8+

"Change" by Oingo Boingo which clocks in at 15:59

"CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN" - Barack Obama 2008 Presidential campaign slogan

The North Carolina Presidential Primary has never mattered. This is why I'd never participated before, why I wasn't even sure if Independents could vote in the primary when asked (they can), and why I got super extra-excited when it started looking more and more as though nothing was going to be decided for the Democratic Presidential candidates until, at least, sometime after May 6th. Heck, at the rate this thing is going the Democrats may not have their official candidate until 2012, but the party took a large step forward this past Tuesday in North Carolina.

Generally Iowa and New Hampshire pick Presidential nominees, but here was a chance for my home state to shine in the national spotlight and have a very prominent say in who might be the next President of the United States. It was an exciting time in North Carolina politics and it brought out more voters to the polls than ever before. I knew I'd have to find a way to capture the feverishness that was in the air, but how? How best to take advantage of the fortuitousness of being in Raleigh, NC during the 2008 North Carolina Primary? I had no plan, other than to make use of my fairly new camera, and I missed being able to attend the most obvious music blogger-y event by a mere day. So I decided to drive around town a bit, hoping to happen upon something election-related and photo-worthy and go from there. I was thinking, perhaps, a massive cluster of election signs, or a fiery group of either Clinton or Obama supporters at a local polling spot...

I headed downtown (Raleigh is the home of NC politics after all). TV news trucks told me I was in the right place.

The sunroof was open as I drove. I heard a helicopter hovering in one spot and decided to follow it.

Wicked smart move kid. Look at all of those excited people in the street.

Wait, those aren't people - they're reporters and photographers. I was definitely onto something.

Something indeed! Secret Service types. Exxxcellent. I decided to park the car to get a closer look.

(Ah, wouldn't be home without a Mustang or 10,000. Nice rims 'bo.)

Walking up to the building that houses The Raleigh Times I noticed bunches of people on each corner of Hargett and Wilmington Streets. Judging by their signs and shirts - all Obama supporters.

I stood patiently, the Secret Service guy pictured above bothered the man next to me about the item clipped to his khakis. It was a large cellphone. The middle American male uniform, duh.

And then suddenly, excitement! The Obamas! The onlookers went nuts.

Barack paused to smilingly shake a few hands for the cameras as he made his exit from the building.

And then it happened. Barack Obama looked my way and waved to me. To me! Ahhhh! Okay, well wait. You're right, not to me so much as that he waved to the group of people I was standing with. But still. That Raleigh cop to the top-left of Barack sure didn't like it. Look at him. Heyyy jealousy.

I snapped away furiously as the Obamas got in their car. Meaning, I've got a ton of pictures just like the one above.

Another wave to delighted Obama supporters. The scent of victory was in the air.

Some of the people on my corner.

"These hands just touched the LORD!" an Obama supporter explains as he heads our way. (In truth, he pleadingly told us "there are still two hours left to vote and every vote counts, so get out and vote!")

Once Barack was inside of his vehicle, this dude stood guard until it was time to go.

And time to go it was - the Obama motorcade raced off to Reynolds Coliseum to prepare for the inevitable victory speech as he waved one last time to the crowd. I was torn between feeling as though I'd just experienced something very special and feeling like it was simply politics as usual. Change?? We shall see.

*see more pictures taken at the above event HERE.

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EAR FARM's 8+ is a weekly feature that showcases songs longer than 8 minutes. In the recent past these songs were featured on EF's 8+:
Count Basie - "Blues For The Barbecue"
The Besnard Lakes - "You've Got to Want to Be a Star"
M83 - "Couleurs"
David Byrne - "Happy Suicide"
Fleetwood Mac - "Oh Well"
Phish - "You Enjoy Myself"
Green Day - "Homecoming"
Billy Bragg - "Joe Hill"

To see a full list of every song featured in EAR FARM's 8+ click HERE.