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Obama's On Track for Change

by BooMan
Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 05:03:02 PM EST

I just got back from seeing Obama do one of his train-whistle stops in Paoli, Pennsylvania. It was a nice crowd and a pretty cool event. Here's a slide show.

Obama has every region of the state covered today. Gov. Sebelius is in Pittsburgh and Erie. Gov. Kaine is in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Sen. Kerry is in Allentown and Easton, and Teddy Kennedy is York and Gettysburg. Meanwhile, Obama hit three Main Line stops, plus Lancaster and Harrisburg.

Driving around Chester County, Obama signs outnumber Clinton signs seven or eight to one. In Wayne, there are kids on the main intersections waving Obama signs and cars honking their approval like mad. Hillary was here today, at a West Chester firehouse at 7:30 in the morning. She rocked a crowd of 600, which is about the size of the police and Secret Service contingent that protected Obama in Paoli (I'm exaggerating). It took her six weeks to make her first stop in Chester County.

She said she's not out to fire people up with "whoop dee do speeches" but wants them thinking hard about the future.

That's some inspiring shit. So's this:

In West Lawn, Pa., supporters half-filled a high school gymnasium, with one set of empty bleachers stacked flush against the wall. The scoreboard suspended from the ceiling flashed the words “Hillary Wins.”

Obama delivered this line in Paoli, and probably the other stops as well.

“Her basic argument in this election — it’s become clear as time has gone on — is that you can’t really change Washington,” Mr. Obama said. “You can’t really change the say-anything-do anything, special-interest-driven game in Washington. And because you can’t change it, you might as well select somebody who knows how to play the game better because they’ve been at the game longer.”

It's a brilliant piece of political theater.

The trip across a corner of Pennsylvania — designed for its marketing appeal, as much as its method of transportation — was the first use of a train in the 2008 race. As he boarded his chartered Amtrak at Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, Mr. Obama took a pull on the train’s whistle. “This is what I’m talking about,” he said.
People waited for hours for Mr. Obama’s train to arrive. Young children, perched on their fathers’ shoulders, waved blue Obama signs into the air. People gathered on both sides of the tracks, their views occasionally interrupted by passing trains.
But amid the revelry, Mr. Obama reminded people again and again that he needed their support on Tuesday.
“We are going to be unified in November,” Mr. Obama said. “But right now, there is a real choice to be made.”

There is no sign of any life in Clinton's campaign here anymore. In other parts of the state Obama is going to do poorly, but most of the votes are here. This is going to be a nail-biter.

Obama's On Track for Change | 25 comments (25 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

Thanks BooMan.

(via Huffpost making up for past slips) cites two Sunday NYT write ups:

Huffpost:

"With the Pennsylvania primary only days away, the New York Times delivers a look at the challenges the Clinton campaign faces with regards to maintaining support among past supporters and increasing its fund-raising capabilities.

Clinton Fatigue finally rears its head for real. And they're maxxed out.

Note: embed links in Huffpost articles embargoed behind firewall.

For Clinton - a time to find Truest friends
April 20, 2008
WASHINGTON -- Nancy Larson's most difficult conversation was, by far, the one with Chelsea Clinton.
"It was just heartbreaking," said Mrs. Larson, a Democratic National Committee member from Minnesota and more to the point, a superdelegate who had initially pledged herself to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. This was last Saturday, after the former first daughter learned that Mrs. Larson would be shifting her allegiance to Senator Barack Obama.
"She is a delightful young woman who loves her mother very much," Mrs. Larson said. "She was really pushing me. She kept asking me why I was doing this. She just kept asking, `Why? Why?' "
[.]
Facing Obama Fund-Raising Juggernaut, Clinton Seeks New Sources of Cash
April 20, 2008
[.]
But her big-dollar fund-raising apparatus that was once the envy of the political world is encountering obstacles as many of those in its regular networks of donors have reached the maximum on their personal contributions or grown tired of the relentless press for donations.
The campaign is actively hunting for new wellsprings of cash, while tapped-out donors who want to give more are contemplating financing independent efforts on her behalf that are not bound by contribution limits. So far, however, the independent efforts have been halting at best.[.]

The Clintons never saw Obama coming. the upstart. He has out-campaigned their machine.

This is It! And Hillary has to be pushed.

Well, "You can't vote for war and disown the results"

by idredit on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 05:36:35 PM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

Sounds like we've got Sebelius and Kaine auditioning for Veep. Good state for both. Those are two of the top three I've had my eye on for the slot, the third being Richardson.

I'm glad to see Obama hitting Lancaster and Harrisburg, and it looked like the Erie trip went well.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to you country.

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 05:46:01 PM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 1)

history in the making, hopefully.

brings to mind this historic, and not irrelevant, era:

brilliant ploy, the clinton's have been so 20th century in their campaign, it borders on the pathetic.

the revolution will not be televised...

by dada on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 06:08:16 PM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 1)

Obama's pleasure at being allowed to pull the whistle-cord reminded me of Teddy Roosevelt in "the Wind and the Lion". Teddy was pulling away from a western station with cowboys shooting guns in air and women clapping their loudest and the brass band playing... and asked the train to go slowly so he could savor the moment.

Affectionate.

How many politicians feel genuine affection and how many crowds spontaneously erupt with enthusiasm like the marchers in Philly?

The Amtrak runs about a mile from me. If Obama wants to stop in Emeryville, CA, we'll welcome him with bells and whistles. Crossing the country would be slow, but damn, it WOULD serve to unite it.

by hauksdottir on Sun Apr 20th, 2008 at 03:07:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 1)

Slow, but what of it? He'd be able to do what he does best -- talking to crowds of people, up close and personal. The only big question would be which route to take to get the maximum exposure. Probably something like the old SuperChief line might be best, which would go through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, New Mexico, Arizona and California (if I remember right). Maybe the old Twentieth Century Limited line across New York and Ohio for an Eastern swing.

I want to see him do it.

I for one welcome our new Twitter overlords. @Omir55

by Omir the Storyteller (omir.the.storyteller -CAT- gmail -DOG- com) on Sun Apr 20th, 2008 at 04:06:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

A great circle would be a good image: up one coast and down the other and crossing the huge heartland. It would be like wide-spread arms open to everyone, saying that all America is one family.

If Clinton had bowed out by now, Obama would have time before the nominating convention to encompass the country. however, by fighting state by state he is perhaps getting more exposure. Would he have walked door-to-door yesterday otherwise? Or taken the PA train at all?

BTW, my view of those eastern trains is from Monopoly, so when I see "Reading" PA, I think of getting all 4 railroad properties. ;)

by hauksdottir on Mon Apr 21st, 2008 at 01:14:00 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

he should do a whistle stop tour on the way to the convention in august....amtrak's got a really nice historic station in lodo...and it'd be one hell of a way to arrive with the country united behind him.

talk about a photo op coup...big, big opportunity, imnsho.

the revolution will not be televised...

by dada on Mon Apr 21st, 2008 at 05:28:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 1)

The Obama campaign posted this video of the Paoli stop where Booman was today.

by RandyH on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 06:10:23 PM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

Any idea how the crowds look for Kaine, Sebelius, Kerry, and Kennedy?

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to you country.

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 07:02:27 PM EST

Nice photos (none / 0)

Though I thought they were going to eat me. I'm glad to hear you had fun. A whistle stop...that's so quaint. When was the last time a politician did that?

~~~THIS SPACE FOR RENT~~~

by fabooj (fabooj [at} mail [dot} com) on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 07:42:40 PM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

on that slideshow, check out dilapidated the train station is. Obama was outraged about it and people cheered when he pointed it out and said we need Iraq's dollars for infrastructure.

by BooMan on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 07:43:56 PM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

I wonder if people will actually take their economic interests into account this time? What a concept!

Nice show, BTW.

"I never trust people who don't laugh." Maya Angelou, March 5, 2009

by Indianadem on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 08:13:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 1)

You know, once he sews up the nomination he could do worse than a whistlestop tour across the country. Any rail fan, anyone who used to work for the railroad, anyone in the many towns across the country where "the train don't run by here no more" could point Obama toward dozens of depots that used to be economic hubs of their cities that are now museums, diners or worse, boarded up ghosts of the past.

Campaign airplane, hotel, speaking platform and a reminder of what the nation needs to invest in, all in one. What's not to like about this idea?

I for one welcome our new Twitter overlords. @Omir55

by Omir the Storyteller (omir.the.storyteller -CAT- gmail -DOG- com) on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 09:39:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

A lobbying organization for rail freight was put into place not long ago. I'm a big fan of rail, having crossed much of this country and parts of Europe that way. The Eurail system is amazing in that the parts I experienced were clean, efficient and convenient. Sadly, I'm over a half day's travel by car from a major passenger rail hub nowadays.

"I never trust people who don't laugh." Maya Angelou, March 5, 2009

by Indianadem on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 11:19:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

One of the low points of my life occurred back in about 1978. I was coming home from an overseas trip and decided I wanted to go home to Billings, Montana by way of a cross-country train trip, making my way from New York to Chicago, then on to Minneapolis and from there to Billings aboard the North Coast Limited.

Sadly, I let her talk me out of it and flew home instead. Reagan shut down the North Coast Limited line a few years later and I never got to ride that stretch of rail again.

I for one welcome our new Twitter overlords. @Omir55

by Omir the Storyteller (omir.the.storyteller -CAT- gmail -DOG- com) on Sun Apr 20th, 2008 at 02:55:31 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

Sad. We rode the old Pennsylvania Railroad's "Spirit Of St. Louis" from Indianapolis to Grand Central Station every Christmas for several years to visit the east coast grandparents. Those memories are some of my fondest. The Amtrak through Denver and points west is a great trip, too. Here's a bit of trivia - apparently, its tradition for some along the Colorado River to moon the train as it passes;-)

"I never trust people who don't laugh." Maya Angelou, March 5, 2009

by Indianadem on Sun Apr 20th, 2008 at 09:32:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 1)

nice photo shoot.

Greg Mitchell asks:

If Obama is so out of touch with PA. How is it that Every major Paper there Backs Him

While Beltway pundits and others in the national press have alleged that Barack Obama is clearly and obviously out of touch with most not-so-bitter Pennsylvanians, leading newspapers in the state, who ought to know better, seem to disagree.
In recent days Obama has picked up the endorsements of every major paper in the state and many smaller ones.
Papers endorsing Obama include: The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Daily News, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Allentown Morning Call, The Patriot News of Harrisburg, the Scranton Times-Tribune and Bucks County Courier.
Hillary Clinton's endorsements have been far fewer, such as the Daily Pennsylvanian -- the University of Pennsylvania paper, which drew a lot of coverage yesterday. The daily in Wilkes-Barre said it is not endorsing at all."

Well, "You can't vote for war and disown the results"

by idredit on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 07:51:20 PM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

I just saw that "Anyone but Hillary T-Shirt."

Geez, I've been phone-banking PA and receiving a heap of "Anyone but Hillary" comments. Ah so.

Well, "You can't vote for war and disown the results"

by idredit on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 07:56:27 PM EST

Great slide show (none / 0)

wish they were a bit slower. Looks like a great crowd. Nice write up too. Yeppers, anyone but Hillary about sums it up.

I had my first political conversation with my boss of four months. We both hate Hillary, he totally dislikes Bush for jacking up the country yet he still says he is a Republican. I asked why label yourself anything? He doesn't like McCain either. Maybe another for our side? I'll keep working on him. This all came up because of my Obama bumper sticker.

Then whistle stop approach was brilliant. Love his campaign.

by NancyImpeachBush on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 08:42:23 PM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 1)

I vote never again to have a slide show on the front page. It's making me dizzy....

by Second Nature (denn1214 at gmail) on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 10:40:05 PM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

Alright, I moved it below the fold.

by BooMan on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 10:49:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

Obama's whistestop tour reminds me that reviving the railroads in this country would be a very good item to add to his platform.

by eagleye on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 10:57:59 PM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 0)

I need help here. Yesterday Newsweek has Obama up by 19 points. Today Gallup has Hillary up by 1 point. Someone help me.

by Bob In Pacifica on Sat Apr 19th, 2008 at 11:12:04 PM EST

Obama's Speech in Philadelphia (none / 0)

Doing My Part For The Left

by refinish69 (refinish69 at gmail dot com) on Sun Apr 20th, 2008 at 12:55:25 AM EST

Re: Obama's On Track for Change (none / 1)

A pointless comment, but sometime around 10:30 tonight, as I was heading out for more beer, I saw his his train heading back downtown. The "Georgia" caboose was an odd touch, but it made the thing unmistakable.

Anyway, now that I've gotten a proper taste of this important primary state voter shit, I feel as though any candidate who doesn't hold a campaign rally across the street from my house isn't really interested in my vote. Clinton's only got a few days to get her act together and hold a rally right outside my door (and go back in time and change her AUMF vote) or she's shit out of luck.

by Chris on Sun Apr 20th, 2008 at 12:56:22 AM EST

Obama's On Track for Change | 25 comments (25 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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