On Superbowl Sunday I went down to UCLA with my friends Annika and Summra to attend a Women for Obama rally.
Waiting in line we took a look at the Obama crowd, which was diverse among races if not necessarily by class...and yes, young. This being Westwood and the existing lure of seeing Oprah, I would say the attendees looked like your average Oprah audience. Yet despite the fact that it was Superbowl Sunday and it was a event focused for women, I saw a surprising number of men forsaking football (for now). Yet the most inspiring demographic to see were all the young children who were brought to the event by their mothers. Some of the children may not have been able to understand who Obama was, but their large presence at the rally indicated that their parents felt the rally would be a historic moment their children should not miss.
On our way to the rally, my friends and I used the words “historic moment” so much to describe the opportunity to see Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Oprah and Michelle Obama that it became tongue in cheek. But once we actually took our seats and saw the swell of people stream into Pauley Pavilion, the phrase lost its edge completely. We began to settle into the dawning realization that indeed we were part of a historic moment.
The feeling that you are actually present during a pivotal moment of American history can only be described as unsettling in a very, very good way. Euphoria and elation give away to giddiness and what transpires is some MAY-JUH camwhoring!
Behold our mini-rainbow contingent for Obama:
Black.
Brown.
Yellow.
Before Caroline Kennedy emerged, a group of outstanding women such as Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass and Sen. Majority Leader Gloria Romero spoke on behalf of Barack. Romero whipped up the crowd by yelling that today, WE were the “true Patriots and Giants”. HEEEELLLL YEEEEEEAH!
But the person who got the crowd standing in ovation was this 93 year old granny:
Hard to believe now, but back in World War II Susan was a PROUD AND BADASS member of the U.S. Navy. She spoke of being so old she remembered choosing to sit with African Americans in the back of the bus. That story resonates with me because I recollect my grandfather, who would have been her age this year, telling me the same thing. As a graduate student at Indiana University he avoided using public restrooms altogether because he couldn’t understand which bathroom was for him. (insert) is right, America has definitely come a long way and Obama epitomizes that change.
Before I go any further about the rally I am going to interject with one profound reason I would choose Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton, whose success is also an important harbinger for change. Ladies and gentlemen, that reason is:
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama would both be capable leaders for our nation, but she doesn’t inspire people, cities and countries as much as Obama. Our next president is going to need the support and goodwill of as many countries as possible to get out of this Iraq mess, and in Barack Obama I see someone who has the potential to be a better uniter. A person that can inspire the whole world to see America in a more positive light.
(getting down from soapbox now…blog to be continued)
I was reading the following news blurb about recent events in Ms. Spears' life. I bolded, redded, italicized and underlined the phrase that made my eyeballs socket-burst from my head:
