You won't regret it.

Cool! Have fun, danf. The people scream for him like he's a rock star.

I just overheard a co-worker referring to him as Osama. I am very sad.

Have fun! I wish I could go!! I'm waiting for him to do something in PA, which is driving distance... and hoping that since I'm a voulenteer I'll get tickets. ;)

I just overheard a co-worker referring to him as Osama. I am very sad.

Sometimes I just want to fucking weep.

Sometimes I just want to fucking weep.

Honestly, anyone who thinks making jokes about someone's ethnic-sounding name or comparing a US senator to a terrorist, well... let's just say they're not likely to vote for Hillary, either.

I try not to let it get to me. When I canvas if I get Hill people and undecideds I talk to them, the second I get anything like that I have no problem saying "I find your bigotry offensive, so I'll just say good day and leave now."

It honestly isn't worth the time to change some people's minds.

I just overheard a co-worker referring to him as Osama. I am very sad.

I think it's best to reserve judgement on that. The two words are very similar and timely.
Unless of course, you understood the context and maybe you know how this person is.

I just overheard a co-worker referring to him as Osama. I am very sad.

I think it's best to reserve judgement on that. The two words are very similar and timely.

Also similar: Yo mama.

Easy there, Atom.

Also: Yobama bama bo bama.

All I'm saying is you get someone who's a little tired or hungover and it's not impossible to slip on something like that, without it meaning anything.

All I'm saying is you get someone who's a little tired or hungover and it's not impossible to slip on something like that, without it meaning anything.

This is very true.

In my case, well, I've had people say things to me that could only be seen as racist. Like, words I won't repeat in polite, rude, mixed, or unmixed company or even type out. Which is just heartbreaking in this day and age.

I've gotta conditionally agree with hellbient, not knowing the context of "Osama". I've got some weird mental brain thing where I frequently make "Freudian slips" with people's names - calling my friend Bill "Bob", calling my friend Bob "Jill". I had a whole conversation with MuddDude about Gov. Spitzer, except the whole time I kept calling him Guiliani. Of course, I always apologize and I would feel horrendous if I accidentally called Sen. Obama "Osama", but it's something that could happen. But in the context of "Man, get a load of that OSAMA GUY *wink wink nudge nudge*" - yeah, I would be really pissed off, too.

Off topic: One time, I found an article that mentioned that James Earl Jones once received an award that had been erroneously inscribed "James Earl Ray." In my email, I referred to Jones as Ray 3 distinct times, and I didn't catch it, despite telling myself "Don't type Ray".

So I am totally on board with the Obama love, but am I the only one who wonders sometimes if, during his inauguration speech, he's going to rip off his face and reveal himself as our new alien overlord?

Just me then?


I'll get my things.


No one real could be this awesome.

Well, I didn't want to threadjack again, but since y'all asked, it went something like this:

*Sounds of tv news webcast*
Coworker A: (grumpy voice) "looks like Osama's in town."
Coworker B: "Huh?"
Coworker A: "Osama Obama."

No one real could be this awesome.

I kinda wonder, too. But the people I know who've met him said he seems to be the real deal. Doesn't even like to be called Sir or Senator or any of that apparently, just "Barack."
(although I don't think I could do it.)

Although I guess, if you want his mortal side, he's not one for the advance planning. The office in PA I voulenteer at has to be ready for him to show up at any time, since they won't even know if he'll be in town until the day before unless it's a big event. Which would really freak me out if I was in charge.

No, that's awesome. As an American of Chaotic Good alignment, I have been hungry for a candidate that relates to me.

Before I ever heard of the guy, I heard people talking about him and I heard his name as Barako Bamma - I was like, "Cool, like B.A. Barakas!"

(especially after 8 years of a Lawful Evil administration, 8 years of a Neutral, 12 years of Lawful and Neutral Evil, until finally we get Lawful Good Jimmy Carter back in the late 70's)

during his inauguration speech, he's going to rip off his face and reveal himself as our new alien overlord?

Yup, that's why I won't give in to how wonderful he seems.
puts on foil suit

He came to my town and only talked to a crowd of around a hundred invited guests.

Plus two army sergeants in uniform (and their wives) who just showed up. Chutzpah, that paid off.

(but if you were giving an antiwar speech near Ft Bragg you might do the same thing, I guess.)

Although I guess, if you want his mortal side, he's not one for the advance planning. The office in PA I voulenteer at has to be ready for him to show up at any time, since they won't even know if he'll be in town until the day before unless it's a big event.

I saw him at the Portland rally this morning - which was fantastic, filled the Memorial Coliseum, great crowd, so cool to be in on the Richardson endorsement. (I even found me and my mother (very briefly) in one of the videos on the campaign site. Fame!). Anyway, my mother's friend has some connections to his campaign and apparently the coordinator for the Portland event was about to quit the campaign just a week or so ago feeling frazzled and overworked, then met Obama and got completely charged - and went on to put on this rally with not even three days' notice, as it wasn't for certain until some time late Tuesday night. It was a bit disorganized but a remarkably small bit given the turnout and the timing.

I'm drinking the Obama koolaid, but given that Bush has been president since I was in 7th grade, my only real experience with this whole "president" thing has been one big fucking outrageous disappointment. Which means two things, I suppose:
1. There's really nowhere to go but up, hopefully.
2. I am so mentally prepared to be completely and utterly let down by Obama if he becomes president. I'm almost expecting it. You become president and then you piss me off to no end, that's how it works, right?

I hope he proves me wrong on the latter count, if he gets the chance.

Well, I'll be honest; those in the opposition party will always twist names and make similar juvenile jokes about any important or controversial politician/candidate on the other side, and that's just a thing that is, and will always be until/unless we evolve into something somewhat better than human. Though I fucking hate the man, I've been embarrassed by "Shrub" and "The Chimp" Bush references just because they seem so schoolyard shallow - and they are terms that have been used by a lot of people I otherwise respect and agree with. It's just the nature of people to do this, and in my opinion not worth bemoaning too much. Or bemoan, but also bemoan the words of your allies when they do the same thing. I just really wanted to say "bemoan" again. Bemoan.

These events always disagree with me. I worked a Hillary event a few years ago and it's the same thing.

The campaign just wants screaming bodies in a space without regard to their comfort or, really, their sense of humanity.

This being Eugene, the long line was fairly self-managed, but this one activist-type guy that I know line-jumped behind me, like he's my best buddy, although he usually doesn't give me the time of day. I told him that we'd all been waiting in line for hours, go to the back.

The secret service-security people are usually very professional and polite, and they were last night. It was very airport-type security, with emptying pockets, metal detectors, patdowns, etc. Then the campaign people just herded big groups to different sections of Mac Court. We ended up high but on the side right over the entrance point to the stage area, and it was not a bad seat.

For the warmups, the sound was really bad, and I spotted one of the deputy fire marshals wandering around on the floor, whose cell # I had in my phone and asked her to go to the sound booth and let them know. She did, but the sound did not get better until Obama came on.

Mac Court is known for being loud, and with all the students there, well they had had practice in basketball games of stomping and yelling. Obama first mentioned that he was glad he was not an opposing team, and mentioned that although the Ducks had tanked that very night, that the Illini had not even made the tournament.

Otherwise, it was the stump speech, the third one that day, and reportedly the same. He looked very tired but the crowd was roaring. One of his applause lines is to pay teachers more, and while people cheered, I am sitting there thinking "hey, teacher pay is bargained locally, variable, etc etc. How can you actually say that and would you give my school district, and every single school district in the country, funds to do that?" There were a number of other statements like that which got roars but were basically bullshit.

But it was electric, and compared to what is coming out of Hillary's mouth these days (very researched single sound bites) it seemed, on the whole pretty fresh.

He had met with the overflow before-hand (just as Jessie Jackson had done years before) and afteward, worked the crowd a bit, handing off to an aid all the stuff that people gave him (where the hell does all of this stuff go?) and shaking as many hands as possible.

This morning, down in Dreadford (Medford) in the Republican part of the state. I was wondering if they get a hotel, sleep on the bus, or what? I was also musing that grooming-wise, he just has to shave and is good to go. Most caucasian men, and Hillary, have hair issues to deal with but his must be pretty low-maintenance.

Also in line, we heard that he does not smoke anymore but wears a nicotine patch. I would think that with all the attention it would be hard to sneak a smoke here and there.

So, an interesting night. If Hillary comes to town and it's at a high school, I'll probably have to work it (as laison to the fire marshal).

Also similar: Yo mama.
Easy there, Atom.

No offense intended to Mama hellbient. I just think it would make a great call-and-response chant at an Obama rally:

"Who rock yo mama?"
"BARACK OBAMA!"