LIFE: Barack at the Apollo: The Verdict

We had to miss this, unfortunately, because we were on deadline. But a few friends reported back.

What he said:

“Telling the American people what we think they want to hear instead of what they need to hear just won’t do."

What they said:

"He gave a motivational speech rather than a speech that would convert the undecided. It seems like he wasn't really working to win over voters who might be in favor of Hillary Clinton or John Edwards."

What he said:

"I don't want to wake up in four years and find out we still have more black men in prison than in college."

"I’m tired of reading about Jena, I’m of reading about nooses, tired of reading about a justice department that doesn’t understand justice..."


What they said:

"He said something about the black community and not wanting to wake up five years from now and hear that there are still more black men in prison than in college and the audience didn't cheer as loudly as I thought they would have. His comments about the black community, specifically--like the Jena 6 case--were right on point. But they didn't get the response I thought they would have. A part of me thinks that may be because many black people are self conscious about supporting him because of concern that people will think the support is only because of his race. I've been questioned many times by other black people about why I'm supporting him. And they usually ask me, 'Is it because he's black?'"

What he said:

"The only reason I am standing here today is because somebody, somewhere decided to stand up for me when it was hard."

What they said:

"I really liked it. But I'm thinking that maybe my expectations were more in line with reality than other people's? Like, I knew he would probably only talk for a little while, and that it would be a standard stump speech. But I liked the speech and I liked hearing from Cornel West too. It was all very pie-in-the-sky--like, if he actually accomplishes 15% fo the stuff he said he would, we'd be living in a freaking utopia. But I felt energized by the event."