General Discussion

 ...at the age of 86.

EDIT: Apparently Obama announced it himself with his sister: 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27522679/

HIs 6 PM EST campaign rally in North Carolina is supposedly still on as well.

So, is he wanting a sympathy vote? 

This isn't news, sorry. People die of cancer everyday. It shouldn't take a public figure's family member dying for a bit of public awareness.

That would be very sad indeed, especially (and obviously) because of the timing, however I cannot find anything solid to substantiate this. Do you have a decent source?

Any more information? I hope this is untrue, but whether she is alive or now passed, I believe tomorrow stands to be the proudest day of her legacy, and she'll be watching.

EDIT:
Ok, she has indeed passed.
It is breaking across the news outlets as I type.
May she rest in peace.

She will be in the thoughts and prayers of many of us.
 

Originally posted by askwhy

That would be very sad indeed, especially (and obviously) because of the timing, however I cannot find anything solid to substantiate this. Do you have a decent source?

A few times before various small media outles have reported her death, and I just located this story which doesn't source it's information.  It also doesn't seem to remember that Obama visited her just days ago out of corcern for this very possibility, so again i have to question it's validity.

Any more information? I hope this is untrue, but whether she is alive or now passed, I believe tomorrow stands to be the proudest day of her legacy, and she'll be watching.

www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/03/obama.grandma/index.html

While I agree it shouldn't be news.  I don't agree with the sentiment that it is for a sympathy vote.  Private issues like this should remain private.  The media spends way to much time getting into people's business. 

Now that my soapbox is out of the way.

I feel extremely sad for Sen. Obama and know how difficult it must be.  I lost my Uncle (51 Yrs Old) to a combination of Lung Cancer and Sarcoidosis (the Sarcoidosis covered up the Lung Cancer and the Steroids to combat the Sarcoidosis caused the Lung Cancer to grow rapidly causing my Uncle to die about a week after he was diagnosed with Lung Cancer).  I know it can be extremely difficult to lose a loved one.  Especially to cancer. 

Originally posted by Cabe2323

While I agree it shouldn't be news.  I don't agree with the sentiment that it is for a sympathy vote.  Private issues like this should remain private.  The media spends way to much time getting into people's business. 

Now that my soapbox is out of the way.

I feel extremely sad for Sen. Obama and know how difficult it must be.  I lost my Uncle (51 Yrs Old) to a combination of Lung Cancer and Sarcoidosis (the Sarcoidosis covered up the Lung Cancer and the Steroids to combat the Sarcoidosis caused the Lung Cancer to grow rapidly causing my Uncle to die about a week after he was diagnosed with Lung Cancer).  I know it can be extremely difficult to lose a loved one.  Especially to cancer. 

You say that but if it was McCains wife you'd be all heart broken for McCain. Its news because its a public figure which is news. Does it deserve all day mentioning prolly no but is it worth a report yes. No one knows you or me so we wont get a news report if somthing like this happens to us.

Originally posted by Dekron

So, is he wanting a sympathy vote? 

This isn't news, sorry. People die of cancer everyday. It shouldn't take a public figure's family member dying for a bit of public awareness.

Did he say he wants a sympathy vote? does he really need one when it`s pretty clear he could pull this off already. I bet you wouldn`t react the same if mcplantation desendant owner announce someone died in his slave owning family.

Poor dekron 

Originally posted by Darcknyght

You say that but if it was McCains wife you'd be all heart broken for McCain.

Why do you think that? She is as equally unimportant to this world as Obama's grandmother. News of her dying would not be newsworthy either.

Funerals typically take place 3-5 days after the death. If they did believe it to be newsworthy the Obama camp could have waited until after the elections to release a statement. This is pure and simple a last resort for sympathy votes for Obama.

 No one can say it isn't worth mentioning. We put microscopes under these candidates lives and those around them coincidentially become public figures. 

I don't believe in a sympathy vote anymore than I do a scare vote, but you know, its more newsworthy than Madonna's divorce. 

It is really sad she will not have the opportunity to witness him here, in this life, elected president.

I am sure she will be watching proudly from a better place.

My condolences to him and his family.