This past Sunday there was an Obama rally at UCLA. Speakers included Oprah, Michelle Obama, Caroline Kennedy and Maria Shriver. Shriver actually surprised the audience when she showed up because she was not on the agenda. She told the audience she had not decided whether or not to come until that morning when her daughter told her that if she could make a change she should be there, so she showed up. Shriver stressed that Obama is the best candidate to run our country because “He’s not about himself. He’s about the power of us and what we can do if we come together,” Shriver said. “He is about empowering women, African Americans, Latinos, old people, young people. He’s about empowering all of us.“ She also suggested that if Obama was a state he would be California because he is “diverse, open, smart, independent, oppose tradition, innovative, inspiring, dreamer, leader.” Shriver’s appearance seemed to be the highlight of the rally.
Oprah also made an influential speech to the audience. She focused a lot on the fact that women have been calling her a traitor recently since she is endorsing Obama over Hillary. The audience could hear the anger in her voice as she reenacted conversations she had with these women who consider her a traitor. “After Iowa, there were some women who had the nerve to say to me, ‘How could you, Oprah, how could you? You’re a traitor to your gender.’ I was both surprised by that comment and insulted. The truth is, I’m a free woman,” Winfrey told an enthralled crowd. She repeated “I’m a free woman” three more times. Oprah put across the message that this election about more than electing someone because of race or gender, it is about who is best for our country.
Both women emphasized that Obama has what it takes to lead this country in a positive direction. He is the unifying leader that we have been waiting for.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/ucla-obama-rally-maria-shriver-endorses-barack-obama/
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2 comments:
Shriver may have decided to show up that morning, but someone in Obama's camp been working on that California analogy for weeks... Its pure gold. It will play on the heartstrings of every Californian who hears it.
I'm from Missouri and after four years here I can tell you that Californians love their state almost as much as Texans (Don't worry, I can see why). So playing to this fact was a stroke of genius.
I think it would be interesting to know how many people finally leap off the fence and vote for Obama because of Shiver's words.
I believe it will be very difficult to try to swing votes from Hilary Clinton's supporters who have based their decision on the gender issue. I personally do not feel as if he has attempted to appeal to the woman audience. Whereas Hilary is a symbol that as woman we have come s far. Therefore you can argue the same for Obama since he is African American. That is why it is critical to make your decision based on their position on issues that affect our society.
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