Obama: "We've Gotta Win Florida"
(JACKSONVILLE, FLA.) - Barack Obama had two messages for Florida voters today: expect more negative attacks but keep working, the election is not over.
"In these last 36 hours, we can't afford to slow down, or sit back, or let up, not one minute, not one hour, not one second," Obama said, adding, "We've gotta win Florida and win this election."
At a rally at the Veterans' Memorial Arena, Obama predicted that the election will be close but that it will ultimately come down to who wants to win it more. "Understand at this point, I've made the argument - now it's all about who wants it more - who believes in it more."
Although Obama congratulated John McCain on the "tough race he has fought," he said he expects him to launch more attacks in the final hours of the campaign.
"We may see a little more of that over the next 24 hours. More of the slash and burn say anything do anything politics that's calculated to divide and distract," Obama warned.
He reminded voters that it was in Florida that McCain said the "fundamentals of the economy" are strong, adding that his judgment was "fundamentally wrong."
"Remember what he said when he was here in Jacksonville on September 15th? That day- that day more than 5,000 jobs were lost and more than 7,000 homes were foreclosed on," Obama asked.
The Democratic nominee had a momentary memory lapse midway through the speech when he referred to ads that are being run in Ohio, not Florida. However after being corrected by the crowd, Obama recognized the slip-up. "Ah, Florida! I've been traveling too much! But, they've been spending money in Ohio too," Obama said to laughter.
All of the seats in the arena were not filled today and the crowd was noticeably smaller than what Obama has seen in recent days.