From Aviva:
Senator Obama culminated his American Jobs Tour right here in Columbus yesterday at Genoa Park. Everything about the day seemed hopeful; after a week of October chill and rain, the late morning skies were cloudless and vibrant blue. By 10:00, three hours before the rally began, the line into the park stretched across the entire bridge on Broad Street.
More than ten thousand people crammed themselves into the relatively small space, many skipping work and school in order to see the next President of the United States.
Both the perfect weather and the morale held up even as the sun started to bear down on the patient crowds. As one speaker said:
If you don’t vote today in this beautiful weather, you can’t complain about weather on Election Day!
After a brief prayer and rousing speeches by Ohio Attorney General candidate Richard Cordray, Mayor Michael Coleman, Governor Ted Strickland, and Senator Sherrod Brown, Barack ascended the grassy steps of the park to take the stage, announced by an eruption of cheers.A sea of American flags and Obama-Biden signs greeted him ecstatically. Barack was equal to it, warmly thanking his supporters before settling down to business. The senator laid out the specifics of his plans for the currently desperate state of the economy, in the same vein as he had at various sites in Ohio in the past two days. This time, however, the city of Columbus stood behind him, elegantly gleaming in the sun.Besides the economy, the senator touched on the recent ugly turn in his opponent’s campaign. “Hope beats fear,” he assured us. The crowd took up the cry, and the chant of “Hope beats fear” reverberated throughout the park.After the rally, an exodus of supporters flooded Broad Street and headed to the nearby Veterans' Memorial, where many of the attendees immediately cast their vote for Barack.
Today was Day 3 of Ohio's 7 day window in which you can REGISTER AND VOTE ALL AT ONCE. Reports from voters are in, and it's so easy, it could take you less than a half hour!
Here's encouragement from some special friends of Barack Obama's Campaign for Change in Ohio:
And a certain Springfield native you might recognize:
Don't wait. Only 4 more days to register and vote. 33 more days to vote early.
COLUMBUS, OH—Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray today endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president, citing his unique ability to bring people together to change our politics.
"I believe in Senator Obama's inspirational message and his effort to create a politics that will bring people together," Treasurer Cordray said. "That is the kind of leadership we are working to provide in Ohio, and it is badly needed to change the federal government in Washington."
"Treasurer Cordray's distinguished record of leadership in Ohio represents the very best in our tradition of public service," Senator Obama said. "An Ohioan by birth, he has a fundamental understanding of the challenges facing working families in these difficult times. He knows how critical it is that we make quality health care affordable to every American and that our tax code stops rewarding companies that ship our jobs overseas and starts putting tax breaks back in the pockets of hardworking Ohioans.
"But Treasurer Cordray also understands that none of this is going to be possible unless we can bring people together and finally put aside our divisive, petty politics and fundamentally change the way that Washington works. The Treasurer is going to be an extraordinary asset in this movement for change, and I look forward to working alongside him as we campaign in towns and cities across Ohio in the weeks to come."
