Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Having their say on Election Day 2008

Everyone has an opinion on this historic election

"I think that the election of Barack Obama as the president of the United States would be a crowning achievement for African Americans in this country that came here as slaves and now can realize that an African American can hold the highest office in the land. On a personal level, I never thought that I would live to see it."

— Rev. W. Wilson Goode Sr., Philadelphia's first African-American mayor.

"I voted in every election since 1932 and this time I voted for Obama. I like him. He's a good man."

-- Edna Zimering, 97, of Fairmount.

"Obama is a Marxist. I think he has Marxist philosophies."

-- Joe Franchetti, a 68, of Cherry Hill, N.J.

"It means everything in the world. I never dreamed I would live to see this."

-- Mary Mason, longtime Philadelphia radio personality.

"Martin Luther King said there will come a time when a white man and a black man will stand together and this is that time."

-- Janet Stokes, 62, of South Philly.

"I think he represents the dreams of all people. Here's a man whose mother was white and father was black. Grandma, white. Here's a guy that represents everything that anybody should think about in their life. Any dream that you have, any dream that a youngster, both male and female, would have. It should be looked at from the standpoint of what this man represents."

-- John Chaney, former Temple University basketball coach.

"I'll die if John McCain is president."

-- Rochelle Eller, 23, a a hair colorist in Maple Shade, Burlington County, N.J., who was surprised to learn that so many in her town had voted for McCain.

"Our house is strictly Obama. The economy sucks right now. I just got laid off from my job... To me, Obama is giving a lot of the poor people hope."

-- Angelina Rivera, 41, of North Philadelphia, who is losing her job as a legal secretary.

"He's well spoken, he has a plan. Most candidates have a plan to have somebody lead this country into change. It's tough times right now; I definitely think it's going to be a challenge, but I think he's looking forward to it. It's an accomplishment for African Americans."

-- Andre Miller, 76ers guard.

"People came out of the woodwork. I've seen people I've never seen before in this division."

-- Mary Farina, 33, committewoman in the 2nd Ward, 3rd Division,in South Philadelphia since she was 18.

"It has been a blessing here today. I came down the street blasting my music of change. It's time for a change."

-- Deborah Hopkins, 50, a committeewoman for the 30th Ward, 13th Division. She was staffing the polls at Shiloh Baptist Church at 20th and Christian streets in Southwest Center City.

"When I was growing up, when I said I wanted to be a professional football player, I saw someone that looked like me playing the position I wanted to play; I saw someone that talked like me doing it. So I knew that it was very conceivable for me to do that. The buck stopped when it came to the presidency. You could be a lawyer, you could be whatever else, but not the president. If he's able to get in, you're going to have a lot of younger generation (African-Americans) saying, 'You know what? I don't want to just be a lawyer, I don't want to just be a doctor. I want to be the president, and matter of fact, I have somebody in office that looks like me, that talks like me."

-- Brian Dawkins, Eagles safety.

"It was so magnificent to see how young people, we're talking people 18 years old, coming out for the first time to vote. They would go in, come out and throw up their hands and say, 'We made a difference.'" I've been working these polls for seven years. I've never seen a turn-out like the one today."

-- Christine Wilson, 40, committeewoman in the 33rd ward in Kensington.

"I think Obama is a socialist."

-- Gary Quick, a 52-year-old painting contractor, in Maple Shade, Burlington County, N.J.

"I got a high from pushing the button today. Not a lie."

-- Briana Cagninelli, 18, Widener University student.

"It felt good I can tell you. Especially voting for someone who will bring a change to Pennsylvania. It's not only that he'd be the first black president. The thing is he knows what we need. He's going to change things around."

-- Quamaine Crummy, 19, Kensington, voting for the first time.

"I was so happy to be in the voting booth. But when I got in, I thought, 'Oh my gosh. What do I do?' I'm just glad to be a part of history."

-- Angelean Floyd, 18, of Point Breeze.

"If this was a grocery store, I'd be rich. More people have come out than ever before. This is a huge turn-out."

-- Ronald Williams, a judge of the 14th ward, 5th division, in North Philadelphia.

"I think we need change, a fresh base. I feel confident about him (Obama), you know? It's always been the same old, the same. The presidents are the same. They promise so much but they never accomplish anything. I said I'd never vote, but this time I found something good about him."

-- Ramon Salgado, 48, North Philadelphia, first time-voter. The poll workers applauded for every first-time voter.