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27
Feb

Barack Obama @ Tri-C Monday, 26 February 2007

We’ve compiled as many of the live blog posts as we could find from the Barack Obama event last night at Tri-C’s Eastern campus.  Links are embedded with the time stamps for ease of reference.  Check it out, it’s a pretty interesting read.

Editor’s note: JMZ’s Write Like She Talks Posts are winkied around because we couldn’t get proper times, I’ve inserted them where I believe they belong.

5:07pm - Blue Ohioan

Here in the press pit at CCC and the crowd is starting to line-up outside. I’m rather overwhelmed by the organization to this point. So far, so good. And the WiFi works. Hard to tell what the crowd will be, but we’ll try to give a quick headcount when this thing rolls. The scene in the gym is similar to what you may have seen at the othe rrallies this weekend. There is a lengthy runway ending with a 20 ft. square stage. A giant series of signs hands on the side off the track railing spelling out “O-B-A-M-A-R-O-C-K-S-!” There is at least one marching band and a choir moving into place right now. More soon.             

5:20pm - wenBLOG

They’re just starting to set-up and the media has started to arrive.  Already there’s a couple hundred people outside waiting to get in.  Here’s how it looks right now
             

5:33pm - wenBLOG

As soon as I walked in today I saw some familiar faces among the local Obama staff.   Former Cleveland City Hall insider Rodney Jenkins is helping Obama’s advance group with media relations in Ohio.  The Silent Majority’s Mansfield Frazier is also among the locals lending a hand.

5:37pm - Blue Ohioan

The crowd is starting to crush the hallways upstairs, but it is finally moving in. Notables on site include Chris Redfern and Warrensville Hts. Mayor Marcia Fudge. The first layer of folks are walking in right now as the volunteers are passing out signs. Choir is singing as folks file in. Early guess from the hallway chaos upstairs is at least a couple thousand folks on hand right now.             

5:43pm - wenBLOG

To accomodate all of the people showing up they’ve gone ahead and opened the doors early.  The people are coming in and surrounding the runway style stage they’ve set up for the Senator’s presentation.  The crowd at this point is a demographic cross-section of Greater Cleveland… white, black, young, old - are they here to support the candidate?  Are they here to make up their minds?  I think many are here just to be part of it and to find out if the magic mania that has swept Obama to the forefront is for real.

5:48pm - wenBLOG

WTAM’s going wall-to-wall with coverage starting at 6:30pm. They’re at a table just down the way from the bloggers table. Morning show host Bill Wills and 9AM talker Bob Frantz.  The real question is whether or not all of the candidates will get this kind of attention from the local media.  It’s so early in the campaign cycle…
Does this mean that the next time conman Dennis Kucinich is in town Trivisanno will have to travel around with him?  I can see it now, the conman addresses a group of crazies at the local save the Zebra Mussels chapter and Mr. Know-It-All is there to comment on the proceedings.  It’ll be interesting to see if this kind of attention will continue.

5:51pm - Buckeye State Blog

UPDATE: Oh what a couple of minutes make on that shot of the gym…

It’s 4:30pm. The rally isn’t scheduled to start for another hour and a half, but the line is already out the door.     

Here’s your pre-rally teaser. It’s official folks, the ‘08 Presidential Race has landed in Ohio. With less than 2 hours till the Senator takes the stage, I have a feeling it’s going to land hard.

Also, staffers are telling me they had 3,500 signups online…but about 50% of the folks showing up have a ticket, 50% don’t. This place is gonna be packed

Obamamama

Cruising the crowd I caught a couple of BSB readers volunteering with the Obama folks. Take a listen to what one’s saying.

A couple more shots pre-rally after the break.         

 

5:52pm - wenBLOG

I’m not going to betray any confidences, but as the crowd is coming in I’m seeing some rank and file Republicans filter through the doors.  This takes me back to the concept that alot of people are here for the spectacle.  But who knows maybe people are just so fed up with the status quo that they’re looking for something new.

5:57pm - Blue Ohioan 

Crowd has about a third of the gym full. The marching band is from Shaw High School in East Cleveland. Not sure yet about the choir. Check back tomorrow for video of both. Good stuff. Getting ready to hop back down on the floor and talk to some more people. Good mix of early supporters and people just wanting to check out what all the hype is about. Observation : crowd is younger than many rallies I’ve seen. Not by a lot, but still. Could be the venue though.             

6:08pm - wenBLOG

They’ve got us above the crowd on a balcony next to the folks at WTAM.  This is a great place to do this - we’ve got a great vantage point and with a literally birds-eye view (a big thank you to the folks at the Strategy Group who are directing the campaign.  Sarah Leonard with SG is the person who’s handling the advance and media relations and she’s given us a great venue.  They have a choir here, a high school band, and right now the crowd is about to be treated to some culture in the form of accompanied by someone on a drum (don’t ask me what it’s going to sound like).

6:13pm - wenBLOG

I don’t know where the rest of the gang is… Jill (from Writes Like She Talks called a little while ago and said she was on her way, but who knows with the crowd the way it is…).  In any case this is turning out to be pretty cool campaign events like these are filled with so much energy.  This room radiates hope.
The question is whether or not the Senator from Illinois can deliver.             

6:15pm - wenBLOG

I’ m alone but we’re getting comments that indicate Anthony is here and he’s posting as well.  Where are you man?

6:19pm - Blue Ohioan

Looks like about 1500-2000 people with more streaming in. Nothing else to report other than it’s getting warm in here. I’m so glad I left my coat in the car.             

6:25pm - wenBLOG

or at least Anthony does.  You can see all of it tomorrow on Anthony’s Blue Ohioan.

6:32pm - wenBLOG

Wow how things change in 45 minutes…           

6:34pm - Blue Ohioan

The sign feeding frenzy is on. You can watch the video tomorrow right here, but for now all I can say is that the Obama campaign at least has a handle on signs. Looks like there are far more than they would possibly need - and of ocurse - people are going bonkers to get their hands on them. But, seriously, who cares. The guy raked in a cool half million today in Cincinnati.           

The Shaw H.S. Marching Band is kicking ass and getting folks fired up. Lots of energy in the room.

6:45pm - wenBLOG

The sound is deafening…  the Shaw High School Marching Band is rocking out.  Man you can just feel the enthusiasm in here.  Anthony just mentioned to me that you don’t see this at a Sam Brownback rally…
and he is sooooo right.           

Democrats have more fun.  But they run lousy campaigns.

6:48pm - Blue Ohioan 

I can’t figure out why John Kerry didn’t run this year. There are only as many people in the gym right now as there were when he had the nomination locked up. And those folks two and a half years ago were a whole lot more polite and quiet. I was able to get a great nap while waiting for him to end his stump speech. Today, things are a little different. The fact that 2000-2500 people are hear to see a guy who might not even make it to Super Tuesday (before you pop me, don’t forget Howard Dean didn’t make it after a year of being the front runner) is staggering. Again, many of the people I talked to are undecided, but they came out in the cold to the CCC campus to see this type of thing almost two years before the November 2008 election. If I’m a Republican in Ohio right now, well….I’m sweating. Bad.           

If this is what we get for a candidate NOW. Wait until we have a nominee.

6:52pm - wenBLOG

Look how hard he’s working. 
Check him out at Blue Ohioan.

6:55pm - wenBLOG

I’m not sweating, but Anthony’s wondering why Kerry didn’t run this year…          

ahhh… because he’d get his ass kicked.

7:02pm - wenBLOG

As things have progressed the age of the crowd has gone down significantly.  It plays into what Anthony was saying before about the energy in the room.  So OK, they come to  more rallies and make noise, but do they vote?
The under 30 crowd is becoming more politically active, but they still don’t vote in the kind of numbers that really matter.  A candidate is not going to run ads in the fall of ‘08 that are hip and cool - because they know that the people they need to reach who will actually vote are not hip and cool.          

I’ll bet if we took a survey of the crowd below us that at least 25% of these people are not even registered to vote.

They’ve built a nice crowd though…

7:07pm - wenBLOG

The runway corral was kept empty until they could find the folks that “look right” and now they’ve filled in the area immediately the surrounding walkway with a nice youthful demographic armed with the obligatory Obama signs.  It kind of begs the question though, can Obama appeal to anyone over the age of 30?

7:10pm - Blue Ohioan

I have come to the realization that I have a coffee addicition problem. It is steaming in this joint and I ran downstairs to buy a hot coffee of joe. Idiot. anyway, the crowd is easily 2300 now, probably more. I heard a rumor in the hall that they might be closing the doors, but was unable to confirm that. It came from a few people mumbling under their breath about having tickets and not being able to get in. Do not take my word on that. I’m back in the press balcony now and can’t get back down there.          

The crowd is extremely diverse. This is probably the best mix of cultures since I saw John Kerry at the Ward 11th Congressional Picnic on Labor Day 2004 in Cleveland. Quite honestly, this is probably much better - not in size, but in composition. Young, old, black, white, latino, seniors, students. You want it, you got it.

7:17pm - Blue Ohioan

Looks like we’re 20 minutes away and I am already sick of the expression “Barack the House.” A local radio host is emcee of the event and dropped that line about 20 times in 5 minutes.          

As always, crowd getting tired of waiting and standing. I know campaigns want to get the largest crowd possible, but I think I found another entry to our Campaign 2.0 series: “Don’t make people wait longer than 45 minutes past the time you told them the show would start.” This isn’t big deal for me, but a few of the older folks are looking a little fatigued. Still, the energy is high and the crowd is ready to go.

7:20pm - wenBLOG

Some woman who works for Tri-C is welcoming the crowd - sorry but I didn’t get her name…
She’s shadowed by the obligatory sign languateer.         

The rally the crowd types are making their passes at the microphone.  Now some morning show DJ - how the hell should I know who he is… I don’t listen to him so I don’t know.  Is trying to get folks to “Ba ROCK the town”.

I’m not really sure how they say that in sign language.

7:27pm - wenBLOG

A little while back Mansfield Frazier posted a piece on the Silent Majority questioning the racial make-up of the Obama campaign.  He opined that perhaps the campaign was too white and that it would hurt Obama with African American voters.  Well judging by the crowd tonight, he couldn’t have been more wrong.         

This is not a white crowd, but it’s not a black crowd either.  It’s an east side Cleveland / CuyCo crowd and they are really into this thing.

Can it be that this guy is for real.  You look down on this crowd and you see hope  streaming from the pores on the young faces.  They so desperately want a political savior.  Can this 45 year old man from Illinois deliver?

I think this is really more about people thirsting for anything  other than the status quo.  Politics is so emotional.  I don’t know how they’ll maintain this level of frenzy for the next year and a half.

 

Writes Like She Talks 

Okay - I made it in - I fed everyone in my family - the dishes will be there when I get back - the press table was GONE - they had nothing on me - but a nice tall woman who said she was the sleonard who had emailed with Wendell told me I could go in - and I saw Anastasia P.         

It’s warm - not so loud yet - not back to the doors but very full. Mark Naymik is supposedly here somewhere behind me. And Jerid is supposedly here - I haven’t seen anyone else.

Now I just have to hope that they don’t drag my car away like they were doing to the car that had been in my spot. The tow guy - fascinating - said, you here for Obama? I said yeah. He said, “I wouldn’t want to be the first black president, no way. Just like Kennedy.”

Wow - I hope that’s not prescient.  

7:28pm - Blue Ohioan

Be sure to check out Wendell Robinson (sitting right next to me) and Jerid (who we can’t seem to locate) with their live action…         

BREAK FOR COMMERCIAL…
“Hey Obama fans, be sure to stop by the BlueOhioan Gift Shop while we wait for the Senator to arrive. Get some gear and Bar-rock the house!”

We’re getting close to the moment of truth. Stay tuned.

Writes Like She Talks 

Very varied, very varied. Not too many on the 105 year end. Every other strata, here. Female, male. Black and white - not even but far more than you might think. Possibly due to being here in the burbs.      

What is that about? How do the folks on the ground for Obama make that decision? I imagine Subodh might have some ideas about that. Was it a good place? I don’t know enough to say.

Are these registered voter types? Also not sure. Is the goal to get the voters interested first re: get them to become primary voters?

7:32pm - wenBLOG

I now know the sign for “give it up” as in “give it up” for the next semi-famous local celebrity to grace the walkway.
BTW, the appropriate sign is to raise your hands in the air and and shake your fingers… I always thought was how you were supposed to show appreciation in a deaf audience.   I guess it’s the same thing…         

7:37pm - wenBLOG

Some guy on the microphone is raging on about the war and education and wait… he just invoked Ghandi.  Apparently according to this guy we completely F#@*ed up in 2004 by re-electing Bush, but c’mon…
President Kerry?         

Talk about a disaster.

7:41pm - wenBLOG

We’ve got another blogger in attendance, check out Jerid at Buckeye State Blog.  We have no idea where he is, but we know he’s here.

Writes Like She Talks

Sitting under the triangle of the tripod, I hope there isn’t a superstition about that space like there is under a ladder.         

People are listening. Loud, firm, good speaker - but can’t honestly say what he’s saying. Leader - who do we allow to lead us.

Feels like air conditioning just came on above me. Nice. I’m used to being cold - not here.

There’s an older press guy to my right - with an old IBM stinkpad, um, thinkpad.

Oh - Shaw High School band - very cool. Coming on - #8 in the country.

7:46pm - wenBLOG

We found Jill and now our ear drums are being deluged by drums right behind us!
Are you feeling it?

Writes Like She Talks 

Wow - serious drumline echoing up here but the view is much better and Wendell gave up his seat for me. He must be a conservative (JUST KIDDING).        

Okay - now I can see tht the room is very full - maybe 11/12ths as my son who is about to have a birthday says about his age. Very different from the ODP dinner when I last met Barack Obama. Now, tonight, here, I don’t believe there are any of the bloggers who were at the table with Obama that night in June. I spoke with Cindy Zawadski late this afternoon and she was unable to make it - I promised I’d try to take pictures and write. So - I’m working it - the picture thing? I might defer to all the good multimedia Anthony of Blue Ohioan is doing and Wendell of Wenblog. Going to add the links to their blogs in later.

7:50pm - Blue Ohioan

Signs in the house:
NASCAR Fan for Obama
I want to kiss Obama
Cleveland loves Obama
Cleveland Rocks for Barack        

Lots of love.

The drumline was sweet and the crowd is still in good spirits, but if the radio guy pops back up, they’ll kill him. Still a few streaming in. I gotta tell you, I’m incredibly impressed with the size of this group and the excitement. I’ve been to probably close to a hundred rallies like this over the past 37 years and this is the best pre-primary rally I’ve ever been to. Just incredible.

Writes Like She Talks 

Can’t say I blame them - if I wasn’t typing I’d be pounding my feet and whooping too. I love that stuff. (Great movie btw if you’ve never seen it - Drumline.)

7:53pm - wenBLOG

They’re accomodating those who aren’t interested in standing in the gym by letting them watch the event on large screen TV’s in the ante areas.

Writes Like She Talks 

Anthony: Moving Pictures
Wendell: The skeptic
Jill: Transcribing with eyes closed
Can’t say for Jerid - you’ll need to check BSB      

What’s very cool is having a variety of impressions and then picking apart why I disagree with what Wendell’s seeing and he disagrees with what I’m seeing or hearing. And yet, in the end, we’re actually getting similar senses from what we think should be said and shouldn’t be said, regardless of whether he follows that vision.

7:57pm - wenBLOG

here.

Writes Like She Talks

I need to bring my new teenager with me next time - he’ll know how to work everything. And then tell me what else I need to get with the program.        

So - Wendell has this Compact Flash thing with something else next to it in his what looks to be a homemade laptop. Jerid had his brand new MacBook Pro and Anthony has a PowerBook G4, a blackberry - sitting all by its lonesome - I have my son’s fanny pack.

Looks like Wendell’s gone through two sodas and I’m feeling like a camel in need of water.

7:59pm - wenBLOG

I gotta get home and watch 24!  Thank God for the DVR.

Writes Like She Talks 

Now on stage is LaDonna Norris and the Byrd-Bennett Scholars Graduates: (description below is from their 2/12 appearance on WCPN with my favorite PD writer, Margaret Bernstein)

What happens when you take 30 more or less average kids in Cleveland, give them something to shoot for, every reason to succeed and support in doing it? Success. This spring, the Barbara Byrd-Bennett Scholars will graduate and head off to college, some of them with a free ride at Baldwin Wallace. Monday morning on The Sound of Ideas, we’ll talk with a few of the scholars, their advisor, and Barbara Byrd-Bennett herself about the program and the lessons learned.
>Download in MP3
Guests: LaDonna Norris, Baldwin-Wallace College, Barbara Byrd-Bennett Scholar program director; Brandon Floyd, BBB scholar, MLK High School; Quameen Vernon, BBB scholar, John Marshall H.S.; Margaret Bernstein, Plain Dealer reporter; Barbara Byrd-Bennett, Cleveland State University

People who give their life to make other people want to give theirs. 

8:00pm - Blue Ohioan

Showtime! Gotta video tape….        

Writes Like She Talks

Enter Obama.  8pm on the dot. Shaking every single hand aong the catwalk. He is slim as a catwalk catwalker too. Someone has done a pastel of Barack and is holding it up along the catwalk.        

The crowd goes wild. No overstatement.

8:05pm - wenBLOG

  

Writes Like She Talks 

Brass in pocket? I don’t know but he may need it along the route to the Democratic nomination.        

His voice is as firm as it was in June but he doesn’t look as insistent - probably because he’s not leaning over, talking over whomever was speaking

“We expect to win Ohio!”

Says turnout “exceeded all expectations” “but I gotta say that this is how we roll these days. It began on Feb. 10th, when I stood in front of the old state capitol in Springfield, IL and joined 17,000 of my best friends to announce that I was running for the presidency of the United States of America!”

“I must admit I was a little worried because it was 7 degrees that day and I was worried that no one would show up yet they came from far and wide and the turnout exceeded all expectation and I remember people were huddled and all bundled up …but they stayed because they felt that maybe something was happening and that the country was ready for a change!” (crowd roars)

“And so we went on to Iowa and we took that spirit to Iowa and everywhere we went we saw huge crowds - I took my family with me - this time I had my wife and older daughter with me 8 and 5, my motherinlaw, godmother and nieces and nephews, the whole family rolling down the highway in a convoy in a big bus…”

“I’m seeing my daughters and I go over to them. The older one, and I ask, are you having fun? Yeah Dad I really wanted to come one of these trips. And after a while she says, “What are we doing here again? why are we here?” Okay - he’s told that one too.

“My five year old says that “this is part of daddy’s president thing.”

“If I’d had time to give a more full answer, I’d say the same thing tonight - what are we doing here? We are here because the country is at a crossroads.

“We are here because for too many years, we’ve known the challenges we’ve faced but we haven’t faced them squarely or honestly…

“We know that in a country that spends 1.9 trillion a year on health care - having 46 million people uninsured makes no sense…

“Too many people are getting left behind… our scores compared to the rest of the world… college has become too tough because Congress has raised interest on tuition loans…

“The economy is changing and some at the top are doing better than before - CEO of the company seeing his salary go through the roof, yet all around we have people who work every single day who take the bus or the train and do whatever they can to get to work and get home late, try to raise their kids and keep them out of trouble and haven’t seen their wages increase or their salary increase for years.

“We know that we don’t have an energy strategy - we’ve spent 800 million a day for some of the most hostile countries on earth…

“And in the bargain, we’re now melting the polar ice caps and destroying this precious planet earth…” (not much reaction from crowd)

“We’re in the midst of a war that should never have been authorized (big crowd response) and that as a consequence of the war, we have spent over half a trillion that could have been spent rebuilding Ohio and Cleveland - we’ve lost more than 3100 of our bravest young men and women - thousands more have seen their nerves shattered, limbs…

“A consequence of this war ? We’ve seen Afghanistan slip back into Taliban…”

“Our reputation is diminished all over the world..

“So we know what the problems are…

“And we know that the path that we followed has been rejected by the American people -that’s what the November election is about. People said that we won’t accept the war - (crowd riveted - not moving, listening)

“American people are understanding that we need to embrace a vision for the future not just complain about past…

“That’s the moment that we’re in right now - we’re in a moment in which if we make some good decisions, we can do what previous generations have done and we can make a more equal and just…

“If we fail to accept this challenge, then we will be the first leaving a poorer and meaner generation to the future…

“The challenge we have - the reason we’re here - it’s not an absence of solutions - it’s the incapacity of our leadership to pull us together and get to work.”

8:11pm - wenBLOG

 

Writes Like She Talks 

‘Te Amo Obama‘ Sign in the crowd.      

Now focusing on the kids. “We must rebuild international institutions and rebuild countries that have collapsed - we need to think about nations like Darfur - not jut because we have a humanitarian and moral commitment to stopping genocide but because when kids are brought up in that, the children” suffer.

Notice absence of any mention of faith. Doesn’t that differ from other speeches he’s given? The political tailoring of the words, the phrases, the sound bites.

I’m so cynical.

8:22pm - wenBLOG

The Senator appears comfortable with his stump speech… he’s hitting the old Democratic standards:  “our children will be the first generation of Americans to inherit a poorer country than their parents inherited.”        

This is his crowd they’re eating it up.  I’m a little more skeptical (hey it’s my job).

It’s a good speech, but here’s what I don’t like he’s looking for someone to blame, when at the end of the day the only one’s to blame are ourselves, but people don’t want to hear that.  God forbid that people should have to take responsibility for something.  But he’s not unique in the blame game, all politicians do it.

He’s hitting the oil companies now… it’s their fault we don’t use alternative energy.  And now it’s the war…

He’s hitting on the “I was against this war from the start”… which is easy to say when you didn’t have to vote on it.  Hell, I was against the war, but I was not in the Senate and I didn’t have to make that choice.

Oh here comes the internationalist bent of the Democrats… we need to rebuild the world.

He mentions Darfur which is a disaster.

Now he’s banging on Cheney… good red meat for the crowd.

Writes Like She Talks 

Walking in a circle as he speaks, at the end of the catwalk. Simple, clear. Leave the complaints in the beginning, forward the solutions in the middle and the problem-solver? Well - that’s him. The conclusion. 

8:31pm - wenBLOG

Jill’s looking over my shoulder and we’re give and taking…
She seems to think that Obama’s giving answers.        

I’m with him on reciting the litany of problems, but his solution is a little too simplisitic - I am the answer.

I think he’s having some trouble raising the big bucks, he just said “I’d rather have a 100,000 votes than a $100,000.”  Is this a reference to the fact that Hillary may be locking down hard on the money folks since his soiree on the coast?  I think he’s going to run into the same problem most fresh faces run into - the big machine…

Writes Like She Talks

This part of his presentation, speech, announcement, campaign stump, is calculated to indicate, to instill a belief, a sense, a counterweight to the concern that he’s not experienced enough.        

It’s wise for him to stay away from votes about Iraq since he wasn’t there and wasn’t faced with what the other Dems who were in the Congress faced. I agree - he needs to stay away from it, and should stick to comforting people that he has the answers, and the leadership to get the answers implemented.

Writes Like She Talks 

Nothing can happen until we bring this war in Iraq to an end.  He says that he said in 2002 when he was elected that this war was a mistake.      

Oy. I don’t think this is wise of him, IMO.

Stick to what he’s saying now: however you felt then, it’s time to give the Iraqis their country back.

No argument from me on that.

Writes Like She Talks 

ODP story coming back at ya…”Sometimes I get tired but when I get tired I remember a woman I met before I got elected to the Senate.”      

He goes backstage just before going out on stage and meets the woman and they talked and had a picture.

Her name was Marvery (?) Lewis - 105 years old.

Okay - he told this story at the ODP. So…I’m guessing he doesn’t expect there to be much overlap, eh?

8:34pm - Blue Ohioan 

We’ll, it’s over. Obama rocked the house. I’m going to try and squeeze as much in here as I can on limited battery.      

Obama was very strong in presentation, but very light on anything close to specifics. But let’s face it, it’s a rally. What rally has EVER contained substance. So, overall I give Obama a solid B+. His stump speech will need some work and his delivery is still a little rough BUT he’s a fantastic candidate on the stump and could be a real powerhouse after he’s got a few more of these rallies under his belt. You can watch the whole thing tomorrow on something we’re calling “The BlueOhioan Channel at YouTube.” In addition to all the video of today, we’ll have the Bloggapalooza interviews and quick and easy links to the entire Democratic field (except Hillary - who for some reason doesn’t have a YouTube page yet). Come back here in the morning and find the link on the right column. I think it’ll be a nice little extra. Over the coming months, we’ll try to add more as we can. I hope my wife and kids like parades, because Daddy’s going to be driving the Fossaceca Pacifica all over the place looking for interesting angles to videotape in this off year.

Wendell is shutting down, Jill is wrapping up, and my juice is almost gone. Peace out Ohio. See you in the morning!

8:36pm - wenBLOG

He just finished up with a reference to an elderly woman in Illinois and how if she can work hard so can he.  If she won’t give up neither will I…
Good speech good event.  I didn’t hear anything that was earth shattering, but it’s still early.      

Writes Like She Talks

“If she’s not tired, I’m not tired”… Well, yeah, but Barack - you’re a LOT younger. You’re younger than me I think.      

Okay - 31 minute speech. On to…I’m not sure. He goes into the crowd, shaking hands. Not much security for him that I can see.

Could the tow guy be right? Wow - that is REALLY a scary thought.

I hope people will comment on that. Would someone assassinate this man?

Enormous sigh. Wow. Just think about that.

Writes Like She Talks 

That really surprises me. Let’s take a quick look at his website.     

I seem to recall that he’s been the candidate who has most thrust into the public the idea that we shouldn’t run away or ignore or leave out the discussion of religion when we discuss politics. It’s important to me that religion not be wielded the way Ken Blackwell wielded it, and that everyone who isn’t an extreme rightwing idealogue demand the respect they deserve for however they embrace faith or a moral value system.

But, for better or worse, no mention of that here tonight.

9:43pm - wenBLOG

The crowd’s milling out , but the Senator’s still shaking hands.  I’ll post game the event tomorrow. 
The best part of this whole thing was the interaction with my fellow bloggers.  Reading one another’s posts and then responding.   This is a great free form forum to exchange ideas.  We need to do more of this.     

Ta, ta for now…  

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 27th, 2007 at 11:39 am and is filed under Politics, White House '08, Democrats, Live blogging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “Barack Obama @ Tri-C Monday, 26 February 2007”

  1. 1
    Anthony Says:

    Great job Wendell! This is a great way to follow the action.

    February 27th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
  2. 2
    Jill Says:

    Wendell! What an outstanding job! Why on earth would you ever want to BE a politician when you can do this. :)

    February 27th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
  3. 3
    wenBLOG » The night of Obama in review Says:

    […] I’ve posted a compilation of some of the live blogs from last night’s Obama event at Tri-C over on The Silent Majority.  My thanks to tablemates Anthony Fossacecca of Blue Ohioan and Jill Miller Zimon of Writes Like She Talks for their camaraderie, to Jerid Kurtz of Buckeye State Blog and Jason Haas of Psychobilly Democrat who were there but we didn’t connect and to George Nemeth at Brewed Fresh Daily for his offsite metablogging and support wonking. […]

    February 27th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
  4. 4
    wendellrobinson.com Blog » Blog Archive » Test post Says:

    […] I’ve posted a compilation of some of the live blogs from last night’s Obama event at Tri-C over on The Silent Majority. My thanks to tablemates Anthony Fossacecca of Blue Ohioan and Jill Miller Zimon of Writes Like She Talks for their camaraderie, to Jerid Kurtz of Buckeye State Blog and Jason Haas of Psychobilly Democrat who were there but we didn’t connect and to George Nemeth at Brewed Fresh Daily for his offsite metablogging and support wonking. […]

    March 3rd, 2007 at 12:12 pm
  5. 5
    Obama security and the prescience of JMZ » wenBLOG Says:

    […] When I heard the news last night that Secret Service protection has been extended to Barack Obama it sent shivers up my back. Jill Miller Zimon at Writes Like She Talks already mentioned this on her page today, but as soon as I heard it last night I was thinking the same thing. So this morning I dug around in the attic of TSM to find this item from Jill’s portion of the live-blog compilation of the Obama event on February 27th: Okay - I made it in - I fed everyone in my family - the dishes will be there when I get back - the press table was GONE - they had nothing on me - but a nice tall woman who said she was the sleonard who had emailed with Wendell told me I could go in - and I saw Anastasia P. […]

    May 4th, 2007 at 11:46 am
  6. 6
    Hillary’s house only half-full » wenBLOG Says:

    […] Compare that to the throngs of folks who turned out for the Obama event and it’s obvious that Team Hillary’s got some problems here in Cleveland (especially since Stephanie Tubbs-Jones is one of her national campaign co-chairs). […]

    May 7th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
  7. 7
    WayBack machine: WLST predicts HRC loses; Obama at Tri-C | Writes Like She Talks Says:

    […] 2.  Wendell Robinson’s superb mash-up of bloggers’ impressions of Barack Obama’s Tri-C rally in February 27.  Read every word - it is well worth your time as you think about the race as it stands today. […]

    January 22nd, 2008 at 3:10 pm

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