Elections 2008

Wow, what a night! From Sherryl Crowe to Stevie Wonder to Al Gore…all played extremely well as this stadium built for around 70,000 was quickly filling to more than 80,000. The bar was being set very high for the main event, el presidente-in-waiting, Barack Obama. He began a few minutes after 8pm mountain time with a load of thank you’s–Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, and his two daughters, Sasha and Malia…nice touch.

The constant theme of the night was how American can you be…he went through his story–Kenyan dad, mom from Kansas, grandpa served in the military and benefitted from GI Bill, grandma worked her way up from secretary–he called it “the American promise” more than once.

The high notes…the standing ovations…Americans are not “whiners” (which Texas Republican Phil Gramm had called them earlier in the campaign acting as McCain’s surrogate) Obama responded: “They work hard. They give back. These are the Americans I know.” Next, “It’s time for them (the Republicans) to own their failure” since they are so big on the ownership society. He also added, the American promise, “a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.” Next rousing ovation came when he talked about individual and collective responsibility, “I am my brother’s keeper” (and in Santa Cruz anti-sexist language he came through) “I am my sister’s keeper.”

Tax and spend liberal? “I will cut taxes for 95% of working families.” Continue dependence on oil from the Middle East? “In 10 years we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.” Money for education? “Michelle and I got a chance to get a good eudcation. I will not rest until every child has that chance.” (bigger than usual applause) Community service for a college education expenses received a loud applause as well. Bin Laden was next…Remember John McCain said he would follow Bin Laden to the gates of hell, “John McCain won’t even follow him to the cave he lives in.”

A divided America? “They (US troops) have not served a red America or a blue America. They have served the United States of America.” (Big ovation) Striking back at McCain’s Paris Hilton/Britney Spears celeb comments: What the naysayers in Washington don’t understand “this election is not about me, it’s about you” the American people.

Maybe some of the biggest applause came when Obama recognized that 45 years ago to the day he was giving this speech, Martin Luther King jr. led the march on Washington and put forward the speech that will live on, “I Have a Dream.” Obama invoked the “Our destinies are inextricably linked. We cannot turn back, we must hold to that promise.”

Whatever else you read the punditocracy say about this speech what I noticed is how united the Democrats are, how Obama continues to just strike the right oratorical chords consistently, and through out the speech he kept coming back to the heart and human words:  respect, empathy, kindness, spirit, “imagine what it is like being in somebody else’s shoes,” change, family history…” Some amazing stuff. Probably not stuff you will hear in Minneapolis (RNC site).

Next…what might progressive Santa Cruzans take issue with in Obama’s speech? or, the low lights…