Obama campaign 2/26/07 Cleveland wrap-up, thank yous
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Almost exactly three hours from the moment I left my house, three kids and spouse finishing a lovely homemade supper (if I do say so myself, tandoori chicken, Spanish rice, salad, grapefruit), I'm sitting back at my desk in the kitchen fiddling with timestamps so that the posts about the Barack Obama campaign stop are in order.
And I'm collecting my thoughts.
Part I
With great trepidation I say that what started the evening, the comment from the tow truck driver, is what stuck in my mind at the end of the evening as well: Barack Obama draws people. People who need to have someone like him want him to be "it" - whether or not he really is "it" or "it" really is his time.
But what about the people who don't want him? Or won't ever want him? Or don't ever think there will be a time for him? What about those people?
Like the tow truck driver said, "I wouldn't want to be the first black president, no way. Just like Kennedy."
Haunted me as the crowd dispersed, the band played, the cheerleaders sauntered, Wendell packed up, Anthony packed up and Obama stood with forty or fifty individuals near the catwalk but standing on the gym floor.
I asked Wendell and Anthony if they thought it could really happen. I asked my husband if he thought it could happen. Just like Kennedy.
Talk about history repeating itself. Gives me big, creepy chills.
Part II
I want to give a big thank you to
Wendell for making contact with Obama's campaign, finding me in the risers, giving me a chair while he bent over the entire time,
George for giving me the last minute info so I could actually know where it was and whether I could go,
Anthony for shouting my name from the rafters (how many middle-aged women get that kind of attention, especially with Barack Obama being the main attraction),
Anastasia for waving wildly at me so it looked to others in the Obama camp as though I belonged there,
Sarah Leonard of the Obama camp who let me in even without looking at any ID and simply because I said I was with Meet the Bloggers and I was looking for an SLEONARD which was her,
the nice police officer who helped me find Sarah Leonard,
Jerid and Mark Naymik for the comraderie when I first got there,
And last but not least, my family for adjusting to a quick change of plans and making it possible for me to go - on a school night no less.
I'm a lucky person indeed and take none of these people or their actions for granted.
And I'm collecting my thoughts.
Part I
With great trepidation I say that what started the evening, the comment from the tow truck driver, is what stuck in my mind at the end of the evening as well: Barack Obama draws people. People who need to have someone like him want him to be "it" - whether or not he really is "it" or "it" really is his time.
But what about the people who don't want him? Or won't ever want him? Or don't ever think there will be a time for him? What about those people?
Like the tow truck driver said, "I wouldn't want to be the first black president, no way. Just like Kennedy."
Haunted me as the crowd dispersed, the band played, the cheerleaders sauntered, Wendell packed up, Anthony packed up and Obama stood with forty or fifty individuals near the catwalk but standing on the gym floor.
I asked Wendell and Anthony if they thought it could really happen. I asked my husband if he thought it could happen. Just like Kennedy.
Talk about history repeating itself. Gives me big, creepy chills.
Part II
I want to give a big thank you to
Wendell for making contact with Obama's campaign, finding me in the risers, giving me a chair while he bent over the entire time,
George for giving me the last minute info so I could actually know where it was and whether I could go,
Anthony for shouting my name from the rafters (how many middle-aged women get that kind of attention, especially with Barack Obama being the main attraction),
Anastasia for waving wildly at me so it looked to others in the Obama camp as though I belonged there,
Sarah Leonard of the Obama camp who let me in even without looking at any ID and simply because I said I was with Meet the Bloggers and I was looking for an SLEONARD which was her,
the nice police officer who helped me find Sarah Leonard,
Jerid and Mark Naymik for the comraderie when I first got there,
And last but not least, my family for adjusting to a quick change of plans and making it possible for me to go - on a school night no less.
I'm a lucky person indeed and take none of these people or their actions for granted.
JBlog Me
7 Comments:
Jill,
Thanks for this. I was hoping to see Obama in Cincy but I couldn't scrape together the ducats. Maybe next time.
With your inspiration I wrote a long rant on NCLB. It may be incoherent, but as I said there, just trying to get some conversation started. Trying to figure out how to get all that into a comment at Progress Ohio.
PS Where are the pictures, Jill?!
Come on, I was counting on some photojournalism to go with it.
Hey Dave - Thanks re: NCLB stuff. In the trenches accounts are really what's the most helpful, don't you think?
As for the photos, honey - everyone else has photos. I HAVE WORDS. :)
I also am technologically challenged, but I am starting to think about how to do it all. I need some consultatins. Besides, it's only 2007!!!!! I promise, by 2008, I'll blog pictures. :)
"big, creepy chills."
Almost 25 years ago, I too, had those big creepy chills. I had considered entering politics but decided not to - the thought in my head was, 'Abraham, Martin, and John'.
There is no glory in being a martyr if you aren't around long enough to affect a change.
Colin Powell would have had my vote - but I understand completely why he didn't want to run.
What were you going to run for???
I'm thinking it's pretty cool the way our network of bloggers works together on this stuff.
As for the tow truck driver's comment, I'm still conflicted. Part of me hopes for the best, thinking that America/ns are beyond that, then I remember... well, the machine.
Yup and yup. I suppose, given the attempt on Cheney in Afghanistan, and all the leaders and politicians around the world who get killed or are the objects of an attempt, it goes with the territory, but maybe more so for some than others?
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