Obama, at Indiana rally, says character of country is at stake in midterms
Frank Miles 5 hrs ago
Former President Barack Obama spoke Sunday in Gary, Indiana, ahead of a second rally in Chicago, delivering a closing argument for Democrats aiming to put a firm check on President Trump’s policies in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Speaking on behalf of Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., who faces a stiff challenge from Republican businessman Mike Braun, Obama said the vote on Tuesday is for the character of the nation.
“America is at a crossroads,” Obama said in the Midwestern city just across the state line from Chicago. “In two days, you get to vote in what I believe will be the most important election of our lifetimes. I know politicians always say that, but this time it’s really true.”
He noted that creating civil rights for Americans, better health care and workers’ wages — and also preventing them from being rolled back happens with actions at the polls.
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He said Democrats are responsible for progress and Republicans like to be reactionary to that progress for a better nation.
“When you vote, you can be a check on bad behavior,” Obama said.
Obama repeated his attack on the Trump administration, but never mentioning the sitting president’s name, as he’s often done on the campaign trail this season. “Society doesn’t work unless words have meaning and consequences,” Obama said, as The Indianapolis Star reported. “And the only check right now on the behavior of these Republicans is you and your vote.”
Obama ended his speech paralleling his mantra of hope and change: “Change is gonna happen. Hope is gonna happen. With each new step we take, hope will spread. Goodness will spread. And you will be the ones who will have done it. It starts with you. Let’s go vote. Let’s go make change. Let’s go make hope.”
Democrats are counting on wresting control of the House from Republicans and hoping for a longshot series of wins to take back the Senate as well. But Republicans are optimistic they can gain seats in a Senate map heavy on red states and haven’t given up on holding the House.
For Donnelly, who frequently touts how often he votes with Trump, the Obama rally is a little more complicated.
Donnelly has angered some Democrats by tacking to the right in recent weeks and embracing some of Trump’s pet priorities, such as building a border wall with Mexico.
Obama, on the other hand, has proven a polarizing figure with independent and Republican voters and is credited with some of Indiana’s rightward political shift, even though he won the state in 2008.
To win in Tuesday’s election, Donnelly not only needs high turnout from his party’s base but also must peel off some moderate Republicans and independents. Trump was keenly aware of Obama’s upcoming visit, which he mentioned Friday during an event at an Indianapolis-area high school.
“It’s no surprise that Joe Donnelly is holding a rally this weekend with Barack H. Obama,” Trump said as the crowd jeered in the conservative Midwestern state. He later added: “We don’t want to go back to the Obama days.”
Poster Comment:
This nation cannot afford to go backward. It needs to move forward. Returning to what we had under Obummer would be the worst possible thing to happen. ;)
Video at source.