On the Ground: State of the Union Watch Parties Across the Country
Last night, thousands of Organizing for America supporters gathered in living rooms and community centers in across the country to watch the President Obama deliver his first State of the Union address. For OFA supporters, this was a chance to take stock of the past year, reconnect, and refocus on the challenges ahead.
At a watch party in Chicago, the hundred-person crowd jumped to its feet as the President affirmed, "We don't quit." In Minnesota, folks gathered at more than 30 parties, where the President's words of unity and a common American spirit resonated in particular. And in Michigan, a state with some of the highest unemployment numbers in the country, the President voicing his commitment to creating new jobs received the loudest applause.
Here are a few of the reactions to the President’s address from OFA volunteers who attended last night's watch parties:
From Gwynne in Portage, Michigan:
His delivery was there and it was forceful and able to engage some of his opponents to make them see the benefit of working together. We have to work together. There’s no time for bickering and partisanship.
From Nina in Minneapolis, Minnesota:
The President inspired me tonight. The first thing he did when he was elected was stop the major plunge of our economy. And he's going to keep working to get us on the right track.
From Mary in Colorado:
We all agreed that this State of the Union speech was one of the best ever. It reminded us why we worked so hard to get President Obama elected and inspired us to keep fighting.... We don't quit either!
From Chris in Arizona:
I love how the President spoke about jobs. He gets the struggles that everyday people are dealing with.
From Ron in Ohio:
On such a historic night, over 65 loyal supporters from five counties in southwest Ohio gathered to watch the President’s first State of the Union address. The President delivered his message to Congress and the American people with much applause and many cheers from our group. The event was fantastic and we are all are looking forward to many more! We’re all fired up and ready to go!