blog - gObama 2008
Sweet Aftermath
Friday, January 4, 2008
(Des Moines, Iowa Airport, 2 p.m. local time)
The service agent at the Budget service counter, who I first labeled a red neck and who seemed so unfriendly two days ago flipped my script. Turned out he was a hardcore Republican but is now an avid Obama supporter. As I returned my car an hour ago, this woman from Obama’s Iowa campaign showed up to thank him for caucusing for them last night.
This man said it was over-crowded and instead of 200 folks around 1200 people showed up. He told us an anecdote: the fire alarm suddenly turned on in the over-crowded gymnasium, but nobody moved. Rather, the crowd said: “we are here to caucus, we ain’t going home!”
According to his co-worker who also caucused for Obama there were long lines of people waiting to get in everywhere. She said the doors could not close for caucus at 7 p.m. due to massive influxes.
It seemed everybody felt so proud that Iowa was making history and there was such an incredible high turnout in people engaged in politics. If there is a paradigm shift in this country, that started in the “whitest state after Alaska” as one reporter described it last night... Watch this space!
Two reporters sitting opposite me must have seen my “Standing with Obama” sticker on my laptop. I took it of a guys jumper who stood in line for lunch. Anyway these guys congratulated me personally for last night...
Fired up. Ready to GO!
I will drive over to Chicago from here to take shots of the Obama head quarters and then fly out to Boston early in the morning.