I got to shake his hand!

[democrattotheend]

I just got back from the Baltimore rally, and I had VIP tickets so I got to be pretty close to the front. When Obama finished speaking I managed to get a little closer and I got to shake his hand and Michelle's! It was a totally awesome experience...I have seen him speak in person before but never this close up, and the rally had such a different feeling now that he has won the election. At the beginning it felt like another campaign rally, with them playing the same music as during the campaign and what not, but a few minutes into his speech it started to dawn on me that this wasn't just a dream anymore, that in three days he really is going to be president. And then when he finished he and Michelle and Joe and Jill went down the stairs on the other side, and we were afraid he wouldn't come around to our side. But they did, and they hugged people, many of them older black union leaders who were in tears as the realization that he is soon going to be president sunk in as they heard him speak. Someone taller was blocking me, but I managed to get my hand through and shake hands with Barack and Michelle. I had something I wanted to say but it was loud and I was too taken by the moment to say much, so I just said "Congratulations, Mr. President," which got a big grin. There was a little boy next to me whom I was afraid wasn't going to be able to reach because the people in front of him were so much taller, but he must have managed to shake Obama's hand, because I heard him tell his parents he was never washing that hand again. I thought that was cute.

I know it's probably lame to be so excited, but in three days Barack Obama is going to be president, and now I can say that I shook his hand. Somehow there's just something really cool about that.

[TTUBatfan2008]

1. That is awesome...

Congrats. :)

[Muttocracy]

2. hey, you made Mr. President smile! that's great! nt

[Auggie]

3. Wow. That is so cool.

[JimGinPA]

4. Good For You...

I did too, back in April.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=5584163


K&R

[stillcool]

28. wow...I haven't seen you around..

in a while. Congratulations to you for getting PA to vote for Obama! :toast: I loved reading all of your posts during the run-up to the election..thank you so much for doing all that you did.

[JimGinPA]

29. LOL - I've Been Lurking In The Lounge For The Last Few Weeks...

Too much negativity here that I didn't feel inclined to get involved in. Thanks for the kind words.


:toast:

:fistbump:

[bottomtheweaver]

5. That's awesome.

Way to go!

[Stardust]

6. Congratulations! Shaking hands with ANY president is a rare honor, but with

Obama...well, that's just beyond cool! :thumbsup:

[firedupdem]

7. Not lame at all!

What a great day you had! You can actually say you were there and you are officially a part of a history making day! Very good!! Thanks for sharing it with us!

:toast:

[ZombieHorde]

8. An exciting week for many people.

K&R just because you are so happy.

[peace13]

9. Very cool!

Wonderful!

[InvisibleTouch]

10. Lucky you - very cool! :) n/t

[HughMoran]

11. I'm jealous

I shook Hillary's hand during the primary, but never got that close to Barack.

[graywarrior]

12. That's so awesome.

I shook his hand last October, but this is so much more satisfying. I am so happy for you!

[elleng]

13. Not lame at all.

My 24-year old daughter just told me about her similar emotional feelings.

[patrice]

14. Thanks for sharing; I can feel it!

Let's DO this thing!!

:fistbump:

[ddeclue]

15. COOL! Did you take any pictures that you could post?

I didn't get to shake Obama's hand although I've seen him speak twice in person, once at FDP Democratic Party convention in Florida a few years ago and once down in Fort Lauderdale with Joe Biden a few days before the election.

Pics!!!

[democrattotheend]

18. I got a few close up pictures, but none of me with him

I want to get a picture with him but a tall person kind of pushed me out of the way and it all happened too fast. Oh well :(

[ddeclue]

26. It's REALLY difficult to get a picture with you and the candidate at the rope line.

Don't feel bad! Be happy you got to shake his hand!

:)

The only way to really do it is to have a friend take the picture.

Of course then the friend doesn't get THEIR picture with the candidate.

I took a lot of great pictures of my friends at the rope line with John Kerry in 2004 at the Orlando airport when he flew in to thank the Orlando staff a few days before the election at about 11PM at night.

I got to shake his hand too but I didn't get to get a picture of me shaking his hand.

Too hard at the rope line.

I did get a few nice pics of me with Edwards in 2007 though because he showed up in Orlando and Tampa to a few smaller events and it was possible to do so but again they weren't in a huge crowd at the rope line.

Post the pics you did take even if you aren't in them please!!

:)

[Booster]

16. Lame???? Damn, I'm so jealous. You got to shake hands

with BOTH of them. That's just really cool and you should be pumped. I'd worry about you if you weren't.

[FrenchieCat]

17. If you're happy, then I'm happy!

I shook his hands a couple of times, but he hadn't won anything yet. :)

[babylonsister]

19. Not lame at all! I'm jealous! How long did you have to

hang in 11 degree weather? Many of us were watching and wishing we were there. Thanks for sharing.

:toast:

[DesertRat]

20. Very cool!

:)

[Stinky The Clown]

21. Your feeling is not in the least bit lame

That's a moment you will never forget. Savor it. Write a letter to yourself about it so it remains clear, even if filtered by decades of time.

[FirstLight]

22. wow! I am tearing up just reading your story!

I got to meet Bill Clinton (in 96 while covering a event with the local news)
...I was shaking and crying and ran outside to write it all down as fast as I could so I would never forget!

Congratulations...Obama is WAY cooler!

[treestar]

23. Wonderful!

It is not lame! That's historic and always remember it!

I got to shake hands with Al Gore once, and I'll never forget it!!!!!

[derby378]

24. Wonderful!

I'm stuck way back here in Texas. My best chance of getting close to a President is, uh, well...

I'd rather not speak his name at this point. I hope you understand.

[Undercurrent]

25. It is not lame to be excited.

You'll carry that memory all of your life.

My mother shook Harry Truman's hand at a whistle stop in Eugene, Oregon during the 1948 campaign. She cherished that memory until the day she died.

[bigwillq]

27. Woo Hoo!

Awesome! :bounce: :) :hi:

[illuminaughty]

30. Congratulations Mr. I Shook the Future President's Hand!

That is so exciting! Watching the train ride today is when I think the magnitude of this moment finally hit me. :toast:

[Liberalboy]

31. That's awesome!!!!!

[davidpdx]

32. My question is....

are you ever going to wash you hand? LOL

Kidding

I got to shake his hand back in September 2007, but it would have been even more special given he is now our President-Elect.

[Left Coast2020]

33. DUDE, I would be excited too. Right-On!!!

I'm going to a Inaugural part Tuesday. The excitement of having our country back is incredible. Just having to now say President--with feeling--instead of Resident is a welcomed change .
:kick:

[davidpdx]

37. That's going to be one roudy party

Even bigger then the one on election night. Wow, I missed that one and I'm missing the inaugural as well. I guess I'll have to settle for watching it on TV at 2am from Seoul. It's going to be hard to keep myself from screaming waking my wife, the cat and my neighbors up.

[akbacchus_BC]

34. I envy you but am happy for you. n/t

[uponit7771]

35. Cool!!!

[lamp_shade]

36. Your excitement is contagious. I feel it. Congratulations.

[tomp]

38. if i could but touch the hem of his garment. nt

[Brazenly Liberal]

39. Better you than me!`

You did fine and it's a wonderful memory to have. I wouldn't even have been able to choke out "Congratulations..." I would have burst into tears and been unable to form a single word more articulate than "BbbbaaaaaaawwwwaaaaaaaaaaIIIIsooooooHaaaaaaaaapppeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!"

Seriously. I might have swooned. Hey, do you think if I actually did swoon, I would be carried into the building where the Obamas would come around to see how I'm doing and we'd end up BFFs? Or would the crowd have trampled me beyond recognition as they clamored to get closer and then picked my pocket?

[MzShellG]

40. Welcome to the Barack Obama hand shakers club.

I know how you feel. I was awestruck, back in January 2008, at the Oprah rally, where I volunteered and got to shake both his and Oprah's hands. We were jumping up and down, screaming 'I love you!' like a bunch of groupies, and he was soooo gracious. I was right next to the stage and members of the press during the whole speech. Theres nothing like it.

[Cha]

41. It's not lame one little bit..

Thank you for your experience..I could just imagine it:patriot::fistbump: