You Had Me At Hello: Obama Melts My Wife's Heart, Tells Abbey and Jordan He'll Bring Their Daddy Home Safe
Let me show and tell you about why Barack Obama is different.
This morning after his speech about veterans’ issues at the Vets for Obama gathering in Sioux Falls, he went around to every table and talked to every person and shook every hand and posed for every photograph.
But that isn’t the amazing part.
At the table next to ours was Christine Johnson and her children, Jordan, age 5, and Abbey, age 7.
Barack comes over to meet the Johnsons. He notices that Jordan has some dogtags on.
His dad’s dog tags.
Abbey says, “This is a very sad day.”
Barack asks why. Mrs. Johnson explains that her husband, Tech Sgt. Dan Johnson with the South Dakota Air National Guard, had shipped out just prior to the event for Iraq.
For his third tour in Iraq.
Barack got down to the kids’ level and said. “I will bring your daddy home. I will bring him home safe.”
He then posed for the photo you see.
A wonderful moment.
But there’s more.
My wife Donna is next to meet him. She is now crying because of the great warmth, humanity, and compassion Barack showed the Johnsons. She is crying like I haven’t seen her cry in quite awhile.
Barack goes up to her and say, “Hello! And why are you crying?”
Donna gets out that she was so moved by how he talked to the Johnsons about their father and husband. She also manages to get out that like Barack’s mother, she too was born in Kansas.
Barack breaks the tension and replies, “Well then, we’re cousins!” and proceeds to give her a very warm hug.
Everything was then ok.
Folks, I have to tell you something. This man is brilliant. He wants to lead our country in a better direction. But what he brings is something I’m not sure any of our other Presidents have had in such abundance since maybe Franklin D. Roosevelt—he has an empathy and compassion for people that defies the slings and arrows of “snobby intellectual” and “elitist” that the Rightwing tries to fling at him.
Barack Obama gives a damn about people. It shows. He’s not faking. He is as real as it gets.
Boy, does it show.
We have a very special person in Barack Obama that transcends politics as we know it—race, age, gender, party, whatever else you want to add.
In the period of just a couple of minutes, he gave hope to people.
I saw it with my own eyes.
Technorati Tags: hope, veterans, Barack Obama, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, South Dakota Air National Guard, Iraq War
Todd Epp
in 2008 Election, 2008 Presidential Election, Personal, Politics
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Reader Comments (4)
Thanks so much for sharing this ...my eyes are misty just reading this.
He's the real deal... and I so badly want him to lead our country.
Wow, that's amazing all those people cheering Barack on in republican SD! Thanks for sharing the pics, Todd. I'm Nick Nemec's sister by the way. I moved to a more socially progressive state -MN! I don't think we that much more in taxes either.
i saw obama in rapid on sat., and while he did not have the chance to get that intimate with the people, i got the same impression about his commitment to the people of this country and this state.
My family had the opportunity and honor of being in Sioux Falls Sunday to witness and experience Mr. Obama. Myself, my husband, and three of my children were there. I saw your wife was emotional and cried with her. Until now, I had no idea of why she shed the tears, mine were shed because Barack brings hope, and that's more than this country has seen in a long time.
My 15 year old daughter was present and she said that when Barack speaks, she said you just believe him, he's serious! She said, "mom he's like a drug that I can't get enough of" she cried and cried. I told her that she needed to tell the Senator that, when he came to our table, she told him just that, he grabbed a hold of her and just hugged her. He's a great man and I pray that he will be the next President.
Thank you so very much for sharing your experience with the world! I have sent this site to every person that I know. Thank you again for sharing I truly appreciate it.