E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSPresident Obama speaks to supporters in Des Moines, Iowa at his final campaign event before election day.
Des Moines, Iowa — For the final campaign event of the 2012 cycle, President Barack Obama returned to where his bid for presidency began.
At a rally downtown here, against the backdrop of the capital, the president and first lady Michelle Obama took the crowd back four years ago, when they were campaigning at the state fair and celebrating the birthday of one of their daughters.
“Tomorrow we get the chance to finish what we started in Iowa,” the first lady said before introducing her husband.
Talking about those early days in Iowa, the president appeared emotional as he started by thanking the volunteers gathered.
"All of you who have lived and breathed the hard work of change, I want to thank you," Obama said.
To the others, he evoked popular lines from his 2008 stump speech.
"When the cynics said we couldn't, you said yes we can – you said yes, we can, and we did. Against all odds and we did," he said. But, he added, “We're not done yet on this journey."
About 20,000 people filled the streets downtown with signs that read “Forward!” They cheered when the president challenged them to fight with him.
"I've got a lot more fight left in me,” he said. “But to wage that fight on behalf of American families, I need you to still have some fight in you too.”
Jason Reed / Reuters
Tears were visible on President Obama's cheek during his final presidential campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday.
His mentions of 2008 also served as a reminder that even at larger rallies, the president’s campaign does not have the same energy as his first. The president seemed to acknowledge that as well when he said, “We’ve come too far to let our hearts grow faint.”
He also told a story he recounted during the 2008 campaign, which on Monday night took on new meaning.
The story was about Edith Childs, the South Carolinian who brought the “Fired up, Ready to Go” chant to his campaign.
This time, the story had a new twist. The Obama campaign had offered to fly Childs to Des Moines for Obama’s last event of the 2012 campaign.
But she refused, the president said, because she didn’t have time. She was organizing people to knock on doors – she thought he still had a chance to win North Carolina.
Concluding the story – and his campaign – Obama said, “And that shows you what one voice can do.”
GOP candidate Mitt Romney has added last-minute events on Tuesday, Election Day, but for Obama, the election has wrapped up.
He flies to Chicago on Tuesday and will spend the day playing basketball – which tomorrow becomes an Election Day tradition – with staff and friends, including his former bodyman Reggie Love, who made an appearance on the trail Monday as well.
"It’s out of my hands now,” Obama said. “It’s in yours. All of it depends on what you do.”
Reuters, Getty Images
Campaigning with Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, voting and election results.
Leave a Comment:
As far as comprosmise you cannot compromise with evil. Liberals and Obummer want to turn this nation into a third world socialist dictatorship. They hate democracy, capitalism, and freedom. We will fight him and liberals at every turn and not give them an inch. This is a fight to the death.
Sounds like you are already conceding??? Nah!! Calm down lifer. Calm!
The Dems are the party of no morals or ethics. Check your prisons. Who Dem? All Dems?
It's scary when the Dem Party has to use Morally Tarnished Bill Clinton to try and convince me to vote for the Dem Party. Find a new spokeman for your party other than the cigar-wielding Ex Perv-In-Chief. Just sayin'
These are the final blogs of the Obama supporters and campaign workers in their attempt to sway the needed votes that Obama needs to win the WH for 4 more years.
IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.
Romney/Ryan.......one more time.
I will be soooo thankful when I no longer have to look at Obama's face or hear his whinny, blame someone else voice!!!
Amen to that! The Blamer-in-Chief. Oblamer. MR non-economic growth for four whole years. Yet he blames the Republicans, even though he had a Dem House and Senate his first two years. Point is, he didnt know what he was doing his first two years. He lost the opportunity to do anything good for most people. Of course, he has made some people happy, and those moochers will ALWAYS vote Dem because they have absolutely no pride, no sense of community, no sense of doing their fair share for the community. Just gimme, gimme, gimme, I'm a Dem and I like Oblamer. He done hook me up.
Those with aspirations, goals, hope for our kids are sick of hearing from the Gimmes.
Active...
It's comments like yours about Bill Clinton that make me wish HE was the candidate opposing Romnesia in today's election.
You would see the beatdown of ALL beatdowns. Not only is Clinton the smartest man on the planet, the color of his skin, sadly, would be the bigger reason for TROUNCING your flip-floppin idiot.
If that's the best you can do, Bill Clinton, you'll get what you deserve. I like your name too...the most confusing word on Father's Day for most Dems.
Romney isnt MY idiot, but he is certainly the better choice as far as I am concerned. Let's count how many times your idiot has flip-flopped. Or is it "lied"?
Or "evolved".
clinton is a convicted pervert and an accused rapist.........great symbol for the dems...
And for those who say that the republicans are having a "war on women". Clinton has no morals, just using those WOMEN, no regard for them.
Liberty and Freedom does not include voting for this man again. Your mistakes of 2008 can be righted today. Go out and vote and make the right choice this time around. Your future depends on it and so does mine.
Do we really want 4 more years of race warfare, class warfare and a do nothing government. Do we want 4 more years of high unemployment, do we want 4 more years of staggering debt. Do we want 4 more years of higher enrollment of food stamps, welfare and its my way or the highway attitudes?
If you said yes to any of the above, then obama is your man. His fathers dream is slipping away. Hopefully we will not see what he has in store for us.
Romney/Ryan Today for a Better Tomorrow.
Been a racist all your life???
Why is it always about race.
Some people just can't take the facts.
This nation has been divided and our current president hasn't helped.
The race card is ALWAYS the only answer when the truth is spoken and the Dems have no intelligenct reply. It happens quite often actually. Never mind the facts...they mean nothing to Dems.
Where is the president's playing basketball today.
The people from the east coast have nothing better to do and want to come watch.
Yes, I jest.
For shame on our president!
Sad truth is that he doesn't give a rat's azz about them!!! They are beneath him.
Obama was a community organizer. Who do you think he was organizing? Race and Class Warfare is his only hope. He has divided our country long enough. Time to right a wrong.
ROMNEY/RYAN = A BETTER FUTURE FOR US AND OUR CHILDREN.
"Dreams from my Father" A socialist the hated, absolutely hated capitalism.
GO OBAMA
I was a Democrat back in the 60's when it was the party of "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."
Today the Democratic party has become the party of government teat suckers. Their slogan is now "Ask not what I can do for my country. Ask what my country can do for me."
They are now the party of those that feed at the public trough and want more. They are the party of those unwilling to work and want to take from those who do work. The party of those who have never been proud of America and hate their country. The party of big government that has the right to intrude into our lives and dictate how we live and what we can do with our property. Until that changes I will never vote for another Democrat ever again.
Thank you for your love of country and not the other way around.
And they say the republicans changed.
Here's what the Rupubican party thinks of Romney.....
'heavyweight', Rick Santorum, says, "if romney is our nominee, you might as well vote for obama"
That was during a Primary...do we want to publish what Mrs Clinton and Mr Clinton said about Oblamer during the Dem primaries? Better to leave that stone unturned.
AC, tuning that stone might be to much of a heavy lift for Hoos.
"We've come too far down the toilet. Re-elect me so I can make sure we reach the cesspool."
No thanks.
This left wing news station will be a ghost town tomorrow. Chicago polititions are crooks and YOUR crook will be tossed out of office. BWWWWAAAAA. Can't waiting to hear the crickets in the morning......
Maybe Obama cried because he's realizing his opportunity to destroy America may be coming to an end.
I am proud to say that I voted for President Obama 4 years ago and I just voted for him again. Best of luck to you today Mr. President....hope to see you leading our nation for 4 more years!!!!
Tazmere; Please don't cry when Obama gets booted tomorrow morning.
You are one of the few to actually admit your mistake. Most Dems refuse to admit they made a mistake in 2008. A few are coming around though.
You just voted for a man who did not grow up with the American experience, and appears to love our conuntry only if he can weaken it and bring it down to an equal partner with all other countries. We dont need a "leader" like that to ruin this country.
To this day, I havent foudn one Dem that can explain the huge deficit. They always change the subject. He was wrong? He lied? He was in over his head? He had no idea? He didnt cut it in half, but actually grew it, which is exponentially worse.
For all you GM lovers who think Oblamer saved your auto job - he didnt do anything but give you my tax money. He didnt use his own money...he used our own (borrowed) money to bail ourselves out and we have to now pay it back with interest. Where is the good in that????? Why are there still so many empty lots where auto-related factories used to stand in Ohio? He didnt "save" much. And again, he used your money and my money, not his own, and our kids will be paying back that wonderful thing you call a bailout of the auto industry.
Lastly, Oblamer claims that he is ending two wars....we have been "out of Iraq" since 2010, yet he still spends the same. No mney saved there. Just more borrowing from China and others. Now he brags of pulling out of Afghanistan (premature I believe) and will use that saved money to help people in the US. Only a Dumb Dem would fall for this. The Afghan money is already borrowed. So how is he going to "save" money???? He will just possibly borrow less, but he wont reduce the deficit at all.
Wake up Sheeple!
@tazmere.........if Obama does win, I hope you are prepared for what he does to this country. I hope you have seriously thought about what he has already said that he would do. I hope you have saved money to pay your power bills, for he said they would skyrocket. I hope you have a storm shelter to hunker down in when this country is attacked. He is telling our enemies that we are weak. Remember Benghazi. Remember regulations, remember the one trillion dollar debt he ran up EACH year he was prez for a total of FOUR TRILLION DOLLARS, and unless you are one of the too damned lazy to work people, you too will have your taxes raised. Trust me on this.
Boelifer - you hit the nail on the head. Can anyone dispute what he said? IT's all about me, me, me and the Dem politicians entice the weak-minded to vote for them with false promises and then forget about them for 4 years. Are poor Dems really better off since 2008? Are blacks and whites working together better since 2008? Is our country richer since 2008? Did our Executive "leader" work across the aisles since 2008? Has anything come true that the Dem Blamer promised to the Dem sheep? No. It's so obvious. Not sure why they continue to love the guy blindly. I think some would vote for Oblamer even if he was Hitler, as long as he was black and they were racist like they are. Dems seem to be blind racists or anti-white at least, or they seem to be bleeding hearts who somehow feel remorse for what their ancestors did, or they are such bleeding hearts that they want to help everyone by giving hand-outs, which just ENABLES slackers, instead of giving them a swift kick off the couch and making them earn what they get. (I do not include handicapped and crippled in this category, btw).
Well said Active Chief
LOL!!!!
And with a statement like that, I'd bet you'd bet your Moms life, you aren't racist!!!
LOL!!!
OBAMA/BIDEN....2012!!!
I'm voting for President Obama, but, you do understand if Congress continues on their pathetic path with Boehner at the top of what he calls "his house," the same pathetic congressional games, with him in charge will continue, nothing will change. The obstructionist republicans who are in Boehners pocket will continue to defy every, and anything President Obama does.
John Boehner and the Republican House cost many American Police, Fireman, and Teachers their jobs in 2011-2012. He was correct on his 2010 assertion that election was all about jobs, Americans losing theirs… He's costing returning American Servicemen jobs by not signing the Jobs Act for returing Veterans...
OBAMA/BIDEN....2012!!!!...
flip flopper romney
Goopers whining and moaning, seems like all they can do these days.
I went and voted yesterday, +5 more votes in the mid-west to President Obama for re-election - yes our family is united.
I'm one of the hard working 53% voting for Obama
Come on people, no time to talk, today is the day to VOTE.
Now, get on out there ad DO IT.
Obama 2012 - for the 100%
Marginally Intelligent: Are you on food stamps? Why don't you and your familiy go get a job instead of draining our economy?
If you are one of the hard working 53%, why are you on the computer. Why aren't you working? My job never allowed me to be on the computer conducting this business.
poor goopers, still trying to cause unrest, right until the bitter end.
Sorry, no foodstamps. I have a great job, I get to choose my hours. I work for a great company - we employ thousands of Americans.
take your hatred elsewhere.
as to the rest of the Obamabots, libturds and lovers of democracy.
How about we get out there and VOTE.
send old Romney into retirement.
I voted ..... and it felt great!
liar loser romney
Obama thousand times better than Bush Reborn.
In real estate not DISCLOSING can cost agents their license. Buyers/sellers who don’t DISCLOSE end up in court or lose the deal. Romney’s 2009 tax report shows how much he profited ($15-Mill or $115-Mill?) through wife Ann’s investment in the Singer syndicate, once in control of Delphi, which eliminated every single UAW job, 25,000, and moved auto-parts production to Mexico and China. Mr Governor, DISCLOSE, DISCLOSE, DISCLOSE your zealously guarded 2009 report and let us citizens judge you on the merits.
If he's 1000 times better, why are we 4 trillion dollars more in debt? I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder, O is 1000 times better than Bush at running up our debt. I guess I could agree with you on that.
Actually, since Obama became president, the debt went up $6 trillion, not $4 trillion.
Voting for Obama with his record is a fool's errand.
Too bad our "Commander-in-Chief" didn't drop a tear or two for the four brave guys he abandoned in Benghazi,
AMEN!!!
Well, it's clear from the postings here... Obamabots' heads are full of the same BS as Obama himself... a failed record... no substance... just rhetoric and name calling... be good to have a President with an actual resume of accomplishment again instead of George Soros handpicked stooge...
hey obama!!..we have not come too far....we have suffered enough damage under your inept leadership or wahtever you think passes as leadership....start packing barry.....your new $25 million beach house on oahu is waiting for you..