This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: October 18, 2008 - All the ingredients fell into place for Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama shortly after noon on Saturday when he stopped to campaign under the Gateway Arch. He brought his campaign to St. Louis on a photo-perfect fall day, and he told an enthusiastic crowd of 100,000 people that "America can meet this moment" when the economy is in turmoil and the American Dream is beginning to elude many middle-class families.
He promised to address the economic issues in part by putting 2 million more Americans to work "rebuilding our crumbling roads, schools and bridges."
Those joining Obama in St. Louis included Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who introduced him and attacked GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin as a divisive candidate. Earlier in the week, Palin had implied in a speech in North Carolina that states supporting the Democratic presidential candidate were anti-America. McCaskill said Palin stooped to "a new low" by suggesting that one part of American politics was "pro-America and another part is anti-America."
Taking Nothing For Granted
While Obama urged Missourians to believe in themselves during these "times of trial and turmoil," it was Obama himself who didn't necessarily believe in polls showing him leading in Missouri and some other key states. The latest Rasmussen poll on Friday had Obama leading McCain 52 for Obama, 46 percent for McCain.
Although he said his campaign may be only 17 days away from victory, he cautioned those "who are getting a little cocky." He pointed to the momentum he got after winning the Iowa caucuses, followed by his defeat in the New Hampshire primary, which "my great friend and supporter" Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won.
Drawing on that example, the U.S. senator from Illinois told the crowd, "We've got to keep fighting for every vote; we've got to keep running through that finish line."
There are plenty other signs that the Obama camp is making a strong last-minute push to win Missouri. Jill Biden, Sen. Joe Biden's wife, was in St. Louis on Friday, and former President Bill Clinton will lead a rally Monday night in Kirkwood.
Another sign is the stepped-up activity by Moveon.org, an independent political action group that is working hard for Obama. Although plenty of people turn out to hear the Democrat's message, such as the one he delivered at the Gateway Arch, the enthusiasm to work for him isn't always as strong.
Earlier this week, Moveon.org sent out an email appeal for people to join a get-out-the-vote team in St. Louis. By late Saturday morning, the day Obama spoke at the Arch, Moveon.org was still waiting for volunteers to step forward.
The group made a comment on its website that may actually mirror the thinking of the Obama campaign: Obama "may have a big lead in polls of resistered voters, but a Gallup poll shows the race is a statistical tie among people who have most consistently turned out to vote in the past."
Republicans were quick to respond to Obama's visit, criticizing his tax proposal. In a radio address earlier Saturday, McCain said Obama's policies "sounded a lot like socialism."
Enthusiastic Crowd
Still, the crowd that packed Metro trains to get to the Arch Saturday morning seemed passionate about Obama. Among those onboard were Doug Watson, a real estate consultant in St. Louis County, and his two young daughters.
"This is history in the making," Watson said during the train trip. "I wasn't around when Abe Lincoln was there. But I heard John Kennedy when I was a boy. I heard Martin Luther King Jr. when I was a kid.
"I wanted to hear Barack Obama, and I wanted my girls to see him so they can tell their kids one day that they saw him before he became president."
On his way from the Arch, Watson was asked about the size of the crowd: "If we had this kind of turnout for football, hockey and baseball in St. Louis, our economy would be doing pretty well."
The economy, along with creating good-paying jobs, was one of four issues Obama stressed during his St. Louis stop. The other three were: helping small businesses to get back on their feet, providing relief for homeowners affected by the mortgage crisis, and helping states and local governments affected by the economic squeeze.
Promises To Rebuild America
One component of his economic program, Obama said, would involve public works projects to rebuild roads, schools and bridges. He added, "If people ask how we're going to pay for this, you tell them that if we can spend $10 billion a month in Iraq, we can spend more money to rebuild America."
He said the current economic crisis could be "one of those moments when America overcame." He urged Missourians to believe in themselves, "in each other, and in the future we can build together."
He also urged them to get out and support his candidacy by knocking on doors, making calls, and talking to neighbors. Their work for his candidacy, he said, would result in "real change," which he defined as an economy that rewards work, tax relief for the middle class, millions of new jobs, affordable health care and a world-class education system for all children.
Text of Obama's St. Louis speech. | PubDef
Obama draws 75,000 in Kansas City. | Kansas City Star
