Barack Obama: Fired Up and Ready to Go

Barack Obama Rallies Iowa Caucus-goers at Davenport, Iowa, River Center on December 28th

By Connie Wilson, published Dec 29, 2007
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Barack Obama's bid for the Democratic nomination for President in the Iowa caucuses came to the Davenport, Iowa, River Center on December 28th with supporters chanting "Fired up and ready to go!" during a wait of over an hour for the Senator from neighboring Illinois to arrive on this snowy winter evening. Lots of up-tempo music ("I'll Take You There," Aretha Franklin's "Think") entertained the crowd during their 75 minute wait, as Field Organizer Adam Hoyer, originally from LeClaire, Iowa, but now from Tampa, Florida, assured the crowd of voters and media that the man trying to become the first African-American to run for President on a major party ticket, was, indeed, on the way. "Change We Can Believe In" was the slogan projected on the walls of the auditorium and emblazoned on the posters waved by the enthusiastic crowd.

Introduced by newly-elected Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba, whose daughter Stephanie also is a Field Organizer, and by former four-star general Tony McPeak, one of Obama's national Co-Chairmen for his campaign, the crowd warmed to the Senator from across the I-74 bridge in Illinois, just as he warmed to the crowd.

The eloquent freshman Illinois Senator with the rock-star charisma was introduced by no less a dignitary than former four-star General Merrill Anthony "Tony" McPeak. McPeak was appointed Air Force Chief of Staff in 1990, after a distinguished career in the Air Force that saw him fly solo and lead pilot for the Thunderbirds in over 200 air shows between 1966 and1968. After that, McPeak (who Obama said "looks like Clint Eastwood") flew 269 combat missions in Vietnam.

Even more remarkable is the fact that McPeak, who lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and is retired from the Air Force, served as Co-Chairman of (Republican) Bob Dole's failed Presidential bid in Oregon and, in 2000, endorsed George W. Bush for President and served as co-chairman of Oregon Veterans for Bush.

 
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Barack Obama rallies supporters in a December 28th campaign appearance in Davenport, Iowa.

Credit: Connie Wilson

Copyright: Connie Wilson

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  • Barack Obama supporters hear the Democratic Presidential candidate woo them before the Jan. 3 caucus
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Showing Comments 1 - 11 of 11
 
 
you can pop a cap in any nigers ass the you can take all da PIMPs bitches, slap der ass eat some pussy and find out whats in da hole, den you can go back to da hood and show des nigers whos boss by popin caps in ders ass fool. niger go for da best and shoop da rest, go homiy

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Posted on 04/10/2008 at 8:04:32 PM

 
obama is the man......if you hate him then your a racsit bastrad EAT BRENT!!!!

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Posted on 04/04/2008 at 8:04:37 AM

 
what a wonderful african american! if he wins this race he will be fair to the white race too!

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Posted on 04/01/2008 at 7:04:45 PM

 
Well written article. I just want to take a shot at some of the comments for a minute. An election is not about who can give the best speech, or who is more like John F. Kennedy, its about who can lead. To lead, you must be able to negotiate with those on the other side of the political spectrum. To do that, you dont need to look for someone who hasnt upset the establishment, such as Obama, but rather, you should look at someone who has shown their teeth on more than one occation and seen results bare fruit as a result, such as Hillary. This election is important, we should treat it as such. This is not a test of great speeches, this is a test of policy, proven leadership, and readiness to fight the fight.

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Posted on 02/18/2008 at 1:02:18 PM

 
Yea, but he will be a dud when the real presidential race is on. He has no real chance of winning at all.

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Posted on 01/05/2008 at 1:01:27 PM

 
Great article

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Posted on 12/30/2007 at 12:12:21 PM

 
Thanks for the detailed info. I saw a blurb that Obama's bus broke down and wondered if that was enroute to this event.

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Posted on 12/29/2007 at 9:12:12 PM

 
Obama has said often he threw his hat in the ring at the urging of citizens. I call him a reluctant candidate because he probably would rather be home walking around the lake with Michelle and the girls then dealing with stuff like what was done on his You Tube channel comments, before his workers disabled them. The media dubbed him a rock star, but I found his early speeches more JFKish in nature. You know, "ask not what your country can do for you" type of stuff. I wonder what would happen if people started saying "first biracial President" rather than using old southern law to determine ethnicity? He is part Irish on his mother's side of the family tree.

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Posted on 12/29/2007 at 9:12:49 PM

 
Obama is an excellent speaker. This is going to be an exciting week.

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Posted on 12/29/2007 at 9:12:14 AM

 
[It's now or perhaps never, Obama and his wife, Michelle, concluded, because, "We still remember what it's like to be normal," he told a crowd here six days before Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses.] There you go... straight from the horse's mouth. And as the saying goes, "Out from the mouth comes what is in the heart." What does the Obama statement imply? 1. Afterall that's said and done, the fact is Obama does not have the character, the real calling, and the heart to lead America because he cannot and will not endure in the face of defeat. 2. He is a plain opportunist seizing only the moment when as an unknown, his blunders are not yet much to be spoken of... seizing only the moment when as a dazzler, his fresh tactics could still work... seizing the moment when the rhetoric of hope would still work; for when the most experienced and steady President wins and delivers, what else can he talk about next time?

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Posted on 12/29/2007 at 9:12:06 AM

 
3. His wife spoke so much against the politics of "fear". Yet here are the Obamas subjecting the American people to an emotional blackmail - instilling in the people the "fear of losing him for the presidency forever if they don't choose him now". This is cheap. This is pathetic. This is forcing the hand of America to choose him. Obama is not an urgent choice. 4. Obama does not consider the presidency worth pursuing at another time because he fears becoming "abnormal" in the course of waiting for his own time. That means Obama is not sure of who he is and therefore fears what he can become. 5. Obama is running for the presidency now, not because he is called for a vision, but because he is compelled by a favourable condition. His candidacy is not about hope. His hope is about his candidacy.

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Posted on 12/29/2007 at 9:12:34 AM

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