Tulsa World: Speech fires up backers in Tulsa

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Speech fires up backers in Tulsa

By RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Published: 8/29/2008 2:05 AM
Last Modified: 8/29/2008 2:13 AM

Barack Obama finished a distant second in Oklahoma's Democratic primary. His chances of carrying the state in November are considered so slim that the national party has more or less written it off.

But Thursday night, at locations across the metro area, people of all kinds turned out to watch Obama's acceptance speech.

A hundred or more crowded into two rooms at The Brook restaurant in Brookside.

A similar number gathered in the Transport Workers Union Hall in northeast Tulsa. At least five other watch parties also were scheduled.

"I haven't voted since (Bill) Clinton," said Toni Wynes at The Brook. "Obama is bringing my vote back to town."

At the union hall, Louis King shouted periodically during Obama's speech.

"He needed to let America know who he is," King said afterward.

"He is not the elitist and the extremist that he's been portrayed. I think his speech was right on point — exactly what he needed to say."

Also at the union hall, Dwight Peters said: "I was very moved, and I'm a hard-core cynic. I never thought I would see a person of color in this position in my lifetime."

The Brook crowd included people of all ages, colors and ranges of political experience.

At 33, Amie Nguyen has never voted in a presidential election. Now she's organizing for Obama and was one of the main organizers of the party at The Brook.

"I'm taking this very seriously," she said. "When I was growing up, my school did not emphasize voting. My parents didn't vote. As an adult, I got married and had children. But after Bush, I realized it was vitally important to vote."

Nguyen said she started out as a Hillary Clinton supporter but switched to Obama as she watched him in interviews and televised debates.

"The more I watched, the more convinced I became," she said.

Her friend Joy Whitman has always voted. She describes herself as a grassroots activist who signed up to help the Obama campaign in March 2007.

"He's like me," Whitman said. "He understands the importance of community."

Also at The Brook, Tyrone Hawkins of Tulsa said he is "ready for a change. The last eight years have been terrible."

Hawkins agreed that speeches don't always mean much, but said he'd been listening to the Democratic Convention and to Obama.

"They all get up there and say things they don't follow through on," he said. "I think Obama will come closer to it than anyone except (Bill) Clinton."

Wynes said she came to The Brook on Thursday night to see who would show up.

"He is for change for everybody, not just those of one ethnic group or those who are struggling," she said. "America is ready for change. We as a people are ready for change."

Randy Krehbiel 581-8365
randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com By RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer

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If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

	Report Comment Tony G, (8/29/2008 6:20:10 AM) Fish Turn off that misguided A.M radio!
	Report Comment oldrustytulsa, Tulsa (8/29/2008 6:30:41 AM) Now Creflo Dollar says Obama is not the right man hes gonna tax the TV Churches.
	Report Comment tiger, (8/29/2008 10:23:15 AM) Fish & oldrustytulsa.......What a pair!!!! A pair of what.....I don't know!!!!

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