Obama’s Trip III.V: I Just Missed Him, 3 Times
July 22nd, 2008 by No Relation
I decided that I would not go to Senator Obama’s meet and greet here where I live, in the International Zone. I wanted to go to bed early, and I had a feeling it would be crowded. I was right.
One soldier described it to me, “I’ve been to rock concerts that weren’t that pushy.” He then informed me he actually had to have security help him through the crowd once he was done meeting the Senator. Another member of my crew told me he waited 3 or 4 hours to meet him, including the hour he got there early. A third soldier I work with got lucky, running into him in passing and getting a quick photo in.
Senator Obama had his meet and greet yesterday evening (Monday). According to all accounts I’ve heard, he spoke briefly to a large crowd, but did not appear to have a speech prepared. His normally polished words were filled of “uh” and “um”. Poor guy must have been jet-lagged or exhausted or something. He then proceeded to meet with and pose for pictures with anyone who wanted one. There was no organization to this part of it, you just had to work your way up if you wanted to talk to him. Seems he was a decent enough fellow to hang around for quite a while due to the large number of people. He (or his security team) was also decent enough not to pull a Bill Clinton and disarm all the troops around him in the middle of a war-torn country.
Most evenings, I eat dinner in the same chow hall, then I go outside and have a cigarette and coke in the MWR area, near some outdoor pool tables in a shady gazebo. Yesterday as soon as I left the smoking area, I noticed the largest motorcade I’ve seen here parked on the road. I asked around and found out he had just walked into the chow hall I had left 10 minutes prior. I went back to my room thinking I had missed my chance. I was informed that after his dinner, he stopped to shoot pool with some Joes in the same spot I sit and smoke every night. This morning, I was out for my regular PT run, and there went the motorcade right by me again, I’m assuming on his way out since the news says he’s already gone.
Oh well. Would have been nice to have gotten a picture for the site.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 8:03 am and is filed under Politics, War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Yeah, we listened to Bush for 8 years and look where that got us…LOL!
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:55 am
It got us free elections in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the removal of despots in those countries. It got us Supreme Court Justices who understand the plain English of “the right of the People” and “shall not be infringed.”
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:38 am
It also got us 8 years of a bristling economy, until a Democrat controlled Congress decided that record gas prices and a virtual recession might help them put their man in the White House.
It also got us 8 years of record growth in illegal immigration so the picture is not all rosy.. I also believe this is a big part of the foreclosure problem we are facing today.
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:25 am
It has also gotten us deeper in debt thru bailouts which, as it appears, will continue well into the foreseeable future-espescially if Bore-rock gets elected. Hasn’t that been his main theme on the “Change World Tour”? He will try and bail us out of this war on terror also. After all, he needs to use that money on other bailouts (medical insurance, college giveaways, any and all new entitlement programs). As listed in the Osama-bama dictionary-Change=Bailouts. I’m now sorry I barked about Loudoun County schools trying to waste my tax dollars teaching Chinese. I think that is the language that will replace our spanish….I mean english.
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:34 am
CM101,
It got us a mixed bag. Both good and bad. Only someone with BDS would argue that toppling the Taliban and Saddam is a bad thing. GW’s choice of Alito and Roberts where first rate.
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:34 am
RE: disarming the troops.
Likely only because he didn’t think of it. I was at Tuzla when Clinton visited. I remember.
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:05 pm
red neck answers ,,,,,I love it…
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:36 pm
snide elitism … I love it….
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Yes, comment #1 was VERY redneck, short on both substance and originality..
July 24th, 2008 at 6:50 am
CM101, I never question people’s right to post anywhere, just their intentions. Do you have some wisdom you want to share, or just make snide remarks?