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Akron home prices rank best in college-town poll
Retired Green officer finally gets Bronze Star
Indians and Reds to share ballpark
Lawyer asks investigators not to question Hasan
Stocks jump after G-20 pledge to aid economies
Murder suspect Sowell indicted on further charges
Most Read Stories
Unusual sports bar to be sold at auction
Motorcyclist killed, wife injured in Stark County crash
Family found dead in Ohio home
Man says he was punched, robbed by 3 people in parking lot
Man gets 3 years in prison for having sex with horse
Bank helps more save their homes
Circle K on Brown Street robbed
Woman says clinic refused to help her get pregnant because she's not married
Brown still testing Cavs' lineup
Humane Society telethon short of goal
'Docs Who Rock' delivers excitement
Letters to the editor - Nov. 9
Blogs:
Pets:
Cats are trainable — and that's not a punchline
The Heldenfiles:
Monday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
Time for Kokinis, Browns to agree and part ways
Akron Zips:
Zips tip off tomorrow
Tribe Matters:
Indians announce spring dates
Cleveland Browns:
Mangini doesn't name a quarterback
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – November 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Shaq: It’s All About Winning Championships
Buckeye Blogging:
Weekly ‘B’ Deck Report – New Mexico St.
Varsity Letters:
Walsh Jesuit’s Caponi commits to Duquesne
All Da King's Men:
If It Looks Like Islamic Terrorism…
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Dems Message To Women: Don't Enjoy The Sex
Akron Law Café:
Abortion Analogies
See Jane Style:
Muffle Your Muffler
Car Chase:
Clock Tender- Extending the Life of Collector Car Clocks
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Rumors: Akron Starbucks Closing
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jack is looking for a trip to Southern Ohio the week of November 16.
Sound Check:
The Black Keys to perform benefit concert at Musica on November 27
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why People Do Not Live in Northeast Ohio
Akron Gamer:
New 'Call of Duty' could set entertainment record
By Carl Chancellor
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 04:19 p.m. EST, Feb 28, 2008
Michelle Obama had one key question for the crowd of 300 in Canton's Palace Theatre this morning -- ''Are you ready for change?''
The collective reply was a boisterous ''Yes,'' which segued into the campaign chant of ''Yes we can.''
However, Obama was quick to note that change ''isn't a slogan'' but ''requires active engagement,'' taking a jab at critics, who have derided her husband's message of hope as style over substance.
Obama, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, spoke for just over an hour in Canton before continuing her day-long campaign trek across Ohio, which was to take her on to Zanesville, Athens and Chillicothe.
To accomplish the change promised by her husband's campaign, Obama said Americans must ''be ready to shed our cynicism'' and just as importantly ''roll up our sleeves'' and work for the common good.
''Our greatest challenge is that we have a mutual obligation to one another...We have lost sight of that because we haven't had leadership that has asked us to sacrifice and compromise for one another,'' she said.
Obama clearly connected with the overwhelmingly partisan crowd, who interrupted her stump speech a dozen times with rousing applause.
She shared a little personal history with the audience talking about her modest upbringing in Chicago, the daughter of a blue collar city worker and a stay-at-home mother.
''I'm regular folk...When you look at me you see what an investment in a public education looks like,'' said Obama, 44, who has an undergraduate degree from Princeton University and a Harvard law degree.
But Obama said her story is much harder, if not impossible to achieve today.
''You could do that back then. You could send kids to college on a single city worker's salary,'' said Obama, who lamented that the bar to achieve stability and security for American families, for college-bound students, for seniors keeps shifting.
Obama said the average American -- ''regular folks just like my parents -- aren't asking for much. They're just asking for the that bar to stop moving and be still.''
She riffed on the ''moving bar'' theme when talking about her husband's presidential aspirations.
Obama said that the pundits scoffed at his chances when he announced his candidacy a year ago.
''They said there was no way he could raise the money to compete against a political dynasty,'' she said, never mentioning the name of his opponent Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
But she said when her husband out raised the others, she blamed pundits for saying: ''Money isn't important. The true test is building a political organization.''
She told the crowd when ''Barack started working the ground in Iowa'' and eventually won the caucus in that state, all of a sudden Iowa wasn't important because it was ''only a caucus'' and not a primary.
Likewise, she said his victory in the South Carolina primary was downplayed because ''he was supposed to win.''
At present her husband has racked up wins in 11 contests.
''The bar gets set and then we find out that they moved it...That's the way it is for regular folk, working harder and longer to reach a bar and it keeps moving and they can't get ahead no matter how hard you work,'' Obama said.
''But folks,'' she said, ''are feeling a sense of possibility.''
Brandon Hollis, 19, was one.
''Oh, my God, her message is right on time,'' said Hollis, as he rose for a standing ovation.
Hollis, who attends Canton's Care Christian Academy, said that Barack Obama is the only candidate up to the task of improving the economy, delivering universal health care, and helping young people like himself with the cost of higher education.
Kate Hoffman, 77, of Canton -- who is still undecided who she will vote for next Tuesday -- said today's speech has her leaning in Obama's direction.
''I really like Obama, but I like his wife better,'' Hoffman said. Yet she said she remains torn between Sen. Obama and Sen. John McCain.
Hoffman, who came to the rally with her daughter, said jobs, education and health care are her areas of concern.
''The cost of health care is outrageous for senior citizens even with Medicare...One little pill costs $4. When my husband dropped one I picked it up, blew it off and gave it back to him,'' Hoffman said.
''I just want someone who has integrity, who is honest and trustworthy. I want somebody who looks to help other people,'' she said.
Carl Chancellor can be reached at 330-996-3725 or cchancellor@thebeaconjournal.com.
Michelle Obama had one key question for the crowd of 300 in Canton's Palace Theatre this morning -- ''Are you ready for change?''
The collective reply was a boisterous ''Yes,'' which segued into the campaign chant of ''Yes we can.''
However, Obama was quick to note that change ''isn't a slogan'' but ''requires active engagement,'' taking a jab at critics, who have derided her husband's message of hope as style over substance.
Obama, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, spoke for just over an hour in Canton before continuing her day-long campaign trek across Ohio, which was to take her on to Zanesville, Athens and Chillicothe.
To accomplish the change promised by her husband's campaign, Obama said Americans must ''be ready to shed our cynicism'' and just as importantly ''roll up our sleeves'' and work for the common good.
''Our greatest challenge is that we have a mutual obligation to one another...We have lost sight of that because we haven't had leadership that has asked us to sacrifice and compromise for one another,'' she said.
Obama clearly connected with the overwhelmingly partisan crowd, who interrupted her stump speech a dozen times with rousing applause.
She shared a little personal history with the audience talking about her modest upbringing in Chicago, the daughter of a blue collar city worker and a stay-at-home mother.
''I'm regular folk...When you look at me you see what an investment in a public education looks like,'' said Obama, 44, who has an undergraduate degree from Princeton University and a Harvard law degree.
But Obama said her story is much harder, if not impossible to achieve today.
''You could do that back then. You could send kids to college on a single city worker's salary,'' said Obama, who lamented that the bar to achieve stability and security for American families, for college-bound students, for seniors keeps shifting.
Obama said the average American -- ''regular folks just like my parents -- aren't asking for much. They're just asking for the that bar to stop moving and be still.''
She riffed on the ''moving bar'' theme when talking about her husband's presidential aspirations.
Obama said that the pundits scoffed at his chances when he announced his candidacy a year ago.
''They said there was no way he could raise the money to compete against a political dynasty,'' she said, never mentioning the name of his opponent Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
But she said when her husband out raised the others, she blamed pundits for saying: ''Money isn't important. The true test is building a political organization.''
She told the crowd when ''Barack started working the ground in Iowa'' and eventually won the caucus in that state, all of a sudden Iowa wasn't important because it was ''only a caucus'' and not a primary.
Likewise, she said his victory in the South Carolina primary was downplayed because ''he was supposed to win.''
At present her husband has racked up wins in 11 contests.
''The bar gets set and then we find out that they moved it...That's the way it is for regular folk, working harder and longer to reach a bar and it keeps moving and they can't get ahead no matter how hard you work,'' Obama said.
''But folks,'' she said, ''are feeling a sense of possibility.''
Brandon Hollis, 19, was one.
''Oh, my God, her message is right on time,'' said Hollis, as he rose for a standing ovation.
Hollis, who attends Canton's Care Christian Academy, said that Barack Obama is the only candidate up to the task of improving the economy, delivering universal health care, and helping young people like himself with the cost of higher education.
Kate Hoffman, 77, of Canton -- who is still undecided who she will vote for next Tuesday -- said today's speech has her leaning in Obama's direction.
''I really like Obama, but I like his wife better,'' Hoffman said. Yet she said she remains torn between Sen. Obama and Sen. John McCain.
Hoffman, who came to the rally with her daughter, said jobs, education and health care are her areas of concern.
''The cost of health care is outrageous for senior citizens even with Medicare...One little pill costs $4. When my husband dropped one I picked it up, blew it off and gave it back to him,'' Hoffman said.
''I just want someone who has integrity, who is honest and trustworthy. I want somebody who looks to help other people,'' she said.
Carl Chancellor can be reached at 330-996-3725 or cchancellor@thebeaconjournal.com.
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