The American People. You hear an awful lot about them. Politicans, especially, are experts: they know what we want, need, feel, think, deserve, demand. So we thought we’d start keeping track of who’s claiming to speak for us, the American People. Who speaks for you?

Quotes are automatically selected from all election-related wire service stories available through Yahoo.

August 28, 2008

Democrats primed for spectacular finale (AFP) »

  • "This speech and the election is not about Barack Obama, it's about the American people and the direction we need to go in, to get us out of the ditch we are in," said top Obama strategist David Axelrod.

Obama set to woo nation with historic speech (AP) »

  • “His goal is to talk to the American people about the challenges we face and what we need to do to solve them, and the stakes of continuing to do what we are doing,” Axelrod said. “I will leave it to others to decide the inspiration factor.”

Obama makes unscripted appearance at the DNC (AP) »

  • “His goal is to talk to the American people about the challenges we face and what we need to do to solve them, and the stakes of continuing to do what we are doing,” Axelrod said. “I will leave it to others to decide the inspiration factor.”

August 27, 2008

Biden leads attack on Republican foreign policy (AFP) »

  • Drawing on his 36 years in Senate and his vast foreign policy experience, he savaged the Republican Party accusing it of failing to protect the American people in what he called "extraordinary times."

Biden: Red meat from a blue-collar messenger (Politico) »

  • “These are extraordinary times. This is an extraordinary election,” Biden said. “The American people are ready. I'm ready. Barack is ready.

Biden says nation needs more than a good soldier (AP) »

  • “This is the time as Americans, together, we get back up,” he said. ” … These are extraordinary times. This is an extraordinary election. The American people are ready. Barack Obama is ready. This is his time. This is our time. This is America’s time.”

Biden accepts nomination, hails Obama, rips McCain (Reuters) »

  • More recently, Biden has said Obama has learned much the past year in crisscrossing the country and traveling abroad, talking with American people and foreign figures.

Joe Biden’s speech at the Democratic convention (AP) »

  • Barack Obama will deliver that change. Barack Obama will reform our tax code. He’ll cut taxes for 95 percent of the American people who draw a paycheck. That’s the change we need.
  • These are extraordinary times. This is an extraordinary election. The American people are ready. I’m ready. Barack Obama is ready. This is his time. This is our time. This is America’s time.

Obama in Denver for date with destiny (AFP) »

  • "And so I am going to fight as hard as I can over the next 70 days to make clear to the American people that they deserve a president and a White House that is fighting for them, that's not fighting for the special interests, that's not fighting for the banks and the oil companies and the well-connected."

Obama skewers McCain at final pre-Denver event (AFP) »

  • "And so I am going to fight as hard as I can over the next 70 days to make clear to the American people that they deserve a president and a White House that is fighting for them, that's not fighting for the special interests, that's not fighting for the banks and the oil companies and the well-connected."

“The American People” was conceived and programmed by Greg Knauss, the masthead drawn by Leslie Harpold and the layout designed by Heather Champ. An archive and RSS feed are available.