» Democratic Convention – Speech Highlights – Schweitzer & Strickland

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Aug 2908

Democratic Convention – Speech Highlights – Schweitzer & Strickland

Jonathon

I missed a couple of great speeches in my highlights of Monday to Wednesday at the Democratic Convention:

Ted Strickland

… John McCain is sleeping better than ever … because he thinks “Americans, overall, are better off…” thanks to President Bush. … I could say that John McCain represents four more years of Bush policies. But I don’t have to, because his campaign is telling you the very same thing. He and the Washington lobbyists who run his campaign are offering policies that are stuck in the past and that will keep our economy stuck in reverse. Stuck-in-the-past policies that mean Warren Buffet, one of the wealthiest men in America, pays a lower rate of income tax than his secretary, and he’s the first to tell you, that’s wrong. Stuck-in-the-past trade deals that mean a father has to give up his high-skilled job manufacturing refrigeration equipment, for a low-wage job, stocking the freezer aisle at a grocery store; a stuck-in-the-past energy policy that can’t look beyond old fuels like oil to new sources like wind and solar, because oil lobbyists wrote the policy…. It was once said of the first George Bush that he was born on third base and thought he’d hit a triple. Well, with the 22 million new jobs and the budget surplus Bill Clinton left behind, George W. Bush came into office on third base—and then he stole second. And John McCain cheered him every step of the way. … Barack Obama will give a $1,000 tax cut for the middle class, and end the tax cuts that encourage corporations to send jobs overseas. For Ohio and for the nation, there’s more than hope in these ideas—there are jobs. Investing in advanced energy industries will create 5 million green jobs across this country. In Ohio alone, investing in wind power could boost wages by more than $3.5 billion by 2020. That’s the change we need. It’s the change from thinking everyone’s born on third base, to making sure everybody has their chance at bat. That people don’t have to sit out in this economy anymore because they can pay for college, can get a loan to start a small business, can afford the treatment they need to get healthy. It’s time for a president who will bring our jobs back and bring our troops home. For the change we need, it’s time for Barack Obama.

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And here is an excerpt of an article I found when I sought the transcript and video of Brian Schweitzer’s pre-Hillary Clinton speech. I previously included highlights of his prepared text, but none of this raise-the-roof speech-making:

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer did the equivalent of summiting Everest for the first time yesterday, getting the crowd to roar while discussing renewable energy.

Sir Edmund Hilary would be proud. (The momentous video is below).

Wearing cowboy boots and a bolo tie, the burly governor from the Big Sky state had people electrified from the get go – including someone who is, well, pretty well known for his speaking prowess – former President Bill Clinton.

Video cameras cut often to the former President — all smiles — applauding and laughing at the governor’s powerful and entertaining delivery.

His prepared remarks are one thing. But putting him in front of the crowd and letting him rip was another.

“We need all of you to stand up,” he yelled. “Colorado! Stand up! Florida! Stand up! Pennsylvania! Get off your hind end! In the cheap seats! Stand up! We want to hear you from Denver to Detroit, from Montana to Mississippi, from California to Carolinas.”

He even made the chant “four more years” work. But in a different context than what you would normally hear in a convention.

“Can we afford four more years?” he asked the crowd. “No!” was the thunderous response.

“Is it time for change?” he yelled. On cue from the crowd, “Yes!”

“When do we need it?” raising the decibel level even higher. “Now!” screamed the crowd.

The above about Schweitzer is an excerpt from an article by Jimmy Orr. Source

L.A. Times Article about last night’s speech – Gives a brief analysis about the speech last night and provides some mainstream credibility to points that many in the blogosphere have been making for months about Schweitzer.

BrianSchweitzer.com – The official Schweitzer website.

Great New York Times article about Schweitzer – Written in 2006, a profile of the Governor’s personality and politics.

Schweitzer: Democratic Savior?

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