Barack Obama at the Seagate Centre

I was able to attend the speech at the Seagate Centre yesterday after receiving tickets from the Obama campaign organizer I have been volunteering with in Monclova Township. Senator Obama outlined several new initiatives for helping out our economy which are well documented. http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081014/NEWS09/810140299 These proposals represent a framework for addressing some of our short term challenges with respect to our present financial crisis and these measures deserve careful consideration for timely adoption to aid some of our struggling citizens.

I took my 7 year old daughter who has walked door-to-door with me this fall for the Obama campaign. As it turns out, she is studying our government and election procedures and had the day off for teacher inservice training, so attending the speech turned out to be a great addition to the lessons she is already learning in her second grade class at Monclova Elementary. We got great seats and it was an exciting day for her.

I need to point out one more happening from the event. The one time Pres. Obama referenced the opposition, there was a smattering of boos which were immediately cut off by the candidate. It's a shame that we don't see that from the other side, whose main strategy in the past 10 days has been to whip their crowds into a frenzy, resulting in inappropriate shouts from the crowd which have NOT been addressed by the candidate. (especially Gov Palin) Just an important difference which I saw and heard and wanted to point out.

Three weeks to go and let's hope that both sides take an approach to the higher ground in politics, respectfully discussing our important issues and disagreeing with being disagreeable. I hope this is true in all our contested races in the area. The citizens of this area deserve a mature dialogue without misrepresentations, focusing on solutions to our problems and careful consideration of the major issues facing this region and our state.