Obama in the Neighborhood

Posted on August 24, 2008 in Campaign 2008

Obama and McCain came to town last week — we live about two miles up the hill from Saddleback Church where Rick Warren interviewed the two of them. We weren’t able to get tickets, not being members of Warren’s congregation, but we had brushes with the event as we drove places.

Most exciting for me was to see a pair of Orange County firetrucks emblazoned with bright yellow “Fire Fighters for Obama” signs zooming around a corner. Hopefully the locals will remember who saved their asses nearly a year ago and show a little appreciation.

People gathered around the entrances of the Foothill Expressway to catch a glimpse of the candidates as they passed. I didn’t join them — you never know who you are going to be rubbing elbows with — but I was glad to see that, for once, the Democrats did not neglect my corner of California.

Many people in my area have seen the value of their homes drop thanks to the Bush Administration. Plus there was the matter of the Forest Service not being in a state where they could adequately douse the Santiago Fire — it lasted for weeks. We may not turn into a Democratic district, but the margin between Obama supporters and McCain supporters has closed.