Obama Up Close

Last night, Barack Obama came to South Bend for a rally at a local high school. Thousands of tickets were available and they were gone within an hour. To get one, you had to go to the local Democratic Club, something I wasn't exactly going to do. So, I sought out a connection. My boss is a member of the South Bend City Council and I asked her if there was any way she could get me a ticket. She did, so I got to go.

The rally was scheduled to begin at 10:00 p.m. Yes, you read that right, a late night rally. By contrast, Hillary was here a couple weeks ago and appeared at 10:00 a.m. I got there at about 6:30 p.m. when the doors were opening. Outside were the usual litany of t.v. trucks from CNN, Fox, etc. You had to go through a security checkpoint and then sit down and wait and wait and wait. I didn't necessarily have to get there that early, but wanted the best seat possible. I was just off the right of the stage in the bleachers, so I had an excellent view.

At about 9:30 p.m., some local pastor come on stage for an opening prayer. Wasn't really expecting that, but with a very large African American audience, I guess that should be expected (ever notice how you can't offend blacks when mixing church and state, that seems to just be a problem for us white folks).

After the pastor, some local Democratic chairperson came on stage for some words, then she was followed by former Congressman Tim Roemer. He maybe talked a little too long. Made a big deal about some endorsements Obama had just picked up. These being from the mayors of Michigan City and Goshen. Wow, could an endorsement from the mayors of Wabash and French Lick be far behind? He said it would be great if South Bend's mayor endorsed him. So, of course, Mayor Steve Luecke comes on and gives his endorsement, which I'm sure now guarantees an Obama win in November.

As a side note, the rally took place at Washington High School. Two weeks ago, when Hillary was in town, she wanted to come there but was denied. The school said it would "disrupt the education process" for the kids. A local high school in neighboring Mishawaka quickly snatched up the opportunity and she went there instead. Now, Obama comes to town, and the school opens its doors, but they said it wasn't a problem because it was after school hours. Evidently, hosting a former First Lady and first ever female candidate for president isn't one of those moments you would want kids to experience and has no educational value.

But, back to the action on hand. The mayor was thankfully brief, and quickly said, "You've been waiting all night for this haven't you?" So he introduced Obama, and at about 10:40 p.m., he took the stage (yeah, this was a late night). Of course, he got thunderous applause. Then it died down and he got into his speech.

I imagine Obama gives pretty much the same speech everwhere he goes. He had no podium, no teleprompter or any note cards. Just walked around the stage. He went into the usual list of things that need to be fixed (health care, education, gas prices, etc.). Spoke quite a bit about the situation in Iraq, although like Hillary, doesn't really say exactly what he'll do. Says the troops need to come home, but that's maybe easier said than done.

I like what he says about not taking money from lobbyists and wanting to dilute their influence. I'm all for that because Bush cashed in too many favors when he got to town. Obama's only real specific plan was to ensure a health care plan similar to what congress has by the end of his first term. Also mentioned something about a $4,000 credit for college tuition, but in return, students perform some sort of community service (not bad). He also spoke about how government cannot fix everything and parents need to do their part (yes!) and that teachers need to be paid more (double yes!).

I can easily see why he has such appeal. His campaign slogan is simple, "Change We Can Believe In," and that really resonates. It's why Hillary can't break through. Although undoubtely the better qualified of the two, she represents the status quo, and Obama truly represents something different. It's why I could never vote for her.

But would I vote for him? I'm not sure yet. I have seen him on t.v. a zillion times, and last night, he was actually a little off. Had trouble finding his stride at times. For the first time, he seemed a little more human, a little more vulnerable. His inexperience came through a bit, especially when it came to foreign policy. I am now officially tired of hearing about his speech in 2002 opposing the war. That seems to be his only qualifier when it comes to foreign policy experience and he mentioned it again. His approach last night to go at it unscripted may have been the cause for his stumbling at times, or maybe the lateness of the hour. Although, frankly, I can't imagine having to keep up this kind of energy every day for so long.

So, was I looking at the next president? Could be. Did he look presidential? Oh yes, absolutely. He is very much at ease in front of people, and his speech was in a conversational tone that really connects with the audience. As I sat there, I wondered what it would be like to attend a rally if John McCain came to town. I don' t think it would be quite the same experience.