11/14/07 - Barack Obama at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium SF

CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN

The Civic was packed to the rafters this evening, estimated at 6,000 people.

Dusty Baker and Alice Walker were the featured speakers.

Obama gave a rehash of his JJ dinner speech, and I'm glad he did because while in line for two hours beforehand, I spoke to many people who had not caught the speech.

Due to an unfortunate fuzzy socks versus bare wood stairs incident, I was on crutches. I was skooched over to a section where I could sit (right by the stage so I wasn't complaining), but was separated from my son who had the camera. Unfortunately fresh off the digital, they are a bit dark.

The best part was after his speech. He descended the stairs from the stage and headed straight for me as I was precariously perched hanging over the barricades with arm extended. He took my hand in both of his. I looked him in the eye and said, "I believe." He smiled, chuckled, and thanked me. And my son wasn't anywhere in the vicinity to get the shot. Curses.

I can say without hesitation that Obama is the answer to the the fierce urgency of now. I believe.

sorry about the socks thing. Nice pics. Pics just can't convey that feeling that everyone gets at an Obama event. It's positively transporting isn't it.

who actually look like they believe in and LIKE the person they've come to see. Their expressions say a LOT.

All the people in juniors pics lately look like zombies.

Sorry about your tootsie, but it's great that your injury got you close enough to speak to him. Not a bad trade-off eh?

my good luck always seems to have a downside. Ha, ha.

The place was rockin' last night!

your downs always have an upside :)

:)

candidate, but I thought the part about how he "descended from the stage" and you looked him in the eye and said "I believe," etc., sounded a bit cultish.

And I don't mean this to come across in an offensive manner. I just don't think anyone should become googly eyed over any politician.

You know what I mean?

I am delighted by the irony, because I actually have moved away from what I think you mean by "a bit cultish." Since the beginning of my tenure here at DU, I have been a full-on Clinton go-to girl, a long time party loyalist. I recall being verklempt at the anti-Clinton rhetoric here at DU.

Concomitantly with that, I have also consistently declared I would not support anyone who voted 'yes' on the IWR. The outrage is still fresh in my mind, and I think the Democratic Congress' virtual impotence has diluted some of that outrage for others. Not me. For anyone that thinks this is grudge-holding, I'm fine with that. I can hold a grudge until the end of time, and I believe I would be remiss to let this slide.

The two front-runners aren't doable for me: Edwards cosponsored the IWR and rallied hard for it. Hillary followed her affirmative vote on the IWR with another for Kyl-Lieberman. I am too old to pretend Kucinich or any of the others stand a snowball's chance in hell.

I was distraught after the coup d'etat of 2000, my heart broken when Gore didn't run in 2004, then choosing and supporting a candidate who lost the primary, repeat process and another candidate lost (or so they say) the general. And then I came to terms with the fact that Gore isn't running this go.

Obama isn't Jeezus in my world (Gore is :silly: ).

I don't agree with Obama on everything, but am delighted to be inspired by a candidate, any candidate. Obama and I agree that America must engage in Darfur, heal the wounds of Katrina, that wire-tapping, torture and rendition are heinous and unAmerican, that all Americans should be treated equally under the law, and that the war must end and another one that is brewing stopped. These are things that are really important to me.

I would never even think of trying to wrestle another person's primary vote and have no problem with people voting their heart which is most certainly traditional. However, I believe Obama can win (he has the infrastructure, money and support). I believe he has heart (and balls) and will bring a breath of fresh air to politics, and neither of us are anxious for a 1990s redux Clinton vs the rightwing hate machine. I believe Obama is the right choice for me.

Get better soon.. we'll need you for precinct walking. LOL !

cheers!

Good for you, AK.

:thumbsup:

P.S. Your photos of the event are actually much better than the AP photos. Great job!

wants to fiddle with the lighting on Photoshop.

All I can say is WOW! I highly recommend to anyone seeing any and all of the candidates LIVE because the stodgy debates on tee-vee are two-dimensional.

:applause:

w00t

was a big crowd, we waited in line for 2 hours but it was well worth it, we were up in the lodge, not quite nose bleed but the seats were fine and Alice Walker? How great was that? My daughter really enjoyed and the crowd was great, i thought the roof would come off that place. I took a video, still uploading it now.

Can't wait to see it.

:applause:

The crowd was breathtakingly diverse which, I think, speaks to Obama's across-the-board appeal.

:hi:

Showing up on crutches, now that's dedication, but it got you a good seat! Thanks so much for being there. Nobody else I knew could make it and I have to live vicariously through this election season. Thanks, sis. :hug:

This is how we connect these national campaigns and each other.

Cheers.

What a crowd! Cool!

:hi:

Great photos!!!

Needless to say, I was thrilled to shake his hand and speak with him. He broke out in a huge grin and was so personable and generous with his time with the crowd.

I wouldn't have missed it for world. :)