A new poll out today shows that Barack and Hillary are tied in South Carolina.... Amazing.
The copy for the AP news story is - "In South Carolina, where Edwards was born, he had 5.6 percent, and Clinton and Obama each had the support of 16.7 percent of the Democrats polled."
The poll was conducted by folks at Elon College and this is a link to their site with full details - see Feb. 23 poll story - Link
The AP story is here Link Critics will say that the 'statistical margin of error' is high, which it is, but the real point is that this just proves how powerful is Barack's message of hope for South Carolinians
...we're just getting started...
Phil
(Folks, I tried to post some pictures, video, etc links but couldn't figure out how to do it. The best coverage of the tirp with great photos is in The State Link
Columbia - 1:55pm on Friday
The sleek white jet plane slowly rolled up to the terminal at Owens Field, the small air strip in Columbia for private planes. It was a small jet that holds about a dozen people.
It was bright and sunny with a cool breeze; a typically gorgeous South Carolina day. I thought to myself ’What a great way to start a campaign’.
Four or five young aides piled out of the plane, gathering up their papers and coats and then immediately began to fish their Blackberry’s out of their pockets to check their emails.
Barack then got off the plane looking around, smiling broadly and smacking on gum – it was some nicotine gum as he’s trying to quit smoking because he made some sort of deal with his wife Michelle that if she would let him run for president he’d quit smoking.
My first impression was he was a lot taller and a lot skinnier that I though he would be.
“Welcome to Charleston,” I said as I stuck out my hand. That was an incredibly stupid thing for me to say as we were standing in Columbia at the time. I guess I’ve live in the Holy City too long. He either didn’t notice my gaffe or more likely he was too polite to say anything.
My friend Ted Dintersmith gave him a gift bag with a blue Palmetto tie and we talked about the palmetto tree and crescent on the tie and about how it had become our state's symbol and flag at Ft Moultrie in the Revolutionary War. He was very interested.
The Ride - 'While I breathe, I hope'
The three of us got in the car with Rick Wade who had flown down from Washington with Barack. (Rick ran a great race for Secretary of State back in ’04 and it would have been wonderful for our state if he had won.)
On the way to the Marriott hotel, we talked a bit and I told Barack that our state motto was “While I hope, I breathe.” Given that hope is one of the major themes of his campaign, he said ‘Who’s got a pen? I want to write that down. I can use that.” I was pleased.
Ted is a technology entrepreneur and he and Barack started talking about some of Ted’s ideas for getting folks in the tech sector involved with developing some new policy ideas and strategies for the campaign. They agreed on some ‘next steps.’
Barack has been to South Carolina a few times before and I was impressed by how much he knew about the state. As we drove he kept asking lots of questions about the state and out politics.
It was a very interesting ride.
When we arrive at the Marriott on Main Street, they directed us around to the back door service entrance. Barack bounded out of the car – this man has lots of energy – and he talked a few minutes with the hotel folks that were there to meet him. As we made our way thru the back rooms of the hotel, Barack went out of his way to stop and talk with the maintenance folks and other hotel workers. They were pretty shocked when he stopped to speak to them and ask their names.
I thought about how Strom Thurmond was famous for barging into the kitchen at restaurants and hotels and speaking to all the cooks and bus boys. As I watched Barack, I thought to my self, this guy is different.
For the next couple of hours he met one on one or in small groups with some media people, legislators and other state political folks. I wasn’t in the meetings and I don’t know what all they talked about but as I watched the parade of folks coming and going, it stuck me that he was talking with ‘the right people’ - not because they were the most senior power brokers, they weren’t. They were mostly the young crowd, the up and comers. I thought, these guys are the future, not the past…‘the best and brightest’.
The whole process was expertly managed by one of the young ‘best and brightest’ Anton Gunn. Anton was the first campaign staffer hired in South Carolina as the political director. He played football for USC and he is about the size of a large Frigidaire refrigerator - big, square, muscular and big. There is no doubt that Anton is ‘large and in charge.’
The Teddy Bear Moment - at the rally
After the meetings we got back into the car and went over to the Convention Center where he was to speak at the rally. As we came thru the back entrance, there was Ted’s wife and young son and daughter as well as a dozen or so other folks waiting to greet Barack. One of the ladies waiting was the mother of someone that Barack had worked with back in his community organizing days on the South Side of Chicago. They talked and laughed about ‘old times’ and he autographed his book for her.
Then he talked with Ted’s family – they were soooo happy and excited – and then they posed for a group picture. Ted’s young son had brought his small teddy bear with him and he was concerned that he hadn’t got the bear in the picture. As the father of two small children about the same age, Barack understands the importance of teddy bears so he stopped the whole process and said, “We got to take another picture and get the bear in the picture this time.’ I don’t know who was happier, Ted’s son, the rest of the family or the bear.
Barack was terrific at the rally. I won’t go into all the details as lots of ya’ll were there or saw it covered on television and in the press. Suffice to say – the place was packed; Barack was great; everyone went crazy.
Although I didn’t see her, a friend of mine Sherri Mabry from Rock Hill was in the crowd and took my picture and emailed it to me this morning. Thanks Sherri.
A Chicken Sandwich to Go - and make it FAST !
After the rally, Barack went back stage into a holding room back stage. Inside there were four long brown banquet type tables arranged in a square. Neatly lined up on the table were probably 150 copies of Barack’s two books - all arranged so that each book was open to the cover page ready for him to autograph. Most had a little yellow sticky note attached with the name or the details of the person who wanted their book autographed.
I looked at the all this and turned to Reggie Love, Barack’s personal assistant (a Duke man and very proud of it) and said, “This is crazy; he can’t take the time to sign all those books.” Reggie said, “Yeah, he’ll take the time. He does it everywhere; it means a lot to folks. Let’s go find him something to eat that he can munch on while he signing the books.”
We hopped in my car and drove off to try and find a fast food place – “He likes chicken sandwiches’ Reggie said. While I sped thru the dark streets (my apologies to the local police) Reggie dove into his Blackberry and responded to emails and made three cell phone calls all at the same time. This younger generation defines the term ‘multi-tasking.’
By the time we got back, much to my amazement, Barack had finished signing all the books and was hustling across the parking lot and climbing into the red van to go the reception at the Columbia Museum of Art. Reggie handed him the white Styrofoam box with the chicken sandwich as the van sped away…the very definition of ‘eat and run’.
Kid Call Time - a touching moment
When we arrived at the Museum, Laurin Manning met us (She’s great and all ya’ll are going to enjoy getting to know her as she, along with Anton are the only paid staff in the state so far). She and the other staff folks decided we had a few extra minutes and they led us all into a ‘holding room’ off to the side of the main hall. Barack walked over to the corner and whipped out his Blackberry phone and immediately called home to talk with his kids.
I walked away to leave him alone. As a father myself with school aged kids who is always on the go – I know that for Barack with his two young girls, even such moments as fleeting phone calls home are all too rare and special.
A few minutes later it’s into the reception with a couple of hundred folks. It was a lot of oo-ing and ah-ing. Pictures, smiles and hugs from everyone. There is not a stiff or formal bone in Barack Obama’s body. Everyone is a friend….and it seems very genuine.
'Presence' - the Lady arrives
Just as he begins to say a few words, his wife Michele arrives and he brings her up on the little platform. A stunning woman. Tall, very attractive and with what my Mother used to call ‘presence.’ They made a few good natured jokes about each other and everyone laughed and enjoyed it. Clearly they have something special going between them.
I don’t know who the caterer for the reception was, but the food was great, especially the bar- b-que shrimp.
The Late Shift - amazing bunch of 20-somethings
After the reception they went off the hotel and Barack and Michelle went their way and the staff sat down around a big table in the lobby. They pulled out their laptops and Blackberries and went to work. I was worn out and all I could think about was the bed; all these 20- something staff kids showed no signs of even slowing down. I was impressed…and amazed.
The next morning at 7:00am, I walked into the hotel lobby and Reggie was in the same spot at the same big table where I had left him seven hours ago. He had all his papers spread out in front of him and he was hard at work. “Did you go to bed?” I asked. “Sure” he replied. ‘I slept 3 or 4 hours; I feel great.”
A little while later when Barack came down, I showed him The State front page with the great picture and headline. I think he had already seen it and I asked him to autograph it for me. That one will go framed up on my wall .
The Reverends - powered by grace
First up was a breakfast meeting with about 200 mostly black ministers at Brookland Baptist Church. When we walked in the large banquet room the choir was swaying and clapping and singing with lots of energy and enthusiasm….amazing…and it was still before 8 am. It was terrific and I wished we had got there earlier for more of the singing.
The whole atmosphere was warm and welcoming with a little crackle of excitement as Barack and Michele mingle and talked with all the folks – more hugs, book autographs, pictures and smiles. Barack, creates this wonderful glow in everyone where ever he goes. It’s really quite unusual. The only time I have ever seen anything comparable is seeing people’s reactions to Bill Clinton.
The Senior Pastor at Brookland, Rev Charles Jackson welcomed everyone with very warm words and told us about the Church’s impressive banquet and meeting facilities where we were meeting. He explained how it was more than just a nice facility but part of the Churches strategy to re-cycle dollars and jobs back into the black community so that people didn’t have to go to the downtown hotels to find first class meeting facilities and services. A neat idea that’s obviously working.
Barack was then introduced by Rev Charles Darby of Charleston. Rev Darby is a very special leader in our state as he has uniquely combined his leadership position in a number of influential organizations with the best pithy quotes about politics and the ‘characters’ of Palmetto state politics. Humor is a potent weapon in the struggle for justice.
What stuck we about Barack’s talk with this group was how the things he said, never seemed to vary from event to event and from one group to another. While politician are famous for saying different things to try and please different audiences, Barack’s message was the same for all – a consistent message of hope, challenges we face as a nation and the future.
Kids Gone Wild - Claflin College rally
On to the final stop with a big rally at Claflin College in Orangeburg. The big gym was nearly packed, probably 2,000 people or more. As the various dignitaries were being recongnized, the biggest round of applause went to Rep. Bakari Sellers - the 22 year old law student who holds down a part time job as the youngest legistator and the youngest black elected official in the country.
At the rally, again the same – Barack talks with great humor, (mostly making fun of himself and his funny name), about his ideas and hopes for a new kind of politics and new future for our country. Very inspiring stuff, even after hearing it several times. The crowd went wild.
He had to cut short his talk with only a few questions and answers because at the last minute the trip had to be compressed so that he could fly back to Washington for an important vote on the Iraq war.
A Historic Beginning - ground zero
And then on to the Orangeburg airport where the same sleek white plane was waiting. We stood on the tarmac and talked a few minutes as the plane was being loaded up with the baggage and traveling staff.
“It was a good trip’ I said to Barack. “The crowds, the press reports and the excitement were about as good as it gets.”
‘Yeah, it was’ he said with that now familiar big, wide and warm grin. “What a great state. I’m excited about coming back soon and often’.
With that he shook my hand, gave me a big smile, and hustled up the step of the plane.
……Stay tuned folks….something wonderful and historic is happening in out country…and South Carolina and the presidential primaries are ground zero.
Hey folks -
I'm trying to reach my first $1,000 fundraising goal before Barack get to SC this weekend. How about chipping in a few bucks to make it happen!! Click on the link below
Link, you should consider setting up your own fundrasing page as it's a great way to get your friends involved.
Thanks - Phil
