About a year ago, I was invited to a dinner party at Pop’s Restaurant, where the conversation inevitably turned to politics. Fond of good wine and better conversation, the host initiated a roundtable discussion of the presidential election, which was still 12 months away and had not yet even made it to the primaries.
The questions were simple: Who will be the nominees, and who will win?
Regardless of age, sex or party affiliation, there was an overwhelming (and perhaps unanimous) consensus. Of course, if the election had obeyed our predictions, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain (and their running mates) would not be barnstorming North Carolina because they wouldn’t have accepted the nominations at their parties’ conventions and partly because the Tar Heel State might not even be a key battleground state.
After all, all eight students at that dinner anticipated a matchup between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.
McCain? Barely mentioned just months after his campaign was left for dead. Not yet identified as a maverick.
Obama? Appealing, but too inexperienced to top the Clinton machine. Not yet hailed as an inspirational tour de force.
(For the record, the brief discussion of vice presidential candidates prompted two references to Bill Richardson and Obama himself. Even the most politically-savvy Duke students hadn’t heard of a certain hockey mom from Alaska last November.)
And while none of these musings qualify for breaking news in any sense, it does underscore one lesson we’ve all learned from this grueling race: Opinions change and perspectives shift every day. Because as long as five days seem now, imagine how long these last 12 months feel.
Ashley Judd - James Lee/The Chronicle
A flurry of A(ish) list of celebrities have recently made cameo appearances on campus to stump on behalf of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Chad Coleman, Deirdre Lovejoy, and Jamie Hector from HBO’s TV drama The Wire mixed and mingled with students Monday on the Main Quad, conveniently positioning themselves near the early voting site in the West Union Building.
Edie Falco, who plays Carmela on The Sopranos, followed suit Tuesday, also appearing on Main West to usher in last-minute voters and making an eleventh hour appeal for their candidate.
Today, actress and two-time Golden Globe nominee Ashley Judd, best-known for her roles in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Double Jeopardy and Someone Like You, as well as Valerie Biden-Owens, sister of Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden and Congressman David Price appeared on the Plaza, drawing the biggest crowd out of the three events.
The relatively low turnouts at these mini-rallies may be an indication that voters are suffering from the symptoms of campaign fatigue, brought on by an unusually long and arduous election season. Check out Emma Miller’s full coverage of the event in tomorrow’s Chronicle.
David Price - James Lee/The Chronicle
Long lines - Lawson Kurtz/The Chronicle
The Obama rally in Raleigh today brought out a massive crowd. About 28,000 showed up to see the Democratic candidate speak just six days before the Big Day. But perhaps thousands more who couldn’t get in to the mall stayed loyally to hear Obama’s voice reverberate through speakers placed strategically around the confines.
Throngs of hopeful attendees, bundled in heavy coats and scarves, meshed into several loose lines that wrapped around the mall. Though some gave up early and found choice spots close to speakers, many stood patiently in line until officials deemed no more bodies could be squeezed in.
“We gave up. We didn’t get downtown until about 10:30 [a.m.]…. We walked to where the line was still about four more blocks long, and that’s when we turned around, and I said, ‘Well, at least we can get closer and listen,” said Rebecca Lopez from Raleigh, who brought her six-year-old daughter to the rally.
Announced only a couple days prior, the event today drew many Triangle residents on a spur-of-the-moment decision. Kolt Lmulm, who did not vote for Obama in early voting, said he heard about the rally Wednesday morning and came from his work downtown to check out the event. Several others also told The Chronicle they came with a group of co-workers from their offices down the street (the rally was held at the Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh). And students at Broughton High School in Raleigh said they were excused to attend the rally, many hearing about it only this morning.
Check out this photo slideshow by Lawson Kurtz for pictures of Obama at the podium and, of course, the crowd.
With one week left before election day, North Carolina has clearly solidified its status as a bona fide swing state. The two major presidential candidates are planning trips to the Tar Heel State. Republican Sen. John McCain will attend a rally in Fayetteville today and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama plans to speak in Raleigh Wednesday. To top things off, Libertarian candidate Bob Barr will speak in 139 Social Sciences Building at 5 p.m. today. Check back with The Chronicle’s Election 2008 Blog for updates all this week.
