Meeting the President’s Supporters
People from all walks of life came to the University of Southern California on Friday for the chance to see President Barack Obama in the flesh.
The commander in chief made a special visit to the campus to try to energize the Democratic Party. He was rallying supporters to get out to vote for the midterm elections. School officials originally estimated a turn out of 30,000 people, but by the looks of it there were many more than expected. The center of the campus was completely closed off to the public and security was preventing students from going where they needed to be. Even when there wasn’t a police officer waiting to tell a student he or she could not pass, a make shift fence and caution tape was able to do the trick.
On the inside of the school some students were upset that they could not maneuver their own campus, but the outside looked like a big block party. Musicians were serenading the President’s supporters with a variety of different tunes. On one side of the cinema school an indie rock band was playing a short set for donations. They were even selling copies of their CD.
Just a few hundred feet away on the corner of McClintock and 34th a sax player was taking requests on songs. Henry William Brown III is a Rastafarian priest who goes by the name Aminifu. His Rasta name means steadfast and able to follow through. Originally from Wisconsin, Aminifu came to the campus to spread the joy of Rasta.
“I’m here today cause I’m supporting my president and the issues coming up. You know, I want everybody to know what’s going on and I’m also making a joyful noise,” Aminifu said. Aminifu was playing a variety of music ranging from top 40 to John Coltrane. He said he was having a great time watching people support the president, but in terms of money it was not a profitable day for him.
“I judge by the dollars in my case, that’s my barometer, and I make this much at Starbucks,” Aminifu said. “People been kind of tight right now. You know the economy’s kind of touch and they didn’t expect me to be here, I’m not on the playbill.”
For a Rastafarian sax player like Aminifu, making money from his music is the only way he survives. He said he goes up and down the coast playing his sax to be able to eat and pay his rent. At times he would express anger towards the system because he works hard playing his music and rarely gets rewarded for it, but he was quick to say it is best to stay positive.
In general, Aminifu is not a fan of capitalism, but he said he supports the president and what he is trying to accomplish.
“Well if you look at the system, it’s like a jigsaw puzzle,” Aminifu said. “The president is one piece of the puzzle. I’m out here to support Obama and the good things that he’s doing but I know that when he fits into that puzzle it’s blocking out other things that are important to me. We do what we can in a democracy, you got to align yourself with the positive forces.”
Aminifu said he planned on staying until the line moved closer to the center of campus then he would go home and watch the rally on television.
“I don’t think I’ll even be able to get in. There’s so many people, so I’ll probably hear more if I watch the news,” Aminifu said.
At the heart of the campus, people in suits and cocktail dresses were forming a line to get inside the campus center. The doors of the center were filled with police officers that were checking names and making sure only invited guests were in the area.
Many rally attendees walked by the area without noticing that anything was going on. No one told them about the exclusive lunch senator Barbara Boxer was having with the president and invited guests. The lunch was part of a fundraiser supporting Boxer’s re-election.
At the back of the line was a well-dressed man in a blue suit and his wife. She was wearing a beige blouse with a large pendant in the middle of her chest. The two were quietly waiting to enter the special event.
Phil and Christine Bronstein came from San Francisco to attend Boxer’s lunch. As the Executive Vice President and Editor-at-Large of the San Francisco chronicle, Bronstein is used to covering rallies such as this.
“My wife made me go, I’m a journalist so I’m supposed to be non partisan, but my wife bought the tickets and I’m just coming along as her date,” Bronstein said.
Christine Bronstein is a long time Boxer supporter, but she was most excited about seeing the president for the first time. The couple paid $2,500 per ticket to be up close with President Obama. Mrs. Bronstein said a picture with the president would cost $10,000. Having already met the president up close and personal, Mr. Bronstein did not need a picture.
“He [the president] came to our editorial board at the San Francisco Chronicle when he was running for office so we met then, but that was before he was president,” Bronstein said.
When asked how the president was in person, Bronstein said, “Chill, he was very chill. In fact, I kept asking him question and at one point he reached over and said ‘stop being so cynical’ and you know I explained ‘that’s my job.”
Bronstein also knew senator Boxer long before her career in the senate. He covered her first race for elected office in Marin County.
“I’ve known her that long,” Bronstein said. “She was very helpful when we had the Falco case in San Francisco and the government was coming after us trying to get us to reveal our confidential sources. We fought that for quite some time.”
The Bronstein’s did not plan on staying for the entire rally. After the lunch the two had to catch a flight back to San Francisco and get back to their three children.
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