Obama surprises Democrats in NC with an unscheduled appearance

[Seen the light]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/100/story/233778.html

Barack Obama surprised more than 700 N.C. Democrats on Saturday night with an unscheduled appearance at the party's annual Vance-Aycock dinner.

“I hope you don't mind me crashing the party,” the Democratic presidential candidate told an enthusiastic crowd in a ballroom at the Grove Park Inn. He was greeted with a prolonged ovation and shouts of “Yes, we can!” Some people stood on chairs for a better view.

Obama arrived in Asheville for a rally this afternoon and two days of quiet preparation for Tuesday's debate against Republican John McCain. It's Obama's third visit to the state in two weeks.

He alluded to his success in the state's May primary, when he soundly defeated Hillary Clinton.

“People said, ‘What's he doing spending so much time in North Carolina?'” Obama said. “It turns out, the people of North Carolina decided they were going to lift up the Obama campaign.… Maybe we should just keep on coming to North Carolina.”

Pretty cool. I would have loved to have been there.

[LiberalAndProud]

1. This is wonderful!

700 NC Democrats were very, very lucky. I am so impressed with Obama's skills on the campaign trail. If he manages to govern as well, I know that steady hands will be guiding the rudder as we navigate these very troubled times.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

2. This is the 3rd weekend in a row that he has been in NC.

I pray that his visits turn this state into his corner. And those are some lucky 700 guests. WOW!

[knowledgeispwr]

3. I'm really glad Obama is making an appearance in Western NC.

We have a good chance of turning NC blue and knocking out that carpetbagging Elizabeth Dole. McCain poo poos North Carolina at his own peril.

GO HEELS!

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

14. We have a HUGE chance of sending Dorothy back to Kansas...

after the phone banking that I did for Kay Hagan, people are just sick of the Republican party in general.

[applexcore]

21. And she won't even have to click her red slippers together...

We'll do it for her. C-ya Liddy!

[Borgnine]

4. Our success in NC and other Republican strongholds...

...just confirms what I've long believed: That we were doing ourselves a disservice for years by just focusing on the same states over and over again.

[knowledgeispwr]

5. Amen and Amen!

If we write-off whole swaths of the country, of course we won't be competitive in those places. I was always discouraged by progressives on the web praising national election strategies to ignore whole regions and disparaging the people there.

While demographic changes help (this is certainly the case in VA and NC), actually making an effort to reach out to those voters makes a difference.

[Borgnine]

9. Even in rural VA...

...where there has been little demographic change, I've noticed more and more people openly supporting Obama and other Democrats. Four years ago these were all hardline Bush voters, but now our message is actually reaching them and they realize they've been duped.

Make no mistake about it. We can turn the reddest of states if we just invest enough time there. Some won't turn in this election, but when you consider that we've only been applying the 50-state strategy for a little over three years, we've done WONDERS. And yes, disparaging the fine people who live in these areas never did us any good.

[knowledgeispwr]

13. I agree! We've come a long way.

Dean had a great vision and Obama has been great to see it through.

As a North Carolinian, I've noticed a lot more support for Obama (and a lot less for McCain) than I thought there would be a year ago. It's very encouraging. Even if NC doesn't go blue in the presidential election this time, I'm feeling good about down-ticket races and about going blue in the near future.

[sonias]

6. What a sweet thing to happen for those Democrats

Woohoo for them! Way to go Senator Obama.

The next party he crashes may be yours - get busy.

:bounce:


Sonia

[davidpdx]

11. no doubt

That would have been awesome to show up at an event and not expect something like that to happen, then he suddently shows up.

[ngGale]

7. An N.C. ... K & R ...

for Obama.

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. McCain surprised Sedona this evening

when he flushed another turd down his toilet
and it backed up the septic system. People
at his house got up on their chairs.

[firedupdem]

18. Rofl!!! I couldn't sleep! I woke up and read this and now I really

am wide awake from laughing so hard!!:rofl:

[abburdlen]

10. Sweet.

Introducing Obama, Easley took a veiled shot at McCain.
“It's one thing to be a maverick,” Easley said. “It's another to be a stubborn old mule.”

HA!

[FLyellowdog]

12. Visiting from FL

Glad we chose the same weekend to be in the mountains with Obama. Go Heels!

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. This is so exciting. He's making a big play for my state, and I couldn't

be more thrilled. With his help, I think we can sweep Liddy Dole out of DC for good. Hmmm, I wonder if she'll return to NC, or if she'll go back to her real home in Kansas?

[loudsue]

17. Elizabeth Dole grew up in Salisbury, NC. Her husband's home is Kansas.

Her family of origin still lives in Salisbury.

My ex-parents-in-law formerly worked with her family.

[Tarheel_Dem]

19. I'm aware of all that. I was just wondering if she'd re-settle here, or

if she would move back to the place where she lived before she ran for Senate.

[applexcore]

22. Re-settle?

Psh, the only time she comes here is when shes up for re-election or during a state emergency, like a hurricane (if we're lucky).

[Tarheel_Dem]

23. That was precisely my point. Liddy Dole hasn't been an active resident

of this state for eons, and I'm betting she won't come back here once she's beaten.

[Phx_Dem]

16. What a charmer! n/t

[saltpoint]

20. I love this.

He did a major political move with maximum poise and agility.

This guy's a winner.