Editor's Note: Originally Published on The Chief Source - by my friend Kyle on February 27, 2007
Energy. Excitement. Front runner. Forget the polls, there is no candidate running for the presidency pulling off an event like Barack Obama did in Cleveland last night. Bob, Patty, Tim and I got there at 4:45 and got in the back of a line that was already 200 people long. The doors didn't open until 6:00 and much of the overflow crowd didn't get into the event. You would have thought it was the day before the election instead of a year before the primary.As Democrats, we are used to diverse crowds at our public events, but this crowd was exceptional. Anyone who is questioning Obama's credibility with African-Americans is insane. Rather than the usual cattle call of area politicians warming up the crowd, the Obama campaign had a gospel choir, step marching band, drum line, and a poet from Morehouse College. There were two short introductions from the President of Tri-C and a group of mentored minority students who had earned scholarships from an area high school. It was great.The crowd went nuts when Senator Obama came out. His remarks touched on red meat issues for Democrats: health care, education, the environment, and of course Iraq. On Iraq, Obama's plan calls for the redeployment of troops to begin in May of 2007 and the removal of all combat brigades by March 31, 2008. Obama also had a great section of his speech where he talked about "being an imperfect vessel" as a candidate. He told the crowd that he will make mistakes and stumble in his campaign, but no matter what happens he will continue to fight for what he believes is right. It was a great line and great strategy by his campaign.Senator Obama concluded his remarks by talking about the day of his inauguration when he was first elected to the Illinois State Senate. On the way out to be sworn in, he was asked to take a picture and sign an autograph for an African-American woman who was 105 years old. He concluded his speech by talking about the conversation he had with this woman who had lived from a time of Jim Crow laws and slavery to a time where an African-American could be elected to the State Senate in Illinois. I cannot adequately describe what a powerful conclusion it was.Fellow Democrats, I left the speech knowing he's ready to run. Let's pick a candidate we can get excited about for a change. Let's pick Barack Obama.
