"We Want Pie! We Want Pie!" Miami Places its Order - and it's Sweet!

Pity that poor Marie Antoinette's subjects didn't have the same sweet tooth as folks in Miami, because then the reply to her suggestion that they "eat cake" would not have been the lopping off of her head, but, perhaps, a much more civilized: "We want pie! We want pie!"

That's what many in the 30,000 strong crowd roared yesterday at Miami's Bicentennial Park Early Vote Rally when Obama put the proverbial pie into play:

"Recently I heard Sen. McCain say that I'm more concerned with who gets your piece of the pie than with growing the pie. But let's be absolutely clear --- after eight years of Bush-McCain economics, the pie is shrinking. And what's left of the pie has been eaten by millionaires and billionaires,"

"Everybody here wants some pie. We want to grow the pie. And then we want a slice of the pie!"

To that came the crowd's impromptu roar:

"We want pie! We want pie!"

But Miamians aren't interested in storming the Bastille just so they can have dessert, they want to be able to eat a full meal, and they want to be able to feed their families. And folks can't do either if they don't have a roof over their heads or a paycheck at the end of the week.

In Florida "foreclosures are up 30% over the past year," noted Obama, and the state has "lost nearly 11,000 jobs in September alone."

"Wages are lower than they've been in a decade, at a time when the cost of health care and college have never been higher. It's getting harder and harder to make the mortgage, or fill up your gas tank, or even keep the electricity on at the end of the month. At this rate, the question isn't just 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?' it's 'Are you better off than you were four weeks ago?'"

But the senator wasn't all doom and gloom. In fact, after summarily dispatching with McCain's made-up claims about his campaign ("Apparently Senator McCain's decided that if he can't beat our ideas, he'll make up others and run against those."), and blasting his opponent for his unseemly attacking ("It's getting so bad that even Senator McCain's running mate has denounced his tactics. As you know, you really have to work hard to violate Governor Palin's standards on negative campaigning."), Obama gave the crowd his hope and his belief.

"I believe that we can steer ourselves out of this crisis because I believe in this country. Because I believe in you. I believe in the American people," said Obama, to a groundswell of applause.

"We are the United States of America. We are a nation that's faced down war and depression; great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we have risen to meet these challenges - not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Americans. With resolve. With confidence. With that fundamental belief that here in America, our destiny is not written for us, but by us. That's who we are, and that's the country we need to be right now."

But forget for a moment how sweet it was to see a candidate stand before 30,000 people from every walk of life imaginable and feel complete unity. Set aside, for a moment, all that talk of cake and pie. For as yesterday's rally made clear, the sweetest thing is still to come, and that will be victory.

Can't wait to hear how Miami responds to that!

Follow John Hood on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jhood

Comments

[SoutheastReview]

Victory will be as bitter as bile if the aftermath of victory continues to be the rule of the rich. Whether the 'style' of this rule is more "inclusive" will not make the differences happen that need to happen to reorient ourselves and our society.

Unity will not eliminate the war in Afghanistan.

Unity will not eliminate the execution of innocents.

Unity will not redistribute power and capacity in the direction of communities that have experienced disempowerment and decapacitation.

Unity will not bring democracy.

The only way that we can achieve these goals, which along with the checklists of change that different people have in mind, is to admit that we are NOT unified but divided. Out of that division must emerge, really for the first time on this continent since the arrival of the Europeans, grassroots leadership and control of policy and program at every level of social and political and economic life.

[christianmama4change]

i volunteered at Obama's office here in palm beach county this morning and it was incredible. there is such an air of excitement and expectation. we are working hard on getting registered voters to vote early for Obama and avoid drama.

[Strywever]

Thank you for your service! :-)

[CBone]

Key Lime, I assume, in Miami. Great story!

[BlueChi]

Blueberry Pie for everyone!

[BlueChi]

Blueberry pir for everyone!

[ObamaProud]

I think we might all need a little break from politics for a while. When it gets this silly, we're due.

Hurry up Nov4!!

[honestpolitician]

this whole article has made me want to eat pie... hmmmmm piiiieee..­. ;-)

POLITICAL AD ATTACKS!! http://politicaladattacks.blogspot.com/

[pgurlatl]

I've been salivating just to have a morsel of a piece of pie that I can see and cannot touch.

Thank you Obama.

Maybe soon I can really enjoy a piece of the pie.

[jorge4u]

It would be awesome if for the next rally, people would show up with pies for the networks to broadcast that and then donate them to charity, like a homeless shelter.

What do you guys think?

[gretchenart]

He's the PIE Piper and I will follow him!!!

[0gee08]

Make mine Key Lime in honor of Florida going blue!

[Decipherer]

Why not BLUEberry? mmmmmmmm . . . blueberry pie! A la mode!

[MadOzbo]

Sweet Potato pie for EVERYONE!
Vote Obama-Biden '08

Pie we can believe in!

[DaveC19]

"Pie we can believe in"

Obama/Biden/Apple '08

[jobecky20]

"Pie We can Eat"

[Arsanat]

Damn, I want some pie too.

[veteran1964]

I just cooked two sweet potato pies and everyone is welcome...­....You have to drive to the beautiful North Carolina mountains to eat them though. North Carolina for Obama.....­...

[Scarllatti]

Yum, yum, Yummy. Iam hungry. I need the pie, pleaseeeee!!!

[bongogirl]

Yes, please. Make it SWEET POTATO PIE! I make a great sweet potato pie too.

Obama / Biden '08

[Petey131]

I'll be happy with pumpkin pie and lots of whip cream!