I’ve been to a lot of political rallies and events. And, if truth be told, a lot of them are pretty dreary. Speeches go on for too long. And pretty much every rally is subject to the funny observation I first hear from Mo Udall about political conventions, after the first 15 minutes “everything has been said but not everyone has said it.”
I think the Pennsylvania town hall yesterday was a little different, especially at the beginning and the end.
Oh, there were some dull moments along the way. And there were problems because the public address system we had was lacking in the power to deal with 2000 or more people in a large room, especially since the room was a bar and some people had been drinking before the event began.
But from the start, there was real passion and commitment in the crowd. Although people strained to hear the speeches, that urgency of health care reform came through loud and clear. It was a pretty moving experience to standing in front of that crowd and hear the roar of approval when I said in my opening remarks that the health reform we are working on will be the most important legislation since Social Security. The intense commitment to health care reform was also evident when two long time supporters of health care reform, Representatives Allyson Schwartz (watch her at http://tinyurl.com/mbbnlu) and Joe Sestak (watch him at http://tinyurl.com/lozs7k) entered the room. I’m not sure the crowd heard most of what they said. But when the people up front cheered Representatives Schwartz and Sestak for the strong commitment they made to health care reform and the public health insurance plan, they were echoed throughout the hall. It was if the folks in the back were trusting those of us up front to know when to shout out. And shout out they did.
But the most incredible moment was when Senator Specter entered the room. There was a long delay before he arrived at about 3:30. After speeches from a number of coalition leaders and people who had moving health care stories to tell, I decided to stop the town hall and wait for Senator Specter at about 2:45. After an hour and fifteen minutes, there had been enough speeches. Anyway, we had run out of speakers and I don’t love the sound of my voice so much that I was ready to make another one. And even though our esteemed chant leader, Jeff Garis, who had keep the town hall going with fifteen minutes of inspired chanting, was tireless, it seemed time to stop that, too, before everyone had had enough. (You can see Jeff and the rest of us in action at http://tinyurl.com/knpn5m.)
So we shut the event down and waited. A lot of people had to get on buses to go home. Others drifted away, to the patio outside or the entry hall. I began to get worried and thought about finding more speakers to fill the time. Luckily, Eileen Connelly was there to remind me that we were doing the right thing by holding off and waiting.
We waited and waited some more. And then we heard that Senator Specter was really on the way. The HCAN staff scurried around to get people back in the room. After having gone dead, our event came back to life. Jeff Garis started another set of chants. And then, when I announced that Senator Specter was three minutes away, the chant became “Healthcare is a right. Stand with us and fight.” And it got louder and louder as more and more people came back into the room and pushed to the front in anticipation of Senator Specter’s arrival.
Senator Specter walked into a room that looked as full as it had been all day and was certainly as loud. The chant continued for a few minutes as he shook some hands in the front and looked around. And then I saw something I don’t know that I’ve ever seen in a politician at an event like this—he looked genuinely moved by the passion and commitment of this group of Pennsylvanians. He started his speech (watch it http://tinyurl.com/lmlvxn) saying “I compliment on your tenacity and your commitment and your passion and I agree that health care is a right.”
The cheering continued when Senator Specter said that “Senator Schumer has the right idea about having a public component that has a level playing field with the private sector” and when he concluded by saying that “Your presence here, your rally and your enthusiasm has a great effect on what goes on three blocks in the Congress of the United States and you will get health care this year.
I’m sure I’m too close to this movement and event to be objective about it. But I found the last ten minutes of our Town Hall one of the most dramatic moments I’ve ever seen at a political event.
I think everyone who was there was moved by the experience. I hope you are, too, by watching it. For we need this level of enthusiasm and commitment to truly make 2009 the year of the most important progressive achievement in decades.