Festive atmosphere prevails for those awaiting Obama

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crowd gathers for barack obama in Elkhart

Crowds gather Wednesday to see Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., at Concord High School in Elkhart. (Tribune Photo/ JIM RIDER)

By Tiffany Griffin

Story Created: Aug 6, 2008 at 6:49 AM EST

Story Updated: Aug 6, 2008 at 9:04 AM EST

The mood was one of anticipation at Concord High School in Elkhart early Wednesday as hundreds of people waited in line to see presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., speak.

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Long before the sun came up — and for some people at the head of the line, before it went down Tuesday — sisters, couples and friends took their place in a line that snaked around two sides of the school gymnasium by 7 a.m.

Early-birds included George and Peg Cooper of Elkhart, who set up camp about 7:20 p.m. and placed their lawn chairs near the front of the line, catching just a couple of hours of sleep in their van.

The Coopers, both retired, strongly support Obama.

“I’ve been a Republican most of my life. I want change,” said George, who turns 66 this week.

“Obama seems like a fresh person.”

As for party loyalty, 63-year-old Peg said, “I don’t vote for parties. I vote for the person.”

And it’s the Obama persona that’s attracting new voters, too, including 17-year-old Ashley Wenger. She’ll turn 18 in time to vote and thinks Obama will be a good president.

Ashley was attending the event with her younger sister, 14-year-old Megan, and their 41-year-old father Tracy.

It was the elder Wenger, of Goshen, who got the tickets for the girls as a surprise, he told the Tribune.

“He’s easy to believe and he speaks with confidence,” Wenger said.

He works for a cabinet company and said so far, the layoffs and economic downturn have not affected him. But he worries they will in the future.

And despite the festive atmosphere early Wednesday — the tickets for Wenger’s teens, the Obama T-shirt that 58-year-old Cary Osborne of Elkhart was buying — the economy was a prominent issue among voters.

In fact, the economy and the environment are the top issues for Jeramy Hancock, 18, a 2008 Penn High School grad headed to Indiana University-Bloomington.

"I'm here to listen to (Obama)," Hancock said. "I wanted to hear what he has to say."

Hancock said he's registered to vote, supports Obama and considers him talented.

Asked if young people were talking about the election, issues and candidates, Hancock was emphatic.

"It's my first election and it's a really big one," he said. "We're not just talking. We're thinking."

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