Guess where Brian spent his Sunday? Eating lunch with Barack Obama in Headwaters Park, that’s where:
The Obama campaign actually put on a picnic, with grilled brats and barbecued chicken and bottled water and chips and canned pop – and they had so much stuff that everyone who stood in the food line got served (and hundreds and hundreds of people lined up). Whatever they spent on the spread, they got their money’s worth; it was quite impressive!
Thanks for the pix, Brian.
Hattie said on May 4, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Kinda nice.
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Dexter said on May 5, 2008 at 1:43 am
I saw clips on TV but heard no mention of a picnic. Yes, a nice touch it was.
Bill was in Kendallville and Angola Saturday.
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Jolene said on May 5, 2008 at 2:46 am
Very nice, indeed. Lots of nice pics of how the Obamas spent their weekend in Indiana on the campaign web site, including rollerskating in Lafayette, more of this picnic, canvassing in Elkhart.
The Post has a nice article about Bill Clinton visiting small towns in NC, and here’s one that has him coming up w/ a good line when a member of the audience in Lenoir, NC fainted.
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brian stouder said on May 5, 2008 at 10:12 am
It was great fun, and an interesting mix of people to talk to, in the hours before the Main Event. Also, it was interesting (and reassuring) to see all the security in place; lots of fellows who looked like Ben Affleck, with earpieces and swiveling heads, and one or two who looked like those CSI people – complete with scowls!
edit – forgot to mention that we (the early folks who stood in line at 1:30) also got to shake hands with Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona. An entourage showed up headed by former mayor Graham Richard, and they worked the line from back to front, shaking every hand and making small talk.
It was sort of comical, as Mayor Richard would grandly announce “This is Governor Napolitano, of Arizona” as they advanced – maybe every ten people or so.
This ‘nationally consequential election’ stuff is pretty cool!
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Dorothy said on May 5, 2008 at 11:15 am
Brian I just loved your description of the event! Your words really conjure up great images. Thanks for your special report (and pictures).
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Jolene said on May 5, 2008 at 11:45 am
On MSNBC this AM, they’ve been playing a clip that appears to be from that picnic in which Michelle Obama bends down to her younger daughter and says, “What do we want to ask everybody to do on Tuesday?” The kid is lost in the crowd, but you hear her saying in a clear voice, “Vote for Daddy!” Pretty darn cute.
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brian stouder said on May 5, 2008 at 11:53 am
If you see a shot with the US flag in the background, I’m the dufus-looking guy to the left (if you see a very tall black man with a beret on, he’s next to me…or in front of me, which would make this exercise pointless!)
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beb said on May 5, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Barack threw a piicnic and food enough for everybody? Who does he think he is, Jesus? 🙂
I’ve read elsewhere and some weeks ago about an example of Obama’s grass-roots organizing ability. The guy knows what he’s doing.
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Jolene said on May 5, 2008 at 2:47 pm
One thing he’s doing along the community-organizing lines is launching a new national voter registration drive, to begin on May 10.
I heard an interesting discussion on NOW on PBS this past Friday in which Willie Brown, African American politico extraordinaire from California, talked about “expanding the pool” as a necessary response to the reality that there are some voters who just never will vote for a woman or person of color. His view was that, although the number of such people is not large, they exist, and their numbers are sufficient to influence close elections.
He argued that it’s not worthwhile to convert such people within the framework of a political campaign; rather, it’s better to find some other people–in particular, younger people who might be less prone to prejudice. Sounded smart to me and certainly consistent w/ what we’ve been seeing in the exit polls for the Democratic primaries.
I find it a little sad, actually, that Hillary is basing her claim to the White House on the support of people who are (1) older, (2) less well-educated, and (3) low-income. If I were a superdelegate, I’d want to make sure that my party addressed the needs of those people, but I think I’d pay more attention to the views of people who were likely to be around longer and able to contribute more–both to the party and to the country.
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Connie said on May 5, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Obama and family made a very informal visit to Elkhart this weekend, hanging in a local park. I didn’t hear until this a.m., so couldn’t even consider going.
I had an Obama volunteer knock on my door this weekend as well, and after a brief conversation we figured out that I had just the week before met his son’s fiancee, a new employee at the Indiana State Library. One of those wierd coinkydinks.
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Hattie said on May 6, 2008 at 12:46 am
You can’t place a value on a person according to his or her age, education, or income. At least in my book you can’t.
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