Fired Up!

I arrived question in hand to Wednesday night's Countdown to Change in Largo, Md. Novice that I am I was hoping for some sort of question and answer session after Sen. Obama spoke. Even though that was wishful thinking I certainly was not disappointed at all. After all I was there because the campaign, Kyle Watkins particularly, took note of my e-mail grousing about getting invitations everyday to attend this event or that, for a small donation. Though it would have certainly been nice to be in the VIP Tent with the candidate before hand I had good seats and met a terrific lady.

The sun was just about to set behind one of the buildings on Prince Georges Community College. A huge American flag hung as a backdrop for the stage. While an eclectic mix of music boomed form speakers, the crowd seemed to grow and grow. I could not help but think how much it reminded me of time spent waiting for the band to come on at a rock concert. I found a campaign volunteer that help me skip the waiting in line. Eventually I was pointed to an area with other handicapped supporters close to the stage. From this vantage point I could see great.

I guided my wheelchair in to a spot along what I hoped might be part of the rope line that the candidate would walk later. "I was thiiisss close" as some forgotten comedian used to say. I had pulled up along side a woman slightly older than me who was also in a wheelchair. In the spirit of the event I extended my hand and introduced myself saying, "Hi, I'm Barry. I'm a polio survivor." I thought I'd slide right out of my chair when she said, "I don't believe it I am too. I survived polio too." What a strange thing that fate. Together we passed the time discussing how we came to be Barack Obama supporters, when we had polio, when did Post Polio Syndrome come on and something that really binds polio survivors how much we do that we know we shouldn't. She told me about going to college at Berkley in 1970. I told her about what it was like being in the middle of Baltimore's big anti-war riot. (Which by the way was little more than a bunch of cops on horses charging in to one of the quads at Baltimore's Washington Monument, where a group of hippies had gathered to listen to people play guitar and sing protest song. With out a single warning to the crowd the police rode in hurling tear gas into the crowd.) Twice campaign volunteers came along to pass out signs. Since I have not loss my ability to walk, just the ability to walk far, I stood up and reached out to get a sign that I gave to my new friend, Vardrine.

Eventually, the sun set behind that building and someone introduced the Fredrick Douglass High School Marching Band. Then that same faceless voice introduced Maryland's Attorney General Doug Gansler. AG Gansler was pretty enthusiastic for a politician not facing re-election for three more years. He was sorry Doug, a snooze compared to what was coming. Maryland's Attorney General spoke of how Sen. Obama reminds him of the first president he learned about in school, John Kennedy. A few more pieces of red meat liberal rhetoric and Doug introduced Congressman Elijah Cummings.

Now we're going to get things going. Rep. Cummings has the delivery of an old-time revivalist minister. I think he blew out the ears of the sound man when he first greeted the crowd. With much more enthusiasm than Mr. Gansler, he warmed up the crowd. He told the crowd how they had thrown the college for a loop. He said they were expecting about 1500 people but that there was at least twice that many there. Something that really had impressed me was that seventeen days before this event wasn't on anybodies calendar. In sixteen days they put together what I suspect may be the largest political rally ever in Maryland. With ever rising excitement the time had come, as Congressman told the crowd "give it up, give it up for Senator Barack Obama, holding that last "a" like a baritone in the choir.

With more than just a mere spring in his step Sen. Obama bounded on to the stage. Now it really is like a rock concert. The cheer went out like Raven's fans when Todd Heap catches a third down pass. By this point I am so caught up in the excitement I haven't even glanced over to see Vardrine's reaction. She was stoked, just beaming ear to ear. I guess I'll never be a reporter, I have no idea how long Barack spoke. I don't know that I could list the specific topics he spoke about. Except that he said what they had come here to hear him say. He spoke of his roots which began as a community organizer. He spoke of President Bush and Dick Cheney, telling the crowd about Cheney's version of how to put together an energy policy. He told them that Cheney met with the environmentalists once, he met with the alternative energy source suppliers, once, and he met with the oil company executives 40 times. More like Abbey Hoffmann than Abraham Lincoln he told them that he would do everything he can for now to end the war in Iraq. Telling about how he and others in Congress are doing their best to convince Republicans that the time is now to tell their President no to more money with out a time line to get out. He spoke of his mother pouring over healthcare insurance manuals as she slipped away from cancer at only 53 years old. The senator promised the crowd to have a healthcare system that will provide healthcare for ever citizen. That coverage will be at least as good as he and Elijah have as members of Congress.

Much of what Sen. Obama said I had already heard. Whether it was the YouTube Debate or on an interview show or one of the many video clips that another blogger friend sends me regularly. I didn't come to this event not knowing about Barack Obama. I had read "The Audacity of Hope." When I was reading it I was reminded of the scene in "The Patriot" when Benjamin (Mel Gibson) is finished reading Cornwallis's Diary and says he's just been in the mind of a genius. I felt like I was reading the words of a president, or at least someone who should be president.

Finally the end was near; Barack begins to tell his Greenwood, South Carolina story. Something else I had seen on the internet. I was trained as an actor. The hardest thing about acting for live theatre is keeping it fresh every night. Imagine saying the exact same thing at the exact same time, every night for a year or more. That is acting on Broadway. So I was interested if Barack could do the same with the Greenwood story. He did not disappoint.

The Greenwood story has another parallel with Broadway. There is a school of acting (I forget which one) that says if you bang your fist on a table, saying God damn it, God damn it, over and over again, you can't help but feel real anger welling up in your body. Well, that is sort of the point to the story of the little bespectacled lady in the hat from the Greenwood City Council. Sen. Obama arrives at an early campaign event tired and wet. The city councilwoman is heard asking someone "Fired up?" and the person answers "Fired Up." The she asks "Ready to go?" and the person responds "Ready to go." then to the whole room she questions "Fired up?" The whole room loudly answers "Fired up!" Again she says "Ready to go?" Even louder than before the room answers "Ready to go!" As the Senator tells the story he too is getting louder and more emphatic each time he says "Fired up?" "Ready to go?" The he looks out to the sea of supporters and asks loudly "Prince Georges I have one question, Fired Up? the crowd roars back Fired up!" Barack then asks "Ready to go? Louder than before the supporters chant back Ready to go!" Back and forth it goes Fired up?, Fired up! Ready to go?, Ready to go! Then with one more Ready to go!; "alright then lets go win this election."

It was really an exciting evening. When it was over I turned to Vardrine, her excitement evident in the big smile on her face. We had already exchanged e-mail addresses and promised to keep in touch. A new friend and a chance to maybe have seen a future President of the United States, an evening I won't forget. How do I know, because I still remember shaking hands with Hubert Humphrey, the then Vice-President of the United States, I was about eleven or twelve.