blackascoal
The Force is With Me
Thousands Gather at American for Glimpse of Obama
Thousands of Washington area residents descended on American University today for a glimpse of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, who appeared at a campus rally to receive the endorsement of fellow U.S. senator and senior Democratic Party statesman Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.).
After the speech at a packed Bender Arena, people filed out talking excitedly, taking pictures with their Obama campaign signs and showing off photos they had taken of the candidate on their cell phones.
"It was awesome," said Jordan Watts, 22, a junior from Howard University who attended with friends from American University. "I came out to see the legend himself. There's just something so inspiring hearing his words."
City dwellers and suburbanites -- from businessmen to young mothers to retirees -- mixed with crowds of college students, some of whom started gathering outside Bender as early as 5:30 a.m.
About 30 minutes before Obama was scheduled to speak, university officials began announcing over a bullhorn that the arena was full and there would be no room for overflow. While dozens of folks turned around and headed back to their cars, there were hundreds of supporters who didn't budge.
"Maybe he'll walk out past us and we can see him," said Jeanne Fitzpatrick, 57, as she shivered in the frigid morning air.
Then police erected a security checkpoint and filtered about 500 people into an amphitheater next to the arena. They shivered on cold, stone steps for nearly an hour for Obama and Kennedy, who came outside and held a second, special rally just for them.
Kennedy sympathized with the crowd outside, explaining that as the youngest child of his clan, he was always on the outside as well.
"When we have Barack Obama as president, everyone will be on the inside," he said.
Obama thanked the crowd for being there for "one of the most memorable days of my life."
University officials said that about 3,500 people were inside the arena, which normally holds 5,000, but not all the bleachers had been set up for the rally.
Among those who made it inside the arena was Noel K. Tshiani of Potomac. He arrived on campus at 8:30 a.m. and shivered in his pinstriped suit for 90 minutes, because he'd left his coat when he parked his car.
Tshiani, who owns his own investment company, said he wasn't worried about the hours away from the office. "You can work any day. This doesn't happen every day," he said. He had come to the campus with his 26-year-old son, but they had lost track of each other in the crowd.
The mood at the rally was excited and celebratory, as the Obama faithful waved red and blue signs calling for "change." They buzzed about yesterday's endorsement of Obama from the normally reclusive Caroline Kennedy, and the anointing by her uncle. Both Kennedys appeared with Obama, along with the elder Kennedy's son, Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy of Rhode Island.
The stamp of approval from much of the Democratic Party's most legendary political family was significant even to the many young people in the crowd, including Rachel Haas, Wynne Anderson and Casey Thevenot, 17-year-old students at Bethesda's Walt Whitman High School who walked out of class at 9 a.m. to come to the rally.
"He told Hillary to stop dissing Obama so much, and he stood up for what he believes," Thevenot said of Sen. Kennedy.
Anderson said she had been supporting Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign until she listened to an Obama speech in a debate class at Whitman and felt blown away. "It opened my eyes," Anderson said, explaining that she liked Obama's inspirational speaking style, as well as his positions on issues such as gay marriage and the war in Iraq. "We believe that he can change America."
All three girls said they plan to vote in Maryland's primary next month, under a law allowing minors to cast ballots if they will turn 18 by Election Day in November.
Also today, wire services reported that author Toni Morrison, who years ago famously labeled Bill Clinton the "first black president," was endorsing Obama. Morrison said she has admired Hillary Clinton for years because of her knowledge and mastery of politics, but she cited Obama's "creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom."
At American University, many of those in the crowd said they'd been on an e-mail list of Obama supporters and received word electronically about the rally, which was added at the last minute to a schedule that already included a campaign stop in Virginia.
Mohamed Noor, a 21-year-old graduate student from Fairfax County, came to campus hours before the rally with his younger sister and several of their friends. "We wanted to feel like we were part of history," he said.
"The line just exploded" after the group arrived around 8:30, he added. "We're lucky to be in here."
Asha Noor, age 17, said she will be among those almost-18-year-olds voting in Virginia's Feb. 12 primary, and her vote will be cast for the senator from Illinois. "I'm not going to be part of the apathetic youth," Noor said.
The first wave of college students who entered the arena was mostly white, reflecting American University's majority-white enrollment. But as the bleachers and the floor space filled the faces grew more diverse, and included many African Americans and other people of color. A small group of young men in blue jeans, white shirts and red-and-blue ties sang doo-wop. People in the crowd compared Obama stickers and T-shirts, chanted and warmed up by the doing the wave.
Maderia Y. Parker, a retired Prince George's County teacher, said she drove in from Silver Spring with two friends to see the candidate she believes "will do the right thing and make the changes necessary to lead us through the 21st century."
Parker, who declined to give her age, said her 75 minutes of waiting in line was difficult. "My back got cold and my knees started aching. I wish they had a place for the seniors," she said. "But I'm just hoping I get to shake his hand."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...html?nav=hcmodule&sub=new&sid=ST2008012801949
Morning in America.
Thousands of Washington area residents descended on American University today for a glimpse of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, who appeared at a campus rally to receive the endorsement of fellow U.S. senator and senior Democratic Party statesman Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.).
After the speech at a packed Bender Arena, people filed out talking excitedly, taking pictures with their Obama campaign signs and showing off photos they had taken of the candidate on their cell phones.
"It was awesome," said Jordan Watts, 22, a junior from Howard University who attended with friends from American University. "I came out to see the legend himself. There's just something so inspiring hearing his words."
City dwellers and suburbanites -- from businessmen to young mothers to retirees -- mixed with crowds of college students, some of whom started gathering outside Bender as early as 5:30 a.m.
About 30 minutes before Obama was scheduled to speak, university officials began announcing over a bullhorn that the arena was full and there would be no room for overflow. While dozens of folks turned around and headed back to their cars, there were hundreds of supporters who didn't budge.
"Maybe he'll walk out past us and we can see him," said Jeanne Fitzpatrick, 57, as she shivered in the frigid morning air.
Then police erected a security checkpoint and filtered about 500 people into an amphitheater next to the arena. They shivered on cold, stone steps for nearly an hour for Obama and Kennedy, who came outside and held a second, special rally just for them.
Kennedy sympathized with the crowd outside, explaining that as the youngest child of his clan, he was always on the outside as well.
"When we have Barack Obama as president, everyone will be on the inside," he said.
Obama thanked the crowd for being there for "one of the most memorable days of my life."
University officials said that about 3,500 people were inside the arena, which normally holds 5,000, but not all the bleachers had been set up for the rally.
Among those who made it inside the arena was Noel K. Tshiani of Potomac. He arrived on campus at 8:30 a.m. and shivered in his pinstriped suit for 90 minutes, because he'd left his coat when he parked his car.
Tshiani, who owns his own investment company, said he wasn't worried about the hours away from the office. "You can work any day. This doesn't happen every day," he said. He had come to the campus with his 26-year-old son, but they had lost track of each other in the crowd.
The mood at the rally was excited and celebratory, as the Obama faithful waved red and blue signs calling for "change." They buzzed about yesterday's endorsement of Obama from the normally reclusive Caroline Kennedy, and the anointing by her uncle. Both Kennedys appeared with Obama, along with the elder Kennedy's son, Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy of Rhode Island.
The stamp of approval from much of the Democratic Party's most legendary political family was significant even to the many young people in the crowd, including Rachel Haas, Wynne Anderson and Casey Thevenot, 17-year-old students at Bethesda's Walt Whitman High School who walked out of class at 9 a.m. to come to the rally.
"He told Hillary to stop dissing Obama so much, and he stood up for what he believes," Thevenot said of Sen. Kennedy.
Anderson said she had been supporting Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign until she listened to an Obama speech in a debate class at Whitman and felt blown away. "It opened my eyes," Anderson said, explaining that she liked Obama's inspirational speaking style, as well as his positions on issues such as gay marriage and the war in Iraq. "We believe that he can change America."
All three girls said they plan to vote in Maryland's primary next month, under a law allowing minors to cast ballots if they will turn 18 by Election Day in November.
Also today, wire services reported that author Toni Morrison, who years ago famously labeled Bill Clinton the "first black president," was endorsing Obama. Morrison said she has admired Hillary Clinton for years because of her knowledge and mastery of politics, but she cited Obama's "creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom."
At American University, many of those in the crowd said they'd been on an e-mail list of Obama supporters and received word electronically about the rally, which was added at the last minute to a schedule that already included a campaign stop in Virginia.
Mohamed Noor, a 21-year-old graduate student from Fairfax County, came to campus hours before the rally with his younger sister and several of their friends. "We wanted to feel like we were part of history," he said.
"The line just exploded" after the group arrived around 8:30, he added. "We're lucky to be in here."
Asha Noor, age 17, said she will be among those almost-18-year-olds voting in Virginia's Feb. 12 primary, and her vote will be cast for the senator from Illinois. "I'm not going to be part of the apathetic youth," Noor said.
The first wave of college students who entered the arena was mostly white, reflecting American University's majority-white enrollment. But as the bleachers and the floor space filled the faces grew more diverse, and included many African Americans and other people of color. A small group of young men in blue jeans, white shirts and red-and-blue ties sang doo-wop. People in the crowd compared Obama stickers and T-shirts, chanted and warmed up by the doing the wave.
Maderia Y. Parker, a retired Prince George's County teacher, said she drove in from Silver Spring with two friends to see the candidate she believes "will do the right thing and make the changes necessary to lead us through the 21st century."
Parker, who declined to give her age, said her 75 minutes of waiting in line was difficult. "My back got cold and my knees started aching. I wish they had a place for the seniors," she said. "But I'm just hoping I get to shake his hand."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...html?nav=hcmodule&sub=new&sid=ST2008012801949
Morning in America.
