On the road in Indiana: Indianapolis women show Obama support

INDIANAPOLIS — I walked down the corridor of the one-story Lafayette Square Mall, passing clothing stores with mannequins dressed in bright colors, jewelry store signs that read “Get your grillz here” and a bookstore with Barack Obama’s memoir prominently displayed. I reached the food court and waited with about 150 people of various ethnicities, ages and genders for an actress I had kind of heard of, but really knew little about.

It was a Women for Obama rally and actress Jessica Lange of King Kong fame was the keynote speaker.

Lange, who flew from New York to attend the event, said she has liked Obama from the get-go. As an early opponent of the Iraq War, the actress kept a close eye on who was and wasn’t speaking out against the issue — and Obama did so without hesitation.

“If we can do a 180 — and I think Obama’s truly the only one who can — we will have truly done a service to our children,” Lange told the crowd.

Most attendees were clear Obama supporters. Lange, along with Congressman Andre Carson and other speakers, encouraged them to get the community to the polls for Obama.

“If we can win Indiana, and then North Carolina, I think we’re home free,” Lang said, pausing while the crowd rhythmically chanted, “Yes, we can,” in response.

Some supporters said it would be a close race, but they still believe Obama can take Indiana.

“Once people get past the farms, pickup trucks… there’s a lot of independence here. We like to do things our way, and that’s why he’ll do well in this state. I think people can see that he’s sincere with what he says,” said Leona Glazebrooks, a local high school teacher and a delegate in the 2004 election.

Glazebrooks, who teaches social studies and AP U.S. Government, is excited about Obama’s ideas to alter the flawed No Child Left Behind Act. She thinks the candidate’s forward thinking on issues like education and his attitude that all votes are important have given him an edge in the primary election.

Though Clinton is expected to do well with females at the polls, many Women for Obama members, 3,000 of which hail from Indiana, said it’s about the better candidate, not gender or ethnicity.

“It’s almost insulting to a woman to say ‘she’s a female and she’s certainly voting for Hillary.’ It’s the same as a black person saying ‘I’m voting for Obama because I’m black…’ What’s a black woman supposed to do?” said Angela Bowers of Indianapolis.

Some attendees said they were for Clinton before Obama entered the race, and, should Clinton snag the Democratic nomination, they would vote for her in the general election.

Bowers established an organization for liberal mothers called The Blue Moms Group last March. It has 70 members, 90 percent of which are supporting Obama, Bowers said.

“I’m going with my heart and my gut,” Bowers said. “I like to think a woman’s intuition means something.”