National Convention Inspires Lakewood Democrats Into Action

Energized and motivated after returning from the Democratic National Convention, state Rep. Nickie Antonio didn’t waste any time mobilizing local Obama supporters in the President’s re-election bid. 

Out of 191 delegates from Ohio, Antonio was one of two Lakewood residents. The other was county executive and .

“We were sitting right in front,” she said, adding that much of the focus was on Ohio. “There were moments that it was absolutely electric. This reminded us why we are Democrats, why this election is so important, and why this President is so important.” 

On Saturday afternoon, Antonio brought some of that passion home, at the new on Detroit Avenue.

There, she met with about 30 volunteers. They broke off in groups and began an all-day door-to-door campaign, encouraging residents to sign up to vote early.

“People want a shot at the American Dream to go to school, get a job and take care of their families,” Antonio said. “That’s all people want to do. President Obama reflects those ideals that this is about all of us — that we’re all in this together.”

The campaign office — one of only two Obama west-Cleveland outposts — will officially open at at the former  on Monday evening.

Here's the text of Antonio's speech to the volunteers on Saturday:

 JOBS: While President Obama Has Laid Out a Clear, Real and Achievable Plan for Continuing to Create Jobs and Strengthen the Middle Class, Mitt Romney Has Not

Key Point: We need to do more to keep creating jobs and recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression – that’s why President Obama has laid out a clear, real and achievable plan for continuing to create jobs and restore middle-class security for hard-working Americans. With 60 days to go in this election, Romney has yet to offer a plan to create good-paying middle-class jobs. In the next year alone, the President’s plan will create 2 million more jobs than Romney’s policies would. 

• Last night President Obama clearly laid out his plan that will create jobs, expand opportunity and ensure an economy built to last – one that's built from the middle out, not the top down. On every issue, including jobs, this election is a choice between two fundamentally different visions for our future.

• Throughout this campaign, Mitt Romney has yet to offer one idea that would create good-paying, sustainable jobs for the middle class. He has avoided discussing his economic plans – probably because economists say that the President's plans would create 2 million more jobs next year than Romney’s would.

• Instead, Romney claims credit for the 12 million jobs that independent economists already project under current policies. He has yet to explain how returning to policies that crashed the economy and devastated the middle class would now have the opposite impact. 

• Under the President’s leadership, the economy has gone from losing 800,000 jobs a month to businesses adding 4.6 million jobs over the last 30 straight months of private-sector growth. And independent economists are already projecting that we’re on track to create 12 million more jobs over the next four years – but we still have more work to do.

• In the next year alone, President Obama's plan will create 2 million more jobs than Romney's plan. The President's jobs plan will add more than 1 million jobs next year, based on independent estimates, while the Economic Policy Institute estimates that Romney's embrace of the Ryan budget would eliminate at least 1 million jobs.

• Romney would undermine our economic recovery by slashing investments in education, research and clean energy, incentivizing companies to ship jobs overseas and raising taxes on middle-class families and small businesses.

THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH: President Obama Laid Out his Vision and Plan to Move America Forward and Restore the Promise of Middle-Class Security for All Americans 

Key Point: President Obama did what Mitt Romney failed to do: offered a real, achievable plan that will create jobs, expand opportunity and ensure an economy built to last – one that’s built from the middle out, not the top down. The President’s plan will help us meet a set of goals in manufacturing, energy, education, national security and the deficit, and will create 2 million more jobs next year than Romney’s plan.

• After an enthusiastic convention that fired up our supporters and demonstrated the choice in this election, President Obama did last night what Mitt Romney failed to do: honestly and clearly laid out his vision and plan to move America forward and restore the promise of middle-class security for all Americans.
  • Must Read: The President’s goals for America, at www.barackobama.com/goals. 

• The American people face the clearest choice in a generation. On every issue – jobs, the economy, taxes, deficits, energy, education, war and peace – this isn’t just a choice between two candidates or two parties. It’s a choice between two fundamentally different visions for our country’s future.

• Last night the President said, “If you reject the notion that this nation’s promise is reserved for the few, your voice must be heard in this election. If you reject the notion that our government is forever beholden to the highest bidder, you need to stand up in this election.” It is time for the American people to stand up for President Obama.

• President Obama isn’t pretending our path is quick or easy – and he never has. We didn’t elect him to tell us what we wanted to hear. We elected him to tell us the truth.

• It’ll take more than a few years to solve challenges that have built up over decades. It will take common effort and shared responsibility. 

• We need to restore the values that built the largest middle class and the strongest economy the world has ever known – the promise that hard work will pay off, responsibility will be rewarded, and that everyone gets a fair shot, does their fair share and plays by the same rules.

• President Obama offered a real, achievable plan that will create jobs, expand opportunity and ensure an economy built to last – one that’s built from the middle out, not the top down – to help us meet a set of goals in:
  • Manufacturing: Create 1 million new manufacturing jobs by the end of 2016 and double our exports by the end of 2014.
  • Energy: Cut net oil imports in half by 2020 and support 600,000 new natural gas jobs by the end of the decade.
  • Education: Cut the growth of college tuition in half over the next 10 years, recruit 100,000 math and science teachers over the next 10 years and train 2 million workers at community colleges.
  • National Security: Invest in the economy with the money we’re no longer spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Deficit: Reduce the deficit by more than $4 trillion over the next decade.

• Independent economists are already projecting that, on current course, we'll create 12 million jobs over the next four years on top of the 4.6 million jobs businesses have created over the past 30 straight months of private-sector job growth.
  • Romney's plan would undermine that by slashing investments in thinks like education, research and clean energy, incentivizing companies to ship jobs overseas, and raising taxes on middle class families and small businesses.
  • In just the next year alone, President Obama's plan will create 2 million more jobs than Romney's plan. The President's jobs plan will add more than 1 million jobs next year, based on independent estimates, while the Economic Policy Institute estimates that Romney's embrace of the Ryan budget would eliminate at least 1 million jobs.