Earlier today we talked with Greg, a 55-year-old pastor from State College who has lived in Pennsylvania for 25 of the last 30 years. Like many Pennsylvania residents, he has witnessed first-hand the negative effects that outsourcing and economic stagnation have had on his community.I have worked with those who have lost jobs, taken cuts in income and benefits, watched as families struggled when unemployment benefits ran out … I know the bitterness and I know the courage and the hope that people have.
For Greg, job creation is the central issue of the upcoming election. "We have seen decent paying manufacturing jobs leaving the state," he said. "The jobs that come in are in the service or retail sectors, and pay half or a third of what people were making before. People here have a strong work ethic, but some have to work two or three jobs just to keep up."
Greg believes that Barack Obama is best suited to represent the needs of working-class Pennsylvanians, and praised Obama’s candor in addressing these tough issues.
Barack’s comments resonate with those who have suffered. The elitists are those who ignore or downplay the realities of the suffering and struggles that we have endured for decades.
As a pastor, Greg identifies with Barack's moral background and appreciates his stance on faith. He praised Barack as a man of integrity, and applauded the Senator’s ability to stay on message throughout the campaign.
Greg has seen the energizing effect that the Obama campaign has imparted on the State College community. Greg served as a campus minister at Penn State for four years, and noticed a strong political apathy amongst the students there. He marveled at the Senator’s ability to draw 22,000 people — many of them students — to a recent rally in State College. He says that Obama’s presence has helped to re-energize the student body.
Greg finished by adding, “Thank you, Barack, for again serving as the voice of the people who have not been heard.”
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