Commanding Attention

Clinton takes the stage today in Columbia

Obama, Edwards, and Clinton all spoke at the rally today, but Clinton and Obama commanded the crowd. The speeches were all relatively short (10-15 mins), but the crowd was simply more electric for Obama and Clinton, and maybe appropriately so for an MLK day rally. As Hillary put it: "That we stand here is a measure of Dr. King's life work and his legacy..."

Obama spoke about a "deficit" -- not in terms of budget or trade. "I'm talking about a moral deficit in America, I'm talking about the empathy deficit, I'm talking about the inability to recognize ourselves in each other." That's just a little taste, he was quite brief to be honest, but well received.

One other thing I noticed about Clinton's speech, she repeated the exact phrase, "Stand up, speak out, act and vote" at least 3 times. And while I think all the Democratic candidates want people motivated, this seemed like more than just a selfless public service announcement on Clinton's part. It made me wonder if high turn out might favor her slightly in some way -- is she urging blue collar voters to get to the polls? I honestly don't know, but it struck me.