Mayor Nutter pumped up the crowd of over 20,000 crammed in and around Germantown’s Vernon Park for Sen. Barack Obama, the third huge gathering of the day.
“Aw, he’s not taking any tea for the fever in this one, he’s ready to lead this country,” Nutter said of Obama as the jubilant audience roared. Outside the park, cheering supporters lined the streets of Germantown.
Obama hit all the same notes on economic crisis. He told the crowd that he was fighting for working people like cops, firefighters and teachers. And again he promised change.
“Everybody wants change. And you noticed that McCain he started off talking about experience. But he started to stealing some of our sayings,” Obama said. “But what he doesn’t understand is change is not a slogan.”
After the speech, Gov. Rendell and Mayor Nutter said they both had pushed the Obama campaign for the neighborhood tour, saying it was key for Philadelphia.
“The mayor and I felt that he hadn’t been in Philadelphia,” Rendell said. “Most importantly, we wanted him to come to the neighborhoods.”
Rendell also stressed that while Obama was up in the polls, the election was not locked up.
“It’s been a very fluid election,” he said. “Who knows what’s out there. We can’t be overconfident for one second.”