esrosedotblog

TRAINING WHEELS

When I was a kid, all the presidential campaigns used the trains.

The 'whistle-stop' tour was a staple.

Obama has revived it in Pennsylvania (where I was a kid) by traveling from Philadelphia to Harrisburg yesterday.

This is after a rally the night before where 40,000 people jammed Independence Mall in the largest gathering in the mall's history (it said in the local news).

This from the NY Times.

Mr. Obama, who was accompanied by Senator Bob Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania, traveled on an antique, blue Georgia 300 Club Car, festooned with red, white and blue bunting. As he arrived in each town, strains of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising” filled the air.

For more than a year, the field of presidential candidates have campaigned across America by plane and by bus. The trip across a corner of Pennsylvania — intended for its marketing appeal, as much as its method of transportation — marked the first train trip of the 2008 race.

As he boarded his chartered Amtrak at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Mr. Obama pulled on the train’s whistle. “This is what I’m talking about,” he said.

People waited hours for Mr. Obama’s train to arrive. Young children, perched on their fathers’ shoulders, waved blue Obama signs.

But amid the revelry, Mr. Obama reminded people again and again that he needed their support on Tuesday.

“We are going to be unified in November,” Mr. Obama said. “But right now, there is a real choice to be made.”

They say that he has closed the gap but there are a lot of undecided voters.

We will see what happens soon. Just a few more days.

This is Truman whistle stopping.

Labels: Democrats, hillary, obama