LIVING POLITICS
Howard Fineman
Star Power
Barack Obama couldn't have hoped for a better endorser than Oprah. Problem was, she outshone the candidate.
Forty years ago, when Andrea Perry was a cheerleader at St. Bonaventure, administrators at the upstate New York school barred her from traveling to Columbia, S.C., with the basketball team. The sad but obvious reason: she was black.
But history works in wondrous ways.
As fate would have it, Perry, a third-generation New Yorker, moved here to Columbia in 1978. She worked for the University of South Carolina, sending her daughter, Philana, to the just-desegregated public schools. Now, on a sunny Sunday all these many years later, mother and daughter joined 20,000 others who listened with rapt attention to Oprah Winfrey introduce Sen. Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.
"I thought it was all downhill after the Kennedys were killed," said Perry. "I put politics aside. I'm 60 years old and I've never had a bumper sticker, never worn a T-shirt like this" – she pointed to her blue Obama T. "Maybe it's not all downhill after all," she said. "He was everything I expected," she said. "Not an opportunist, but an honest guy."
If Obama hopes to win, here and elsewhere, he has to hope he makes the sale he made to Andrea Perry.
In a sun-splashed football stadium, the crowd—black and white, young and old—gathered to hear the hip-hop funk of the '90s hip-hop group Arrested Development, followed by Michelle Obama, who gave way to Oprah, who gave way to the candidate.
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Member Comments
Posted By: timcorkern81 @ 02/16/2008 6:42:00 PM
Comment: Haha. Troy from Brooklyn can't even spell minorities. How's THAT for an education system? People are ignorant to vote for Osama (I mean...Obama) ONLY because he's black. As certain women are ignorant enough to vote for Hillary ONLY because she's a woman. Every major candidate that has a chance at winning scares the crap out of me when I consider one of them running my country. Some more than others. God help us if Obama or Hillary gets into office. Heard of goin to hell in a handbasket? That's what's comin.
Posted By: JMZ $.02 @ 01/19/2008 4:36:46 AM
Comment: Many of the comments posted are purely ignorant. With our nation's public education failing tomorrow's leaders daily, I am not surprised. Be careful with the finger pointing. This failure began long before President Bush. Please educate yourself before you speak as if you see the full scope.
How many of you have actually served your country in support of OIF or OEF? Have you ever had a mother show whole-hearted gratitude to you for giving her child medicine because she thought they were going to die? Have you ever been told thank you by an Iraqi man in a wheel chair for helping his country stand on their own? Who are you to disrespect the men and women who have gaven their lifes by speaking of a situation you know nothing of?
Do you know what the differences are between the baseline beliefs of Muslims, Christians and Jews? Do you know which of the distinctions following the book(s) of God has the most violent history? And I am not referencing the extremists in this regard. I reference the head of the distinction sanctioning violence as a standard.
Do you know the questionable backgrounds of some our nations 'greatest' leaders? Are you basing your vote on what's best for our country? Do you know the history of each candidate's political decisions? Or are you basing your vote on some feeble connection to the dream of being a 'part' of history?
America, wake up! The decision we collectively make this election will significantly shape our future. Make your part of that decision based on the right reason...the education reason.
Posted By: nubianking11 @ 01/08/2008 12:04:38 PM
Comment: I feel that it's time America has a black Democratic President. I will vote for Obama,and all blacks,minoroties and even whites should vote for Obama. He will do a much better job than Bush,and he will help all working class people,not just us blacks. He is against the Middle East War too. I agree with Obama 100%!
Troy N. Brooklyn,N.Y.