MANASASS, Va. – Twenty-one months and $600 million after he first announced his candidacy, Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama held the last rally of his presidential campaign here Monday night.
Before an enthusiastic crowd estimated at 90,000 at the Prince William County Fairgrounds, Obama told his supporters he had just one word for them: “Tomorrow.”
“We are less than one day away from bringing about change in America,” he said.
Obama took time to thank the crowd, which routinely broke out into cheers and chants of “Obama!” and “Yes, we can.”
“This is happening because of you,” Obama said. “The country is going to change because of you.”
A number of people in the audience waited as long as 11 hours to see Obama, who took the stage at 10:30 p.m., an hour and a half after he was scheduled.
“For all of you to be here on a school night … it’s just extraordinary,” Obama said.
Obama also told his supporters that their work would not end after the election.
“The change we seek will not come from you alone,” he said, citing the need for personal responsibility.
Touching on a number of the common themes of his campaign, Obama said that his election would be a move away from the divisive politics of the past.
“We can’t afford these tactics that pit us against each other,” he said. Referring to Republican vice-presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin’s quip about “pro-America” parts of the country, he added, “There are no pro-American and anti-America parts of the country. We are all one nation.”
Obama called for a new approach to governing, repeating his calls for a middle class tax cut, greater investment in education, and lower health care costs. He claimed that his Administration would move away from the dichotomies of the past.
“We don’t need a smaller government, or a bigger government, we need a smarter government,” he said to thunderous applause.
In foreign policy, Obama promised to end the war in Iraq and fight al-Qaeda. Mentioning John McCain, Obama brought up his opponent’s connections to President Bush.
“Senator McCain has stood with this president every step of the way,” he said.
Obama also briefly brought up his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who died that morning, thanking his supporters for their prayers.
He related the anecdote of the elderly woman in South Carolina, who helped invigorate a lackluster campaign rally with repeated cries of “Fired up!” and “Ready to go!” Obama said the chant, which has since become a mainstay of the campaign, was an example of how one person’s voice can make a difference.
Obama was introduced by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Democratic senate candidate Gov. Mark Warner, a GW alumnus, former member of the GW Board of Trustees, and former Virginia Governor. Obama praised Warner, saying that he was “soon to be one of the greatest U.S. senators.”
Also addressing the crowd prior to Obama’s appearance was GW freshman Nat Kaine, son of the governor.
“Wow,” said Kaine upon reaching the podium. “I don’t think there’s anything to say but ‘wow.'”