Pool Report for Obama's Event in South Charleston, West Virginia

Pool Report for 5/12/2008

Schultzie's Billiards, South Charleston

A quickie presser and some color.

Color on the quality of Obama's pool game is to come. But a quick flag on some news:

The campaign will put out a transcript shortly, but Senator Obama was asked by a local reporter if he was worried about voters thinking he was Muslim.

The Senator said “We just have to get information out” debunking “all the phony e-mails talking about how I don't pledge allegiance” which he called “smears” and “a dirty trick” that had been “effectively debunked.”

He spoke approvingly of the delegate split proposal out of Michigan. From Jen Psaki: “As I said, as I think my campaign indicated, I think it is a legitimate approach to trying to solve the problem. There haven't been final negotiations on it, but what we have said is that we will strongly consider it and I think it is a legitimate approach to trying to resolve an issue. My bottom line is I want to get the Michigan delegation seated. I want to get the Florida delegation seated and I want them to be participating in the convention. I want to win those seats in November.”

He went to Schultzie's shortly after 3 p.m. It was a mostly empty, dimly lit pool hall/bar with neon blue wavelets on the alls, wand signs advertising Bud, Bud Lite and “$10 domestic buckets.” There were four pool tables in the room. He arrived in rolled up shirt sleeves and said as he walked in, “We heard there were pool tables and chips and salsa.”

Awaiting the senator were a few volunteers -- some of whom were veterans -- and some local campaign staff. A group of young vets wearing Obama campaign pins were playing pool.

Senator Obama walked directly up the bar, turned to the guys playing pool and said “you guys want any drinks? You guys good to go?”

The pool players demurred, as did the senator, explaining, “I gotta make a speech later.” (He wound up drinking lemon lime soda from a straw)

He shook hands with the vets playing pool, saying, “I appreciate your service.”
He bantered with an older group of veterans, most of which was lost in the din, but we heard one of them explain, “I'm old enough to be a Vietnam Veteran.”

He introduced his accompanying contingent of retired military: Former Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig, John Nathman, a former Navy four-star admiral, retired, and Jim Smith, a retired Air Force Brigadier General.

“I can't vouch for their pool playing, but they're good guys,'' he said.

“We can bowl,'' Nathman shot back, as everybody including Obama laughed.

Turning to the pool tables he asked Rep. Nick Rahall, who was tagging along, to get the table set, he was going to play.

As the pool surrounded the table Obama told the group surrounding him, including some passers by who came in from the street, “There's pressure involved in everything I do.”

He squared off against Paul Scott, 24, who said he served two tours in Iraq with the 270th armored division.

The senator started off with an even break that landed a solid in the corner pocket, and he went on to sink two more in a row with direct shots as the crowd around him cheered. “That's a sign of a misspent youth,'' he joked, though he added that he didn't “do well at some things, like bowling.”

With no apparent, shot he contemplated some contorted moves – and even toyed with the idea of a behind the back shot – as he muttered “I got some problems” and “I don't have much of a play here” and just couldn't make anything happen.

Overall the Senator showed some chops, and managed to sink some more complicated bank shots, though it wasn't always clear they were the shots he had intended. He also exhibited the benefits of being the candidate: no one said anything when, in the midst of breaking up a cluster of balls, he sank the eight ball. He and Scott kept playing to see who could get rid of all their billiards first. As the Senator took a big lead Scott said, “I'm just letting you win,'' adding, “They told me to let you win.”

As he kept landing his shots he kneeled by tk and said, “You didn't think I could play – you thought it was going to be another bowling outing.”

But when each man was left with just one billiard it turned into a long series of misses until Scott finally sank his to win the game. The Senator said “I didn't embarrass myself.”

The crowed in the joint never became huge, but it did grow, and the senator spent about 10 to 15 minutes signing autographs and taking pictures before his brief presser.

A couple of more photos and autographs and he was out.