It was a great crowd, here's the best picture I could take. We didn't get very close, and everything was an hour late, but it was still a wonderful experience. Bruce Springsteen was great with his acoustic guitar, harmonica, and reinstated verses Woodie Guthrie should have never let be taken out:
In the squares of the city, In the shadow of a steeple;
By the relief office, I'd seen my people.
As they stood there hungry, I [heard them grumbling],
Is this land made for you and me?
Bruce then gave his own great speech about the American Dream and what's happened to it and why Barack Obama can help us rebuild it, before introducing Obama and his family.
We've all heard Obama's stump speech - alot of times. But it's great to hear - he's so right about the need to end the tired politics of hate, division, and fear. I know it can't just be fixed in one election on Tuesday, but I believe we'll take an important step forward Tuesday.
For one thing, I think (and hope) Obama will actually disappoint us liberals. He's going to tell fathers to do their jobs, he's going to kill government programs that don't work, he's going to honor the role of faith-based organizations in social work. I think he's determined to lead from the center, not by triangulating like Clinton did but by continuing to reach across tired old debate lines. I don't think he'll use the mandate he wins on Tuesday to over-reach like Clinton did a little and Bush II did ALOT.
I hope I'm right and, if so, I look forward to having my assumptions challenged.
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