SCDems News
Childs reflects on Obama, Democratic convention
September 15, 2008
Many people have moments in their life, transcendent moments, that they will never forget.
Greenwood County Councilwoman Edith Childs recently had a week's worth of such moments.
Childs traveled to this year's Democratic National Convention, which was Aug. 25-28, as an alternate delegate for South Carolina. She stayed in Denver through the duration of the convention.
It was the first time Childs had ever attended a national convention, either as a delegate or observer. As part of her role, she took in speeches from Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Edward Kennedy and more.
"It was an honor to be there," Childs said. "I had never been to a national convention and it was amazing. It was something I didn't think I was ever going to see in my lifetime. It was all historical to me."
Childs said she tried her best to temper expectations before heading to Denver, admitting she wasn't sure what to expect from the process. The councilwoman said one periphery aspect of the convention that she underestimated before arriving was the security presence in the Mile High City.
"Security was tight," Childs said. "Like, super tight. I never imagined. And it was tight for the delegates, too. Every day, when we would take a shuttle bus from the hotel to the Pepsi Center (where most of the convention was held), there was security on that bus with us. Before we got on the bus, each of us had to show our badges."
Childs said there was also heavy screening and bag checking at the arena as well, with bomb-sniffing dogs present at most checkpoints. She said she was told that an additional 7,000 security personnel were employed in Denver the week of the convention.
According to Childs, Denver couldn't have been a more accommodating city.
"They did a wonderful job," Childs said. "I can't say a bad thing about Denver. Everyone was so friendly and kind. I only had one bad experience, and that was at the airport. But I think that lady was crazy anyway."
While Childs said she was enthused by speeches from Kennedy, the Clintons and Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, she admitted the Aug. 28 address from Obama, which took place in front of nearly 70,000 onlookers at Invesco Field, was the highlight of her trip.
Childs' name has been linked with Obama’s campaign since the Illinois senator's first visit to Greenwood in 2007.
Obama's first trip to Greenwood was a quick stop at a lightly attended event at the Greenwood Civic Center. Childs livened up that event with her now famous "Fired up! Ready to go!" chant, a chant that Obama and his staff took away from the Greenwood gathering and used as a mantra around the country.
Obama told the story of Childs and her chant in campaign stops across the nation, then brought the councilwoman on stage with him during a January rally at Lander University in front of a crowd of more than 2,000.
A Seattle rock band, The Bergevin Brothers, even produced a song and video based on Childs' "Fired up!" chant. The video can be seen at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJ72iZ3tW4.
Though she has spoken with Obama one-on-one on several occasions and has seen him speak live numerous times, Childs said the senator's acceptance speech in Denver was a different experience altogether, in part because of the sheer number of people sharing the moment.
The councilwoman said she left the stadium with a bolstered confidence in her preferred candidate.
"I just never dreamed that I would live to see this day, that a black man would be this close to being the president of these United States," Childs said. "In all the time I've been voting, I've always voted for the presidential candidate with whom I've been most comfortable, whoever that was. But now, I feel there is somebody who relates to all of us, whether you're white or black or yellow or green or polka dot. (Obama) can relate to all of us and know about the struggle we all have come through."
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