As Barack Obama addressed thousands of people in San Francisco last night, his message was clear to all--American politics needs to change and it needs to do so now.

Obama spoke to a crowd of over 6,000 people at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, many of whom were students. Among cheers of support, Obama promised to tackle the everyday problems of Americans, including what he called inaccessible health care and public education systems.

“We have never paid more for health care or college,” Obama said to the crowd. “We have also lost faith that leaders can or will do anything about it.”

Obama said many promises have been broken by the White House over the years and promised to be the man who would take action, if elected.

“I am tired of talking about the outrage of 47 million Americans without health insurance,” Obama said. “I will make sure that every single American has health care they can depend on.”

Obama addressed the large student section at the front of the stage as he criticized the current education system.

“I think it is about time we make college affordable and accessible,” Obama said. “I will also reward teachers for their greatness by paying them more.”

The current state of the capitol was also called into question by Obama, who promised that his administration would stand up for everybody, independent of race, sexuality or station in society.

“It is really rare for a candidate to say that they will stand up for you and your interests,” said Natalie Rojas, a student at UC Santa Cruz and the state coordinator for Students for Barack Obama. “I am looking for someone who will address these issues on a national scale.”

While some critics question his experience in politics, Obama told the crowd that he was the only candidate who had the courage to oppose the conflict in Iraq at a time when it was popular.

“I don’t want to see any more American lives put at risk because no one asked the tough questions before we sent our troops into this misguided war,” Obama said.

If elected, Obama said he will remove all troops from Iraq within 16 months, close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and continue fighting for what is right, not what is merely convenient.

“Obama tells people what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear,” said Menno Goedman, a recent graduate from UC San Diego and youth outreach director for the campaign. “We haven’t seen that in politics for a while.”

As Obama urged the crowd to come together and work towards a new period in American politics, he promised that he would be worth the risk.

“The only reason I am here is because someone, somewhere stood up for something,” Obama said. “I ask you to stand with me, work with me and vote for me.”

Nima Rahimi, a fourth-year political science and German major at UC Berkeley, said he would do just that.

“Obama is a strong, honest leader and that is what this country needs,” he said.

Tags: ELECTIONS 2008, BARACK OBAMA, NATIONAL ELECTIONS 2008