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Saturday, October 11, 2008

Obama's Local Tour -- Wows North Philly on First Stop
In the case of Barack Obama, absence has certainly made the Philly heart grow stronger.

The Democratic presidential candidate was greeted by exuberant supporters today during his first visit to Philadelphia in months.

“I know these are difficult times. I know folks are worried,” he told the crowd at his first stop at Broad and Jefferson streets at 8:30 a.m. “But I also know now is not the time for fear, now’s not the time for panic. We’ve always seen that mountaintop from the deepest valley. We can do it again."

More than 15,000 people packed the Progress Plaza in North Philly. Demetrius Robinson, 38, a single dad from Camden, NJ, said he brought his four-year-old son and 19-month-old daughter to see Obama.

“I think it’s important at their ages to see the first president that looks like their father,” he said.

Obama will hit four Philly neighborhoods during the whirlwind tour to shore up his Democratic base. Last night he held two big-ticket fundraisers that brought in more than $5 million.

Boosted by tough economic news, Obama is currently leading in state and national polls. But the race has taken a nasty turn in the past week, as Republican John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin amped up their character attacks on Obama, in particular slamming his relationship with Chicago education advocate Bill Ayers, a former member of the violent 1960s radical group the Weathermen.

McCain approach has pumped up his supporters, who have grown increasingly rowdy and negative at his rallies. At a town hall meeting in Minneapolis yesterday, McCain himself seemed to try to calm the crowd who encouraged him to fight harder and said they were scared of an Obama presidency. McCain told them Obama was a “decent person,” a statement which drew a chorus of boos.

Obama said yesterday that he wanted to acknowledge that McCain tired to “tone down the rhetoric.” But he still criticized the tenor of the campaign.

“The last few days we’ve seen a barrage of nasty insinuation and attack. I’m sure we’ll see many more over the next 24 days,” he said. “They can try to change the subject, but they cannot do what they want to do because the American people understand what’s going on. It’s not going to work this time.”
Posted by Catherine Lucey @ 9:59 AM  Permalink | 15 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:34 AM, 10/11/2008
    I am very impressed with Senator Obama. He is very presidential and shows very ready to lead. He is focused, collective and dignified , staying above ugly attacks on him. In this turbulent time, especially that the economy is in crisis, he shows steadiness and genuine desire to calm people. We truly needed that in a leader.
    — Very Concern
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:15 PM, 10/11/2008
    McSameOld-Rather busy today,eh ? Here's a suggestion for you:when you finish high school & enter college,don't opt for an accounting career.Your grasp of "global economy " is laughable.
    — Yankee Air Pirate 12
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:41 PM, 10/11/2008
    That was just McCains cowardly way of distancing himself from his own campaign. Otherwise he might be expected to say some of the things to Obamas face that he has been saying behind his back.
    — Ed_Tilton
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:45 PM, 10/11/2008
    Obama wows North Philly? Gosh, what a shock. Who would've thunk it!
    — George Tomezsko
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:12 PM, 10/11/2008
    Wows? Not.
    — Zomboma
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:44 PM, 10/11/2008
    How long will this survive? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OowxMcVTjTE
    — Christines
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:56 PM, 10/11/2008
    If I have said it once I have said it a thousand times...this clown in a fancy suit is lulling the American public into a stupor just like the Pied Piper did...and we all know what happened to the people of Hamlin.Why would anyone trust this man,who is surrounded by the hate America first group,is amazing to me. Yes he talks a good talk but so did Hitler and look what we got. Why no hard questions...what about the $800,00 dollars to ACORN?What about all of the foreign donations coming from Islamic countries pouring into his campaign? What about his class warfare strategy and his complete ignorance of economics. What about his lack of obtuseness when it comes to foreign policy...this man considers Ahmadinjad a nuisance..he said nuisance...a nuisance is an ant at a picnic Ahmadinjad is a purveyor of hate and destruction pointed at the U.S. and Israel.What about his ability to lie,with a straight face,over and over again. He goes to Israel and tells Olmert Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel and then he goes to Gaza and talks to Abbas and tells him Jerusalem is to be negotiated. If his stands are so flimsy now what can we expect when he becomes the annointed one. I for one find this whole scenario scary. Things are in a flux now...why jump off the mountain with this false,two faced friend of Ayers,Wright,Flayger and the failed calypso singer Farrakhan.?Has this country lost its moral compass and if so they had better find it before it is to late.
    — Constance
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:02 PM, 10/11/2008
    Constance---> It must be difficult spending life as a paranoid freak who can't see past the end of your nose. You drag up pointless accusations developed by the McCain campaign to make weak-minded people (like yourself) fear any person who isn't the Republican candidate. I bet you also believe that the Democrats created the current economic situation by deregulating Wall Street. If memory serves, deregulation has been the policy of the GOP for decades. See where it got us. I sincerely hope you wise up and open your eyes. Can you really say you are better off after 8 years of GOP poilcy?
    — mikemoney
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:24 PM, 10/11/2008
    Bobwhiskeybreath - you are right, but the days of ice fishing in Alaska are numbered thanks to these idiots. Maybe they can fish for oil and save the world.
    — js5180
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:36 PM, 10/11/2008
    Senator Obama is every white racist's nightmare, -an African American man who is intelligent, relentless and gaining power (as he should). The attacks I hear are either from the fringe (he's REALLY an alquida puppet) or he is somehow being propped up by all kinds of illegal backroom deals and sleezy "cronies." Make no mistake, he's a politician. But let's also be clear: He's bright, able and is about to become our next great president, with Joe Biden at his side. The country, and the whole world, is looking forward to the change President Obama will bring. I hope with all my heart that the time of nasty snipping, ludicrous innuendo and careless slander are in descent.
    — FishTownForever
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:21 PM, 10/11/2008
    Very well said FishTownForever!
    — YouHaveGotToBeKidding
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:27 PM, 10/11/2008
    Ed_Tilton-If you were in a foxhole,would you want McCain or Obama next to you / Just wondering.
    — Yankee Air Pirate 12


15 comments
About The Philly Clout Team
PhillyClout
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics ­– which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans.
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