On first day of early voting in Wisconsin, Obama and Walz campaign in Madison – Native News Online

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from Marlon White Eagle

October 23, 2024

Born vote 2024. On the first day of early voting in Wisconsin, former President Barack Obama and Minnesota governor and current Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz campaigned in Madison on the Harris Walz ticket.

Election Day is less than two weeks away, and according to polls, the race for the White House is deadlocked. Early voting, or in-person absentee voting, began Tuesday, Oct. 22, while absentee voting by mail began Sept. 19 in Wisconsin.

The campaign rally was held at the Alliant Energy Center, where supporters heard from Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wickler, first-time voter and Madison College student Nevaeh Jackson-Winters, Dane County Executive Jamie Kuhn, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Congressman Mark Pocan, Governor Tony Evers, Senator Tammy Baldwin and The West Wing actor Bradley Whitford before Waltz and Obama took the stage.

Each speaker shared messages to activate and mobilize the approximately 7,000 voters, specifically asking them to vote early or have a plan to vote.

When Governor Waltz took the stage, he talked about his experience as a football coach and how running for the White House requires that same level of energy and stamina.

“We play all the way to the final whistle. And that’s the exact energy that Kamala Harris and I are bringing to these last 14 days,” Waltz said.

Governor Waltz and Vice President Harris attended it; in an effort to attract these undecided voters, they have conducted numerous interviews over the past few weeks. He said they have done podcast, radio, TV interviews to reach voters about their policies.

Waltz quipped that he was one interview away from being a “regular” on Fox News.

The focus of Waltz’s speech was how Trump Vance’s ticket is all about tax cuts for “billionaires and corporations,” while he and Harris plan tax cuts and credits for 100 million Americans.

Walz highlighted plans to include home care through Medicare, small business tax cuts and down payment assistance to build middle class Americans.

On the economy, Walz said Trump’s plan is “positive taxation,” which equates to a $4,000 tax increase for working families while Trump’s “billionaire friends” get tax breaks.

Again, Waltz contrasts how he and Harris have middle-class roots and understand financial struggles, while Trump and Vance don’t have that perspective.

Walz also touched on sensible gun legislation, gun violence in schools and gun ownership.

“We can uphold the Second Amendment while being and adhering to our first responsibility, protecting our children. You can do both,” Waltz said. “Both of the Democratic nominees for president and vice president are gun owners. And the Republican nominee can’t pass a background check.

Waltz drew a further contrast between the two tickets regarding their stance on reproductive freedoms. He said 20 states already have abortion bans since Trump.

Waltz said Donald Trump’s definition of freedom means the government can “invade your bedroom, your exam room, your library.”

“There is one way to make sure we stop this guy. We have to get the job done, have the guts and beat him at the polls,” Waltz said. “This thing is close. We are still underdogs in this. And we know we’re going to leave it all on the field.”

When Barack Obama took the stage, he said it was good to be back in Madison. The former president was supposed to fly to Madison, but an oil leak on the plane caused him to take a “trip” from Chicago instead.

Obama said Tim Walz is the man to be in politics because he is a veteran, a teacher, a coach, a hunter and a great governor.

“Tim has the skills,” Obama said. “I found out the other day that he could take a vintage truck apart and put it back together. Do you think Donald Trump can do that?

“Tim will be an outstanding vice president, but he will only be an outstanding vice president if you vote,” Obama continued.

The former president urged his supporters to go vote, reminding them that “early voting starts today.” He said, “I won’t be offended,” if you get out right now, go vote.

Obama told supporters he voted early.

“I got my ballot, I filled it out, I sealed it, I signed it, and then I left, which I don’t always get a chance to do, and the Secret Service got nervous,” Obama said. “Now let’s go to a mailbox. And my younger staff was like, what’s that blue thing? And I said, “It’s a mailbox.”

Obama said that together, Americans have the chance to elect “a new generation of leadership” and “start building a better, stronger, fairer, more hopeful America” ​​by electing Kamala Harris.

Like Waltz, Obama also warned his supporters that the race would be close. He said it will be “tense here in Wisconsin” and “across the country.”

Obama talked about how the COVID-19 pandemic has caused “price hikes” on most household goods and that he understands why Americans might want to “shake things up.”

“What I can’t understand is why anyone would think that Donald Trump is going to shake things up in a way that’s good for you,” he said.

Obama said Trump is “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he walked down that golden escalator nine years ago.” He continued, “when he’s not complaining, he’s trying to sell you stuff.”

Former President Trump sells gold sneakers, Swiss watches and a Trump Bible. When Obama asked his supporters “guess where these bibles came from”, they replied “from China”.

Some supporters “booed” the statement, but Obama said, “Don’t boo, vote.”

“They can’t hear you. They can hear your voice. This is the way to send a message,” Obama said. “America is ready to turn the page. We are ready for a better story. Wisconsin. We are ready for President Kamala Harris.

Former President Obama defended his presidency, saying he spent 8 years cleaning up “the mess the Republicans left” and that the economy was “pretty good when Trump first came into office.”

“Because that was my economy,” he said.

“I spent eight years getting the auto industry back on track, reopening factories. So when I gave Donald Trump 75 straight months of job growth, all he did was cut taxes for people who didn’t need it,” Obama said. “I ran up deficits in the process, so don’t be nostalgic for what his economy was, because it was mine, and now he wants to do it again.”

On Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act, Obama pointed out that 50 million Americans use it. In 2016, Trump campaigned to “end Obamacare.”

“When his deputy prime minister was asked about it during their debate, the man had the nerve to say that Donald Trump saved the Affordable Care Act,” Obama said. “Now come on man, Donald Trump spent his entire presidency trying to destroy it and he didn’t even get it right.”

Obama said the election is important not because things will change overnight, but because the election can “make it a little bit better or a little bit worse.”

The former president said he noticed that some men thought Trump’s behavior was “somehow a sign of strength.”

“I’m here to tell you that this is not true power. It never was. Real strength to work hard, real strength to take responsibility for your actions, real strength to tell the truth even when it’s inconvenient,” Obama said. “True strength is helping those who need it and protecting those who cannot protect themselves. This is what we should want for our daughters and sons. That’s what I want from the President of the United States.