By Staff
Robert Kittle, Media General News Service
Robert Kittle, Media General News Service
Email to a Friend
Stumble It!Most Popular Stories
- Obama calls it "biggest crowd in this campaign of any candidate"
Oprah Winfrey's political rally for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was originally going to be held in the Colonial Center in Columbia, which holds about 18,000. But demand was so high for tickets that organizers moved the event to Williams-Brice stadium, which holds more than 80,000.
With no ticket needed and a beautiful day with temperatures in the 70s, the crowd ended up being more than 29,000, according to stadium manager Tom Paquette.
"Biggest crowd in this campaign so far, period, of any candidate!" Obama bellowed to the crowd, a claim that couldn't be verified.
Many of the people who came were there just to see Oprah, a billionaire media mogul known to millions because of her television talk show. Debra Byrd of Woodruff said she came to see Oprah, and has not made up her mind yet about her vote in the presidential primary January 26.
How much weight does Oprah's endorsement of Obama carry with her? "Well, I like Oprah, so it carries a lot of weight," she says.
And Oprah's influence extends beyond only women and African-Americans. 18-year-old Brandon Greene, who's white, says Oprah's endorsement carries a lot of weight with him. "I think it can definitely swing the vote toward him (Obama)," he says.
This is Oprah's first time endorsing any candidate, she explained to the crowd. "I've never done it before because, in the past, I've been disappointed by politicians," she said to cheers. But she says she's been inspired by Obama, telling the audience that he doesn't speak in political rhetoric.
She introduced him to the cheering crowd, and he thanked her for her support, saying it meant a great deal to him. For any undecided voters, or any who came to see Oprah and may not have known him and his stances on the issues, he then explained why he's running for president and what he wants to do.
"We've been talking about the health care crisis for decades now, through Democratic and Republican administrations, but we haven't done anything about it. It's time we did something about health care in this country," he said. He said everyone should have a health care plan as good as the one he has as a U.S. senator, but didn't explain how to achieve that.
He promised to end the war in Iraq, if elected, and bring our soldiers home within 16 months. He also promised to index the minimum wage to inflation and improve education.
"I went down to the Pee Dee and drove through the 'Corridor of Shame'. And the problem is there are 'Corridors of Shame' all across this country," he said, referring to a documentary called "Corridors of Shame" about substandard school buildings in South Carolina.
While some voters say Oprah's endorsement will influence their vote, others say it's not likely to translate into action in the voting booth. Marissa Ramos of Greenville, who says she was already an Obama supporter says, "I think that a celebrity might bring people in to hear the message, but I don't think it will necessarily sway the vote."
Other campaigns are also not conceding anything to Obama. State Rep. Leon Howard, chairman of the S.C. Legislative Black Caucus, is a supporter of Sen. John Edwards and says Obama does not have the African-American vote sewn up just because he's black. He calls Oprah's endorsement and rallies "publicity stunts". Hillary Clinton also enjoys widespread support in the African-American community.
A Rasmussen poll out Thursday has Clinton ahead in South Carolina at 36 percent, Obama at 34 and Edwards at 13.
(Robert Kittle is a reporter with WSPA-TV, a Media General station in Spartanburg-Greenville, SC)
With no ticket needed and a beautiful day with temperatures in the 70s, the crowd ended up being more than 29,000, according to stadium manager Tom Paquette.
"Biggest crowd in this campaign so far, period, of any candidate!" Obama bellowed to the crowd, a claim that couldn't be verified.
Many of the people who came were there just to see Oprah, a billionaire media mogul known to millions because of her television talk show. Debra Byrd of Woodruff said she came to see Oprah, and has not made up her mind yet about her vote in the presidential primary January 26.
How much weight does Oprah's endorsement of Obama carry with her? "Well, I like Oprah, so it carries a lot of weight," she says.
And Oprah's influence extends beyond only women and African-Americans. 18-year-old Brandon Greene, who's white, says Oprah's endorsement carries a lot of weight with him. "I think it can definitely swing the vote toward him (Obama)," he says.
This is Oprah's first time endorsing any candidate, she explained to the crowd. "I've never done it before because, in the past, I've been disappointed by politicians," she said to cheers. But she says she's been inspired by Obama, telling the audience that he doesn't speak in political rhetoric.
She introduced him to the cheering crowd, and he thanked her for her support, saying it meant a great deal to him. For any undecided voters, or any who came to see Oprah and may not have known him and his stances on the issues, he then explained why he's running for president and what he wants to do.
"We've been talking about the health care crisis for decades now, through Democratic and Republican administrations, but we haven't done anything about it. It's time we did something about health care in this country," he said. He said everyone should have a health care plan as good as the one he has as a U.S. senator, but didn't explain how to achieve that.
He promised to end the war in Iraq, if elected, and bring our soldiers home within 16 months. He also promised to index the minimum wage to inflation and improve education.
"I went down to the Pee Dee and drove through the 'Corridor of Shame'. And the problem is there are 'Corridors of Shame' all across this country," he said, referring to a documentary called "Corridors of Shame" about substandard school buildings in South Carolina.
While some voters say Oprah's endorsement will influence their vote, others say it's not likely to translate into action in the voting booth. Marissa Ramos of Greenville, who says she was already an Obama supporter says, "I think that a celebrity might bring people in to hear the message, but I don't think it will necessarily sway the vote."
Other campaigns are also not conceding anything to Obama. State Rep. Leon Howard, chairman of the S.C. Legislative Black Caucus, is a supporter of Sen. John Edwards and says Obama does not have the African-American vote sewn up just because he's black. He calls Oprah's endorsement and rallies "publicity stunts". Hillary Clinton also enjoys widespread support in the African-American community.
A Rasmussen poll out Thursday has Clinton ahead in South Carolina at 36 percent, Obama at 34 and Edwards at 13.
(Robert Kittle is a reporter with WSPA-TV, a Media General station in Spartanburg-Greenville, SC)