Almost 50 from Sun City Meet in Huntley to Support Barack Obama’s Re-Election
Sun City Obama for America President Jessica Chipkin (wearing the cap) led Thursday night's meeting in Huntley. McHenry County OFA leadder Dr. Kathsuri Henry can be seen to her left.
McHenry County Blog let folks know that Sun City residents were meeting at the Huntley Park District building in support of the re-election of Barack Obama.
Leader Jessica Chipkin said the attendance was so good that she would be able to add about 20 more to her email list of 84 Obama supporters.
Dr. Katsuri Henry, the leader of the McHenry County Obama for America group was also present. Discussion of cross-pollination through joint meetings between the two organizations was discussed.
The meeting began with people introducing themselves and telling why they were there.
A snow bird named Sarah told of working 12 hour days out of her Florida garage for 35 days before the 2008 election.
“I’m tired of yelling at the TV,” a volunteer named Judy said.
A man related a racist joke about President he said was told by a Sun City Tea Party member.
Another man said he was interested in ideas and that was why he was there.
Bob Waddell, an Algonquin Democratic Party precinct committeeman who said he worked three precincts, said he was “looking to expand our base.”
Waddell alerted the intrepid assistant who took photos of the MoveOn.org demonstration in front of Congressman Don Manzullo’s Crystal Lake office yesterday, to the Huntley meeting.
“What the Republicans have done has scared me to death,” another woman said.
Dr. Bill Peters, a former private higher education lobbyist, encouraged people to attend the Sun City Current Events Club meetings.
Dr. Bill Peters, a retired lobbies for private higher education and ACLU member, said he was not going to be intimidated. He was sitting next to me and he added, “not that I have ever been intimidated.”
Later he encouraged Sun City residents to attend the Current Events Club. He said that people “sit by affiliations,” observing there were actually more in the center than on the conservative side of the room.
A lady said she had plugged into MSNBC and she and her husband had “become junkies.”
The man in blue identified himself and his wife as retired teachers. He said he organizaed an IEA local in his school district.
A couple said they retired school teachers. The man said he had organized an Illinois Education Association local in his school district and worked on getting out the vote in Arizona in Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ district.
“I’m really sick of hearing about elections,” a man confessed.
A nearby man said,
“I’m a supporter of President Obama (but) I want to make him better.”
“I’m just amazed at the number of people here,” a Sun City woman explained. “I thought there might be 7 or 8 people here.”
At this point leader Jessica Chipkin observed that the interview which was i the Sun City insert had resulted in three calls and at least one person she talked to was in the room.
“All the years we’ve been canvassing, we’ve though we’ve been isolated,” precinct committeeman (he called himself a “precinct representative”) Waddell said. The clear implication, backed up by Obama’s having carried McHenry County over John McCain in 2008, was that there were more Democrats than people generally thought.
Sun City Moderator
“Joe’s going to be facing a permanent vacation,” a man predicted after mentioning the child support publicity that Congressman Joe Walsh received recently.
A man I recognized from moderating Sun City candidates’ nights said that he was county chairman for Lyndon Johnson in Michigan before he moved to Illinois.
Mike Henry tells of working up courage to wear his Obama cap to the McHenry County Fair this year. To his left is McHenry County Obama for America leader Dr. Kathsuri Henry, Algonquin Democratic Party Precinct Committeeman Bob Waddell and Sun City Obama leader Jessica Chipkin. Behind Dr. Hnery is Dr. William Peters.
Mike Henry was wearing an Obama hat which he said he had worn only two days after the 2008 election because he caught so much flak.
This year, he wore it to the McHenry County Fair.
