I got to cover events our president-elect attended over the past year

"I don't believe in 'I can't'"
Nov. 4, 2007

His voice boomed at all the right times. The crowd jumped to its feet in applause on cue. And though perhaps a small crowd in comparison to some he’s stood before on the campaign trail, the thousand or so gathered in the gymnasium at Morris College for the Sumter NAACP 24th Annual Freedom Fund banquet Friday night to hear keynote speaker U.S. Sen. Barack Obama clearly liked what they heard from the presidential candidate.

The Sumter event, sandwiched between those in Manning and Greenville, left little time for Obama in the Gamecock City. But during his 45-minute address, Obama promised if elected president in 2008 that he would continue to fight for civil rights; would fix an education system that he said isn’t being corrected with the federal No Child Left Behind Act; would make quality health care more accessible to everyone; and would bring an end to the war in Iraq.

And he made clear to those in attendance that he’s in it to win it, stating outright that he isn’t interested in a vice presidency.

Obama said his political journey began as a young man in a quest to help the poor and the struggling, the ones who couldn’t help themselves. He said after earning his law degree from Harvard, he became a civil rights attorney because of the good he hoped to accomplish on that front rather than seeking to practice law in another venue that might have proven more lucrative.

He said that standing on the steps of the Clarendon County Courthouse earlier in the day in the same spot where others stood so many years ago in the early civil rights fight when the Briggs v. Elliott case [--] a predecessor to Brown v. Board of Education [--] came to life reminded him of why he got into politics.

“The problem isn’t that we haven’t made progress,” he said. “The problem is that better isn’t good enough.”

He said as long as there continues to be “Jena justice” and “Scooter Libby justice,” the Civil Rights Movement isn’t over.

He also said his firsthand experience with how unfair and consuming health care and insurance can be has acted as an impetus for him to seek change. As his mother was battling cancer in the 1990s, instead of enjoying the last days until her death, she was busy filling out paperwork and worrying about whether she was covered, he said.
“I know what it’s like to see a loved one suffer.”

And Obama reminded the crowd that he voted against the bill in 2002 that initially gave President George W. Bush the authority to begin a war in Iraq. He said to some, it was an unpopular decision. It was a time when Bush’s national support was about 65 percent.

“I know you all don’t remember; it seems like a long time ago,” he joked.
He said he chose to attend an antiwar rally despite warnings from some that it could damage his future political career.

“(And) I said, ’My political career is not worth me throwing away my integrity,’” he said.

Obama related that some estimates put the cost of the war at its end totaling nearly $2 trillion [--] “with a ’t’” [--] money he said could have been spent elsewhere.
“Think about what we could have done for school construction right here in Sumter,” he said.

Or, he suggested, the money could have gone toward Pell grants for students struggling to afford college.

“What happened to fiscal conservatism?” he asked. “What happened to our priorities?”
While making promises from the podium, Obama also asked Sumter residents to do their part. He encouraged families to set good examples for their children and to be vested in their education. He asked fathers to serve as role models for their sons.
Though he never said her name, he hinted that Hillary Clinton is not the answer for the Democratic ticket. And he headed off the perception that he might accept the second-in-command position instead.

“I’m not interested in being vice president,” he said. “I’m not interested in being secretary of something or other.”

He said throughout his life, he’s been told he couldn’t [--] that he couldn’t get into politics, that he couldn’t be among the first blacks in the U.S. Senate.
“I don’t believe in ’I can’t,’” he said.

“We can narrow that gap between what the world should be and what it is, but each of us has to do our part,” he said.

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"Fired up, ready to go"
Jan. 24, 2008

Before Illinois Sen. Barack Obama took the floor at the M.H. Newton Family Life Enrichment Center on Manning Avenue on Wednesday, the crowd of supporters that waited nearly three hours for the Democratic presidential candidate’s arrival kept itself energized by cheering, chanting, clapping and singing.

Those in attendance were there by way of e-tickets issued to supporters registered to Obama’s online mailing list. They filled seats early and broke the silence often chanting what’s become Obama’s campaign catch phrase: "fired up and ready to go" or cheering "2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate? Obama!" They even changed the words to songs that played over loudspeakers; "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" became "Obama, Obama, we’re ready in ’08."

Dr. Brenda Williams introduced Obama to the crowd of about 500 that included international media. "Who are we here for today?" she asked. "A man with standards." Williams said he stands for "honesty, truth, justice, family (and) he is a God-fearing man."

After Williams’ boisterous introduction, Obama emerged from a black curtain to the sounds of U2 booming through the center.

"I’m fired up now," he said. "Are you fired up, ready to go?"

Cameras flashed throughout the room as Obama instructed the standing crowd to have a seat.
Obama referenced his most recent visit to Sumter when he spoke at Morris College in November and said he was glad to be back. He thanked supporters in attendance who have campaigned for him in Sumter, including state Rep. David Weeks, D-Sumter, and former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Ernest Finney, as well as state Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, who was not in attendance.

He also expressed his gratitude to Williams. "The only problem with Dr. Williams, she’s a little shy," he joked. "She doesn’t like to speak up and let folks know what she’s thinking."

After warming up the crowd and getting it laughing, Obama had its attention for the remainder of his 50-minute speech.

A large banner hanging over a portion of the crowd proclaimed "Change we can believe in," and Obama, as he and his Democratic opponents have in recent months, focused on the idea of change. Change in diplomacy and war efforts, change in the health care system, change in education, change in the economy and change when it comes to the use of energy sources were all addressed.

He said the need for these changes is what made him decide to announce his candidacy almost a year ago.

"I decided to run because of what Dr. (Martin Luther) King referred to as the fierce urgency of now," he said.

Obama pledged to transform the United States into a country well-respected by and on better terms with the rest of the world. He promised to bring troops home from fighting in Iraq, a war he said never made sense.

He also told the crowd he wants a new health-care system, one that allows people to keep health-care plans they might already have and want to maintain but would make available health care for others to buy into affordably.

He referenced the federal No Child Left Behind Act, put into place by current president George Bush, and said he would bring about the changes to education that No Child Left Behind has not. He said he’d ensure higher salaries for teachers, newer school facilities and early childhood education available to all.

Despite the serious nature of the promises he made, he inserted moments of lighthearted banter throughout, including a chant from time to time with the crowd that regardless of the election outcome there’d be "No Bush, No Cheney."

"So whatever happens, no Bush," he said.

Obama requested the crowd’s support on Election Day.

"South Carolina, your vote really matters this time," he said.