President Barack Obama spoke for about 20 minutes to a crowded house at Old Dominion University, imploring them to ignore the polls and go out and work over the final seven days of the campaign for Creigh Deeds.
"I don't believe in can't. I don't believe in giving up," Obama said. "I am absolutely confident we can, if you're willing to work in this last week."
The Ted Constant Convocation Center was filled to the brim with Democrats and Obama supporters on hand to hear Obama make the case for Deeds to be the next governor of Virginia. After a string of speeches from statewide Democratic candidates including Steve Shannon and Jody Wagner and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, Deeds took the stage to make his case.
Deeds told the audience to pay no attention to political talking heads who are writing off his campaign.
"If I believed every poll I ever looked at I would have quit this race a long time ago," Deeds said. "Reports of my demise are much exaggerated."
The crowd roared to life when Deeds introduced Obama, who quickly began outlining how Deeds falls in the mold of Virginia governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
"You've got a good pattern emerging now," Obama said. "It started with Mark Warner."
Obama said there was only a slight difference between Kaine and Deeds, who are both great Virginia leaders.
"The only difference is one's the governor and one's going to be the governor."
Obama said that Virginia voters have to reach out to all their friends and family members that they dragged to the polls last year. Obama said not to forget "your cousin pookie."
"You've got the opportunity to elect a man who represents a better kind of politics," Obama said. "You got a chance to elect a man with a good heart and a good head. Are you looking for slick or are you looking for somebody who is going to fight for you?"
Obama said he expects a very close race down to the wire in Virginia - "an evenly split state."
"Let's be honest, this is going to be a tough race," Obama said. "Even if it wasn't a tough economy, it's always tough in Virginia."


God, you NEVER go away. No one cares what you think Neil. You are a partisan and illogical at that. Must you always do the cheerleading chant for the democrats?
Give it a break. Republican sweep on ticket and locally. Hopefully you will find another cause!
Posted by: Independent | Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 11:58 PM
People, really: you can continue with Creigh Deeds in the tradition of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, or you can regress with Bob McDonnell. McDonnell keeps picking on Deeds for spending money - so, how are we going to fix transportation? Are we going to indulge budget tricks to pretend not to borrow money, instead of paying for it now?
Posted by: Neil B ♪ | Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 08:39 PM