Barackin’ The Vote (With Cecil)
ByLiveblogging from the Orange Peel, recently cited by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top five music venues in the nation, where Bela Fleck, Arrested Development, and a thousand Obama fans will converge to whip up support for the Democratic Presidential candidate and to encourage everyone to get out and vote early.
Cecil Bothwell, candidate for Buncombe County Commission, has a dozen volunteers down here meeting people and signing them up for free yard signs of the Obama or the Bothwell variety. Lindsey Simerly assures me that Barack will make an appearance, though she admits that she’s just spreading a rumor.
More as it happens!
Dozens of volunteers are here. If you don’t have a ticket, you can come hang out and wait for someone to leave. They’re doing the one-in, one-out thing. Lindsey and I are handing out Bothwell/Obama cards at the corner of Hilliard and Biltmore. Say hi if you come by.
8:53 – Hundreds of folks down here now. Suits, Dreads, hipsters, youngsters, seniors, et cetera. Lots of folks looking for tickets. I handed out tons of Bothwell lit as well as some Holly Jones palm cards. Cecil is working the door, and a boatload of Obama volunteers are signing everyone up for…?
I haven’t actually set foot inside the place yet, but I can hear Bela Fleck rocking from the vestibule from which I type. More from the inside in a little while.
10:05 – I missed Bela Fleck altogether, but the room was to capacity. Delores, the Hugs For Obama queen, brought church with her, making a speech that washed everyone’s cynicism away. The screams were ear-splitting and at one point folks stomped the floor into an earthquake.
Mary Alice Lamb got up and thanked the multitudes of volunteers who made this thing happen.
Mayor Bellamy showed up, with Holly Jones, Cecil Bothwell, Brownie Newman, Robin Cape, and Bryan Freeborn in the audience, and thanked folks for supporting her. She said that the folks who voted for her are the people who had hope and faith that she could lead the city.
Arrested Development just finished bumpin’ Thankyoufalettinmebemiceelf’. It’s completely crazy in here. A thousand Obama voters are dancing to A.D, signing up to volunteer, and talking politics on the backbenches.
4 Comments
April 17th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
So, Gordon, man on the street, how do you gauge the overall opinion about last night’s debate?
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April 17th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Bob,
To be honest I don’t feel like bringing it up with folks. Bigger fish to fry and all…
However, I have heard that Barack is in Pittsburgh tonight, so no special appearance from the man himself at the Peel.
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April 17th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Yeah, I just figured that would be a topic of conversation around the place.
Have fun!
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April 21st, 2008 at 12:09 am
April 20, 2008
Barack Obama is to this generation what John Kennedy was to mine. I urge voters to seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to elect a special, gifted and unique leader not beholden to lobbyists and corporate America. He offers us change we can believe in.
Barack Obama’s extraordinary intellectual and persuasive powers can lead our country in a different direction. He can lead us out of this abyss of corporate greed, sub-prime mortgages and this endless Iraq war and take us back to our place of leadership in the world.
He appeals to people because they relate to his messages of change and hope. His own youthful energy and good humor are attractive qualities while his calmness is reassuring.
When Senator Obama promises to work toward energy independence, trade agreements that benefit American workers, tax relief for working families and affordable healthcare for all Americans, we believe him because he is trustworthy and he can deliver.
America is at a dangerously critical time, the dollar at an all time low, our national debt at an all time high, jobs flying out of the country, China holding much of our debt and of course Iraq. We need a change.
Vote for Barack Obama in the primary and again in November.
Cliff Cleland
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