Web posted
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Cowley County people show support
By DAVID A. SEATON
Traveler Staff Writer
daseaton@arkcity.net
Among the thousands of people who braved the blizzard conditions to see Barack Obama Tuesday in El Dorado were Marilyn Lolar and Venus Hill, both of Arkansas City.
The sisters stood outside in a line that wrapped around three buildings, like a frozen snake.
They were too far back to get inside the gym where Obama spoke, but they joined several hundred in an overflow room and got a glimpse of the U.S. Senator from Illinois when he urged crowd members to caucus for him Feb. 5.
"It was even worth freezing our ears and toes off," Marilyn Lolar, an enthusiastic Obama supporter, said of the event.
The sisters were joined by several others from the Cowley County area who traveled to Butler County Community College to hear and see Presidential hopeful.
A group of about 10 students from Southwestern were there. Todd Moore, chairman of the Democratic Party in Cowley County and Southwestern's director of admissions, attended, as did Winfield City Commissioner Phil Jarvis and Southwestern President Dick Merriman.
Several Arkansas City citizens were in the audience. Peggy Soule, Kelly Hughes and Kay Ryan spent a day away from Arkansas City High School to see Obama.
Former Ark Citians Connie Bonfy, who now lives in Wichita, and Denise Irwin, also of Wichita, were also in attendance.
"He spoke to America's heartland today," said Soule. "I hope everyone gets out and votes."
"He is going to be the next president," said Hughes.
Several people mentioned the energy and idealism Obama seems to inspire. Moore said he first heard Obama two years ago at the state Democratic Convention.
"I've never seen so much electricity," he said. "And this was the same thing. You could feel it. People talking in line, saying 'I've never been to anything like this before.'"
Moore said he has been a fan of John Edwards. But with Edwards dropping out, Moore said he'll probably caucus for Obama on Tuesday. The Democratic caucus is at the First Christian Church in Winfield, 904 Alexander. Participants must show up by 7 p.m.
In the overflow room, people sat and stood on an Astro-turf practice field as campaign workers passed out stickers and circulated sign-up sheets.
Before his speech, Obama spoke briefly to the overflow crowd, urging people to caucus for him. The crowd, full of college aged people, rushed the stage to get photos and shake his hands.
He shook hands for about 10 minutes and then left to make his speech in the gym nearby. Throughout the afternoon, Marilyn Lolar and Venus Hill clapped and cheered loudly.
They said Obama's speech solidified their belief in him.
"It only reiterated what I have been feeling for the candidate," Lolar said. "Now I can say 'Yes,' I was able to look in his eyes and believe him. I'm excited."
Booker Jennings, another Ark City resident, tucked his chin into his coat and stuck his hands in his pockets as the snow swirled around the Butler County Community College Campus.
Jennings made it inside the gym. He said he tried to get selected as one of the five crowd participants to sit behind the stage where Obama spoke.
"I was yelling and screaming trying to get up there on the stage," he said.
The experience overshadowed the dismal weather.
"To be that close to the next president of the United States of America, I think it was worth it," Jennings said. "Everybody wants to see change right now and it looks like to me that he's the man for it
After the rally, Hill said she liked what Obama said about helping people who are losing their homes because of risky mortgages. She also thought that eliminating the income tax for seniors making $55,000 or less was a good idea.
Her sister said she likes Obama's plans to provide more affordable and accessible health care coverage, and a tax cut for middle-income families.
"It will help some of the smaller communities," like Ark City," Lolar said.
Lolar said she plans to help the Obama campaign in any way she can. She spoke with another woman who is struggling between Obama and Hillary Clinton.
"I just have the courage to chose change this time, not experience," Lolar said.
Jennings said Obama reminds him of the marker placed in front of Ark City City Hall that advocates working together.
"He made several good points about how he unites people across all sorts of different lines -- racial, gender, poor," Jennings said. "He's bringing people together to help solve our problems."
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