Obama On Grandmother And Campaign: "Bittersweet"

In what was clearly a very difficult portion of his address Monday night in North Carolina, Barack Obama spoke for several minutes on this grandmother's death from cancer Sunday night. At one point, it seemed, he was moved to tears.

Calling it a "bittersweet time" in his life, there were moments when one could detect the sadness in his voice and face. The crowd in Charlotte did its best to pull him along, screaming out words of support as he detailed Madelyn Dunham's life and drew from it threads that weaved into his candidacy and message. It was a poignant moment: the woman who helped raise him passing away just hours before the election.

No matter what happens tomorrow, I'm going to feel good about how it has turned out because all of you have created this remarkable campaign. She is gone home. And she died peacefully in her sleep, with my sister at her side. And so, there is great joy as well as tears. I'm not going to talk about it too long because it is hard, a little, to talk about.

I want everybody to know though a little bit about her. Her name was Madelyn Dunham. And she was born in Kansas in a small town in 1922. Which means she lived through the Great Depression, she lived through two world wars, she watched her husband go off to war, while she looked after her baby and worked on a bomber assembly line. When her husband came back they benefited from the GI bill, they moved west and eventually ended up in Hawaii.

She was somebody who was a very humble person, a very plainspoken person. She is one of those quiet heroes we have all across America, who are not famous, their names are not in the newspapers, but each and every day they work hard. They look after their families. They sacrifice for their children, and their grandchildren. They aren't seeking the limelight. All they try to do is do the right thing. And in this crowd, there are a lot of quiet heroes like that, people like that, mothers and fathers and grandparents who have worked hard and sacrificed all their lives and the satisfaction that they get is in seeing their children or maybe their grandchildren or their great-grandchildren live a better life than they did. That is what America is about. That is what we are fighting for.

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Comments

[SteveStephens]

what an inspiring and simply gorgeous elegy. I am truly in awe.

[GeoLee]

I am sure that many of you younger than 50 or so don't truly understand what a truly unique set of grandparents Barack Obama had. Growing up in Kansas and being only a few year younger than Barack's mother, I know that his grandparents grew up at a time when even marrying someone of a different religion, meaning for example a protestant and a Jew or Catholic, was so frowned upon that often the parents disowned their own children. Interracial mariage of any time, including white and asian or hispanic, was just almost totally unknown and incredibly looked down upon. For them to not only accept their daughter's choices, but to have a clearly biracial child growing up in their home I would imagine separated them from others even in the more multiracial society of Hawaii. Tghere woudl have been people who would have chosen to not have them in thier homes. For those of us who are the earliest of the baby boomers, and who lived through integration in schools and the horrible violence of the assassinations and the riots of Detroit, LA, LIttle Rock and cities all voter the south, this election is far more meaningful than any event probably other than the landing on the moon for what it may say about the coming together of all kinds of people of this country. I am still holding back tearsI hope will be tears of joy in a few hours. Bless those excercised their rights of citizenship.

[OhioJan]

Our thoughts and prayers are with Barack & Maya and their families, and, personally speaking, I believe that Grandma Dunham is right there with Barack & the Girls as this election plays itself out today and many days to come. His family - Stanley, Madelyn, & Mom, Ann, - as are all of us, are SOOOO PROUD of Barack & his accomplishments and his temperment during ALL of the "tests" of his will & composure during these last two years. If THIS doesn't prove just how much America needs Barack Obama and how much good he WILL do for all of us, I guess nothing really will.

Peace & a safe journey home, Mrs. Dunham, you've found your husband & daughter once again. Thank you for giving us such a wonderful & genuine man to lead us out of this dark age from the bush administration. We'll look after Barack for you now. May Peace & Light be yours now.

[Beca]

That was a beautiful sentiment, thank you for sharing it with us.

[IntExec]

Dear Senator Obama,

Our deepest condolences to you, your sister and family on the passing of your grandmother. She is watching from a better perch, beaming to all the angels and leading quiet chants of "Yes We Can."

You are in our prayers.

[MizK]

My condolences to Mr. Obama and his family. She is no longer suffering and is at peace. I will be sickened to hear anything negative about this from the GOP camp.

[wallydj]

Did anyone see the pics of all the empty McCain get out the vote offices? I think I saw one person pictured and it was the Maytag repair man!

[TocinoHumano]

There's only one thing that keeps me from feeling sorry for him: I don't want to!

[wallydj]

Mr. Obama...you are a class act! I will be honored to call you my president. God bless you and your beloved grandmother.

[wm1066]

When he connected the "quite hero" of his grandmother to the "quite heroes in the crowd" I was struck by the greatness of his speeches. How he brings us all up to a higher level. This is why he is connecting to so many people.
Mcain on the other hand just wants people to fight! That makes no sense to me. He doesn't say how to fight, or what to fight. Just to fight, as if that means anything.

[Lombard1006]

I am very happy to hear that Mrs. Dunham's absentee ballot will be counted. She was proud of him in life and she will watch over him in death. Rest in peace, Madelyn Dunham.

[emcd]

"She is one of those quiet heroes we have all across America, who are not famous, their names are not in the newspapers, but each and every day they work hard. They look after their families. They sacrifice for their children, and their grandchildren. They aren't seeking the limelight. All they try to do is do the right thing. And in this crowd, there are a lot of quiet heroes like that, people like that, mothers and fathers and grandparents who have worked hard and sacrificed all their lives and the satisfaction that they get is in seeing their children or maybe their grandchildren or their great-grandchildren live a better life than they did."

The first thing I thought of when I heard this:

Obama honors Madelyn Dunham as a quiet hero.
AND ALL EVIDENCE POINTS TO A QUIET, MODEST AND HARD WORKING PERSON

McCain trumpets Joe the (NOT-A-REAL) Plumber as a "real American hero"
WHEN IN FACT ALL EVIDENCE POINTS TO A LOUDMOUTHED, MISREPRESENTING AND ATTENTION SEEKING PERSON

[zuffaloo]

Touche

[jackson1015]

Look at how Obama turned out. That's all the testimony you need as to what a great woman Madelyn (Toot) Dunham was....it is evident that all of her love, hard work and sacrifice paid off.

God bless you, Toot.

[MongoSlade]

There's a memorial page hosted by the American Cancer Society if anyone wants to leave their thoughts or make a donation in her memory.

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=fund&fr_id=9910&px=8684889

[chrisk81]

Last night when I was watching the speech in NC, I saw what a real President looks like.

[NicoleW]

I would also like to add something. I have been watching TV since last night. Everyone offered condolences to Obama, however, I didn't hear anything from Sara Palin on the death of Senator Obama
grandmother. Maybe the press just didn't report it, however, I would find that unusual. Has anyone heard condolences from her?

[wallydj]

At least McCains had the decency to offer their condolences to Obama, but then you see those last minute Rev.Wright commercials that makes me think twice.

[TocinoHumano]

When it comes to McCain I only had to think once. The "R" after his name tells me all I need to know.

[Beca]

No, as far as I know, Sarah Palin did not bother because she has been focused on herself only and now on her self pity since she lost.,

[NicoleW]

Remarkable story and honorable Lady. My condolences.