Monday was a crappy day. It's time for some more upbeat news.
This morning, Barack Obama played basketball with members of the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. It seems he's taking the advice of many here at DailyKos who've urged the senator do hit the court in this mega-basketball state (along with Indiana).
Check out this cool pic of Obama's short jump shot!
During the morning scrimmage, UNC head coach Roy Williams endorsed Obama! As reported at MSNBC's First Read:
After a brief time out, Mr. Obama returned to the court and played for several more minutes. He took his shot at one more basket, but it fell short.
"You guys are leaving the next president of the United States wide open," Mr. Williams jokingly yelled. When the senator was fouled, one of the players apologized. Not to worry, Mr. Obama said. "The Secret Service won’t do anything to you."
Well, OK, maybe endorsement is too strong a word. But the coach's apparent support is a good sign nonetheless!
Interestingly, the New York Times published the same pool report seen at FirstRead and The Page but added these two paragraphs:
With a wave of controversy swirling around him – after a day in which the TV news was dominated by the incendiary words of the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. – Mr. Obama began his day of campaigning in the friendly confines of the Tar Heel zone. Basketball has suddenly become a piece of his strategy to connect.
And at least here in North Carolina, where the Democratic primary is one week away, could the images of him on the basketball court replace – or at least supplement – those of his former pastor?
Leave it to the Times to take all the fun out of a good game!
Also, for all those a little bummed this week I recommend reading Andrew Sullivan's new post called Fighting Despair.
Money quote:
[Obama]has the most votes, the most states, the most money, the most new voters and the most delegates and the most Senators on his side. This is no time for a failure of nerve - on the part of the Obama team or his supporters.
The only way past this is through it. And it's not just up to Obama; it's up to those of us who see him as a vehicle for real change.
Sullivan might not be your cup of tea, but he's an Obama supporter and has a way of cutting through the sleaze and getting to the heart of the matter.
UPDATE: In the comments, Kosophile provides a link to a cool photo gallery of today's scrimmage at Chapel Hill.