PITTSBURGHûBy any estimation, Sen. Barack Obama’s first appearance in Pittsburgh since announcing his candidacy for president was an event unparalleled in politics since the days of JFK.
The Illinois Democrat was surrounded by vocal supporters during a recent campaign stop at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial in Oakland. They all stood as superdelegate and fellow Sen. Bob Casey Jr. led Obama into the auditorium.
They continued to stand through Casey’s entire 20-minute endorsement speech-only sitting at Obama’s opening direction: “First of all, feel free to take a seat.” The speech was alternately impassioned, reflective, humorous and poignant.
And the audience hung onto every word-so much so that on several occasions, their cheers drowned out the ends of some of his statements.
When he spoke of the $5 billion a month being spent on the Iraq war and the increasing inability of Americans to pay for gas, for health insurance and for their mortgage payments, he invoked Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “fierce urgency of the now” to explain why he was running at such as “relatively young” age.
“In such circumstances, we can’t afford to wait,” he said. “That’s why I’m running. And my faith has been vindicated because people are standing up and saying they want something different.” In an exclusive interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier following the event, Obama deflected questions about his “rock star” status, saying people are coming out in Pittsburgh and elsewhere across the state because they are “troubled by an economy that is not working for ordinary people.”
“I think people are not just excited to see me. They are excited to see each other,” he said. “To see people involved like never before, I think that’s what’s getting people excited.” The senator again thanked Casey for his endorsement, saying he expects it will make a difference in the April 22 Pennsylvania primary election.
“People respect his opinion,” he said. “And for him to step up, hopefully that will lead people, who might not have, to take a second look and give me a hearing.” A Rasmussen survey of 730 Democratic Primary voters conducted March 31 showed Clinton’s lead down to five percentage points in the state, down from 17 points one week earlier.
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