| As most of y'all are already aware, today saw presidential hopeful Barack Obama bring his campaign to Huntsville and Birmingham. While the rain was pouring (thanks to the governor, of course), the line at the small-donor fundraiser at the Birmingham Sheraton snaked through the hotel, out into the street, and around the block. The crowd likely numbered in the mid-hundreds and was much younger than the typical turnout at political events. 
Obama was introduced by Congressman Artur Davis of Birmingham, who spent his weekend stumping for Obama in South Carolina. Also appearing on stage to lend their support were Charles Barkley and State Senator Quinton Ross of Montgomery. Taking the stage, Obama thanked the crowd for coming out and spoke briefly about the large crowds that had been attending his rallies across the country. Obama then launched into his stump, hitting all the right marks for a crowd of Democratic activists. Obama slammed the Bush Administration as having a policy of "Can't Do, Won't Do, and Won't Even Try." Channeling Ron Sparks ("Every gallon of fuel we produce in Alabama is one less gallon of oil we have to drag out of the desert"), Obama argued for higher fuel milage standards and an investment in alternative energy. In Obama's words, becoming less dependent on foreign oil means we'll no longer be sending money overseas to fund the other side of the War on Terror.  With a taste of economic populism, Obama declared that the folks on Wall Street have never had it so good, but most families are struggling to make by. Driving his point home, Obama told an approving audience that the gap between the rich and poor is the widest since the Great Depression.
After running through his vision for domestic policy, Obama moved on: "... and then there's this war!" Obama reminded everyone that he opposed the war from the beginning, unlike some of his opponents. Obama hit the Bush Administration hard on it's mishandling of the war and it's mistreatment of our veterans. Obama then brought up the commutation/pseudo-pardon of Scooter Libby. However, there was no mention of Governor Siegelman. Indicating he understands the dynamics of an Alabama Democratic primary, Obama talked extensively about teachers and education. Obama discussed his support of early-childhood education, higher teacher pay, and better recruitment. Wrapping up, Obama shrugged off critics who might refer to him as a "hope-heifer or a hope-monger." Obama told the crowd that he believes most Americans want to do the right thing, but they just listen to the wrong radio talk show hosts or watch the wrong news channel. In the end, everyone just wants a fair shake. And Obama argued he's the guy to deliver. |
