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At a late afternoon rally in a field next to Robert Fulton Elementary School (Germantown) in Philadelphia, President Obama urged thousands of people to look past their frustration with the pace of change and vote on November 2nd for Democrats in the mid-term elections to keep progress alive. The president said, "The other side has decided to ride that anger and frustration without offering solutions. Pundits in Washington say it's a smart strategy. I think the pundits are wrong. You care too much about this country to let it fall backward."
The president appeared yesterday along with Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Representatives Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah, Govenor Ed Rendell, and Mayor Michard Nutter (who was resoundly booed twice), as well as Democratic candidates Joe Sestak for the U.S. Senate and Dan Onorato for Pennsylvania governor.
The president railed against the recent Supreme Court decision that has enabled conservatives to use non-profit organizations with undisclosed donor lists to spend millions attacking Democrats. He said, "We need you to fight their millions of dollars with our millions of voices. The other side is counting on your silence, apathy, and amnesia." An estimated 18,500 people attended the rally next to Fulton School, according to Deputy Managing Director Jazelle Jones.
As Germantown prepared for this day, they tried to be ordinary, as the most powerful leader in the world was soon to be in their backyard. Cars and the number 65 bus rolled down Germantown Avenue but were stopped as two Philadelphia Fire Department emergency vehicles turned onto a side street that led to the field where the "Moving America Forward" Rally would be held in a few hours. The McDonald's on Chelten & Germantown Avenue was packed. Some customers looked like the usual Sunday Golden Arches diners... but, not the people whose laptops were open on their tables, or the man in black who was wearing a protective vest under his clothes, whose t-shirt read "AGENT" on the back.
In another smaller event which was organized before anyone knew President Obama was coming to the "City of Brotherly Love", nearby volunteers were busy cleaning up Vernon Park. The environmental group was preaching efforts to end global warming and cleanup volunteer Mark Smith of Glenside said, "I think it's ironic because he's is the most influential person in the world and we're trying to raise consciousness for climate change."
The congregants of the Mt. Tabor Baptist Church on West Rittenhouse Street near Germantown Avenue, gathered in the sanctuary listening to Pastor Melvin McAllister preach. "The church doesn't need us. We need the church," he told about 90 people. But, the media also needed the church. Members of the congregation were asked to move their cars by 3:00pm to provide media parking. Deacon Jeffrey Banks said, "The turnout for Sunday morning service is usually higher, but anticipated street closings and traffic might have discouraged some worshipers from attending."
The bigger crowds were along Germantown Avenue, where entrances for the general public, special guests, union members, and the media were marked off on streets leading to the park. People started lining up as early as 9:00am, said one political operative holding a water bottle in one hand and a cell phone in the other. The gates opened at 3:00pm for the 4:00pm rally start time. Three giant American flags hung around the field and people were given signs saying, "Vote 2010." On the metal railing around Vernon Park were campaign signs for Sestak and Onorato.
A few blocks away on Germantown Avenue, Bryant Feggins was selling political buttons. "Three for $5.00! Three for $5.00! I'm just an entrepreneur. They're going pretty good," he said. Among the inventory were buttons with the famous Obama head-looking-up pose and the word "Hope", another picturing the Obama family, and another that listed Sunday's event and its landmark date 10-10-10. "Oh, that is nice. I support the president," said Lynne Smith of Blackwood in Camden County, a volunteer at the event.
Barbara E. Mack of North Philadelphia, also bought a button. She supports the president, as well as Joe Sestak, whose campaign she supports as a volunteer. She said that both she and Sestak were in the Navy, and that's reason enough to stick by him. She told the vendor, "I'll take Hope. Hope floats and that's what I always tell the NAACP." Hope may float, but apparently Mack has a pragmatic strain. She's not sure how much Obama will help Sestak in his Senate race against Republican Pat Toomey (or Onorato), as he tries to beat GOP rival Tom Corbett to become the next Pennsylvania governor. Mack worries that the Republicans "have that strong Republican look." Can Obama help the Democrats overcome that? She said... "No, let's be honest."
Nesha Griffin, who came from Delaware, was setting up a table with her handmade jewelry. She was contributing in her own way to improving the national economy, she said... but, was also hoping that people would support the president's policies by electing Democrats in November.
Note: Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to the rally because of a previous commitment to attend our annual family day church service. However, after I got home, I was able to obtain the details on what happened for this post from a news article that was posted on Philly.com. I wish I could've been one of the estimated 18,500 people who were there to support the president... but, I'll have another chance to do the same on November 2nd!
The president appeared yesterday along with Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Representatives Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah, Govenor Ed Rendell, and Mayor Michard Nutter (who was resoundly booed twice), as well as Democratic candidates Joe Sestak for the U.S. Senate and Dan Onorato for Pennsylvania governor.
The president railed against the recent Supreme Court decision that has enabled conservatives to use non-profit organizations with undisclosed donor lists to spend millions attacking Democrats. He said, "We need you to fight their millions of dollars with our millions of voices. The other side is counting on your silence, apathy, and amnesia." An estimated 18,500 people attended the rally next to Fulton School, according to Deputy Managing Director Jazelle Jones.
As Germantown prepared for this day, they tried to be ordinary, as the most powerful leader in the world was soon to be in their backyard. Cars and the number 65 bus rolled down Germantown Avenue but were stopped as two Philadelphia Fire Department emergency vehicles turned onto a side street that led to the field where the "Moving America Forward" Rally would be held in a few hours. The McDonald's on Chelten & Germantown Avenue was packed. Some customers looked like the usual Sunday Golden Arches diners... but, not the people whose laptops were open on their tables, or the man in black who was wearing a protective vest under his clothes, whose t-shirt read "AGENT" on the back.
In another smaller event which was organized before anyone knew President Obama was coming to the "City of Brotherly Love", nearby volunteers were busy cleaning up Vernon Park. The environmental group was preaching efforts to end global warming and cleanup volunteer Mark Smith of Glenside said, "I think it's ironic because he's is the most influential person in the world and we're trying to raise consciousness for climate change."
The congregants of the Mt. Tabor Baptist Church on West Rittenhouse Street near Germantown Avenue, gathered in the sanctuary listening to Pastor Melvin McAllister preach. "The church doesn't need us. We need the church," he told about 90 people. But, the media also needed the church. Members of the congregation were asked to move their cars by 3:00pm to provide media parking. Deacon Jeffrey Banks said, "The turnout for Sunday morning service is usually higher, but anticipated street closings and traffic might have discouraged some worshipers from attending."
The bigger crowds were along Germantown Avenue, where entrances for the general public, special guests, union members, and the media were marked off on streets leading to the park. People started lining up as early as 9:00am, said one political operative holding a water bottle in one hand and a cell phone in the other. The gates opened at 3:00pm for the 4:00pm rally start time. Three giant American flags hung around the field and people were given signs saying, "Vote 2010." On the metal railing around Vernon Park were campaign signs for Sestak and Onorato.
A few blocks away on Germantown Avenue, Bryant Feggins was selling political buttons. "Three for $5.00! Three for $5.00! I'm just an entrepreneur. They're going pretty good," he said. Among the inventory were buttons with the famous Obama head-looking-up pose and the word "Hope", another picturing the Obama family, and another that listed Sunday's event and its landmark date 10-10-10. "Oh, that is nice. I support the president," said Lynne Smith of Blackwood in Camden County, a volunteer at the event.
Barbara E. Mack of North Philadelphia, also bought a button. She supports the president, as well as Joe Sestak, whose campaign she supports as a volunteer. She said that both she and Sestak were in the Navy, and that's reason enough to stick by him. She told the vendor, "I'll take Hope. Hope floats and that's what I always tell the NAACP." Hope may float, but apparently Mack has a pragmatic strain. She's not sure how much Obama will help Sestak in his Senate race against Republican Pat Toomey (or Onorato), as he tries to beat GOP rival Tom Corbett to become the next Pennsylvania governor. Mack worries that the Republicans "have that strong Republican look." Can Obama help the Democrats overcome that? She said... "No, let's be honest."
Nesha Griffin, who came from Delaware, was setting up a table with her handmade jewelry. She was contributing in her own way to improving the national economy, she said... but, was also hoping that people would support the president's policies by electing Democrats in November.
Note: Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to the rally because of a previous commitment to attend our annual family day church service. However, after I got home, I was able to obtain the details on what happened for this post from a news article that was posted on Philly.com. I wish I could've been one of the estimated 18,500 people who were there to support the president... but, I'll have another chance to do the same on November 2nd!
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1 comment:
And I'll be right behind you, in long lines I hope, at the polling place casting my ballot. I didn't get to the rally either but I'm with the president when it comes to the importance of this election. We are electing a governor and congressional reps. There are issues of importance (not who's an adulterer or a witch) that they will have to work together on. We don't have the luxury of sitting out any election. Remember that old saying about how evil grows in silence and the dark. Let's march into the light.
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