Obama waves as he walks onto his campaign plane August 26, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
by Mike Dorning
KANSAS CITY, Mo.--Barack Obama went to an airline maintenance hangar Tuesday to stand before symbols of industrial might and make the case that his campaign is the champion of blue-collar America in this election.
In front of jet engines suspended on steel frames and an airline fuselage parked in the background, Ronald Harper, an employee at the maintenance base, introduced Obama as "a true working man's president."
And Obama was quick to argue Republican rival John McCain did not fit that bill, reprising a gaffe in which McCain could not tell an interviewer the number of homes he owned. The Republican's wife is the heiress to a fortune built up through a beer wholesaling business.
"He is out of touch," Obama declared. "I don't think he realizes what ordinary Americans are going through. I don't think the Bush Administration understands what ordinary Americans are going through."
The setting and theme previewed the themes of this evening's Democratic convention program as the party focuses on economic issues and the Obama campaign seeks to sharpen distinctions with McCain.
As his advisers plan to do during the convention, Obama sought to tie McCain to the legacy of the Bush Administration and the current economic pain.
"Just remember this," Obama said as he wrapped up his appearance, " Over the last 8 years, you've been falling behind."
"If you think the last 8 years have been good, you need to vote for John McCain," he added.
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Comments
Someone should tell Barack that you get jet fuel from oil and when it's burned CO2 is a waste product.
Posted by: whatnow | August 26, 2008 4:10 PM
Obama with his experience and back ground has no idea what he is talking about-more running his mouth-
HIs poles prove it-
Posted by: George | August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Actually, it's Obama's policies that are hurting us. He and his Democratic friends have denied the U.S. from getting and using its own resources. Much of our economic trouble stems directly from higher energy costs. The more expensive energy is, the more expensive everything else is, and the more the American people hurt. As usual, Barack is wrong. What new?
Posted by: John D | August 26, 2008 4:34 PM
Negative campaigning? not the Golden Child.
Is Bush running for President? who's in touch there Barry?
Posted by: Springfield | August 26, 2008 4:51 PM
John D. You may have forgotten that John McCain voted against off shore drilling and drilling in ANWAR. He has flip flopped on off shore drilling. The Republicans controlled Congress and the Presidency for 6 out of 7 years. Your Republican and Democratic friends saw big oil company contributions overshadowed the what was good for the American people. Blaming Obama for high oil prices does not make any bit of sense. The low value of the dollar because of huge budget deficits is the main cause of high commodity prices. I don't see either candidate addressing that problem.
Posted by: pd | August 26, 2008 5:03 PM
By the looks of the comments here, this one is not playing well in Peoria. He is definitely not getting a bounce from the convention. Just google bop-o-rama and you can see a bounce at that poll that he might not want to have.
Posted by: acarponzo | August 26, 2008 5:38 PM
It is the Bush Republicans and their Corps buddies that have, all but, flushed this country down the tubes. All of their magical ditties from Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran, Mission Accomplished, Bring 'em on!, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Iraq's nuclear weapons, will not change the fact that the Bush-McCain Republicans are the reason America is hurting!! The sooner we get them out of Office, the better, America will feel !! Senators Obama and Biden, in our White House, in January, for the taking of their oaths of Office, for our President and Vice-President!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | August 26, 2008 5:46 PM
I don't like ANYONE getting hurt or killed, Iraqi or American. People say Americans are cold and callous and decadent. This is damn true to an extent, but I dare anyone to go around and print up some Iraqi war photos and, unless you are dealing with a total psycho, they will mostly wake up when you show them what war is really about. It is not about left and right or Republican or Democrat or whatever paradigm it is today, it is the principle of it. I mean that for this to stop, and this country to get back on its feet again, people need to appreciate the fact that war isn't honorable, or beautiful, and it does have an effect. The more money printed up by the Federal Reserve to fund wars the more oil and thus fuel and thus plane tickets and food. This is a little complicated to get into in this sort of format so I'll just post this link which says it better than I can here and should you choose to read it you'll understand better how war affects us all, even though we aren't being physically hit by bullets.
http://warofillusions.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/how-to-manufacture-a-global-food-crisis/
Posted by: I agree with Don, mostly... | August 26, 2008 6:28 PM
Guess it's okay for democrats to be rich, but not for republicans.
Pelosi is a millionaire. Kennedy is a millionaire
John Edwards is a millionaire.
Clintons are millionaires.
Obama is a millionaire.
Sure McCain (wife) is a millionaire. Stop the silliness and start talking straight.
Posted by: pete S | August 26, 2008 6:38 PM