On the Eve of the New Hampshire Primary, Barack Obama Talks About Hope and Change in Rochester

"Everybody is talking about change now," Barack Obama told a capacity crowd of around 800 New Hampshire voters at the Rochester Opera House on Monday. Judging by his surprise victory in Iowa last week and his nine point lead over Hillary Clinton in the latest poll of Granite State voters, Obama is right. On the eve of the New Hampshire Primary, the Senator once again emphasized the themes that have made him the leading presidential candidate, hope and change.

The event got off to a shaky start when a small group of pro-life protestors interrupted Obama's speech by chanting in unison, "Abortion is an abomination." But Obama handled the situation with poise, going so far as to offer to meet with the instigators after the event if they would allow him to speak uninterrupted. He also asked the crowd to remain calm and civil after several annoyed audience members began verbally assaulting the protestors. In the end the pro-lifers refused to be silent, and were escorted away by the Rochester police so that the event could continue.

Obama urged the crowd to follow the example provided by voters in Iowa and choose change. The senator promised to build a new governing majority composed of Democrats, Independents, and - he added with a smile - "some Republicans". He also noted that in November the names George W. Bush and Dick Cheney would no longer be on the ballot, offering Americans a new opportunity to place their differences aside and work together for change.

"In just one more day we can say to those lobbyists in Washington, 'Your days are numbered.'" he added. The Senator appeared confident and energized despite having spent a marathon week campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire. And the voters in attendance responded in kind, laughing and cheering throughout the speech.

Discussing healtcare Obama recounted the tale of his own mother, who fell victim to the inadequacies of the health insurance system. He vowed to pursue healthcare reform, promising that every American would enjoy the same quality of healthcare that he enjoys as a member of Congress by the end of his first term. He also said that no American would be denied healthcare coverage because of a pre-existing condition under his administration.

Turning to the economy Obama told the crowd, "In 24 hours we can say our economy is out of balance and it is time to return some fairness to the system." He described the current economic situation in America as imbalanced, explaining that a corporate CEO can make more money in 20 minutes than the average worker makes in an entire year. Obama also told the crowd that he would work to keep jobs in America.

On education, Obama promised to reward teachers by increasing their pay. He also said that schools need to return to teaching the arts, literature, and the humanities instead of just "teaching the test". The Senator also described his plan to provide $4,000 in college tuition credits to students who commit to dedicate one year to community service after school.

"Strong presidents talk to their adversaries," Obama said as he explained the need for a foreign policy based upon dialogue. He also promised to reach out to people in the developing world by building schools and clinics in impoverished nations.

In closing, Obama returned to the theme of hope. He explained that hope, family, and education were all he had growing up as the son of a poor single mom. The Senator joked that call him "a hope monger." But according to Barack Obama America needs hope just as much as it needs change. Judging from the response in Rochester on Monday, New Hampshire is ready to deliver both.