Political spin or true story?: Obama Helped Stranded Stranger 20 Years Ago?

Seems to be true. Here is a link. The woman exists.

It’s a great story. I hope it’s true.

I hope its true. Its a nice story. Although, it would be more believeable if they could have shown a close up pic of the letter….I mean there she is w/ it right..? Why not show a pic of the letter too….?

I’m just sayin’...........

That is a wonderful story. I like to believe it’s true….

That’s a great story and since I’m a firm believer that everyone does that kind of thing, I’m not surprised he does.

I think that the story was remembered by the family for almost 20 years and that they wrote Senator Obama in 2006 was a happy coincidence. However it just shows that Senator Obama is a decent man who would probably be slightly embassassed to hear it dicussed.

He probably understands that Americans are for the most part naturally generous and modest about our generosity. Who hasn’t covered a stranger in a grocery checkout line or given someone in a laudromat a couple of quarters to finish drying their clothes or helped a stranger in any number of ways. There is even an insurance commercial about it. Pay it forward is a part of the American lexicon. Such things are not newsworthy and not done for self aggrandizement. President-elect Obama understands it is an American value.

true story, I have another confirmation and snoops confirmation I think

I’m not getting the Snopes confirmation. I searched there for everything I could think of related to this article. All I got from searching Snopes was this sorry link. It just sends me to another website to read the same news article that Marina linked to.

Great story though.

@trusting life – that was what I remembering. It was the link to the story. Thanks!

This seems pretty cool to!

I’m still not getting why this needs confirmation and why it seems ti be so amazing. It wasn’t used as a campaign stunt and this kind of thing happens every day.

@ galilieaogirl – I don’t believe it happens every day. Not even close.

Also, it is amazing because, even if we accept it does happen every day, we never get to hear about it no matter who does it.

It’s nice to hear that kinda thing is out there. Also, that a politician of all people would do it. Someone we are practically raise to believe are joined at the hip with lawyers and used car salesmen.

Bri: Do you mean that small kindnesses don’t happen every day? Or that small kindnesses by people who later become president don’t happen every day? If the latter, I would agree with you, that is a 1 in 10 billion (or thereabouts) event. But if you are referring to the former, I feel sad for you. You have never experienced the joy of giving or receiving an anonymous kind act? Even if they occur once a year by only half the population of the US, that’s 1000’s a day. Actually you should keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities-it might change your entire outlook on lifr.

Galileogirl: I guess I don’t consider giving $103 to a complete stranger a small kindness. Perhaps we run in different circles but that is a very large sum of money to me and not easy to imagine occurring within the odds you stated.

I actually do witness smaller acts of kindness daily and live my life doing them. It is what keeps me happy while I am unemployed going on a year and 3 months and having trouble with money and things at home. Helping others. I do know exactly what you mean.

I was, as you indicated, specifically referring to a politician being involved and to the inordinate sum of money, which, it seems, isn’t that much to some.

Of course it has nothing to do with the financial amount of the kindness or even it was financial at all. Haven’t you ever been at a checkout line where the person ahead of you was short and you just slipped her $5? Or seen an elderly person from the neighborhood walking along carring some bags and stopped to give her a ride? Or run into a child who was crying and tried to help? BTW $100 to a lawyer might mean less tha $5 to a single mom.

You really don’t need to clarify the nature of good deeds for me. Nor do I need assistance understanding the difference in value between what $100 to a lawyer and $5 to a single mom would be. BTW, If I didn’t know better, I would think you were speaking down to me.

From what you wrote it seemed you were not that impressed with the action so much as to question why everyone else was.

I was just telling you, from my point of view, that a. I don’t hear about people handing out $103 dollars they will never see again to strangers and b. we live in a world dominated by negative news so while it may happen “every day”, it is ok for someone to be impressed with an act of kindness no matter how many times it occurs.

Actually I questioned why the majority of posts to that point were obsessed with whether or not the story was true

“I’m still not getting why this needs confirmation and why it seems to be so amazing. It wasn’t used as a campaign stunt and this kind of thing happens every day.”

I stand by that 100% I also don’t understand why strangers assume a personal attack when one states an opinion they don’t agree with. If you feel someone is “talking down” to you consider that feeling may be internal.

“I’m still not getting why this needs confirmation and why it seems to be so amazing. It wasn’t used as a campaign stunt and this kind of thing happens every day.”

Actually this speaks to “this” which speaks to the question not the posts as you just tried to claim.

“I’m still not getting why this needs confirmation and why it seems to be so amazing.”
So stand by it all you want.

I had just explained to you

“I actually do witness smaller acts of kindness daily and live my life doing them. It is what keeps me happy while I am unemployed going on a year and 3 months and having trouble with money and things at home. Helping others. I do know exactly what you mean.
I was, as you indicated, specifically referring to a politician being involved and to the inordinate sum of money, which, it seems, isn’t that much to some.”

and your reply:
“I actually do witness smaller acts of kindness daily and live my life doing them. It is what keeps me happy while I am unemployed going on a year and 3 months and having trouble with money and things at home. Helping others. I do know exactly what you mean.
I was, as you indicated, specifically referring to a politician being involved and to the inordinate sum of money, which, it seems, isn’t that much to some.”

was as if I didn’t understand what you meant. It is clearly your attempt to guide the topic of debate away from the fact that you point was invalid.

Was your attempt to get me to look with in myself as if I had problems, in reality an attempt to distract from the fact that your comments on this thread were mostly unnecessary? How long have you needed others to validate yourself?

Edit: your reply was as follows (I miss pasted):
Of course it has nothing to do with the financial amount of the kindness or even it was financial at all. Haven’t you ever been at a checkout line where the person ahead of you was short and you just slipped her $5? Or seen an elderly person from the neighborhood walking along carring some bags and stopped to give her a ride? Or run into a child who was crying and tried to help? BTW $100 to a lawyer might mean less tha $5 to a single mom.

And for that matter, had I seen that you were “always being right just ask my real world friends….sharing my superior intelligence..” from “San Francisco, the Bay Area, Calif Central Coast, Kilgore” I wouldn’t have continued the discussion. I have known to many that only fit half this description to know I am fighting a loosing battle over semantics here.

Someone needs to get her sense of humor out of storage. And what do you have against the fine people of Kilgore?

I am sure I am walking into something here but, I am a “his” not a “her”. I am interested to know where I should have known it was a joke.

My mistake on Kilgore. I did not mean to include them on the list. Actually I know a lot of decent people from all those areas. I have also known a lot who are quite pompous. One of the reasons I moved away actually.

If it was a joke. I apologize. I missed it completely. I am out of sorts right now. Not your fault and I shouldn’t make it so.