| Alamo City shows Obama it's got a crush on him |
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| Wednesday, 27 June 2007 | |||
It says something about the passion of Barack Obama's supporters that during his first visit to San Antonio since announcing his presidential bid, the junior democrat senator from Illinois received more cheers and applause than Spurs player Bruce Bowen, who introduced Obama.
During his 30-minute speech, Obama decried the current administration's “politics governed on fear” instead of hope and said the most important challenges facing the country are a “broken” health-care system that leaves 45 million people uninsured; the absence of an energy policy; and the “senseless war in Iraq” that “has made the United States less safe and diminished our standing in the world.” He said he wants U.S. troops out of Iraq by March 21, 2008, to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and employ habeas corpus for those accused of being enemy combatants. He also spoke of the need to care for veterans and the importance of putting money toward education. Obama remarked on the audience's diversity in ethnicity and age and cited the civil rights movement as an example of the power of grass-roots activism. “Change in America doesn't happen from the top down. It happens from the bottom up,” he said. Austin musician Bob Schneider performed before the event, as did San Antonio drum and dance corps Urban 15. Supporters wore T-shirts emblazoned with “AlamObama” and held posters with slogans such as “Todos Unidos con Obama.” “He's an up-and-comer,” said 22-year-old Melanie Aranda, the state coordinator for the Texas Chapter of Students for Barack Obama. “He's rock star-like, almost like (John F. Kennedy).” Aranda, who will begin her senior year at Texas State University in the fall, worries about finding a job after college. She hopes Obama can improve the economy. “I'm terrified,” Aranda said. “We're all terrified as young adults. It's going to be hard to find jobs. But Sen. Obama has that vision for us.” Obama “has that rare ability, the ability that Bill Clinton had and the ability that even Ronald Reagan had, in that he's able to cross party lines,” said Darryl Johnson, a former football player at the University of Texas and with the New York Jets. “That's a rare gift.” Jessica Belasco and Clint Hale | 210SA |
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