speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.

and being thoroughly impressed and thinking 'that man will go places.'

Side note: a regret that I have from Atlanta is that I was invited to attend a $100 a plate fundraising dinner in Atlanta for some national politicians and that included IL Senator Obama. I was young in career with young family and $100 was unfortunately too much for my budget... but selfishly, I think back to missing that and 'how cool would it have been' if I had attended and met the senator. Oh well.....

to ask what I thought of the speech. My Dad said “He’s going to be President one day.”

Sadly, my Dad didn’t live to see it happen. He passed away in the hospital on Nov 8, 2004 and was wearing his Kerry/Edwards button on his hospital gown.

There's your first Black president right there in a moment of lucidity. I remember that to this day. Miss you Dad.

the time he was diagnosed to the day he died was 3 weeks. I miss him everyday and would have loved to talk with him about The Felon.

His pain was being managed with a Fentanyl patch. However, he was lucid enough that when his Oncologist asked him who won the election he said “Dumbo”. He never referred to Junior by his name .

I was at a watch party with mostly black folks (I'm white) and had to justify myself the rest of the night. The black folks would not give him the credit I thought he deserved. I think there was shock involved.

To a person they all called to say. I was right and it was about time and how did I know? An answer I did not have.
Just had a feeling or dumb luck.

Probably the latter.

The comment from my husband was, "This guy will be running for President in 4 years!" What did he know back then?

Little did we know but 2 years later in 2006, he would be in Rochester giving a speech to a standing room only crowd at the Mayo Civic, stumping for Tim Walz and Amy Klobuchar. We were but 10 feet away from the podium. @ years after that, we voted for him as the 44th POTUS in 2008. Met Michelle Obama and was hugged by her in 2008.

The rest is history. Saw him twice more after that at DFL events we volunteered for.

I have friends who called it the next day