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Dubcnn Blog - The Barack O'Blog (By Chad Kiser)
Dubcnn is always looking to expand its writing staff to include some of the
best writers online and with this new Blog we are delighted to have lined up
Chad Kiser to present this series of articles that will fall under the newly
formed Blog entitled The Barack O'Blog.
The blog, produced with Jonathan Hay, is tagged with the strapline "two
journalists blogging the presidency of Barack Obama." Whether it be a dissection of the latest news and events or
thoughts they want to share you are sure to be entertained,
informed and taken on a journey of thought that is sure to provoke discussion.
November 2008
November 2008
The Barack O'Blog: Barack
Obama Rally (Tuesday November 4, 2008)
Volume 1
By Chad Kiser
I attended the Barack Obama rally at
the University of Cincinnati last night, and it was simply incredible! I
arrived at 5:30pm from Louisville, KY to be a witness to history. Upon
arriving, the expected Obama souvenir vendors and supporters were walking
around and doing their chants & cheers. But it wasn’t until I tried to get
in line that it became apparent that I was going to be a part of something
special; something magical; something historic. I have been to my share of
concerts, college & professional sporting events, and amusement parks, but I
have never stood in a line that compared to the line I stood in last night.
Wrapped around and throughout the campus the end of any line was not in
sight. The scene of so many people, who came from so many different walks of
life, all uniting for change, a common good was indescribable; all standing
up and telling the old Washington that we are tired of your antics and we
want OUR government back; we want OUR country back! The people want in! It
was a relief to stand in line and talk to so many people and find out that
they too were struggling with the same issues I am and that they were also
here to not only help themselves, but in the long run help others. The
waiting in line for 3 and half hours didn’t actually feel as long as it was.
It was like standing in line with family and close friends; there were no
strangers. We had a connection, a hope for change.
While waiting in line, we talked about how Obama transcends color, age and
religion. We admired how genuinely he talks about the issues that are
affecting EVERYONE. We agreed that this election is so different from all
other elections, even though all the usual topics are there: the economy,
foreign policy, healthcare, education, etc., but Obama is bringing a much
needed breath of fresh air; a sigh of relief. We were discussing how we are
seeing the fruits of Fredrick Douglas, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesse Owens,
Jackie Robinson, and Malcolm X, and how Barack Obama’s run for presidency is
a direct product of their generation standing up and saying we are tired of
your antics and we want OUR government back, we want OUR country back. The
people want in!
As I walked in, I could feel the excitement, the electricity, and the
feeling of hope filling the arena. The crowd chanted and cheered after each
introductory speaker rallied the crowd until finally the man of the hour
walked out onto the stage. The crowd went wild! As he steps to the podium he
appears presidential, the camera flashes go off, the crowd chants “OBAMA!
OBAMA! OBAMA!”. Even though I’ve heard him say many of the same things
before, being there in person and hearing it in person was like hearing it
for the first time. Reading it on the internet, or sitting by myself
watching it on TV doesn’t do it justice. Having 30,000+ people in aggreeance
with you is an overwhelming experience. Listening to Obama speak, you can
tell he is genuine, sincere, and actually cares about our country’s well
being, whereas McCain comes off rehearsed, cold, and fake.
After seeing the YouTube videos of the McCain rally in Denver, Colorado with
all of the hatred, racism and misinformation being fuelled by McCain
himself, I was half expecting to see a response in similar fashion from the
Obama supporters, but instead all I saw were people of all races, religions
and backgrounds coming together in a peaceful, harmonious unification for
change. There were no references to McCain’s color or age; there were no
racial slurs or insults. I didn’t see Obama supporters or hear Obama himself
feeding into the hatred that the McCain campaign has fallen into. I didn’t
hear Obama supporters chanting “kill him [McCain]” at the rally. I heard
Obama supporters chant “yes we can”, “we want change”, “hope”; words of
inspiration, not words of destruction and division. In fact, Obama’s
campaign is talking talking about the issues, helping the people, and
putting the country’s well-being first and foremost. Ultimately, that’s why
Obama has risen so fast and so high in the last 21 months. Seeing him in
person and hearing him live you can really see why this election is so
different from all the other elections through out history. Hearing him
speak and talk about education, healthcare, foreign policy, etc., I could
feel his drive to change America; his passion speaks volumes. His
intelligence and demeanour towards this inevitable change, in the face of
adversity and ignorance is a true testament to the character of Barack
Obama. Instead of booing John McCain, he told us to “simply go cast a vote.”
Seeing him standing at the podium, talking to the crowd gives you a glimpse
of what could be, in the next few hours, the new, changed and united
country, United States of America.
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