By Emily Silva
November 3, 2008
Photo courtesy of Bryce Little
“Either way you look at it, it’s history,” said Jose Colon, a UNC-Charlotte student from Puerto Rico. Colon and other UNC-C students shared their campus with the world Monday. Thousands of people flocked from all over the South to hear Sen. Barack Obama speak at his last rally before Election Day.
The 2008 election’s uniqueness has drawn a new kind of voter enthusiasm that hasn’t been seen in American politics for years. “I never thought I’d see this time,” said 55-year-old Aza Shakur from Charlotte, N.C.”Young people are excited for the first time in my life.”
This election has brought about a sense of history in-the-making within the United States. Whether voters are Republican or Democrat, they sense the importance of this election, especially in swing states like North Carolina.
Something is happening within our country like never before. For the first time, we will see either a black man become our president, or we will see a woman become our vice president. Either way the election goes, it will be a change that will be recorded in future textbooks as unique.
Photo courtesy of Bryce Little
“We’re here to see history and be part of history,” said Sal Alfieri, a physical education professor at Livingstone College in Concord, N.C. “I’m voting for the belief,” he said. “For the unifier [Obama] can be. He brings the best of black and white, and that’s what we should all be about.”
Alfieri, a registered Democrat, described seeing Obama speak tonight as “a moment we would love to carry into the future.”
Many children were present at tonight’s rally, as well as adults. Wisdom Jzar, from Charlotte, N.C., brought his two children, ages five and three, to “keep them in touch with the political process,” he said. “I want to get it into them early enough, so when they get older, they can make…a change.”
Photo courtesy of Bryce Little
“Young people are wondering what’s going to happen in their future,” Obama said. “The last thing we can afford is the last four years again.”
Children scampered across the wet field, waving “Change We Need” signs and American flags. Parents from both political parties said it was important for their children to witness this process of political history. It’s important for their future, parents said.
“This is history in the making,” said Jackie Weigel, an elementary school art teacher from Matthews, N.C. “I wanted my children to take it in. The part of a parent is allowing children to see these opportunities. This is history right before our eyes.”
Photo courtesy of Bryce Little
Looking into the future has been a theme of this year’s election. Both parties are promising differences in American life from the past eight years.
“It is time for change and… that is why I’m running for president of the United States of America,” Obama said at tonight’s historical rally. He promised North Carolinians two million new jobs during his time as president, a $15 billion investment in renewable energy, more health care benefits for the working class and benefits for military service.
He spoke of the current economical crisis and how John McCain would not help the situation if elected president. “You and I know there is something fundamentally wrong with our economy,” Obama said. “It’s a philosophy that hasn’t worked and I will change it when I am president.”
“If you participate in national service, we’ll make sure you go to college – no ‘if’s,’ ‘and’s,’ or ‘but’s,’” he said. “That’s my commitment as president.”
That change doesn’t have to happen just in Washington or on Wall Street, people are saying. It needs to happen on a basic, grassroots level and people think Obama is the man for the job.
Photo courtesy of Bryce Little
“I won’t stand here,” Obama said, “And pretend this is going to be easy. The change we need comes from each of us doing what we can.”
“He’s such a moving speaker,” said Gregory Jackson, from Charlotte, N.C. Jackson went to Raleigh to see Obama speak a few weeks ago.
Jackson told a story of a woman in the Raleigh crowd fainting from the heat. Obama, he said, stopped talking and went behind the stage to get a bottle of water and tossed it out into the crowd for the woman. Obama was distracted, Jackson said, and couldn’t find his place in his speech. However, he made a point to make sure that one woman was alright.
“You never forget something like that,” Jackson said.
Democrats are looking for a fundamental change in our nation and they believe Obama is it. However, not all Obama supporters started out Democrats.
“I first saw him on Oprah and said, ‘That’s a smart guy!’” Julie Frye drove all the way to Charlotte, N.C. from Greenville, S.C. to see Obama speak. She understands how crucial it is to be informed and educated on the topics at hand, she said.
Frye, a registered Republican, said this is the first election in which she is voting Democrat. She said that, after reading Obama’s book, “That was it.” She was hooked. “He actually thinks the same thoughts that I think,” she said. “He gets it.”
Photo courtesy of Bryce Little
Obama has made the election not about black against white, or Democrat against Republican, Frye explained. “He just wants what’s best for the country,” she said. “He’s so calm.”
“It makes you feel more a part of the movement,” said Turquoise Lane, from Winston Salem, N.C. “I’m feeling really patriotic. His voice is so powerful.”
Lane expressed excitement about this historical election being her first time voting. Many first-time voters have turned out for rallies throughout the country for both Obama and McCain. The votes of young people are crucial right now, Lane said.
Obama passionately encouraged people to get out into the community on Election Day. He asked people who have voted early to volunteer to help out the campaign locally.
“We are a union,” Obama said. “(It is) not perfect, but we can work to perfect it. It can start in 24 hours if you are ready.”
Despite the on-and-off rain downpours, people stood in miles-long lines to catch shuttles from parking lots to the UNCC baseball field, where Obama was scheduled to speak at 5:30 p.m.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8_NxI_boeU
Twitter: Democratic candidate Barack Obama urges voters to vote for a change this coming election.
AWESOME REPORTING! Wow. You talked to a lot of people. You wove a tapestry that puts me there and let’s me feel the emotion. Multiple storytelling direct quotations make the work compelling. And you can see how vital it is to get the strong visuals to go with the excellent reporting, because having photos with your words makes this so much more approachable and compelling than if you hadn’t had any at all. So definitely buy Bryce a coffee sometime, because you owe him!