I just watched Obama’s speech from earlier today in Indiana. I have to say it is another great speech on the heels of last night’s JJ Dinner speech in NC. He mentioned last night that he told his staff that it’s time to return to what this campaign was all about when his journey began 15 months ago; and he has clearly done that here.
Video after the jump
Video Link
In his speech today he beautifully weaves together themes that address Clinton’s attacks against him, the faulty policy ideas of McCain, and the aspirations of the Nation. A few excerpts that struck a chord with me:
This economy doesn’t just jeopardize our financial well-being, it offends the most basic values that have made this country what it is: the idea that America is the place where you can make it if you try. That no matter how much money you start with or where you come from or who your parents are, opportunity is yours if you’re willing to reach for it and work for it.
Populist theme: Not asking for handouts, but my fair shake.
This is the country that gave my grandfather a chance to go to college on the GI Bill when he came home from World War II; a country that gave him and my grandmother – a small-town couple from Kansas – the chance to buy their first home with a loan from the government.
I like how he includes the story of his grandfather to touch on, not only the nostalgia of a country where we supported one another & prospered, but to hit on the responsibility we have to our Veterans. This will sorely hurt McCain in the fall – his horrible record on Veteran’s Issue. Obama has a strong record in this area.
But I also saw that we are not powerless in the face of these challenges. We don’t have to sit here and watch our leaders do nothing. I learned that we don’t have to consign our children to a future of diminished dreams – a future of fewer opportunities. And that’s why I’m running for President today. Politics didn’t lead me to working people – working people led me to politics.
Again he brings us back to the days of YES WE CAN, of Let’s go change the world. He helps us remember that not only is it about us and about our nation; but WE have the power to change things and to make our dreams reality.
I’m running because we can’t afford to settle for a Washington where John McCain gets the chance to give us four more years of the same Bush policies that have failed us for the last eight...More of the trickle-down, on-your-own philosophy that says there’s nothing government can do about the problems we face – so we might as well just hand out a few tax breaks and tell people to buy their own health care, their own education, their own roads, their own bridges. That hasn’t worked in the past, and it won’t work for our future.
The labeling of McCain as 4 more years of Bush. A nice touch of "Trickle Down Economics" because for many folk’s pocketbooks, it’s starting to feel like to 80s for sure. Also the "On-Your-Own" theme. Another looser for McCain in the fall. People are hurting and want help. The beautiful thing about Obama’s message is that he’s turning the country in the direction where we not only want help for ourselves, but for our neighbors as well.
I don’t see it in the transcript, but in the video he mentions that the only person that Clinton could find to support her Gas-Tax holiday was a Shell Oil Lobbyist. To which he says
It’s a shell game. Literally.
He follows up with this
Now Senator Clinton’s been using this issue to make the argument that I’m somehow "out of touch." Well let me tell you – only in Washington can you get away with calling someone out of touch when you’re the one who thinks that thirty cents a day is enough to help people who are struggling in this economy.
Hitting on that honesty theme. You’ve seen in the latest commentary and especially in the latest endorsement where Obama’s honesty is one of his greatest qualities. He highlights it here.
And here:
I wish I could stand up here and tell you that we could fix our energy problems with a holiday. I wish I could tell you that we can take a time-out from trade and bring back the jobs that have gone overseas. I wish I could promise that on day one of my presidency, I could pass every plan and proposal I’ve outlined in this campaign.
But my guess is that you’ve heard those promises before. You hear them every year, in every election. And afterwards, when everyone goes back to Washington, the game-playing, and the influence-peddling, and the petty bickering continues. Nothing gets done. And four years later, we’re right back here making the very same promises about the very same problems.
Well, I don’t want to quote the entire speech, check it out for yourself. I just know that I will finally be proud to say "That’s my president" on Jan 20, 2009.
Let’s go change the World!