Obama fever reaches Carrboro
by Sean Umstead
Carrboro Commons Writer
Tyler’s Restaurant and Taproom is used to eruptions of cheer for touchdowns and slam-dunks, but the cheering did not stop when the screens switched to CNN.
Last week, Tyler’s hosted a Super Tuesday rally for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008, is the day when 24 states hold their primaries, caucuses or state conventions.
Photo by Sean Umstead
The bar and cigar lounge transformed to campaign central, complete with T-shirts, stickers and Obama bobbleheads. Residents from all over the Triangle came out to lend their support to Obama.
The atmosphere was tense but optimistic as supporters watched poll results. When CNN’s Wolf Blitzer spoke, the room hushed into silence and then boomed when he announced Obama as the night’s winner over candidate Hillary Clinton.
Barack fever has been building across the country, and it was evident in Carrboro on Tuesday.
“A lot of [his popularity] comes from him being inclusive rather than divisive,” said Obama rally co-host Adam Rodman.
Others expressed a similar sentiment, citing inclusivity as their reason for support.
“He does a better job of closing the gap between people,” said Durham resident Erin Hite. “Hillary [Clinton] polarizes.”
Support for Obama comes from both Democrats and Republicans. The “Republicans for Obama” bumper stickers from his campaign Web site were sold out.
“Obama says what he feels,” Hite said. “I appreciate his honesty.”
For some, Obama’s political views did not differ from Clinton’s. Rather his honesty and political image made many at the rally believe he could bring fresh air to a stagnant White House.
“[Obama] has less baggage,” said Nathan Babera, a senior psychology major at UNC-Chapel Hill. “He can energize, restore and lead the country.”
The rally also featured all-you-can-eat hot wings, hummus and sandwiches. Donators to the campaign received free drinks for the night.
Tension at Tyler’s grew as many state polls began to close at 9 p.m. Children scurried in their “Obama 2008” T-shirts, and adults watched anxiously to find out whether their candidate would remain in the race.
One supporter yelled, “We gotta win the West!” The region included the pivotal state of California, which Clinton eventually took.
The night came and went without a decisive victory for either candidate. However, Obama won 796 delegates and 13 states in Tuesday’s elections. Candidates need a simple majority of 2,025 out of 4,049 delegates to win the Democratic nomination. With no clear winner, team Obama remained confident and ready to keep pushing.
“Obama is the opposite of everything that is wrong in Washington right now,” said Cary resident Patrick Lawler. “I’m confident that America will realize it before we have another four years of politics instead of progress.”
