Barack Obama Rocks the Kohl Center

The Kohl Center at UW-Madison was the epicenter of the Change Express, rolling across the nation.

An excited Governor Jim Doyle had the honor of introducing "the next president of the United States, Barack Obama."

The presidential wannabe Obama started speaking at 8:40 PM.

Obama is no longer an underdog in the race. More importantly, he is no longer pretending to be one. He exudes confidence.

Obama began by thanking Doyle, Doyle's wife, and their two sons. He also thanked Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett for his support and for driving out to Madison.

He thanked Madison's Mayor Dave Cieslewicz for his endorsement earlier today.

After doing away with that business, Obama spoke of his stunning success in the Potomac Primary.

"The change we seek swept through Chesapeake and over the state of Maryland."

"We have now won in the East and West and North and South and across the heartland of this country we love."

"We have given young people a reason to believe and we have brought the young at heart back to the polls."

Obama talked about bringing Republicans into the fold, too. They are the "Obama-cans," the ones speaking in whispers.

Obama said, "This is what change looks like when it happens from the bottom up."

"The status quo in Washington just won't do."

Translation: Hillary just won't do.

He said "Lobbyists won't drown out your voices anymore when I am president of the United States of America."

That was another slap at Hillary.

Obama didn't spend too much time attacking Hillary. Why beat a dead horse?

He moved on to John McCain, speaking of Bush-McCain Republicans.

He referenced the policies of the Bush administration: "That's what happens when we use 9/11 to scare up votes."

"We need to end the mindset that got us in the war."

"It's the past versus the future."

He said, "That will be the choice we have in November."

Obama acknowledged that John McCain is an American hero.

"We honor his service."

Obama noted, "George Bush won't be on the ballot this November." The crowd cheered wildly.

He said, "George Bush won't be on this ballot. My cousin Dick Cheney won't be on this ballot."

But, he said that the Bush-Cheney war is still here and it is an issue for November.

He quoted John McCain's comment that we might be "mired in Iraq for 100 years." Obama said that's reason enough to not give him four years in the White House.

Obama said the money spent on the war was wasted and should have been spent building bridges and roads and schools and all those good things.

Obama turned to McCain's initial opposition to the Bush tax cuts.

He said that somewhere along the way the wheels came off the Straight Talk
Express, and now McCain is for the "tax cuts for the rich."

Obama declared, "It is time to turn the page and write a new chapter in American history."

"Yes we can."

He then left McCain and started talking about the American Dream.

"It's time stand up and reach for what's possible."

He dismissed the critics who call him a "hope-monger."

Obama said, "I was not born into money or status...

"My family gave me love. They gave me an education; but most of all, they gave me hope."

"Hope is not blind optimism."

Obama went down a laundry list of challenges. He said he knows how hard it will be to eliminate poverty and improve our schools, etc.

He said he knows how hard it will be because he has fought on the streets and in the courts and in the legislature.

Obama said that nothing worthwhile in this country has ever happened unless somebody was willing to hope, stand up and say, "Yes we can."

The crowd was fired up but there really wasn't any extended chanting.

Was this the short version of the stump speech? Was Obama trying to keep things moving?

Obama went through American history and cited all the times Americans were called to say, "Yes we can."

It was more religious revival than political rally.

It was a sermon.

"This is our moment. This is our time. And where better to affirm our ideals than here in Wisconsin where a century ago the Progressive movement was born."

"All of us share a common destiny, the American Dream."

"Yes we can."

Obama was raising his voice, a crescendo.

"Out of many we are one."

"Our time for change has come."

Obama had worked the crowd into a frenzy, and then very suddenly, at 9:05 PM, he was finished. No encores.

Obama worked his way through the crowd, people stretching out their arms, hoping to touch him.

Ladies and gentleman, Obama has left the building....

Shortly after 9:10, the crowd made its way to the exits.
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Read the Associated Press account of the rally.

Obama backers filled the 17,000-seat Kohl Center on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus for the rally. They cheered as results showing an Obama victory in Virginia were displayed on the big screen TV over the arena's center court. Cheers also erupted when a projection of delegates won showed Obama moving ahead of Clinton.

Obama scored some of the largest applause of the night when he said the Iraq war should never have been authorized or waged.

"We need to end the mind-set that got us into war," he said. "And that's the choice in this primary. It's whether we chose to play the game or we chose to end it."

A spokesman for the Republican National Committee derided Obama's comments.

"The voters of Wisconsin will be hearing a lot of empty, political rhetoric from the Democrats this next week," RNC spokesman Chris Taylor said. "But for Barack Obama no amount of grandstanding and proselytizing will sway the Badger State into believing he has the experience necessary to occupy the Oval Office."

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Read about Barack Obama's October 15, 2007 rally in Madison.