Sunday, August 24, 2008

Obama picks Michigan truck driver to speak at the DNC

As a nod to union workers, Sen. Barack Obama has chosen a Teamsters union official from Taylor, Michigan, to speak at the National Democratic Convention the night Obama accepts the party’s nomination for president.

The union worker, Roy Gross, is a truck driver who spoke at Obama’s Warren rally in May. There, Gross outlined the troubles he’s facing as a blue collar worker in Michigan.

On August 28th, Gross will address over 75,000 Democrats at Invesco Field in Denver with a message about his struggles working in Michigan’s weak economy.

This is a pretty strategic choice for Obama. He wants to send out a strong message to union workers that he has their backs. Also, he wants people in places like Taylor, Michigan, which is part of Wayne County with a 84% white population, to feel that they have a stake in this race. Local newspapers in Taylor are loving it, I’m sure. This will give Obama a boost in Michigan this November.

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