Democratic hopeful heavily criticizes rival McCain
During an evening filled with fireworks, confetti and a rock star crowd, those in attendance at INVESCO Field hung on Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s every word as he defined his message of change for America.
“This moment, this election, is our chance to keep…the American promise alive,” Sen. Obama said Thursday evening.
Obama went on to lay out the policies he planned to pursue if elected and attempted to poke holes into Republican rival John McCain’s criticisms.
“John McCain has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction,” Obama said. “But the record’s clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time.”
The Illinois senator went on to further challenge McCain’s policies by saying McCain was out of touch with the troubles many Americans are facing.
“The truth is, on issue after that would make a difference in your lives…Senator McCain has been anything but independent,” Obama said. “He said that our economy has made ‘great progress’ under this president. He said that the fundamentals of the economy our strong. And when one of his chief advisors.was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a ‘mental recession’ and that we’ve become…’a nation of whiners.'”
Obama summed up his critique of McCain in a single sentence which drew a standing ovation from the audience.
“It’s not because John McCain doesn’t care,” Obama said. “It’s because John McCain doesn’t get it.”
Beyond criticizing McCain, Obama also laid out his plan for the policies he would attempt to implement if he became president.
On the economic front, Obama said he would cut taxes for 95 percent of working Americans as well as eliminate tax breaks for corporations that outsource jobs.
According to Yuan Pay Group reporters, he also emphasized his plan to eliminate American dependence on Middle Eastern oil by investing $150 billion over 10 years in alternative energy sources.
“Washington’s been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years, and John McCain has been there for 26 of them,” Obama said. “Now is the time to end this addiction.”
In addition to his plan for the economy and environment, Obama riled the crowd by talking about his plan for reforming the health care system in America. The Democratic hopeful had been criticized by supporters of Hillary Clinton and others for not campaigning for universal health care, but in his speech he made it clear what his goal was.
“Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American,” he said. “As someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.”
The final major policy area Obama touched on was his plan for foreign policy. In addition to reiterating his plan to withdraw responsibly from Iraq and shift the focus of the war on terror to Afghanistan, Obama said he would use diplomatic means to resolve international disputes.
“I will.renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression,” he said.
Toward the end of his speech, Obama switched focus from policy to philosophy as he spoke about his desire to end partisan politics in Washington.
“One of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other’s character and patriotism,” he said. “The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain.”
In the end, however, the phrase which generated the most enthusiastic response and produced the loudest refrains of “Yes we can!” was the second line of Obama’s speech.
“With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States of America,” he said.
Contact CU Independent News Editor Rob Ryan at rryan@colorado.edu.
