Gautham Nagesh files from Obama’s rally at George Mason University:
A crowd of thousands packed the Patriot Center Friday morning to hear Obama speak while hundreds more waited in line outside. Upon taking the podium, Obama appeared confident the bill would pass and touted his Administration’s success in coming so close to passing healthcare reform.
“A lot of people in Washington, they didn’t even think it was worth us trying. The Washington conventional wisdom was, ‘change was too hard’,” Obama said. “Right now we are at the point where we are going to do something historical this weekend.”
However, the President admitted to not knowing whether the public would support his plan if enacted.
“I’ll confess – I don’t know how this plays politically. Nobody really does. But what I do know what it will mean for America’s future. I don’t know what impact reform will have on our poll numbers. But I know the impact it will have on the millions of Americans who need our help,” he said.
Sticking to a familiar script, Obama framed the debate as being between special interests and the American people and once again invoked the name of Natoma Canfield, the Ohio cancer patient who has recently become a centerpiece of Obama’s case for healthcare reform. He also acknowledged the political cost of the battle but encouraged members to vote for the bill in spite of the potential fallout.