Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Barack & Michelle's Moment and Generosity

Brian Williams showed Barack Obama a still photo of this fist bump, which was so cool, and apparently, he gave a broad smile and Obama said "right there, that right there, that moment is what I love most about my wife." Williams called it a "fist pound."

Here's the video of that wonderful moment:


Then Slate offered a hilarious compilation of the various and sometimes challenged efforts of news writers and bloggers to figure out what to call that gesture. Here's a sample - frat-tastic fist bump; fist to fist thumbs up, a pound, a closed-fisted high-five. There's some funny others.

Slate also reports that it's really called a dap, a term that may be an acronymn for dignity and pride. Wikipedia:
...became popularized in the white mainstream society in the 1960s originating among African Americans. ..was popularly used by African American soldiers during the Vietnam War even though as a tradition it has existed in the African-American community for centuries.
On another note, the numbers at the Xcel Energy Center last night - 17000 out side; 15000 inside were astonishing. That's insane. That's usually for a rock star, not a politician. That's unheard of in politics and Obama engenders that without effort. This event wasn't even announced until late last week.

On a related note, and in sharp contrast to the Clintons, check out this report from MinnPost.com, which outlines how deliberately and well Obama and Michelle and his supporters reached out to Hillary supporters, with a nice bit again about Michelle and Barack.
The crowd kept pouring into the Xcel Energy Center. All ages. All races. All backgrounds. Young Somalis chanting "O-bama!" And older, white women, bedecked in sparkling red, white and blue and holding up a sign, "Women for Obama!''
(snip)
Their presence at the event where Barack Obama declared victory shows that, at least in Minnesota, the political healing process already is beginning.

No one is making that healing easier than Obama. Last night, after he had finished the sort of speech that leaves his followers exhilarated and exhausted, Obama did not just leave the arena. Nor did he head to the nearest television camera or the nearest fat cat.

Instead, he went to a room where the Clinton supporters had been gathered and one by one, shook the hands of the 25 people, stopping to chat with each of them.

"Chris (Coleman) walked around the room with him,'' said Stevenson, "and introduced each one of us.''

It was really pretty extraordinary.

"He shook my hand and said, 'Thank you for being here; I'm sure it's not easy,' '' said Stevenson of her meeting with Obama. "I thanked him and said that everyone involved in his campaign had been so gracious. I didn't know what to say, so I mentioned that my daughter works for a federal health clinic. And he knew right away which program I was talking about. He said, 'Oh that's wonderful.' ''

Stevenson, a feminist and Clinton supporter, had to admit this: "He's very impressive.''

And it didn't end with that. Michelle Obama arrived in the room of Clinton supporters some time after her husband had entered.

There was a little husband-and-wife moment.

"Where have you been?" he asked her.

"In a different room,'' she said. "I didn't know where you were.''

Then, they both went about the business of chatting with the Clinton supporters.

"She didn't have much time there because they had to get them out of the building," said Stevenson. "I was standing by the door and as she was leaving, she put her hand out to mine and rubbed her cheek against mine. I've never met her.''
Thank God they are going to be the ones in our living rooms and not the Clintons.

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