When New Hampshire political consultant Jim Demers picked up Barack Obama late at night at Manchester’s airport in December 2006, the then-senator from Illinois was carrying his own luggage.
New Hampshire Democrats had just swept the latest election, holding on to the governor’s seat and picking up spots in the U.S. House of Representatives. Obama was the first national politician to fly in and attend a unity celebration.
“It seemed like the next day everything changed and he never had to carry his luggage again,” Demers recalled.
Obama’s political star was launched in part due his 2004 Democratic National Convention speech in Boston.
On Wednesday night in Philadelphia, Obama delivered his final DNC speech as president.
Back in the winter of 2006, Obama hadn’t even decided whether to run. But as he and a few advisers and staff made their way around Portsmouth, he was flooded by onlookers and the media.
When they walked into the lobby of the Portsmouth Sheraton, people started yelling out his name. The next morning as they made their way to a book signing, lines were around the building to see him and satellite trucks dotted the street. Hundreds of people crammed into a coffee shop to see him.
“There was the feeling of something is going on here, this guy is a rock star, ” Demers said. “What was a quiet visit turned into what felt like a presidential campaign visit.”
Obama made an impression on Demers in 2004 with his convention speech, and the two were connected through Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe.
Looking back on the New Hampshire visit, Demers said Obama’s energy and presence was new and electric.
“This wasn’t your typical white guy showing up to a political stop,” Demers said. “This was potentially the first African-American president of the United States.”
Obama comfortably worked the tables at the Portsmouth coffee shop, Breaking New Grounds. When the visit was done, Demers told the senator he was so impressed that he would back him should Obama decide to get into the race.
The senator responded by saying that he needed to have a conversation with his wife, Michelle, over that Christmas vacation before he made up his mind. Demers got the call from Obama after vacation was over – he was in.
On Wednesday afternoon, Demers said he expected to get emotional during that night’s speech, similar to when Obama was inaugurated as the first African-American president.
“For me and a lot of Americans, we cried,” Demers said. “It felt like America broke a glass ceiling.”
Even though Obama and Clinton were rivals for the nomination in 2008, the two later worked closely together in the president’s administration, with Clinton as secretary of state.
“Barack Obama had the good judgment to realize he wanted Hillary Clinton as part of his team,” Demers said. “The ’08 supporters are fired up for Hillary.”
But the speech also served as a conclusion to Obama’s presidency.
Wednesday’s speech wasn’t “just a speech to Democrats; this is Barack Obama’s farewell speech,” Demers said.
(Ella Nilsen can be reached at 369-3322, enilsen@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @ella_nilsen.)