So how popular is Obama outside Chicago?

[ButterflyBlood]

Question for the downstaters. He seems to have loads of support statewide, so he must be have some popularity outside of Chicago too. How popular is he in your area?

[Stew225]

1. Nobody knows who the hell he is. eom

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

4. Stew225, where are you located downstate?

Just wondering..

[chiburb]

6. Perrysburg, Ohio...

Check his profile...

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

7. Thanks, Chiburb, just read it.

Methinks, he is a "moran". Should've figured out for myself.

[davsand]

2. Dems in Champaign county LOVE Obama!

We were one of the only counties downstate to go for Obama in the primary, and he still has great support. I see his signs out now...

He has done a lot to invigorate our minority voters, and I am amazed at the number of people who support him that are not part of the mainline Dem group--these are relative newcomers to the party!

The GOP here, however, is about 50% of the county--he needs to make inroads with the undecided voters and the moderate GOP. He CAN do it if anyone can--he's very very good with taking the GOP talking points and countering them with common sense.

I think the county will go for Obama in the general election.


Laura

[Radical Activist]

14. He also won Sangamon in the past, which is no

small accomplishment since Hynes had done well there before, and statewide office holders usually have the advantage in Springfield.

[hvymtldrmr]

3. Jefferson County likes him

and WE are down south

[murielm99]

5. He is very well loved around Rockford and

in Ogle County.

I was surprised early on by how many people here knew his name and were enthusiastic about him.

I was critical of him during the primaries for not showing up in our area, or the Quad Cities.

He has learned from that. His campaign workers show up regularly at our central committee meetings, and he will be in Rochelle on August 2!!!!!

[davsand]

8. I wanted to share this with you about Obama's popularity:

Last night I was having cocktails with one of Obama's campaign guys and he was telling me a really neat story about being with Obama in Springfield a few days ago.

They were walking down the street with a reporter and a photographer from one of the major news magazines (another huge article is coming soon!) The photographer had to contend with a huge number of people who kept coming up and wanting to shake Obama's hand and get his autograph. Meanwhile, as they went past one of the office buildings people were opening the windows and yelling out to Obama saying things like "We love you Barack" and "I'm voting for you in November!"

Obama is starting a bus tour of the state soon and he's hitting a lot of counties with it. Word is Durbin will be with him for at least part of it and even Michelle and the kids will be along part of the time. (I'm really excited--they do plan stops in Champaign and in Vermilion Counties both as part of that tour.)

with the keynote speech and the increase in visibility, look for the support to increase a large amount in the upcoming months.

Laura

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

9. Great news, Laura, thanks for posting it.

I can't wait for Barack's keynote speech at the Dem Convention. What major news magazine is doing the article on him? Time, Newsweek, etc?

[davsand]

10. I wasn't told it is a secret, so...

I guess it is OK to go ahead and say I think he said it was Newsweek. (Bear with me--I'd had a few margaritas by that point and it was loud there.) This was the same guy that has told me other stuff in advance, and he's always been right so far--so I tend to trust him.

I had a good giggle last night when he told me the staffers had been wishing that Ditka would run. It was a lot like the things we were saying here at DU about it.

He also told me they'd had some event on the east coast that was packed with people. They were pleasantly surprised at how large the attendance was and how enthusiastic the response was to Obama. I made some comment that Obama is very well regarded here at DU and that it was not surprising to me that the east coast turned out. He kind of laughed and said they do read at DU. They appreciate us, it seems. :hi:

Laura

[Cadfael]

11. He blew everyone else away in the primary in DuPage

In DuPage County:

Barack Obama 35,824
Daniel Hynes 11,541
Gery Chico 3,184
Maria Pappas 5,323
Blair Hull 5,512
Nancy Skinner 1,129
Joyce Washington 585
and 4 votes for a write-in candidate

[Norquist Nemesis]

12. Seeing the above warms my heart.

After growing up in Coles County, I'm thrilled to hear Central Illinois and downstaters are backing Obama. :bounce:

[EST]

13. Obama popularity

I live in rural Jefferson county and only managed to hear him speak a few times. I was very impressed with his direct and eloquent manner, no typical fuzzing or slime-speak and apparently nimble, clear-thinking mind. I voted for him in the primary.
RR

[Logansquare]

15. I was impressed with his answer to a question re: reparations

He was at a fundraiser I attended and took questions from the participants. An African American man asked him about his opinion on slave reparations, and he said (I'm paraphrasing here) that decendants of slaves were still suffering from the results of their ancestors' experience with slavery and with Jim Crow, but that realistically, legislated reparations would never happen. He was very pragmatic--he said that we can spin our wheels trying to get Congress and a sitting president to sign a law that they will never sign, or we can put our efforts into getting reparations through agitating for equitable school funding, affirmative action, etc. It wasn't a popular answer to some people in the audience, but he said it anyway, and I thought it took a lot of courage to do so.

[Tweed]

16. I'm kicking this thread as to look back at Obama before the convention

Obama is some well-known nationally now, this thread seems kind of funny.