Dear Barack Brigade,
Your enthusiasm and dedication is what convinced the Kerry-Edwards campaign that a skinny guy with a funny name from the South Side of Chicago could give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. It is your voice, your struggle, and your aspirations that have motivated me since day one, and more than anything I want my voice to be yours this Tuesday when I speak.
That is why I would like to give you, the Barack Brigade, the ones who have been there since we started this improbable journey months ago, the opportunity to hear what I am going to say first. Bear in mind that the full speech won’t be posted, and that last minute editing is bound to happen, but I want to give my most loyal supporters the chance to read what I’m going to say. Please be sure to post your thoughts, because I can’t be your voice if I don’t hear what you think.
So after 4:00 PM ET, on Tuesday, July 27th, be sure to visit www.obamablog.com for a SNEAK PREVIEW of excerpts from the speech. Hopefully this small gesture will help you begin to understand how grateful I am for all that you have done for me, and how much I value your opinions.
Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. You are the reason why we won the primary. You are the reason why I am the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention, and you are the reason why we will win in November.
I wonder if he is doing this to keep what he has in there. I know the Kerry folks have taken the red pen to most of the speeches and I have heard that they changed around 25% of the keynote.
According to Jim Cauley, Baracks Campaign manager, Harold Ford had his entire speech scrapped in 2000 by the gore campaign – upon which ford said screw it and pulled his original out of his pocket and never read from the teleprompter.
I apologize for going off topic but Kerry’s decision to change plans (while in the air!) to go to Boston to throw out the first pitch at a Yankees-Red Sox game last night was absolutely brilliant!
The game was televised on ESPN so he got national exposure and the Joe Six Packs of the world got to see him smiling and thoroughly enjoying himself. (He almost looked like he had a pulse!)
Brilliant move.
The Joe Six Packs also got to see him bounce one to home plate. Ahnold might call that girlieman style. Kerry should’ve warmed up first.
Jeff, thankfully, it set the pace for Yankee pitching! ; )
One more note. Joe Six Pack also got to see half the stadium boo Kerry. I think it was a dumb move (at least throwing out the first pitch).
First, fans are likely as anything to be men under 40. Same group is more likely to vote GOP. And finally — a chorus of nearly deep, harmonized boos will nearly always drown out the randomness in cheers (see Moore, Michael; Oscar acceptance).
It sounded bad on NPR.
The Barack Brigade here in Chicago is also hosting a huge speech watching party on Tues night (I will be going). Call the campaign for details. A lot of meetups on the Kerry side and Obama side are having private parties, so you should check out the blog for the latest.
“You don’t have to go to Boston to be part of the Party.” A Trademark of Fresh Paint, Incorporated, an Offshore Tax-Dodge Legal Entity and Tavern.
I too enjoyed Kerry’s pitch last night at the Sox game, I never knew it was in him. I apologize for threading here on an off topic comment, but I was wondering whether stem cell research is being discussed this week at the convention. I know that Congressman Peter Deutsch, a Kerry-Edwards supporter, introduced a bill into the Senate that would lift the ban on federal funding for this form of in vitro research that President (hopefully not for too long) Bush introduced three years ago. If anyone is interested, visit the website below to urge President Bush to allow scientists to do thier job!
http://www.peterforflorida.com/petition/stemcell.shtml
Anyone thought up any drinking games for Obama’s speech?
I was wondering whether stem cell research is being discussed this week at the convention
Didja happen to notice that Ron Reagan has a prominent speaking role tonight? He ain’t there to talk about Iran-contra.
A toast to the next Senator from Illinois, or a Barack Obama drinking game.
Because Mr. Obama is a great speaker, he doesn’t seem to have the verbal tics that make for a great drinking game, e.g. Kerry and “values”.
Instead, I propose that viewers take a drink every time he makes a non-traditional pointing gesture, i.e. something other than an extended index finger.
This includes: the fist/thumb point, the two-fingers and a thumb point and the thumb-tucked-behind-the-curled-index-finger point.
Because Mr. Obama very rarely makes an index-finger pointing gesture, I also suggest two drinks if one happens to occur tonight.
Here’s what I’m thinking for the drinking game:
And for the drinking game for the speech:
1 drink every time Barack refers to an ordinary American by name.
1 drink for every mention of out of work factory workers
1 drink for every mention of Southern Illinois
(3 drinks for every mention of out of work factory workers from Southern Illinois by name)
1 drink for every mention of “families”
1 drink for every mention of George Bush by name (very safe, isn’t happening much)
1 drink for every crazy hat shown during Obama’s speech
1 drink for every time the phrase “rising star” is mentioned in describing Obama before or after his speech
1 drink for every mention of Vietnam
1 drink for the “”If a child…..even if it’s not my child…” speech
Kamikaze version:
1 drink for every time John Kerry is mentioned.
1 drink for every time Barack smiles
This is what I came up with:
1 drink every time Barack refers to an ordinary American by name.
1 drink for every mention of out of work factory workers
1 drink for every mention of Southern Illinois
(3 drinks for every mention of out of work factory workers from Southern Illinois by name)
1 drink for every mention of “families”
1 drink for every mention of George Bush by name (very safe, isn’t happening much)
1 drink for every crazy hat shown during Obama’s speech
1 drink for every time the phrase “rising star” is mentioned in describing Obama before or after his speech
1 drink for every mention of Vietnam
1 drink for the “If a child…..even if it’s not my child…” speech
Kamikaze version:
1 drink for every time John Kerry is mentioned.
1 drink for every time Barack smiles
tee-totalers version — 1 drink for every time he mentions his republican opponent by name….