believe in realizes the importance of choice in his plan that he calls Happiness.
These "whatever" issues, such as reviving the economy, fixing the major problems affecting education, discontinuing our greed for big oil at the expense of human lives in Darfur, and revamping the social security and Medicare programs are not superseded by the moral issue of abortion.
For instance, if the only issue that was resolved by this electoral decision was banning abortion, we would soon find unemployment in this country equal to that of many third world locations. My grandparents would soon be moving in with me because social security was no longer a viable option. The United States deficit would continue to grow and we would soon see the foreign nations holding are debt seeking to diversify away from the devaluing dollar. The gap between rich and poor would grow even wider, and the middle class would soon find the money they make unsuitable to pay their most essential monthly bills. These scenarios would affect each of us personally. Overlooking them is not only near-sighted but detrimental.
I say whoa, whoa, whoa...can we step off the far right side of the island and look at the whole picture?
An abortion ban is a bad idea, just like prohibition was a bad idea. Just look at Romania.
Moreover, at risk of being inflammatory, I think that it's out of line to give a single issue, especially an issue in which you seek to ban something that has been legal for three decades, more weight than matters of basic human welfare such as health care, education, and not starting wars.
Love your neighbor as you love yourself includes seeing that people are provided for, and have a fair shake at not living in poverty and misery throughout their life.
It's such a head-in-the-sand perspective, to hope for some Jerry Bruckheimer deus ex machina solution. So when did "banning abortion is righteous so let's elevate its importance over everything else and damn reasoned judgment and social responsibility" become the lesson of the scriptures?
You think you're voting against abortion and gay marriage. It's a bait-and-switch, where what you get in return is continued involvement in multiple wars, higher taxes, economy circling the toilet bowl, perpetuation of an insane and broken health care system, no social security security when you're old, a deficit that is going to catch up with our GDP at the rate we're going, and I hear McCain even plans to make it official policy to kick puppies.
Geez, no wonder the Nigerians keep getting rich scamming us. We're idiots. Time to actively try to turn it around, instead of obsessing over pet issues and assuming the Second Coming will happen before global warming really kicks in.
I just can't justify that kind of position when everything else is going so terribly.
I can't believe how much Ben has grown up! What a cute little man. And you look fabulous, by the way.
We miss you here in Boston. I hope all is going well there in Ohio. I'm glad that you're getting a chance to go to all the campaign rallies (and that you're enjoying being in a state where your vote actually matters!).
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