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- 85,000 Greet Him at Manassas RallyNovember 4
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By NEIL H. SIMON
Sen. Barack Obama saved his biggest Virginia rally for last -- attracting more than 85,000 people to the Prince William County Fairgrounds on the eve of Election Day. The Democratic presidential nominee's final major rally before voters head to the polls brought Obama back to where he kicked off his general-election race five months ago -- Northern Virginia.
"I know Virginia's ready to bring about change in America," Obama told a roaring crowd that waited hours under a "Vote for Change" sign for their candidate to appear. "It starts here, Virginia," he said.
- Election Eve: Obama Runs in Red StatesNovember 4
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By JEFF ZELENY
Senator Barack Obama closed with a classic.
At the final campaign rally of his presidential bid, Mr. Obama dusted off a chant here Monday night that sustained the first year of his candidacy, a tale born last year in South Carolina that has since been told around the nation.
It is the story of "Fired Up, Ready To Go," a spontaneous call and response from a woman named Edith Childs, which Mr. Obama turned into the spoken anthem of his campaign. It originated in the early stages of the primary, when Mr. Obama was miles away from being the front-running candidate in the field of Democrats.
So when he visited the town of Greenwood, he met Ms. Childs, who lit up one of his docile campaign meetings with her signature chant. She yells, "Fired up," the rest of the crowd responds, "Ready to Go." The point of the story, as retold again and again by Mr. Obama, is that one voice can change a room. And, by extension, can change the world.
- Obama Hits McCain on Economy in FLNovember 3
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By John McCormick
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Seeking to keep Democrats motivated, Barack Obama kept his focus on John McCain today as he made the first of three campaign stops in Atlantic Coast states that went Republican in 2004.
In the final critical hours before Tuesday's election, Obama hammered McCain for saying in September that the "fundamentals of our economy are strong" during a campaign stop in the same building.
"John McCain just doesn't get it. Remember what he said when he was here in Jacksonville on September 15th?" the Illinois Democrat asked a less-than-capacity audience of about 9,000 inside Veterans Memorial Arena.
"That day, more than 5,000 jobs were lost. More than 7,000 homes were foreclosed on. The day before, former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said we were in a 'once in a century' crisis," he said. "And yet, despite our economic crisis, John McCain actually came here ... and repeated something he's said at least sixteen times on this campaign. He said - and I quote - 'the fundamentals of our economy are strong.'"
- Even Keel for Obama in Final Turn to ElectionNovember 3
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By JEFF ZELENY
"In a marathon, when you are on mile 20 you start getting tired, but when you are on mile 25 you don't," said Mr. Lippert, who has grown familiar with Mr. Obama's travel rhythms while accompanying him on the four foreign trips he has taken since becoming a senator. "That's where he's at."
Whatever emotions or anxiety Mr. Obama feels as his candidacy draws to a close, he displays little of it, either in public appearances or private conversations with his close advisers. The air of confidence he exudes, which some critics take as arrogance, grew in part out of the primary, when he worked to avoid perceptions that he was weak or not ready.
But now, he is described by friends as feeling as though he has been thoroughly tested and is prepared to take on the job he has spent 22 months fighting for. Still, it is hard for even those closest to Mr. Obama to fathom what these days are precisely like, even for the unflappable - often inscrutable - senator from Illinois.
- Crowds Flock to ObamaNovember 3
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By JOE HALLETT, JACK TORRY and JONATHAN RISKIND
On a fall day masquerading as summer, Barack Obama urged an estimated 60,000 people at the Statehouse yesterday to guard against overconfidence and complacency by voting Tuesday to put him in the White House.
"Ohio, I have just two words for you: two days," Obama said from the west lawn, as the Capitol's magnificent limestone pillars served as a backdrop and a sea of humanity faced him along State, Broad and High streets and beyond.
"In two days, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change it needs."