Great people, great event, great, great man. Barack Obama told about McCain not knowing how many houses he owns. He also talked about McCain saying that $5 million makes you "rich," and added "if you only make $4 million, I guess you're just doing okay." He emphasized Phil Gramm's comments on behalf of McCain that "we are a nation of whiners." He explained that we are not. We are a strong and optimistic nation. But we, and
many people like us, believe the policies of the Bush administration which McCain would continue threaten the American Dream. That is, the hope that we can, through hard work, provide our children and grandchildren with a better life than we now enjoy--regardless of our current economic circumstances.
The first question from the floor was about restoring civil liberties threatened by the Bush administration policies on surveillance, torture, etc. We got a glimpse of what it would be like to have a President who has studied the Constitution and understands the importance of the Bill of
Rights and the rule of law. Obama pointed out that, although we live in a dangerous world, we do ourselves no favors and indeed help our enemies succeed when our freedoms become casualties of over-hyped executive power. He promised a thorough review of all Bush executive orders and recission of those that violate Constitutional rights, or our fundamental national values.
Norfolk Councilman Paul Riddick patiently waited a long time and asked a very good question about the massive increase in the heroin trade from Afghanistan since our invasion, receiving a thoughtful and nuanced response from Obama.
Obama answered as many questions as he could in the time available, including a weird 21-year-old Republican plant asking a rambling, obviously time-wasting question about returning to the gold standard(!). Yea, that's the ticket. I know a lot of 21-year-olds are losing sleep about THAT issue. Obama was more polite than I would have been, pointing out that we abandoned the gold standard in the Nixon years and bringing it back would not solve anything. The guy's clumsy and transparent question was at least useful in proving this was a more open event than the staged town halls McCain or Bush try to pass off as grassroots events.
If Obama continues to connect with people the way he did at this event, John Sidney McCain III is toast.
Cross-posted at www.vagreatblueheron.wordpress.com
Senator Obama did a great job responding the extremely varied questions.
I posted this in Teddy's diary, but here it is again--