I have to start with cookies. They were everywhere. The classic Star Trek episode: The Trouble with Tribbles came to mind. Everytime I turned around somone was offering me a cookie or passing a container of cookies around and there were mountains off cookies on nearly every table. According to the UCC’s press kit cookies are a tradition of the General Synod. So far local churches have baked over 14,000 dozens of cookies for the attendees to enjoy.
Downtown Hartford was buzzing when I arrived. Over 9,000 people had registered for the convention and many more were expected to show. The most repeated fact of the day was the this was the largest convention Hartford had ever hosted. I haven’t spent much time in Hartford on weekends, but the locals kept telling me that they’d never seen so many people downtown on a Saturday afternoon.
Of course I came to Hartford to hear Barack Obama speak. Senator Obama is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, and the attendees were all very excited to have him there. Sadly the speech wasn’t open to the public. Even Obama’s volunteers couldn’t get into the Civic Center to hear him. Connecticut doesn’t get much in the way of Presidential action so I was sad that he didn’t also have a public event while in town. Obama’s only other CT appearance for today was a fundraiser.
For about 45 minutes Obama spoke about his personal faith and the importance faith in public life. Obama began with his own life story and how he had come to the UCC as a young community organizer. While pointing out the the Christian right doesn’t have the monopoly on faith Obama also emphasized the importance of inclusion and building coalitions that bring together people from all faiths and nonbelievers to work together for the common good.
The Senator spoke broadly about the issues of poverty, health care, Iraq, and immigration framing them as moral issues. Obama is a wonderful orator and for most of the speech he was receiving multiple ovations from the packed crowd. The most enthusiastic ovation coming right after he called on them to continue the fight to end the war.
Then Obama started talking about immigration. The crowd was with him in the begining. Obama began speaking about immigration in very human terms. He pointed out that the undocumented workers were here, contributing to communities across the US.
Then the rhetoric took a sharp turn. Obama went on to say that the 12 million undocumented aliens living in the US should have a chance at citizenship by paying a fine and standing behind those who have taken the legal path to immigrate. He admitted that the upcoming debate in the Senate would be a difficult one and that compromise would be necessary to get anything done at all.
At that point Obama lost the crowd. The fevered ovations turned into muted polite applause. While he did get back some of the enthusiasm towards the end of his speech the Senator never managed to regain the fevered excitement and momentum he had built with the attendees.
But my overall impression was favorable. Senator Obama is a wonderful orator who speaks with conviction. He comes off as Presidential without being to detached. I’m glad that I was able to see him in person.
For more on the speech:
CT News Junkie’s Report
Colin’s Take
My post at MyDD
13 responses so far ↓
1 lamontcranston // Jun 23, 2007 at 11:19 pm ·
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but how were the cookies?
2 CGG // Jun 24, 2007 at 12:00 am ·
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The two I had were quite good.
3 way2moderate // Jun 24, 2007 at 9:33 am ·
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CGG:
I don’t really have any direct remarks to make relative to this posting about Obama’s speech in Hartford yesterday. I just wanted to offer a few remarks about your work, in general, on this site and through the blogs that appear here.
It’s all very impressive. Very, very impressive.
I’ve never met you, but I hope to some day. I admire your work. You write very well, and your thoughts are always organized and well-articulated.
It’s clear that you aim to deliver your thoughts and manage this site without undue bias or prejudice. As such, CTLP possesses a wonderful air of professionalism and legitimacy that I think your readers respect.
The end result is that CTLP is a wonderful forum for balance that I visit several times each week. Whether you mean to or not, I think CTLP povides a substantial public service.
Well done!
4 CGG // Jun 24, 2007 at 10:11 am ·
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way2moderate said:
Wow. Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it and will do my best to actually live up to them.
5 Genghis Conn // Jun 24, 2007 at 10:13 am ·
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What was it specifically about immigration that quieted the crowd? Where do you think they stood on immigration? I’m not sure I understand the reaction.
6 CGG // Jun 24, 2007 at 10:16 am ·
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I think because he started using the border security frame when talking about immigration. The UCC is big on social justice issues, and immigration is one that they’re passionate about.
7 Gabe // Jun 24, 2007 at 10:37 am ·
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way2moderate said:
Seconded!
8 steadyjohn // Jun 24, 2007 at 10:44 am ·
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Well, I’m going to have to find his text because if he said, as you indicate, that those who are here illegally must get in line behind those who followed the rules, then we are making progress.
9 CGG // Jun 24, 2007 at 10:47 am ·
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The speech should be up on his website soon. I bet the UCC posts it too. I have a paper copy of his prepared remarks but he varied from them somewhat.
10 CTNewsjunkie // Jun 24, 2007 at 11:30 am ·
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For anyone interested I uploaded a copy of the speech in the second half of my story at http://ctnewsjunkie.com. Click here to read it.
11 CGG // Jun 24, 2007 at 11:37 am ·
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Thanks Christine!
12 steadyjohn // Jun 24, 2007 at 5:15 pm ·
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This is good stuff: (the heart of the speech for me)
As Americans….we know….we cannot have….more than 2000 people cross our borders illegally every day….we have a right and a duty to protect our borders
Our conscience cannot rest until we…. secure our borders (and) give the 12 million undocumented immigrants….a chance to earn their citizenship by paying a fine and waiting in line behind all those who came here legally.
So I am thinking, wow, isn’t this some sort of breakthrough in the logjam in congress? For me the main issue is border security FIRST and deal with the rest later. And I think the so called comprehensive plan put together by McCain-Kennedy and supported by “W” is total horseshit. Obama may be on to something. I hear these remarks didn’t go over too well with the ultra liberal UCC’ers
13 steadyjohn // Jun 24, 2007 at 5:43 pm ·
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I was just discussing the Obama-Immigration deal with my friend Verv in another forum. He said it still sounds like amnesty to him. I replied:
“Here’s what I hope he means (or the way I think it should be): “getting in line behind the others who entered legally” means, I hope, that an illegal goes home and starts the process there as did the legal immigrants. Ahh, that sounds too good to be true coming from a liberal. You are correct Verv, if they don’t have to go home and start the process there it’s amnesty, pure and simple.”
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