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Monday, November 01, 2004

Report from Obama Rally in Springfield, IL

Posted by DavidNYC

Illinois was always going to be one of the bluest Dem states this year, but Barack Obama's ascendence has been nothing short of extraordinary. My very good friend Yvonne reports in from an Obama rally on election eve in Springfield, IL - the heartland of what remains of the state Republican party. It may not quite be swing state material, but Obama is the favorite almost-Senator of the entire left-blogosphere - and I'm certainly not immune. From Yvonne:

Tonight I went to a rally in downtown Springfield for Barack Obama and regional/ county candidates trying to break the stranglehold of Republican dominated politics in central Illinois. It was great! Barack was his usual eloquent self, and he certainly raises the profile of the candidates at the bottom of the ticket. All of the candidates looked fatigued, including Obama, but still, he cranked it out!

Barack told of meeting a woman two days ago in Chicago who was born in 1899. He talked of how she cast her early vote, but still wanted to meet him and have a few pictures taken with him. This woman, he said, was born in the shadow of slavery, during a time when she was unable to vote as a black person and a woman. She lived through every political and social turn of the 20th century.

He said if this woman wasn't tired after all of that living and all of that fighting, he didn't have the right to be tired right now either. None of us do. The message was, keep working until the polls close, to the last hour. We can do it.

Yvonne also sent along a few picture of her son James (17+ years old and just narrowly missing out on the vote this year!) with the luminaries in attendence. Here's Jimmy with Barack, of course:

James and Barack Obama

Check out those grins! I think Jimmy's got a little bit of that politician's charm in him, too!

And here's one with the great Senior Senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin:

James and Dick Durbin

Sen. Durbin is my favorite Georgetown Law graduate.

I think we all know Obama has a great career ahead of him. Not bad for the self-proclaimed "skinny kid with a funny name." I can't wait for him to get started.

Posted at 10:41 PM in Safe States | Technorati