BLOG: Joe Biden’s Southside rallies with Register & Bee staff writer Sarah Arkin

By Sarah Arkin

Published: October 24, 2008

Register & Bee staff writer Sarah Arkin sends her perceptions on the rally and photos from the Community Market.

“It’s America’s time, let’s get up together,“ he said.

“We are one nation. Under God. Indivisible. We are all Americans. We all love our country.“ Biden said great leaders turn dire circumstances into times of prosperity.

Obama, Biden said, “has a backbone like a ramrod” and he can take 11 more days of these attacks, “but the country can’t take 4 more years.“

Most importantly, he said, “we have to unite this country.“ He said we have to stop being red and blue “we have purple hearts in this country.“ Recently, he said governor Sarah Palin told a crowd in North Carolina she was happy to be in the “real America.“

Ladies and gentleman, he said “We’re all Americans. We’re all patriots.“ He called on the McCain campaign to stop “scurrilous” robo-calls attacking Obama’s character. “They’re meant to distract you,“ he said. “And I’ve had enough.“

People are on their feet cheering. People outside are cheering, too.

If you give me and Barack Obama the chance, Biden said we’ll:

Restore the middle class and—“important for my grandchildren” reclaim America’s status in the world. He said a key component of that second part is getting out of Iraq. Even George Bush is catching onto Obama’s plan of a time-table withdrawl. “Only John McCain and Sarah Palin are the odd people out.“

He’s laying out his plan for restoring America:

1) Give tax cuts to the middle class

2)“An energy plan that frees us from the iron grips of the oligarchs with oil”

3)Affordable healthcare available to every American.

4) If you serve our country overseas, or in your community, in schools and hospitals, the government will help you pay for college.

“Ultimately,“ he said “It’s all about jobs. It’s about dignity and respect. It’s about what our fellow Americans are going through now…when you lose a job, or when your house in foreclosed on, it’s not just an economic loss. It’s emotionally devastating, it rips families apart. It’s a walk up to your daughter’s bedroom, or your son’s bedroom saying ‘I’m sorry honey, we’re losing the house, I lost my job.“

He and Obama are proposing a three month moratorium on home foreclosures.

Senator Joe Biden started out by giving a shoutout to Mayor Sherman Saunders and Democratic committee chairwoman Sheila Baynes.

He’s now touting Tom Perriello.

I know a lot of Congressman don’t return vice-president’s calls. “So here’s the deal Tom,“ he said, “I’m here for you if you return my calls.“

“If nine visits doesn’t demonstrate how clearly BO and I plan on competing for every vote here in Central, Southwest and South Virginia,“ he said, “I don’t know what will”

Biden is chiding John McCain for comparing Barack Obama to George Bush. And pointed out that now McCain’s attacking Bush’s fiscal policies.

“Where were you for the past eight years John? I’ll tell you where,“ said Biden. “Voting with George Bush.“ He also said McCain only started distancing himself from Bush recently, and before had been happy with how close they were.

He’s making fun of McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin congratulating themselves on being Mavericks.

“We’re not runnign agianst George Bush but we are running against the same policies of the past eight years.“

At last!  He’s here. People are on their feet, there’s a lot of yelling.

The crowd has started cheering “yes we can” and all the people trying to do a sound check are getting a little peeved. I think they wanted to hear what the crowd sounded like at full volume, and now they’re regretting that request.

Now people are yelling “fired up, ready to go.“ When Obama was in Martinsville he told the story (and one of his campaign staffers repeated it today) of a little old council-woman in really rural South Carolina who he met on the campaign trail. Obama wasn’t having the greatest of days, and was less than thrilled when he showed up to an event where there were about a dozen people. Then this woman came in, and more than he had been able to got people really riled by chanting “fired up, ready to go”.

The playlist seems to be on repeat, as we’ve got U2’s Beautiful Day for at least the second time.

Bernard insists I post that Cecil Murray just got up on the risers. He replaced someone who we agreed didn’t really look all that happy to be there.

Danville police Lt. Scott Eanes said “we’re hear to assist the Secret Service…and they’re very particular.“ He said they got word at about 10 o’clock.

Sheila Baynes, Shirley Coles and Carrie Ash are grooving to Aretha Franklin. Bernard sees his neighbor up on the risers behind the speaking podium.

Naturally, as soon as we point out that they’re running late, the Biden press-corps shows up. Hopefully he’s not too far behind.

Unfortunately, it seems that the national press corps doesn’t really have a sense of humor about Biden’s loquacious tendencies. I asked one if he know how long Biden was supposed to be talking for, to which he replied he didn’t know, that Biden sets his own time, to which I responded “oh, we could be here for hours then,“ to which he dead-panned back: “No he has to be in Martinsville at 6:45” and then abruptly turned away. (Or maybe I just missed the boat on Biden jokes…)

Dennis Forsland, director of the Community Market told Bernard that the Biden organizers went to his house at 9 p.m. last night and told him they needed to check out the building. He had a shot-gun background check to make sure he could show them around, and that they could hold the rally here. (You’d think they would do that before they pick a location…)

Danville Democratic Chair Sheila Baynes suggested the site.

Not surprisingly, Biden and crew aren’t exactly running on time…but in the meantime, the campaign is blasting Stevie Wonder, U2, and some other music to keep people pumped up.

There’s a lot of “yes-we-can” ing going on as people wait for Biden. Bernard says about 50-100 people are outside, peeking through the fenced window.

And Bernard has been working the room finding people to talk to. Here’s what he’s come up with:

Joyce Glaise, former city council woman says “we’re making history.“

Reverends James Stewart, Booker George and Bishop Arthur Linder came in together, and Linder says he hopes Biden “will give people a message of hope,“ and even though we’re having tough times, “America is still the greatest nation in the world.“

Revered Larry and Elaine Campbell are here as well.

Also attending School Board members Geoge Wilson, Becky Bolton, Pittsylvania County Supervisor Hank Davis, former city Parks and Recreation head John Gilstrap, and North Theater Artistic Director Jerry Meadors.

People are crowding around the windows of the Community Market, trying to get a peek inside. About one third of the 300 or so person audience just stood up when an Obama coordinator asked how many people had volunteered with the campaign.

David Wilson just filled the Community Market with his rendition of the National Anthem.

Tom Perriello entered to a standing ovation and is speaking now:

“Rarely,“ he said,  “has been the choice been more clear: From one side we have a politics of fear…convinging people just how scary the alternative is instead of offering a plan for change…
We’ve seen it from my opponent Congressman Goode”—the crowd is heartily chuckling at this—“in the pictures he’s sending out” (of a doctored photo of Perriello.):
“The 10,000 jobs we’ve lost under Congressman Goode is a lot scarier than that picture,“ said Perriello.

He’s switching gears to talk about Joe Biden:

“He and I share a faith tradition that puts an emphasis on faith rather than words….I think it’s time those kind of values are respected in the White House a little bit more.“

Perriello says we’re facing a grave reality, but that this is “also a moment of unbelievable optimism and opportunity… leaders who can match the seriousness of our challenges.“

People are cheering and some are on their feet after Perriello said: we have a chance to turn Virginia blue for the first time since the civil rights act.“

Biden has brought out quite a mix of people.

5th district Congressional Candidate Tom Perriello is here, and he’s scheduled to be speaking shortly. He took a few minutes and fielded some questions about his race with incumben Congressman Virgil Goode.

A Star News reporter asked him how he felt about Goode distributing material with a darkened picture of him, ostensibley trying to make him look like a terrorist.

Perriello said it reminded him of what a sixth-grader would do after his girlfriend breaks up with him. He said he’s finding that people “are hungry for solutions, not excuses.“

OK, it’s 3:24 and the program has started. Pastor Wright offers these thoughts:

He started by quoting a speech given by Abraham Lincoln in 1963:

We as a nation have been the recipients of the choicest bounty of heaven…we have grown in number wealth and power…but we have forgotton God. We have become…intoxicated with our unbroken success we have become too self sufficient.“

He concluded by saying:

“May we vote confidently putting country above self.“

Our photographer Traci White went hunting for protestors and found a moose. I’ll try to have the picture up in a second. A man in a moose costume is outside the Community Market wearing a “Moose for Biden” t-shirt handing out “Flush Obama” bumper stickers.

We’re finally in. It took a while to convince the secret service that yes, really, we’re with the media. Really. Finally the media coordinator for the Obama-Virginia campaign came out to verify us. We’ve been in contact with them quite a bit over the past few months with all the Virginia and Southside activity from the campaign.
In comparison to the Obama rally we covered in Martinsville in August, security was actually less tight. Instead of a metal detector and a team of sniff-dogs, there was just one friendly boxer and a stoic service agent with a wand. (And Bernard only had to get wanded down once, rather than the three times it took to get him through the detector in Martinsville.)

The metal barricades, secret service and fancy lighting look a little out of place, but everybody here seems pretty relexed, just waiting for the program to start.

We’re trying to spot people we recognize. Bernard ran into Danville Public Library Director Otis Alexander who said he’s here to hear what Biden as to say because “afterall, this is the last lap.“

Pastor Jeff Wright of Moffett Memorial Baptist Church is here to give the invocation.

Mary Eva Cassida, former Register & Bee copy editor

Averett University senior Russell Martin “because he believes Obama and Biden have a better idea of how to solve the nations problems, especially jobs and healthcare.“

After nearly getting lost in a sea of blue bunting at the Community Market I ran into members of the Danville and Pittyslvania County Democratic committees. Pittsylvania County member Hope Davis said the local representative from the Obama-Biden campaign called her last night and asked if she wanted to help out with the event. Happily, she arrived ready to help set up chairs, hang up signs, etc. When she and other members arrived they found chairs already had been set up, and the approximately 8 x 4 light blue Obama-Biden sign had been hung. Instead the women there decided to serve as the official Welcome Wagon. As I was chatting with them, the Secret Service was holding a not-so-surreptitious meeting. (I think it was the ear-pieces that really gave it away.)

Our partner station WSLS Channel 10 was setting up, as were stations WSET and WDBJ.

The Obama-Biden media coordinator said we were all being kicked out and told me to come back later. So I will. Check back around 1:30 or 2 p.m. for to-the-minute coverage.

We’ll be bringing up to date coverage of Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden’s historic visit to Danville.I (Sarah) will start the live blog from the Community Market around 1 o’clock or so. Vice presidential candidates don’t often come to Danville, in fact, an unscientific newsroom poll shows that the last Vice-Presidential candidate to come stumping in Danville was probably George Wallace in the 1960s. Former Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Bob Dole travelled through Martinsville in 1996, but other than that, we can’t think of any top commander-want-to-bes coming through. (Except of course that time when Obama stopped for ribs at short sugars.)