Lecture # 3: Obama Rally

I attended the Barack Obama presidential rally at the Richmond Colesium.  It was really incredible to see 13,000 people waiting in line to hear Obama speak.  When Obama finally came onto the stage, he spoke about the liklihood of becoming the next president of the United States.  While he seemed confident that he will win, he didn’t forget to remind the audience that it would be a constant struggle, both now and after he gets elected.  He was referring to the economic crisis, and was smart in pointing out that there is no quick fix, and it will take several years and sacrifice on everyone’s behalf in order to restore balance to the economy.  Obama then went on to discuss the negative-anything-goes politics that are occuring in the form of automated telephone calls and mailings.  While realizing that these are part of any campaign, he addressed the issue that Americans should not be focusing on cut-throat propaganda, but what each candidate is promising to deliver.  He then proceeded to go over the key points of his campaign: healthcare, the war in Iraq, renewable sources of energy, and his tax plan.  I am really glad I was able to attend the rally; it was amazing to see Obama in person, and to see all of his supporters in the Richmond area gather together in one place.  As the election approaches, the possibility of Virginia being a blue state and playing a critical role continues to loom – I am glad I got to witness a piece of history right here in Richmond.