Carter getting fired up

Written by: Mike Cooper on Sep 4, 2008 12:46 PM EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFoHNJ7mX6Y

http://www.yesweekly.com/article-691-mayberry-style-progressive-takes-on-arch-conservative.html#commAjax

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When he strode into the club after arriving from the grand opening of the Stokes County Democratic headquarters, the 64-year-old Carter looked like a beefy version of Andy Griffith, silvery hair glistening in the soft light of the lounge.

He conferred frequently with his wife Pat and campaign director Ryan Eller, a young ordained Baptist minister who has counseled marines preparing to deploy for Iraq at Camp Lejeune.

Just before Obama’s speech, Carter, Hagan and Jules Federle, the Obama campaign’s regional field director for northwest North Carolina, lined up along one side of the big screen. Federle vainly contended against the television background noise to command the crowd’s attention. Hagan didn’t do much better when the television went mute. Moments after Carter took the microphone the crowd was whistling and hollering, drowning his lines in applause.

“This is the most historic election, as we all know, in the whole history of the United States,” he said. “Who would have thought just four or five years ago that a rural country boy, ex-schoolteacher/football coach could be in this position, running proudly with Barack Obama?” His speaking voice evoked a little bit of former Sen. John Edwards’ populist cadence, but without the suburban sheen. It reached back to an earlier age, taking on the thundering, brawling quality exemplified by depression-era Louisiana Gov. Huey Long. He was every bit the rural woodworking teacher and gridiron coach, assuming the tone of a man accustomed to threatening, inspiring and humoring his charges to hold their attention.

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