Alicia Keys is Better Than A Super PAC

I had tears in my eyes at the Organizing for America Women Vote Summit in Philadelphia. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was at a Democratic Party event. The speakers not only remembered what the party stood for, they were proud of it. No one was trying to move towards the center. Healthcare, Michelle Obama, and the Lily Ledbetter Fair Act drew the most cheers.

Over all, this was a positive rally. There was very little bashing of the Republican nominee because Obama has a solid record to run on., 

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is a mother of two daughters aged 13 and 8, cited that the president had signed the Lily Ledbetter Act Fair Pay Act early in his administration. Wasserman Schultz, a breast cancer survivor that is only alive today due to early detection, zeroed in on some important healthcare statistics for the state of Pennsylvania. 

The head of the Democratic National Committee said, "Thanks to Obamacare, 3.4 million Pennsylvanians have had pap smears and mammograms. 5.9 million people with preexisting conditions are now covered."

She continued, "We don't want to go back to a team when our bosses are making our healthcare decisions."

The best speeches of the night were given by two super volunteers. When one was about to retire and attended financial seminars in preparation, she learned, to her surprise, that she would not have good health insurance after a lifetime of working. Upon retirement, she would have to navigate a world of high and low deductibles and doughnut holes. 

She said at the end of her speech, "With Obamacare, the only doughnut hole that my 94 year old mother has to worry about is the one at the store."

The second volunteer is head of a team of senior citizens at the Obama West Philadelphia campaign office that is called the "Mommas and the Poppas." She said, "We all have preexisting conditions." 

When it was White House adviser Valerie Jarrett's turn to speak, she mentioned that the president is already getting nostalgic that this is his last campaign. Jarrett, who has known the Obamas for 21 years, told a moving story about a time when the Obama's daughter Sasha was sick.  

She recalled, "Barack called me from the hospital. He said, 'I can not breathe.'"

At the end of the story, she asked, "Don't all children deserve the opportunity to get better?"

Singer Alicia Keys, who had attended a breakfast with young African American women and visited the West Philadelphia campaign office earlier in the day, started her speech, "I love being a woman," 

She listed some of the reasons that she supported Obama: healthcare; equal pay; and funding for science, engineering and math education. Keys, who held up 4 fingers, led the crowd in a stirring rendition of "Four More Years". 

At a press conference after the event, she urged young people to utilize social media in support of the president and indicated that her music will be getting more political. Don't be surprised if there is a love song to Obama on her new album, which is expected to come out soon. Now that there is a Senator Franken, maybe next will be a Senator Keys.