Obama makes last campaign stop despite rain and family tragedy
By Kate Austin
11/3/08 (Updated 11/4/08)
Charlotte, N.C. — Neither tragedy nor the pouring rain put a damper on Sen. Barack Obama’s final campaign stop at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Monday night. Supporters came in the thousands to cheer and hope for a Democratic win in Tuesday’s election.
Obama excites the crowd at UNCC (for full photo coverage see the slide show link at the bottom). The student audience cheered wildly when Obama addressed financial aid for tuition.
People of all ages stood in line outside UNCC’s Hayes Field awaiting Obama’s arrival. As crowds filled the venue, songs playing over the loudspeaker and clips of Obama’s past speeches reminded the supporters why they were backing this 2008 presidential candidate.
News that earlier today Obama’s grandmother lost her struggle with cancer worried the anxious audience that he would cancel the rally, but they were reassured the candidate was on his way to the field.
In the face of family tragedy, Obama recognized the task he still had in front of him. With 12 hours left until the final voting day began, he asked the audience for help in the last stretch of his election marathon.
“We’re going to have to work these next 24 hours like our life depends on it…convince those who are unconvinced that change is possible,” Obama said. “After eight years of failed policies for George W. Bush,” he said as the crowd responded with negativity, he continued, “You don’t need to ‘boo,’ you just need to vote.”
Paying respects to his beloved grandmother, Obama explained the ways that she was a “quiet hero,” of whom there are many in America today – the people who struggle to work and do the right thing, only for the satisfaction of helping their children to enjoy a better life than they did. “That is what America is about; that is what we’re fighting for,” he said.
The crowd cheered as they listened one final time to Obama’s policies that had encouraged excitement in them through the 21 months of the campaign.
Maurice Wiggins, a student at UNCC said, “he hit all the issues that I was looking forward to – the economy, and early childhood education…I’m really excited [for the election results].”
Obama said that when the campaign began, he was unsure of how it would play out, but no matter what the results are on election day, he will be pleased with the outcome. “We have had a remarkable campaign…all of you have created this incredible campaign,” he said.
video: Bryce Little
Janna said,
November 4, 2008 at 9:30 pm
It’s great you went out and reported from this historic event. Congratulations! I am going to ask you and the others who went to stand up in front in class tomorrow and show your sites and tell about your reporting experience. You have some good specific details in the print reporting, and your visual reporting is dynamic, as usual!