On the campaign's last day, President Obama made his final re-election campaign appearance in the Sunshine State at McArthur High School Football Field in Hollywood, FL to a crowd that local officials estimated at 23,000-30,000. Despite the long wait and the heat everyone waited to see President Obama. I asked several people and they all said that it was worth it and would wait as long as they had to as long as they got to show their support of President Obama.
The line to get into McArthur High School was at least 2 miles long and the chants saying four(4) more years could be heard everywhere. There were a handful of Romney supporters across they way but they were drowned out by the chants and horns honking from passing cars. You could feel the anticipation from everyone, the atmosphere was electric as you saw everyone waving their banners saying "Forward", four more years, re-elect obama, Obama-Biden and so many more.
The Grassroots Rally with President Obama and Pitbull in Ft. Lauderdale was a tremendous success, President Obama's team went above and beyond they made sure that the crowd had water at their disposal, palettes were brought out and the volunteers were every where. All the volunteers were amazing they were on their game they didn't miss a beat, they had their clipboards asking for volunteers to make calls, knock on doors it was an amazing site to see the team work. The Broward county Police department plus all other outlets of security have to also be commended for their outstanding work these men and women kept everything under-control from directing traffic to keeping the President safe by securing every inch of McArthur High School plus surrounding area. The entire team that but this rally together has to be given a standing ovation for making this event run so smoothly and not missing a beat they are an incredible staff.
Welcome: Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-17)
Pledge: Alyce Marshall, Veteran
Anthem: Latonya Floyd, Local Performer
Invocation: Rabbi Jeffrey Kurtz-Lender
Remarks: Meaghan Hardy, OFA -FL
Remarks: Funmi Olorunnipa, OFA Regional Voter Protection Director
Remarks: DNC Chair Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Remarks: Governor Charlie Crist, former Florida Governor
Remarks: Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Remarks: Pitbull, international music sensation
INTRODUCTION: Annabella Rios
Every speaker for this rally had the crowd going it was a spectacular site, as they all shared what President Obama has done for the nation, it was an amazing moment as you could see the conviction of each speaker they all spoke with passion and determination.
Annabella is a recent college graduate and volunteers for the President’s campaign while she pursues her dream of becoming a teacher. Last year, Annabella was hospitalized for kidney failure. If it wasn't for the President’s Affordable Care Act, which allowed her to stay on her parents’ insurance plan, Annabella believes she either wouldn't be alive or she would be facing bankruptcy because of her medical bills. As a young woman, Annabella is grateful for the President’s support of equal pay for women and his commitment to ensuring that women have the right to make their own decisions when it comes to their health. When Anabella shared with the crowd how her mother who worked for the auto industry would have lost her job if not for Obama's actions I could see that the entire crowd was moved.
Once Annabella introduced President Obama everyone stood on their feet and with thousands of people screaming Obama, Obama it was just spectacular. The crowd didn't need their seat's as Obama had them leaning on the edge, smiling and nodding their heads in agreement with Obama's closing argument. Even though Obama was a bit horse, his message of moving forward came through loud and clear to everyone, and that still there remains more work to do and since he inherited the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression he needed everyone to vote for him to secure a second term in White House. . When Obama mentioned Romney there were a few in the crowd that booed, quickly Obama said "don't boo go out and vote" He told the crowd that they may not agree with all of his decisions. However, "you know what I believe and where I stand. I will fight for you and your family every single day. President Obama gave a grand closing argument that got the crowd motivated to vote and get others also to go out and vote.
Facts:
FLORIDA: Early voting began on October 27 and ended , November 3.
· 44% of Florida votes have already been cast and President Obama leads by 7 points among early voters according to the NBC/WSJ poll. This means Romney needs to win the remaining voters by 6 points in order to tie up the race. State elections officials say more than 3.4 million Floridians have cast ballots through early voting or with an absentee ballot.
· FLORIDA: In 2012, President Obama traveled to Florida 15 times (including this trip) for 27 political events (including this event) and seven official events.
· Democrats have a 105,000 lead over Republicans in early votes cast in Florida
· In the first 48 hours after in-person early voting began in Florida, Democrats took the lead in early voting. Back in 2008, it took almost a week of in-person early voting to take the lead
· In Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina and Nevada, 1.4 million non-midterm Democrats have voted already, compared with just 840,000 non-midterm Republicans.
This Monday, in the final sprint before Election Day, Vice President Biden will continue to fight for an economy built to last with three campaign events in Virginia while President Clinton makes four stops throughout Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Blue Bell and Scranton. Michelle Obama will fly down the East Coast, sealing the deal for President Obama in Charlotte, North Carolina and Orlando, Florida. President Obama, joined at all three stops on the final day by Bruce Springsteen, will make his closing argument in Madison, Wisconsin; Columbus, Ohio, and Des Moines, Iowa. JAY Z will join the President and Springsteen in Columbus where he will introduce the President. Finally, the President and the First Lady will return to Iowa, where it all begin in the winter of 2007, for one final grassroots rally in Des Moines.
