VIRGINIA BEACH
A throng of thousands cheered Sen. Barack Obama at a boisterous rally Sunday night, two days before Virginia’s presidential primary.
Locked in a close race with New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic Party’s nomination, Obama called on Virginians to help him complete what he called his “unlikely journey to change America.”
“This is our moment. This is our time,” he told the Virginia Beach Convention Center crowd, estimated at 18,000 by event organizers.
Obama partisans hailed the turnout as a sign that their candidate will carry the state Tuesday.
“This has got to be the biggest political rally in Virginia Beach history,” said U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, who spoke to the crowd before Obama arrived.
Earlier Sunday, Clinton drew cheers during an afternoon rally in a Manassas middle school gymnasium packed with more than 800 people. She stressed economic, educational and security issues and hammered home her case that she is better prepared than Obama to take on what she called the toughest set of challenges to face any president since Harry Truman took office in 1945 .
In Virginia Beach, Obama responded to Clinton’s argument that the first-term Illinois senator needs more experience.
“Some have asked, 'Why so soon? You can afford to wait,’ ” Obama said. But, he added, “There’s such a thing as being too late.”
In an apparent swipe at Clinton, Obama said, “People don’t want the same old cast of characters in Washington. They want somebody new.”
Taking note of his primary and caucus victories in four states over the weekend, Obama told the crowd: “My bet has paid off. My faith in the American people has been vindicated. We are ready to write a new chapter in American history.”
In addition to Virginia’s primary, Democrats also are voting Tuesday in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
The diverse crowd at Obama’s Virginia Beach rally included senior citizens with walkers and teenagers.
“America has never seen anything like this since the ’60s,” said the Rev. Marcellus Harris, pastor of First Baptist Church Morrison in Newport News. “Dr. King would be smiling now.”
“I’m old enough to remember John F. Kennedy,” said Bob Sterling, 64, of Norfolk. “I get the same feeling about Barack Obama.”
“He’s a miracle,” said Ayana Berridge, 21, of Cerritos, Calif., a student at Hampton University. “He’s able to inspire, to make you believe change is possible.”
In Manassas, a community hit hard by the national slump in home sales and an alarming increase in foreclosures, Clinton underscored her support for a 90-day moratorium on new foreclosures.
The break would “help people work out a way to pay and stay in their homes,” she said.
Clinton said millions of people across the country “have lost their homes and millions more will,” unless Congress and the next president stop predatory loan practices that lured some homeowners into escalating mortgages they can’t afford.
She warned more than a year ago that some mortgage brokers are selling loans that “are setting people up for failure.”
The Manassas rally was the second such event Clinton has staged in Northern Virginia, the state’s most populous region and a cornerstone of Democratic success in recent statewide contests.
In choosing Manassas, however, the Clinton camp ventured into what is usually a Republican enclave. The big and friendly crowd that welcomed her was swollen by supporters who drove in from as far away as Staunton, more than two hours on the interstate, and nearby streets were clogged with cars sporting Maryland and D.C. license plates as well.
Sally Coleman, a preschool teacher from Swoope, near Staunton, said she was motivated to make the trip after studying Clinton’s stance on educational issues. The former first lady’s attacks on the Bush administration’s handling of the No Child Left Behind law drew especially robust applause Sunday.
Bill Sizemore, (757) 446-2276, bill.sizemore@pilotonline.com
Dale Eisman, (703) 913-9872, dale.eisman@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
capable & qualified
A D+ student in high school, was able to enter Yale, through the affirmative action program of legacy,( legacy allows a non-qualified student a spot in a great university on the merits of relatives). He again maintained a D+ average. He was admitted to a Harvard graduate school, again not on his merits. He then had a mediocre business career. Later, he was elected governor of Texas. Finally, this person was appointed by the loaded Supreme Court to be President of the USA. If this person has been able to hold office as Governor & President, despite having no qualifications, other than bloodlines, why not Obama?
Let's face it. The person now serving as President, if not for his bloodlines & connections, would be lucky to serve as assistant manager of a lemonade stand.
government checks for nothing
One of the earlier posters wrote a comment that no one should receive a government check for doing nothing. In some circumstances, I would agree. So any of our posters that have like opinions, should be all for getting the biggest "Do - Nothing" in all America out of town. That person is Dick Cheney. He should be made to repay taxpayers for 8yrs of "welfare."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!+!
We've been reduced to repeating quotes from children's movies... Goonies?
Give me a break. Please do us a favor. Go back to AOL.
Will you vote for me I promise to change everything, smile and then do a little dance? That IMO is what I see from Obama. How can you put your trust into a representative who prefers to enter a vote of "present" instead of showing his true convictions. Not much of a representative if you ask me. Obama is simply a modern day snake oil salesman pitching an empty bottle of elixir.
Polls are closing in VA
It appears Obama is the winner in VA. If he continues to win states, the outcome is obvious. You will have a republican president. This may make some of you angry, but it is true. Save this post. Remember you helped elect the next republican president with your vote for Obama.
Clarification and a Question
And for Speak English (mostly, anyway):
My name is Danielle, the feminine form of Daniel.
I have read several of Obama's detailed plans, as suggested by my post in which I directly quote a document on his website. I am glad to have discussions and debates on this board, but please do not presume to tell me what I have or have not done. Let's keep our language respectful, leave the personal out, and stick to addressing the issues.
For better or worse, the Constitution of the U.S. has frequently been amended because the "founding fathers" could not have foreseen some of the matters pertinent in later years. If we hoped to limit our policies to those explicitly detailed in the original document, we would need to do more than just abandon health care reform - we would need to end many existing government programs and services. Maybe some of them deserve to go - but the bottom line here is that our government is already large and likely will remain so, no matter which candidate or party wins the presidential election. The issue worth debating now is: where do we draw the line? What sorts of initiatives are worth "bending" or adding to the Constitution for, and which sorts take
(Briefer) Refutations
To Orion:
If you read my full sentence (which may have been hard to do since I split up the post), it says that Barack Obama graduated first in his class at Harvard Law. George W. Bush did not do this. He graduated from Harvard Business School and he was not first in his class. After graduation, Obama became a community organizer in Chicago while Bush went to work in the family oil business. I'm not arguing that either path is the "right" one to the presidency.
Oops
I meant "our time."
Exclamation marks
"Get over yourself!!!!!!!!!!!"
You could have shown me you have nothing to offer in this discussion except insults by using less exclamation marks. Your comment is just as useless and uninformative if you had used one instead of the eleven. Back to the question. Do you have anything to tell me? No? What a suprise. I am pleading w/ you to "enlighten" me. To answer anopther poster about what "out time" means, I think it is similiar to the speech that Corey Feldman gave in the cave in the movie The Goonies. Remember when they were at the bottom of the well? "This dream, this was my dream...and it didn't come true. So I'm taking it back. I'm taking them all back."
Our Time?
Would some one explain to me what "Our Time" means. Was that a veiled racist remark meant to spark people to vote racially? Did he actually mean him and his wife? What does he mean when he says that? I am so confused that people can't look past his charisma and look at his experience, his stated goals and how he is to reach them. All potatoes and NO meat, no experience either. He needs to wait 6 more years and then he may possibly be ready, after we get a chance to see that he votes on the tough issues and takes a stance. For now he is a much better dance partner, picking and choosing what to vote on so that he looks good. Develope a record and then run on it, he just doesn't have it yet!
Oh Ira
Get over yourself!!!!!!!!!!!
This
is going to be a very long and interesting 9 months.
VaBeachNative and glengatti
So you don't really know do you? VB, it would appear I have made you plenty mad. Glen, many of us have indeed read about Obama. That is the point. There is no substance in his pledges. As for the accusation some of us are actually out to create gains for republicans, that is not true. It has already been addressed by myself in this thread. The only way I will vote republican is if the person is running against Obama. A lot of people will. McCain over Obama is a no brainer. Per glen's own statement, we really need a capable leader here. I have no proof that Obama is that leader. I am convinced he is not electable. Those of you who say he is in the lead ignore Florida and Michigan. Why do you ignore a states results that cost Gore the election? If it were a real election and not a primary Clinton would already have won hands down. Your shooting yourself in the foot. Many of you have turned it into a black vs. white thing. None of these results are good for us. How am I narrow minded?
indycarlover1
I suggest you keep with "Indy Cars" and stay away from posting about history. Not one thing in your endless rant was factual.
Try taking off the tin-foil hat and do some reading of history.
And thank you Phrog for reiterating what I said. Today's "entitlement" society is killing our country. You are given the right to three things, the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, period.
Yeah
To back up Joyce, that is what I am saying. He has the gall to critque his competitor for their votes when he didn't even show up. Do you all really believe someone's intentions when they don't even bother to take action? Is it better to not act upon important legislation than to be wrong? Heck no it's not! This idea of becoming a leader just because of image and popularity has to end. We need someone who takes action, not one who derides others for doing so.
Voting Record
Don't vote for someone just because they are really good as an orator. That has happened before and it didn't turn out so well. Obama is still vague on many policies and I looked at his Congressional Voting Record. It looked as if he chose not to vote at all on more issues than he voted one way or the other. You can't ride down the center all the time, sometimes you have to make a choice one way or the other. I think this country is going to be in a world of hurt if Obama becomes President. It is unrealistice for him to think that he can have all all military out of IRAQ in 16 months. He may sound good when he is saying it, but so far everything I have heard from him is just the wind blowing.
OH IRA!!
Ira don't flatter yourself buddy. I could never let anyone with such ignorance and bitterness make me mad. You do your thing today. But just remember YOU WILL never praise Obama because your narrow mind won't let you. See Ira it is called voting and it's a democratic process that is the ultimate priviledge of being an American. I vote for mine and you vote for yours. Trust me it's all good. Watch and see what the outcome will be today and in November. Cry all you want but the people make the choice.......not you Ira. Thank the good Lord!!!!!!
cont'd....
all i can say is good luck to Obama, Clinton and McCain because they are going to need every bit of it during their presidency.......
to Wilmoon....
oh my goodness....the stuff you people come up with...give it a rest already....
on a side note, the people who keep saying Obama is a muslim, Obama hates whites, Obama is planning to take over the country, blah blah blah blah blah, PLEASE go sit down somewhere and let the new blood help run this country....im willing to go out on a limb and say that the majority of the people who are spewing incorrect facts about Obama probably voted for George "Dubaya" Bush BOTH times.....those same out of touch people are a LARGE part of the reason why the country is separated and struggling now, both financially and morally...its time for an open-minded, fresh-faced candidate to take control of this debacle that Dubaya has caused over the past 7-8 years.....and i know whats coming next...."But George Bush had to clean up Clinton's mess, blah blah blah blah." No.....that argument is old and false....Bush baby has had 8 years to shape this country....if anything , he's made his time in the White House the worst time period in American history.......
PS....no matter how you slice it, there's a BIG mess that needs to be cleaned up and its going to take a while to fix it....all i can say is go
Are these Constitutional rights???
Can someone please "enlighten" me? I have read the United States Constitution over and over and over again. I can almost recite all the articles in their entirety. I have not read anywhere in our governing document where it says that Health Care is a right. I cannot find in its lines where Stem Cell Research is a requirement for our federal government to support and mandate. In its tenants I have failed to find the part that says Education, Welfare and Social Security are mandated federal programs. According to the articles of the Constitution, Income Tax is unconstitutional, but somehow our politicians back in the early 20th century slipped the 16th amendment into the Constitution. Well, they are the same politicians that gave us the 18th amendment...remember that??? It was called prohibition. It took 14 years for the politicians to realize just how insane that was. Why has it taken over a century for anyone to start telling people that federal levied income tax is wrong and unconstitutional?
he pledged allegiance to something called the Black Value System
I shouldn' even venture here but... For a society that first robbed and killed all the Indians in this country and stole the land, stole everything out of Africa, even it's people to create this glorious society of ours. People who have established a war on blacks since slavery, a war on drugs to incarcerate enterprising black males who didn't fit into the caucasian system and now make money building prisons to house them(i won't even mention crooked cops). Now, there is a war on anything non-white(hispanics, asians, arabs, etc.)and you feel you are justified in being the policemen of the world by going to war with anyone that disagrees with our point of view in world events. I prefer someone with an alternate value system. Because the one you are clinging to only reminds me of what Jesus said. "Judge not lest ye be judged". ABC