I was wrong about Obama...

[kentuck]

When he first ran for Senate, I did not think he could win. I had never heard of him.

And when he announced for the Presidency, there was a DUer that stood by Obama all the way. It was "wndycty". I recall some of the discussions that we had back then. I, and others, argued that America would not vote for someone with a name like Barack Hussein Obama. It was insane to think that they would. They would call him a Muslim and a terrorist and the gullible public would buy it. I was wrong.

Wndycty said, you have to hear this guy. He is not your average politician. And he(she) was right. So I will take this moment to tell wndycty that he(she) was the first person ahead of the curve, at least here on DU, that I can re-call, to praise the young, skinny politician from Chicago. He(she) has been proven right.

[Catherina]

1. I was so wrong I didn't vote for him in the Primaries. I regret that to no end n/t

[ericgtr]

2. That's okay, there's always the General to make up for it.. No love lost

:)

[lisa58]

4. What state?

[Catherina]

5. California. At the time I thought they were so similar it didn't matter

:hide:

[lisa58]

7. So you are part of the CA "buyers' remorse"?

[Catherina]

14. Definitely but I have only myself to blame n/t

[hisownpetard]

53. Don't blame yourself. Better late than never! (And still in time for the GE).

And you can vote for him again in 2012!

[LiberalAndProud]

24. You weren't alone in that.

By the time our caucus rolled around, I had no preference. I mentioned this to my parents, and although they had caucused, they felt the same way. (My dad voted for Obama and my mom voted for Clinton.) That has changed. We have all decided that Obama is the better choice.

My daughter is thrilled. She's been a voice for Obama since he announced his candidacy.

[Catherina]

41. Congrats to your daughter for her astuteness. 3 generations? Wow! n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

46. 4 generations on the paternal side -- at least since FDR.

My mom had to defect from her very Republican family's viewpoints, as she's an exceptionally smart woman. Four generations of Democrats in a very Republican state. We are here.

[Catherina]

50. I wish I could say the same. My mother's sticking to her Hillary guns

but my grandmother's working on her and so are her kids. She's grateful for Clinton's Family Leave and Medical Act that let her stay with my father when he tragically died with a two month notice. It's hard to knock her for that or reopen those painful memories so we're letting her go without pointing out that our dad couldn't stand either of the Clintons politically.

Your story is amazing. How and when did your mom defect?

[LiberalAndProud]

51. Your mom's loyalty is to be commended.

And I'll bet she'll be happy to vote for Obama in November too.

I really never hear my mom's conversion story. I'll have to ask her and get back to you on that.

[Catherina]

52. Thank you.

She'll vote for Obama but not as enthusiastically as for Hillary.

My mom has no internet or cable TV. All her judgements are based on the local paper. Back in the 80s she was one of the most informed people I ever knew politically but now she's a bit out of the loop. We leave her alone and love her for her loyalty. Thanks for commending her loyalty. Even though I loathe Hillary, I'm glad to know people like my mom support her putting to lie the unfair accusation that only racists or idiots support her.

In this day and age, how does someone with no internet and no cable keep up? It galls me everytime a debate is on MSNBC or another cable channel because much of America can't watch them, including her.

Thank you for appreciating her loyalty :)

[woolldog]

29. My mom and sister both regret having voted for Clinton.

I tried to convince them not to at the time, but they wouldn't listen. They regret it now and admit that I was right.

[Catherina]

42. I regret doing worse than that. When people in my circle

who know I'm such a political junkie asked me what I thought I told them I recommended Clinton :hide: They regret it now and so do I but they're too honest to hold that against me since it was a very lukewarm recommendation :banghead:

[Arugula Latte]

39. A lot of Californians regret their votes for Hillary.

The vote would have been far different if it were held a month or two later than it was. I think Obama would have cleaned her clock, given a little more time.

[Catherina]

43. Even 2 extra weeks would have made a big difference.

I think the DLC's idea was to nab Florida, California and then declare the whole thing over. Dean's 50 state strategy and insistence on following the rules messed that up. Today, he'd clean her clock her like you said.

[MattBaggins]

25. I didn't vote for him either

Family issue had me out of country on Super Tuesday.

[Catherina]

44. That's a better reason than mine. Hope all is ok now n/t

[lisa58]

3. Didn't you see the 2004 Convention Speech?

...I think after that speech everyone knew he would run. Maybe not in 2008, but someday.

I remember calling my brother and saying, "that's our first african american president"

No disrespect from windycty - he(?) has know Obama much longer than the rest of us and I didn't necessarily think 2008 would be his(Obama's) year - but I'm very happy to support him.

[Mz Pip]

6. Obama has run an excellent campaign

not flawless but he's managed to rebound from what's been thrown at him.

It's a good sign. If he can run his GE campaign as well as he's done this one, I think he will do a very good job as President.
He is thoughtful, calm and has a positive attitude.

I read somewhere that one of the reasons the GOP is hoping this will drag out for a while longer is that the McCain campaign is in shambles. They are very worried about what will happen when people actually start paying attention to them.

[caledesi]

13. I agree! NT

[grantcart]

8. does wndycty have any stock tips? like anybody in the 6th at Del Mar?

[AZBlue]

26. Or maybe "good vibes" about numbers for the PowerBall?

[Adelante]

9. Yay for wndy

:thumbsup:

[KittyWampus]

10. I was wrong up til the point Biden quit and I looked for an alternative to Hillary

what got me to become a very enthusiastic supporter was finding what his "organizing" back in Chicago actually entailed and how he was building grassroots organizations in very single state.

[juno jones]

11. My sis, who lives just south of Chicago was my Wndycty.

If I hadn't heard about him through her, I think I would have felt the same way about his chances.

I started this race out rooting for Kucinich, but my sister's entusiastic mention of Obama and his ability to win voters despite race and what she described as a 'middle-eastern sounding name' (and this was something like 2002 or 3 when she first told me about him)made me keep an open mind about the man.

He may not be perfect, nor as progressive as I would like, but he admits his imperfections and his use of 'We' instead of 'I' gives me hope that my voice, my sister's voice, and many other liberal voices will be given a seat at the table.

Thank you for a thoughtful and well-considered post, kentuck.

[Rubiconski2009]

12. He's brilliant.....

and beautiful!!!

[charlie]

15. Walt Starr was the same about Obama

But that guy's enthusiasms carried him off to Lala Land every 10 minutes, so I didn't pay him much mind. I didn't think Obama could possibly go the distance, either.

[IsItJustMe]

16. At the time Obama announced his candidacy, I had serious reservations on if this country would vote

for a black man at the presidential level. I see now that not only is it possible, but likely. I was happily surprised and glad I was wrong.

[iamthebandfanman]

17. i didnt support him at first

i didnt think hed be able to over come everything being so new to national politics... boy was i and alot of others wrong ;)

he has my support now and will get my vote on the 20th.

[Cha]

18. Thank you, kentuck, for saying this..

and Thank you, wndycty, for knowing Obama from the beginning!

Ya'll :yourock: for real.

[kentuck]

21. Just something I was thinking about...

He made an impression on wndycty. Once I heard him speak and how he handled himself with tough questions, I have no doubt he will be a great nominee for the Party. He is very intelligent. He measures each word carefully, most of the time. :-) And he has a way of breaking each argument down to the common denominator. Perhaps it was time spent as president of the Harvard Law Review? He knows how to break down arguments.

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. You wanna hear something funny?

In October 2004, we read Obama's DNC speech in one of my classes. I told my students: this guy's gonna be President one day. We had a big talk about whether it was possible. This was before Kerry lost.

I bet they all think I'm a political effin' genius...if they remember!

[Cha]

23. Well, you

are, alcibiades_mystery:)

[hisownpetard]

54. Yup, I said the same thing the first time I ever laid eyes (and ears) on him, after

listening to his speech at the convention.

It was like a scene from "The Lone Ranger" where, after he walked (or rode) off, someone would always say, "Who *was* that guy?"

[tblue37]

20. When my son and I watched him give the address at the 2004 DNC,

we both said, "That man will be the first African-American president!" Our only disagreement was over when. He was sure it would be 2008, I figured 2012.

[1776Forever]

22. I agree totally with you that this man is amazing! As was Anwar al-Sadat - Link here........

I had been praying for 7 years now for someone to take Bush's place and bring this country back to its past glory in the world and at home. But I would never have believed it would be coming with a man named Barack Hussein Obama either! Although your post made me think of another man I have recently thought about again who also had a Muslim name that was truly amazing - his name was Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

I knew little of this man in the late 1970's before the Israeli/Egyptian Peace Talks initiated by President Carter. But after I started to listen to him it was evident that this man was spiritual in a charismatic way. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize 1978 with the Prime Minister of Israel, Menachem Begin for the Peace Talks started by President Jimmy Carter.

What is in a name? It is the man or woman behind the name and what they accomplish that matters!

You can hear Sadat's Peace message in his actual voice here:

http://www.ibiblio.org/sullivan/audio/EverlastingPeace.au

[Hutzpa]

28. I have a question for you,

just wondering, why have you got your profile turned off, are you hiding
something.

Why would you equate him to Sadat, I tend to be very weary of people who
equate Obama to slain politicians, I just have this notion of paranoia
where folks with wishful thinking tend to be snide with their comments.

[1776Forever]

30. Sadat was a wonderful man! Dead or not he lived his life in an honorable way!

Did you not read my comment? I am saying that we just should NOT ever look at anyone because of their name or origin! It is beyond me how some people have such weird outlooks on things! If you want to know I have been a Democrat for over 40 years and I never wished any harm to anyone! Why don't you look at my journal - start there! I support Sen. Obama 100% and was just trying to say that people should NEVER look at someone and judge them because of their name!!!!!!!!!!!

PERIOD!

[Hutzpa]

27. Yup! Wndycty was one of the first

to break the news to us about Obama, that was back in April 2004, how time
flies eh! Wndycty also told us about him speaking at the convention on Kerry's
behalf who invited him, there where some who berated John Kerry for letting him
speak, now fast forward to 2008 and here we are....

Kudos to Wndycty for a wonderful introduction and

welcome onboard Kentuck...

:thumbsup:

[kentuck]

31. Oh, I've been on board for quite a while...

It's just that sometimes I am slow to show appreciation or to give credit where it is due...

[DearAbby]

33. I didn't, Kerry saw in Obama

what we all see now, I remember that night when Obama spoke at the convention. I knew he would be President one day (and a great one) I didn't realize it would be this soon...But I know he will be...I just know it.

[Tatiana]

32. wndy was definitely right.

If Obama adds Clark to the ticket, he will be 2-for-2.

[sellitman]

34. I still prefer DK.

I never got to vote for him though.

I preferred Edwards after DK.

I voted Obama.







* Not enough Java. I mis-posted. Corrected

[barack the house]

35. Once folks give Barack a chanc there becomes only one choice.

[mikekohr]

36. I Met Senator Obama and His Wife Michele in July 2004

along with Senator Dick Durbin and Representative candidate Tari Renner at a small town VFW hall in Depue, IL. Active in local Democratic politics, I've met a good number of politicians, and am not given to being easily impressed. It is clear to me that Senator Obama is a once in a generation leader. I have not felt as hopeful about a candidate since Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.

Once people get to meet Senator Obama and/or learn more about him, I am convinced that many will walk away with the same feelings I did.

mike kohr

[davsand]

37. I think a lot of the Illinois folks were on board with Obama early on.

I know Kev kept on saying that if Obama decided to run he thought Obama would end up as our next President, and I have been a huge Obama fan since his Senate Primary race. I signed on early with his Senate Primary campaign, while Kev was a field coordinator with Obama's opposition. I suspect that particular experience is what formed Kev's opinion that Obama was a force unlike anything he (or I) had ever seen.

Windy was a Clarkie a few years ago along with Kev, and we all had a discussion at one point that our loyalties were gonna be sorely tested if Clark announced too. We were all spared the decision, however. Windy is an amazing guy and I will tell you that, having met him, I trust his opinions and his instincts. When he was telling you Obama is the "real deal" he knew exactly what he was saying.

I do think Obama has his frailties, and I don't think he's divine. It isn't a cult, and as far as I am concerned Obama is not the run of the mill politician. I've met a few over the years, and I will tell you that after I talked to Obama for a few minutes as a local Dem dinner WAAAAAY back in the early days of his Senate Primary, I walked away and told my husband that Obama was gonna be a President one day. Yeah, he's THAT good and he's real.

Kentuck, I honestly think that Obama is something like none of us have seen ina very long time. There are other Dems that are good, and I never have doubted it. What I also have never doubted is that just once I wanted to vote FOR somebody and feel like it was a vote for something I supported and believed in fully. It (for me, anyway) was the one time I voted without reservation and with optimism. I believe in him and I believe HIM. Just once I voted for how I want it to actually BE.





Laura

[kentuck]

38. Thanks for your comments Laura.

I supported Nancy Skinner in the Senate race and was surprised that someone named Barack Obama won the race. What's going on here that I don't know about, I thought? He has impressed me with his intelligence and his ability to weigh his words before he speaks. After what we have been through for the last 8 years, I don't want to have a beer with any politician running for President. I want them to be competent and intelligent and rational.

[davsand]

47. Obama is "in the moment" when he's talking to you.

Something that struck me with Obama is the fact that when he's talking to you he's right there with you. He's not "working the room" he's not looking for anybody else to talk to once he's done with you--he's hearing you and interacting with you. There is a sincerity there that just blew me away.

Without going into too much detail, we've known Sen Durbin for a long time. I love Durbin and have always been steadfast in my support for him. I always considered Durbin to the one of the BEST I have ever seen at working a room and at working a crowd. Then I met Obama. (Don't get me wrong--I still love Durbin and he truly is an amazing man--but Obama is a phenom like I've never encountered before.)

I have NEVER seen anyone speak publicly and energize a crowd like Obama does. Again, I will tell you that Durbin is amazing. He did a eulogy for Wellstone locally that was probably one of the most moving political speeches I have ever and will ever hear. Obama, however, delivers that level of speech on a fairly regular basis. I watched Obama speak to a crowd of "Pocketbook Dems" (the guys that will open a wallet happily but would rather DIE than do any actual campaign work) and he had them standing and cheering. They walked out motivated and (even better!) maintained that energy over a period of time. I have never seen it before and fear I never will again. That kind of oratorical gift is exceedingly rare, but until you actually experience it live it is difficult to explain.

Again, I worry that people will dismiss this all because they are thinking I'm some dewey eyed kid with the ink barely dry on my voter registration card. I'm not. I've been at this for far too long (certainly longer than I want to admit to) and I will say I have never seen anyone like Obama both in terms of skill set AND personal presence.

I agree that we don't need another beer swilling bubba in the WhiteHouse. I don't think we need anybody quaffing Cab either. I think we need somebody that has strong skills and a sense of fairness, and Obama does seem to present that.

Sometimes his optimism worries me. I remember well how Carter fared in his term and I wonder if Obama will somehow suffer that same fate. However, Obama came out of Illinois politics and for us it really IS a blood sport. Obama not only did very well here, but he did it at a time when the Illinois Senate was controlled by the GOP. Obama can make the most "far flung Librul" ideas sound like the common sense that they are, and he manages to make stuff happen when I've written the idea off as being DOA. More than once I have seen him do it.

Simply put, I trust him enough to actually DREAM that maybe (just maybe!) we CAN turn this all around. Just one time in my political life I actually think we stand a chance of doing some of the stuff that Progressives have talked about in hushed tones for the last few decades. I can dare to imagine what it would be to live in a nation where we DO take care of the babies and the elderly. We may live to see a day when people can work and learn a living--and not be hungry. I actually am wondering if maybe we CAN clean up our educational system and our courts. Maybe we CAN get to a point where the promise of true equality is an actual thing rather than some vague tum in a long forgotten manifesto. I'm starting to think that just MAYBE we can look at taking health care into the realm of something we all take for granted...

It only happens if we ALL work at it, and it only happens if we ALL work to get leaders in office that share those visions. We have to give our leadership the direction they need--and in oder to do that we have to be inspired to think it is something we CAN do.




Laura

[VolcanoJen]

40. wndy is awesome!!

Many times very early in this race, before Iowans caucused and the people of New Hampshire cast ballots, I would despair and worry about my early "Obama" choice. Wndy was always there to buck us up when we were the uber-underdogs!!!!

A toast to the incomparable wndycty!

:toast:

[BlooInBloo]

45. :)

[Richbru]

48. You were right

no one WILL vote for a man with a name like Barack Hussein Obama.

[kentuck]

49. No one like you..

But luckily, the polls show you to be a minority.