blog - gObama 2008
Mighty queues in Salem, NH
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Hudson, New Hampshire, 11.30 p.m.- local time)
A spontaneous decision to drive up to another local Obama rally turned out to be the best footage I shot. Instead of having media accreditation, Chris bluffed my way into the auditorium, where I climbed up to a high platform beside the light control room, and filmed almost the whole speech in close-up.
Obama was calm and composed and paced himself carefully to contain his energy for those vivid peak moments, where people would feel his flow and applaud enthusiastically.
First, I was getting concerned as I drove up from Hudson with my buddy Chris, who lives around here. Soo many MacCain, Romney and Huckabee signs. There were no signs of Obama on the streets - unlike Iowa.
90% Republican advertisements made me wonder what would happen here. But as we drove up to the school building there was a road block and hundreds of people stood in a mighty long line to see him speak live.
We muscled our way into the auditorium and had to wait for 2 hours before he arrived and delivered his speech.
I talked to a young first time voter from the local school, who was so articulate and excited about Obama coming to her town, that I realized that Obama really will make a difference for an entire generation. Growing up under the Bush makes for good democratic sentiment.
People need to experience change again. Chris thinks American folks have a short memory and refers to Jimmy Carter, a truly wonderful humanist, who came into power by the people who were sick of Washington insiders. But the people lost patience with his legislative inefficiency, and voted the Reagan admin into power the next time round -- the onset of privatization of government service and plenty of cold war rhetoric that continues today.
But its tears from the past. I feel this generation Y will have to transform this government controlled by powerful lobbyists who have overtaken business in Washington.
Guess, I am a pathological optimist at the end of this trip. Well, when it comes to young people....yes, you can big up yourself!