Just hours before the polls opened, the Obamas were back in Iowa for what Michelle called “the final event of my husband’s final campaign.” “This is where our movement for change began,” President Obama said.
In his campaign swan song, his voice hoarse after days of barnstorming across the country, Obama returned to the state that helped launch his presidential aspirations. “Iowa, in 2008 your voice changed the world,” Obama declared.
After Bruce Springsteen warmed up the crowd on a chilly night, the first lady introduced her husband, as the crowd of 20,000 in Des Moines chanted, “We love Michelle.”
President Obama said he’d at times been disappointed by the pace of change. “Change isn’t easy,” he said, adding: “I wasn’t this grey when I first started up in Iowa.”
He said special interests had fought his agenda every step of the way. “Their bet is on cynicism,” he said.
“But,” he added, “Iowa, you taught me to believe in you.”
Obama continued: “After all that we’ve fought through together, we cannot give up on change now.” He promised to “fight for you and your families every single day.” And he assured the crowd: “We are not done yet on this journey.”
This year, Obama is narrowly ahead in polls of the Hawkeye State, where two out of three early voters say they’re Obama supporters. “Iowa, it’s in your hands,” Obama said.
Zachary Roth