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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.
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Corporate profits have grown with Obama they are making lots of cash the DOW has gone from 7000 to 13000 vote for O!
Another batch of misinformation for the dimwits for Obama. And they suck it up like slop.
Profits grew not from top line growth courtesy of an expanding economy but because of cost-cutting in corp. America. We know what that means - layoffs. Which is why the 5M Jobs O has "created" have done zero to lower the unemployment rate 5.5M have been cut from the workforce.
More proof our economy is not expanding: the GDP numbers are contracting and piss poor.
Fools have rushed in hence the move up in the DOW and let me give you libs a tip - short the S&P if O gets reelected. We will go into recession.
Liberals aren't dumb they just say things they know are not so and pass it on to their "little people" for votes.
If we get more of the same from the Republican in Congress for the next 4 years I will again be hold my vote from them! If you can't find a way to work together you won't get my vote. It has been the Republican's that have been the obstructionist and we need to put an end to it if we are going to grow as a country. Balance the budget and reduce our debt! It is not the Presidents job to do Congresses job! Why was there no one running against Boehner in Ohio? He needs to go! He can't control his party or even get them to work together. If the Republicans want to remain a party they may want to rethink how they work with others. Even Kindergartners are taught to work together and share. Now that Romney is gone we need to stand up to Bain Capital and show them how tough the American People can be. Fine these companies that move jobs to china, and build factories in the United States to replace them! People in the next 4 years lets make the change we need, BUY AMERICAN!!
Confussed-1578043, Don't forget to cast your vote for Roseanne Barr.
The current President has already established his propensity to blame the other side instead of leading to compromise. President Obama's promise of bipartisanship leadership did not materialize. If re-elected, he will become a defacto lame-duck.
Of course, there is always executive privilege...
Good morning Americans, let us get out and vote.
Four more years for 44, President Obama.
FORWARD! Re-elect OBAMA/BIDEN 2012.
Billie-2352729, Don't forget to cast your vote for Roseanne Barr your idol.
I have a suspicion that the courts are going to be tied up on Wednesday morning, but not over challenges over the election.
The courts are going to be dealing with hundreds, maybe thousands of assault with battery arraignments of US Citizens who had one of these tea-party "citizen observers" get in their face and challenge their right to vote, and the voter responded as most of us would ... by punching their lights out!!!
We vote by mail in Oregon. If we still voted at our precinct polling places, and some "citizen observer" challenged MY right to vote, that person would greatly regret ever approaching me and speaking to me.
Of course that scenario would never happen to ME, ... because I'm not black or another ethnic minority (and therefore I would not look "suspicious" to these so-called "citizen observers).
Racism has many faces. And it appears that the racists will be manning the polling places in force on Tuesday. Persevere, America.
MY PERSONAL ELECTION DAY PREDICTIONS:
Expect a plethora of polling place horror stories from across the nation on Election Day including fistfights and resulting arrests involving Tea Party-backed poll watchers from TRUE THE VOTE et al in multiple urban precincts throughout many if not all of the eleven toss-up states.
Expect craziness in Republican Governor Rick Scott's Florida…sheer lunacy, in fact.
Expect unwillingness on the part of the Republican Secretary of State in Ohio, Jon Husted, to call the election in his state in a timely manner.
Expect a mandatory recount in Colorado if the margin of victory falls below 1.0%, bearing in mind that the Republican Secretary of State in Colorado, Scott Gessler, is a doppelganger for Ohio's Jon Husted.
Expect FOXNEWS to be clamoring for Darrell Issa-led congressional investigations into Democrat voter fraud, less real than imagined, even before the polls close.
Expect Right Wing talk radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Erick Erickson, and Glenn Beck to begin fomenting, if not actually inciting, "popular resistance" to the certification of the legitimate Electoral College outcome, and we all know what THAT might be code for, while condemning the continued use of the Electoral College itself.
In spite of these obstacles, Obama wins the White House with an electoral vote tally of 332 to Romney's 206, taking Colorado and Virginia while coming from behind in Florida in the process. All legal challenges to the certification of the election in federal courts are summarily dismissed with prejudice and Barack Hussein Obama is sworn in for his second term as President of the United States on January 20, 2013.
The very next day, and with no fanfare or publicity, the lights come on in Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign headquarters.
REVENGE on capitalism. REVENGE on the wealthy. REVENGE on honkies. REVENGE on America. Go vote.
Road Warrior-252445, Don't forget to cast your vote for Roseanne Barr your idol.
Regardless of the outcome of today's election, Mr President, as a former Iowan who has cheered you on since you began your fight for change and progress, I thank you for all you have done for this nation.
Here's to four more years!
OBAMA is really THE ONE with HEART & SOUL. He has CHARACTER and TRUSTWORTHINESS. There is NO DOUBT on this PRESIDENTS Intelligence and the REAL FEEL FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS NATION.
HARMONY and GOD are surely with this MAN. HE has my VOTE hands down.
I will never bend to DEVIL DOERS and PLASTIC MAN (FAKE). They are PURE GREED and are not to be TRUSTED in any WAY, THING, or LIVING MATTER. Let them be DEAD with the DEVIL and their HOARDINGS of GREED SELF LIVING. "PATHETIC" is the word.
Interesting that you left out the one most important trait of a president and that is leadership. Obama has proven you can be the smartest guy on earth, but that doesn't make you a leader. Blaming and excuses is not leading.
All I know is I am finally starting to feel a little better. I think it's because there have been more voices heard and not just Comrade Obama's constant brainwashing mantras. I have no issue with giving to to others and am actually very into my community and its sustainability. But not through laws and ideals meant to destroy the spirit of fellow residents. I believe in doing things for the greater good. I believe in helping people find the best in themselves and believing in their worth and purpose in life. Everything that people predicted about Obama has come true. Anarchy in the middle east; depression, anxiety, worry, doubt and fear in Americans, outrageous spending without discipline or self control, misplaced idealism, discirmination against the successful, retaliation taxes, contempt for private sector business growth, tax oppression, financial suppression, noise making angry liberals, slam through laws, radical fringe communist approaches, low standards on morals, negligence in the executive branches, disdain for state's rights, hardships on municipalities due to union collective bargaining, sky high prices, stagnant wages, higher medical premiums, city bankruptcies, and just a total all around destruction of our national pride and spirit due to the constant never ending pontificating of our President. I will admit I have no confidence in him, no admiration of his style or tactics and no desire to ever meet him or his flag hating wife.
If he is re-elected, I know it wil be a horrible 4 more years. Just like the overly cocky captain of the Titanic, obama will speed as fast as he can under the cover of darkness and then when we hit that iceburg, there will be a lot of despair and damage done. I just hope we elect a new national leader at the helm and we aren't too late to turn this Titanic around.
GO-GO-GO- OBAMA & BIDEN you guys have the MORALS & ETHICS.
The other SCUMS are PURE PERSONA'S OF GREED AND SELF. They do not even portray a REAL THEM !!!
The DEVILS of the nation they are. TWO BIT PHONIES!!!
Stop CRYING and WHINING RIGHT WING DINGS of DUMBED OUT.
Ask yourself
What has obama done for you for past 4 years?
Is mitt romney really big money considering the donations obama get from hollywood and foreigh donors and foreign countries like saudi arabia?
Who is lying here? obama was blabbering about hope 4 years ago and promising this and that. where is that hope? why did you cry when obama got elected 4 years ago? do you want to cry again and be lied to again after 4 more years of obama?
Mitt romney has given massachusetts everything he promised after he became the governor and has a track record of keeping promises.
Do you want a lame Vice President like Biden? Or a young and energetic Ryan who is a dreamer?
Black or white - we have to vote keeping our country first.
Give Mitt romney a chance, obama had his chance and he lost it.
I am a Democrat and I am voting for President Romney and Vice President Ryan this time.
Ask yourself
What has obama done for you for past 4 years?
Is mitt romney really big money considering the donations obama get from hollywood and foreigh donors and foreign countries like saudi arabia?
Who is lying here? obama was blabbering about hope 4 years ago and promising this and that. where is that hope? why did you cry when obama got elected 4 years ago? do you want to cry again and be lied to again after 4 more years of obama?
Mitt romney has given massachusetts everything he promised after he became the governor and has a track record of keeping promises.
Do you want a lame Vice President like Biden? Or a young and energetic Ryan who is a dreamer?
Black or white - we have to vote keeping our country first.
Give Mitt romney a chance, obama had his chance and he lost it.
I am a Democrat and I am voting for President Romney and Vice President Ryan this time.
Yeah...whatever!
Android, you and I may as well be trying to encourage the Branch Davidians to leave the compound. They will support their false messiah regardless of reality.
just a small notation here from one who has followed this debacle from China.
I deeply appreciate the POTUS for all of his efforts at fairness, his zeal for damn hard work and few if any rewards and, most of all, a health care program that reaches across the board and helps those who cannot afford the types of health insurance the likes of Bush, Cheney and Mitt happily pay for, which keeps them in front of the patient line. That singular action is a repeat of the grandeur of FDR's stewardship position - that a POTUS has the fate of all Americans in his hand and should and must and will act in accordance with the laws of humanity.h
I appreciate this POTUS for being human.
I reject the efforts of the few to govern the many due only because they have wealth and can label the rest of us a failures. I am not a failure. I am a human being who respects the universe and this POTUS has acted beyond the scope, the one dimensional world of the GOP.
Thank You for your supreme effort Mr. Obama.
Obama/Biden 2012 from a supported in China
Since China will completely own what's left of the US in 4 years(assuming Oblamer wins), you must stand to benefit in some way. Obama, the choice of the Chinese, Iranians, N. Koreans and terrorists around the globe.
We need energy independence and economic independence to stay a strong and viable force in this dog eat dog world. China has us exactly where it wants us and so does the middle east. Obama is giving billions of dollars to the Muslim Brotherhood and he wants you to give whatever you have to them too. Then our USA rulers can be the Muslim Brotherhood. Sweet.
of course you won't be changing your mind. For whatever reason our country is becoming less educated and less likely to make an intelligent choice in those who run our country. Thus -- we will be very very lucky if Romney Ryan are elected -. If you havent visited Detroit Michigan lately, I'd advise that be your next vacation spot. We can look forward to more cities to go the way of Detroit. How nice. Obama's relection will guarantee more Cities just like Detroit Michigan. Now that's real FORWARD motion for ya. lol.
Haven't heard a single cry or whine from the posters on here who oppose the Obama-led assault on our republic. Most have been very positive. I have been around conservatives and I have been around "progressives"--conservatives are much more pleasant, happy people. The left is a very bitter divisive group while conservatives want everyone to prosper. If you want to brand me as another hard-hearted right winger, you can ask the patients and families of all races and socioeconomic condition that I care for in thier last days.
The time to talk is over.
If you love your country, get out and vote!
Obama 2012
On Janruary 20. 2009 the GOP/TeaBeggers put their "Conspiracy" into action with a "Blood Oath" of 'revenge' on the US Constitution, the American People, and the Office Of The Presidency. Little "Richie RIch" Ryan lead the "Caucus Conspiracy" that included "Crazy Cantor as well. Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! The Party Of NO has got to go! The GOP/TeaBeggers in the US House Of Representative need to GO! The GOP/RNC "House Of Hoodlum's" for the last 4 Years have 'obstructed' in order to destroy the US Economy at all costs. Read all about it America!
You all get out of here and go VOTE!
Lot's of desperate republicans posting, Who's sorry now they ran Willard Milton Romney...
Ann Coulter " If we don't run someone like Chris Christy, and we run Romney we will LOSE" The only quote from Ann I agree with. LOL
Get out the tissue's Romney is going to lose, on the other hand with the re-election of President Obama the country wins!!!!
O&JOE Forward not back!
Obama for president! Roseanne Barr for Health and Human Services! Joe Biden for organ grinding with a monkey greeting visitors to the WH Tours! Bruce Springsteen (Tom Joad) for Dept. of Homeland Security ! Jay-Z for Treasury Secretary! P. Puffy Diddy Daddy et al. for Education Secretary! Anthony (Oscar Meyer) Weiner for Secretary of Commerce! Michael Bloomberg for HUD (he is doing such a great job with Sandy he should be in charge of federal urban development).
That is just the beginning. All the hope and change! Yipppppeeeee!
All above are better than mitt.
Talking about Benghazi! Benghazi! Benghazi! sounds like republicans don't anything on Obama but desperation and it shows.
President Obama is playing hoops today. Meanwhile, the tri-state area is still playing a different game of "pick up" today.
4 more years of Obama and there will be no vote in 2016. The Chinese don't value democracy.
I want to start a "Heal America" movement after the elections. No matter who becomes our President, it is incumbent upon us to wish America well and work for its betterment. The divisive politics must end tonight. We can pick up the pieces again around 2016. I am proud to have dragged an independent out of bed at 5AM to go out and vote with me. Get out there and vote EVERYONE - White Black Christian Muslim Hindu Latino Jew Mormon.
nice thoughs....ain't gonna happen if the fraud obama gets re-elected....
I'd get emotional too if I knew I screwed up the nation as badly as Obama has and knew I was going to be repudiated by the Amerian people. Hope that community organizer jobs is still available Obummer.
Too late in the game for name calling. We'd take you seriously if you can spell out a sentence without name calling. Did your mother not teach you that?
RKapoor, I don't know who is going to be elected after all the votes are counted, but I find your comment about name calling to be foolish and small. If you had bothered to read all the snide remarks from supporters of the President, you could not, in good faith, call out anyone for name calling.