State-Journal.com - Backing Obama

Photo By Photo by Kelly MackeyChristian Adair, left, speaks to a group of Barack Obama supporters at Rocco’s Pizza in the Northgate Shopping Center at the first Franklin County meeting of Bluegrass for Obama. Supporter, Liz Mcgrapth, right, wore a t-shirt in support of Obama to the meeting.

Although the presidential primary election is still more than two months away, some local Democrats met this weekend to organize in support of U.S. Senator Barack Obama.

About ten met Saturday afternoon at Rocco's Pizza in the Northgate Shopping Center. Christian Adair helped organize the meeting and said he's pleased with the turnout even though the meeting conflicted with the University of Kentucky basketball game with Georgia in Atlanta, which had been re-scheduled from Friday night.

According to the Associated Press, Obama leads U.S. Senator Hilary Clinton among pledged delegates, 1,385-1,237 while the former first lady has an advantage among superdelegates, 247-211. The Democratic National Convention is in August in Denver.

Upcoming primaries in addition to Kentucky include Pennsylvania, Indiana, North Carolina, West Virginia, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota.
Adair told The State Journal that the Obama campaign emphasizes grass-roots development.

"That's why it's grown for him and so many new people are coming out for him," Adair said. "We might get people from Anderson or Shelby county and they could go back and start own group."

Adair coaches track and football at Western Hills High School and said the initial supporters locally was very diverse, including an almost equal number of men and women, whites and blacks, young and old supporters. He went to an Obama campaign event in Cincinnati and said he saw the same diversity there.

"Not at church, athletics, or concerts have I ever seen such a diverse crowd," Adair said. "Today was a true reflection of what the campaign is."

Notable local backers include attorney Bryan Hix and Magistrate Jill Robinson.

Hix said he's excited about the Obama campaign and hopes that Obama will come to Frankfort because of a strong local Democratic history and high voter turnout.

"It's his back yard," Hix said.

Robinson said she had not expected to get involved in either campaign because she didn't think the race would last until the Kentucky primary on May 20.

"Since we are going to be in play, I thought about it long and hard," she said. "I thought a lot about people's perspective of us around the world, I think that helped me decide go ahead and go with Barack. It sends strong message we're moving on."

The race between Obama and Clinton has been spirited, but Robinson said it will only get worse in the fall, when one candidate will face the Republican nominee, U.S. Senator John McCain.

Adair, Hix and Robinson all pledged to reach out and talk to friends and family about Obama and his message.

"Word of mouth is the most powerful tool out there," Adair said.

He said he hopes each volunteer will talk to 10 people and bring at least five friends to the next meeting on April 8 at Rocco's.

The group hopes to reach out to students and faculty at Kentucky State University and help start a grass roots group there as well. Other projects include a voter registration drive on April 15 and a party on May 20 to watch the election results.

They will also raise money by selling Obama wristbands and using the money to buy a campaign package with yard signs and other materials. Adair said everything is on back order because everyone is excited about the candidate.

Liz McGrapth said she really wants an Obama yard sign because he is the first candidate she has ever been excited about.

Adair, who lives in Versailles, said he's afraid someone might take his yard sign because they're so rare. Parents and neighbors have also offered to buy it from him.

Robinson said she has not heard of any local activity in support of Clinton, and supporters said they had not been contacted yet.

The Clinton website does not list any offices or events in Kentucky. A campaign spokesperson referred all questions to an e-mail address but did not reply to a request for information this weekend.

Get information and news about Obama campaign events in Frankfort at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/BlueGrassforObama

38.	Posted by trying March 18, 2008
	stevens_tanya, I don't think females are power-hungry, if they go after something. I just think that Hillary has always been power-hungry. She stood by Bill, and is still standing by him, very well aware of his infidelities (long before Monica) and other shortcomings. I don't blame her for wanting to be president or to be in the White House, I just don't condone her methods and moral choices along the way. Achieving power, no matter what the price, that's just not right. Personally, I don't want a person like that representing this country. I also agree that race should not be an issue, but it is in terms of mobilizing the minorities, who still feel very much oppressed. We have entered the phase of reverse discrimination with things like African-American ball, African-American dance, African-American choir, African-American history month... excluding all other races. Hopefully, eventually, we can set racial biases and equalization measures aside. However, I doubt it will happen in my lifetime. And there will always be purists on both sides. I don't think that can ever by eradicated. Nowadays, everybody, regardless of race, has the same chance to achieve a good life/career/whatever. Unfortunately, there are still too many, who use race as an excuse for their own shortcomings. I always have to laugh, when I hear somebody say, they did not get a job, because they were the wrong color. It goes both ways, the black person will say, the employer had racial bias and a preferred to hire a less qualified white applicant. The white person will say, the employer had to fill minority goals and therefore hired a less qualified black applicant. And no, having a president from a minority background will not improve the personal life of any member of the minority population. It's just another sign that nowadays we all have the same chance at a good career as long as we work hard enough.

31.	Posted by Tamed-Shrew March 17, 2008
	trying, you make good points and I have to say that I agree with you. When Hillary first announced her candidacy, I told my friends that America isn't ready for a woman president with a "past." There are too many conservative folks out there that are intimidated by her unceasing drive, and her deep involvement with some of her husband's scandals. If it were anyone but Hillary (such as some upstanding female like Crit Luallen), I believe that gender wouldn't be so prevalent an issue. Again, this election is going to be "the lesser of two evils" rather than the selection of a good candidate. Also, I'm aware that Hillary does not have campaign office around here. However, you have to read pretty far down into the article to find that out. For Average Joe, browsing the headlines, the article looks like an blatant endorsement of Obama. (Although it's pretty funny that the fold in T-shirt in the photo makes the saying look like "Yes, We Can't") Personally, I think that all campaign activities (on all levels) shouldn't be covered, unless the activity is a town meeting, debate, or other function that allows all candidates to be represented. Perhaps that comes from my working with kids too long.

29.	Posted by j1978 March 17, 2008
	Hillary certainly has her faults, but I think she has been unfairly characterized - in both the mainstream media and within this comment thread - as "power hungry." Why does her desire to be President, or a Senator, for that matter, make her any more "ambitious" and "power-hungry" than John McCain, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Pat Roberston, Ronald Reagan, or anyone else who has run for public office? Hillary is an intelligent woman, and, yes, she would most likely not be in the position to run for President if she had not been first lady, but she has embraced her EARNED role as a Senator with all of her effort and attention. I am attracted to Obama's freshness and his vision, but I am also attracted to Hillary's mastery of the issues. And I do not understand why people think Obama is any more of a hypocrite than the supposed "Maverick" John McCain, who has caved in to the right wing these last 8 years in order to be in the position to run for the Republican nomination. Also, I am just bewildered at how gullible my fellow Americans are - what kind of a country do we live in when Glenn Beck, a mainstream TV host, asks if Barack Obama is the Anti-Christ? It is things like that that make me agree with Michelle Obama when she says that there aren't many times in her adult life she has been proud of her country. No wonder!