The Boston Common felt more like the site of a rock concert last night as thousands of Barack Obama supporters came out to see the Democratic presidential candidate, who accepted Gov. Deval Patrick’s endorsement.
“I wish to soon say, ‘I am the president of the United States, and America is back,'” the Illinois senator said to the swarming crowd. “I’ve heard talk for decades, and now it’s time to act.”
“We need a nation where we make things happen again,” Patrick said. “We need Barack Obama.”
Supporters praised Obama’s ability to appeal to a diverse group of Americans hailing from all classes and ethnicities.
“As a person of color growing up in poverty, [Obama] is aware of a culture that strips away economic equity, and he wants to reform that,” said Chandra Brown, 32, a campaign organizer living on welfare. “He would provide solutions for working-class families living in extreme poverty, something the previous administration has long neglected.”
Obama called out President Bush for vetoing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program Bill, which would have provided healthcare to millions of underprivileged children. Obama said he is planning for a “better tomorrow,” which includes universal healthcare.
“In the wealthiest nation in the world, there shouldn’t be 47 million Americans without health insurance,” he said. “It is unjust that so many suffer while the pharmaceutical industry sucks up billions.”
In his speech, Obama also discussed subsidized college tuition for returning soldiers and Peace Corps members, the mass violence in Darfur and the widening gap among economic classes.
The crowd was not entirely supportive of Obama, however. Some characterized the senator as “just another politician.”
“This is a man who follows the general shift, doesn’t challenge the system and hides behind rhetoric,” said Michelle Sanchez, who described herself as a former Obama supporter. “He is no different from Hillary Clinton or the Republican candidates.”
“Barack’s appeal is partisan. We want a candidate who stands on the right side of an issue,” said Jared Cohen, a supporter of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. “We need a candidate willing to withdraw troops immediately from Iraq and resolve free trade. Obama is not that candidate.”
