Senator Joe Biden cast his ballot this morning, one block from his home in Wilmington, Delaware. As he threw open the blue curtains he gave the thumbs up and said, “That was great!”
He wouldn’t tell us who he voted for, and he told his mom not to either. His daughter Ashley beamed as she emerged from the booth, and wife Jill didn’t stop smiling the whole time. A huge crowd was waiting for their arrival, and everyone hushed as the family walked in. It was momentous and sweet, both. Imagine seeing your own name on the ballot. Happy election day. I can’t help but say it -- let’s go make history.
Hope E. HallNovember 4, 2008Chicago, IL
Shortly after 7:00 AM this morning Barack and Michelle, accompanied by their daughters Sasha and Malia, arrived at their local polling place -- Shoesmith Elementary School. This was the same school gym where Barack cast his ballot in the Illinois primary on February 5th, nearly nine months ago.
When they finished, Michelle left to take the girls to school and Barack dashed off to Indiana to help get out the vote.
Now the big question: Have you voted?
Find out your polling place now.
Arun ChaudharyNovember 4thEn route to Indianapolis, Indiana
There were some impressive turnouts: 9,150 in Jacksonville (per Fire Captain Rick Embry), 25,000 in Charlotte (verified by David Dunn, UNC Charlotte Vice Chancellor) and well over 90,000 folks in Manassas (according to Fire Battalion Chief Matt Smolsky).
It was at this huge rally in Virginia that Barack held his last election rally:
"Let me start by noting that this is our last rally, Virginia. We've been doing this for nearly two years. We've gone to every corner of this country, from here in Northern Virginia to the rocky coast of Maine; from the open plains of Texas to the open skies of Montana. And I just want to say that whatever happens tomorrow, I have been deeply humbled by this journey. You have welcomed Michelle and me into your homes. You have shared your stories of struggle. And you've spoken of your dreams. Along the way, in talking with all of you about your own lives, you have enriched mine. You have moved me. You have inspired me. And you have filled me with new hope for our future. In the places I've gone and the people I've met, I have been struck again and again by the fundamental decency, and generosity, and dignity of men and women who work hard without complaint to meet their responsibilities every day."
But was also a day tinged with sadness, as Barack learned of the passing of his grandmother this morning, a woman who helped raise him. He took time out to remember her at the rally in Charlotte, and to tell the crowd a little bit about who she was and what she stood for.
Barack described Madelyn Dunham, a person not unlike many struggling Americans, as a silent hero:
The polls open in a few short hours. It is so important to remember why we are struggling so hard, and who and what we are fighting for. Please vote tomorrow, and remind your friends and family to vote as well.
Arun ChaudharyNovember 3rd, 2008Manassas, Virginia
“I just have one word for you Florida: tomorrow.” – Barack Obama
One day before the presidential election, Barack held a spirited rally in Jacksonville, Florida urging people to vote. He traced the history of the last twenty-one months of the campaign, from the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois onward. This campaign began with the belief that the American people were hungry for new ideas, new leadership, a new philosophy and a new kind of politics.
In his speech today, Barack pointed out that it was here in Jacksonville just six weeks ago that John McCain claimed that, "the fundamentals of the economy are strong" on a day when over 5,000 jobs were lost and more than 7,000 homes were foreclosed on:
Not only was John McCain fundamentally wrong, it sums up the fact that he's out of touch. This out of touch, on your own economic philosophy that says you should give $700,000 tax cuts to the average Fortune 500 CEO. Three hundred billion to the same Wall Street banks that got us into mess. A philosophy that says we shouldn't give a penny of relief to more than a hundred million middle class Americans. It's a philosophy that will end when I am president of the United States.
Sharon BarnesNovember 3, 2008En route to Charlotte, North Carolina
"I travel around the world. I occasionally play to big stadiums, crowds like this, just like Senator Obama does... I continue to find that wherever I go, America remains a repository for people's hopes, their desires. It remains a house of dreams." - Bruce Springsteen
With the election around the corner, a crowd of 80,000 gathered for a rally last night at the Cleveland Mall. It was the second of three stops in Ohio that saw a total of 165,000 people show up to hear Barack speak.
As the last light of the day left the sky in Cleveland, the crowd was treated to an acoustic set by Bruce Springsteen. Before launching into one of Barack’s signature campaign songs, Bruce told the crowd that, “Now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll up our sleeves and come on up for the rising.”
Below is a video of Bruce's performance, along with his introduction of Barack and his family:
Peter RubiNovember 3, 2008En route to Jacksonville, FL
"The one thing more powerful than that kind of politics is the judgment and decency of the American people. Understand this Ohio, we are more united than our politics would suggest." - Barack Obama
Barack barnstormed throughout Ohio today, making several stops in the Buckeye state and making the case for change. It was a long day of events, but Barack managed to speak directly to over 167,000 Ohioans today -- no mean feat.
There were over 60,000 in front of the state house in Columbus (according to Lt. Wittich), 80,000 in the Cleveland Mall (per Marty Flask, Director of Public Safety) and finally 27,000 in the Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati (verified by Fire Captain Chris Miller).
It was an exhausting day, but it was made lighter by the fact that Michelle and Barack's two daughters, Malia and Sasha, were able to come along for the first two stops. In Cleveland the girls watched as Bruce Springsteen performed, and they learned the words to, "This land is your land." Michelle was also able to take up some of the speaking burden with her inspiring introductions.
"Think about where we've come from over the last 21 months. I see all kinds of faces out in the crowd today," Michelle told the diverse crowds. "If we want a leader like Barack Obama, our job is to send him into the White House... This race is not about him, it never was. It's about all of us, all of you."
Barack took advantage of the crowds, explaining in detail his solutions for our nation: reviving the struggling economy, repairing our crumbling infrastructure, restoring our standing in the world. He also took this time, precious moments spent outside the echo chamber of television ads and robocalls, to decry the negative politics of cynicism and fear.
But none of it, the crowds, the energy, the excitement, or the desire for change means a thing if you don't vote. And not just you. Talk to your friends and neighbors, offer a ride to someone in need. There are so many ways to get involved in these last two days of the campaign.
Find out how you can help, and enjoy the day in pictures:
Arun ChaudharyNovember 2nd, 2008Cincinnati, OH
After a morning rally at Florida State, Jill and Joe Biden (accompanied by son Hunter and his daughter Naomi) jetted across Florida, stopping for rallies in Gainesville and Daytona Beach before packing it in for the night. Florida Senator Nelson introduced them at each site, and Biden-loving sunshine staters cheered them from start to finish, and often long after.
The Gainesville crowd was the biggest, having set the record last week for the biggest turnout for a Michelle Obama event. These University of Florida students, staff, and faculty also won the award for best costumes. We saw Santa, an old timey-looking jazz band (replete with suspenders), and a Republican for Obama who’d constructed a hat shaped like a model oil rig. They do love the Bidens here.
Enjoy the day in pictures:
Hope E. HallKansas City, MONovember 2, 2008
“All of you have been coming together and doing things you thought you would never do – like coming to a political rally on a Saturday night.” - Michelle Obama
Last night, forty thousand people attended the late night rally in Springfield, Missouri. Barack, Michelle, Malia, and Sasha appeared together as a family on stage three days before the election.
Michelle thanked the audience for their enthusiasm and support during their campaign journey of the last twenty-one months. She noted that, “We have seen young people finding their voices for the first time and stepping up. The not so young people have been stepping up too.”
She continued by saying that Barack is ready to be president. While she wants to give much of the credit to Barack, she noted that the race is not about him. It is about the American people who have decided to work for change.
After Michelle’s introduction, the audience enjoyed a rare opportunity of watching Barack walk to the stage with his two beautiful daughters, Sasha and Malia. Barack joked that he was not the most popular Obama there tonight -- the audience had come to see Sasha, Malia, and Michelle.
Earlier in the day, the family was in Pueblo, Colorado. You can watch highlights Michelle's introduction of her husband below:
Sharon BarnesNovember 2, 2008En route to Columbus, Ohio
The are some serious Biden fans here in the sunshine state! Six of 12 Obama endorsements from Florida papers have singled out Joe Biden as a big reason for the endorsement. So it wasn’t surprising that so many Florida State University students chose to spend their Sunday cheering on Joe as he rallied supporters in Tallahassee today.
He explained that he and Barack are dedicated to reaching across the aisle, and urged the audience to do the same in their lives. In a nearby parking lot, McCain supporters had chants and a siren going. Joe addressed them as well, saying that he would try to talk loud enough for them to hear, and that he hoped the politics of division will soon come to an end:
We cannot regain our place in the world so that once again we can lead the world unless we do one more thing: We have to unite this country. We cannot stay blue and red, we cannot. We cannot stay divided. Ladies and gentleman we can't strengthen the economy if we are pitted one against another, we can't move past the politics of division unless after this election is over, if God willing we win, we reach out to the very people out in the outer parking lot... We've got to reach out. We've got to end this. Somebody's got to be big enough to stand up and end this.
You can watch an excerpt from Joe's speech below:
Hope E. HallNovember 2, 2008Tallahassee, Florida
Barack is working extraordinarily hard in these closing days, racing all over the country. Today alone he hit three states: Nevada, Colorado and Missouri -- all states that are crucial to this election.
The numbers of people coming out for the events are amazing. Fifteen thousand in Henderson, Nevada. Sixteen thousand in Pueblo, Colorado (verified by Sheriff Kirk M Taylor). Thirty-five thousand in Springfield, Missouri (per Leslie Ballew, Quality Assurance Manager Springfield Public Schools).
It's amazing to see the young folks who come out. Every year the pundits say young people never get involved. But this year, from the Iowa caucuses on, they have been proven wrong over and over again. But it's not just the young folks, as Michelle Obama said in Pueblo.
There is something so inspiring about seeing people in their 50's, 60's, 70's, saying, "I've never gotten involved before, but this time there was something different. I just couldn't sit it out."
It's going to take all kinds of people, not just coming to rallies but going to the polls. People are so fed up with the way things are, but there is something you can do. As Barack has been saying all over the country, "You don't have to boo, you have to vote."
There is more that you can do if you are able and willing. You can canvass, you can make phone calls, you can simply talk to your friends and neighbors. Are they planning on voting? Do they know where their polling place is? Try and find out. And don't stop whatever you are doing until the polls are closed Tuesday night. Barack told the crowd in Missouri tonight:
We can't let up, not when there is so much at stake, not when there is an election to win.
And we can win it. Enjoy the day in pictures.
Arun ChaudharyNovember 1st, 2008Springfield, MO
Jill and Joe Biden rocked the campus at Bowling Green State University in Ohio tonight. Jill got huge cheers as she talked of her life as an educator, but Joe quieted the 2,000+ Saturday night crowd, in the cold of the quad, when he drew parallels with the tumultuous times he graduated in to the difficult times these coeds face. But it was news of Vice President Dick Cheney's endorsement of John McCain today that drew the biggest reaction. As Joe explained:
If you ever had any doubt that John McCain would continue George Bush’s policies -- you can put those to rest. Just today, Vice President Cheney came out and endorsed John McCain. Do we need any more proof? I’m not surprised. Dick Cheney has been wrong on everything else the last eight years. He’s on a roll.
Enjoy today's photos, from Indiana and Ohio:
Hope E. HallNovember 1, 2008Hwy 39 South, Ohio
"We need to move beyond this politics of division, and politics of attack. Over the past few weeks, John McCain's campaign...has been trying to take the low road to the highest office in the land." - Joe Biden
Here at the seriously outfitted Marion High School Gym in Marion, Ohio this afternoon, Joe Biden spoke passionately about his feelings on the tactics of the McCain campaign. He expressed disbelief and disappointment in his friend John McCain, saying he honestly didn't expect this from him. "They're calling Barack Obama every name in the book," Joe remarked. He urged Ohioans to choose hope over fear, and stated his firm belief that in only a few days, "they will, all of us will, call Barack Obama something else -- Mr. President, President Barack Obama. It's our time, it's America's time, so get up Ohio!"
Hope E. HallHighway 23 North (Marion to Bowling Green)November 1, 2008
In these closing days of this election, Barack tries to make clear that he is the candidate who understands the problems folks are having on the ground. "People around here know about foreclosures," he told the crowd, many of whom are struggling to stay in their homes. Barack also took time to make sure disinformation about his plans are cleared up, including his tax plan. "The last thing you need his higher taxes," he explained. "You need relief!"
You can help make a difference and give folks the experience of visiting an event by forwarding this video to your friends and family.
There are only three days left.
Arun ChaudharyNovember 1st, 2008Henderson, NV
After landing in Las Vegas late last night, our road team sent in this report on Barack's day on the campaign trail yesterday . . .
Barack made stops in Iowa and Indiana Friday, as he continues to travel the country trying to bring his positions and ideas to as many people as he can before polls close on Tuesday night.
Barack finished the night off in Gary, Indiana, just down the road from his hometown of Chicago. "It's good to be so close to home," he told the crowd of 40,000 people (per Police Chief Peter T. Hojnicki ) who crowded into Highland Park.
Barack told the gathered crowd:
Indiana, I just have two words for you: "Four days." We are four days away from changing the United States of America... We can't let up, not for one day, not for one hour, not for one second.
We can't let up when so many workers have lost their jobs, when so many folks are struggling just to keep the electricity on or to keep gas in their tank. It's no mystery why the nation is in such dire straights. The culture of deregulation that has been in place for the last eight years has proved ineffective, even dangerous. "We've tried it George Bush's way, we've tried it John McCain's way," Barack told the Hoosiers who decided to spend their Halloween at his rally. We need something new. We need to bring change to Washington.
Enjoy the day in pictures.
Arun Chaudhary October 31st, 2008En route to Henderson, Nevada
In Lima (pronounced like the bean, not the Peruvian capitol), Ohio, Kewpee burger flippers still wear those 50s-style, white tissue paper sailboat hats. Enamel tables, puffy booths, a long white counter and spinning stools made for the real deal here on a surprise stop for burgers.
Enjoy the day pictures from Joe and Jill Biden's trip through Delware and Ohio today:
Hope E. HallAll Hallow's EveDayton, Ohio
For the second time since his victory in the Iowa Caucuses, Barack returned to Des Moines today. It couldn't have been a nicer day in Iowa, with temperatures in the low 70's. Over 25,000 folks, as counted by Sergeant Misty Allison, came out for a late morning rally. The campaign spent so much time here last year that returning today felt like seeing old friends. Barack noted:
We started this campaign right here. We didn't have much money, we didn't have any endorsements, we had a steep climb... but I had confidence in America, and I had confidence in you, the people of Iowa.
But scattered amongst the familiar faces are newcomers; people hurt by the the economic downturn, disillusioned by business as usual, and turned off by the politics of fear.
The dishonorable campaigning, the nastiness and the name calling has reached a fever pitch with only four days before the election. But in this city, in this state, folks remember well the last time they had a chance to choose hope, and embrace the future. On a cold day in January they came out in record numbers to make their voices heard here, and as Barack said this morning, "What you started here in Iowa has swept the nation."
If November 4th, 2008 is anything like January 3rd, we'll know we are at last on the right track.
Arun ChaudharyOctober 31st, 2008Des Moines, IA
The quad filled with University of Delaware Blue Hens and their fans let out an epic roar at the sight of one of their own returning today. Joe Biden rallied his alma mater under autumn sunshine and falling leaves. Over 5,000 students, faculty and other Delawareans listened as Biden spoke about his days at the university. As an undergrad he struggled with the lead up to the Vietnam War, turning to his professors to help him sort out the turmoil of that time. He pointed across the lawn to the actual spot where he was standing when he first heard the news that John F. Kennedy had been shot. His speech was emotional and riveting, as he explained the role the campus here had played in shaping his life. You can watch the full speech below:
Hope HallOctober 31, 2008Newark, Delaware
"I have two words for you Columbia: five days." - Barack Obama
It's a beautiful night here in Columbia, Missouri on the quad at the University. Much warmer than the amphitheater at Virginia Beach, or even the ball park in Sarasota Florida. But in rain, sleet, or snow folks still come out in droves, wanting to hear solutions to the mounting problems of our nation and looking for one thing: change. This country cannot handle four more years that look like the last eight.
There are only five days left to reach out to places like Missouri. Joe Biden is here in the Show Me State tonight also, campaigning in Arnold. But Joe and Barack cannot do it alone. They are going to need all of you in the next five days to in order to actually bring about the change this country needs.
What can you do to help you?
In the next five days you can knock on doors if you live in battleground state.
In the next five days you can travel to a swing state.
In the next five days you can make phone calls.
In the next five days you can make a contribution to the Obama campaign.
And most importantly, in five days, you can VOTE.
Find your polling place now, and then enjoy the day in pictures:
Arun ChaudharyOctober 30th, 2008Columbia, Missouri
"George Bush has dug us in a hole and now he wants to hand the shovel to John McCain" – Barack Obama
On a bright and balmy morning in Sarasota, Florida 13,000 people showed up to the Ed Smith Stadium to hear Barack speak.
With five days until the election, Barack focused on the economic crisis, indicating that times have not been this tough since the Great Depression. This morning we learned that America’s Gross Domestic Product fell for the first time this year, and we are seeing the largest decline in consumer spending in 28 years. Barack explained that the serious situation we are in is a result of Bush Administration policies that favor Wall Street over the American public.
Barack asked the question, “What will our next President do to take us in a different direction?”
After 21 months, and three debates, John McCain has still not been able to tell the American people a single major thing that he would do differently than George Bush when it comes to the economy.
Sharon BarnesOctober 30, 2008En route to Virginia Beach, Virginia
Over a thousand students, teachers, union workers, elected officials and marching band members filled the classically outfitted gymnasium of Arnold, Missouri's Fox High School this morning to see Joe Biden speak. The Fox Warriors have won many a state championship in their day, and they certainly seemed to be aiming for another victory on election day. This crowd was ready for Joe! He took time to give a shout out to the marching band and students, as well as walking them through the major issues of the day. Starting with today's news on the shrinking GDP and increasing gains for Exxon Mobil, he hit hard on the McCain-Palin economic plan, calling it "upside down" and accused the philosophy behind it of contributing to the shrinking of the middle class.
"They're not bad guys," he said in light of Exxon Mobil's record quarterly profits announced today. "They just don't need a tax break, that $4 billion dollars should go to middle class tax payers."
"Cut taxes for working people," Joe said. "Give them a chance."
Watch highlights from the speech below:
Hope HallOctober 30, 2008Arnold, Missouri
