By Lewis Loflin
On June 5, 2008, Senator Barack Obama held a campaign rally at Virginia High School in Bristol, Virginia, targeting voters in the Tri-Cities region, including Bristol, Virginia, and Bristol, Tennessee. Billed as a town hall, the event drew approximately 2,500 attendees but faced criticism for its organization and limited public access. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell described the area as “bordering on Appalachia,” a comment that sparked local backlash and an apology. The rally, one of Obama’s first after securing the Democratic nomination, aimed to engage a working-class demographic in a historically Republican region.
[](http://www.sullivan-county.com/id5/obama_bristol1.htm)Four protesters, including the author, a veteran, attended the rally to express dissent. The group included an Iraq War veteran and a parent of a high-ranking female brigade commander in Iraq. They reported verbal hostility from some Obama supporters, with one protester recalling derogatory remarks. The author, Lewis Loflin, was asked for identification by Bristol police while standing on public property near a flagpole, a request not made of rally attendees. Protesters were warned of arrest if they stepped onto school grounds, despite some supporters and police doing so. State police remained professional, but some Bristol officers appeared agitated.
These accounts suggest tensions between protesters and event organizers, with restricted access and police scrutiny creating a sense of exclusion. While some supporters praised the protesters’ free speech, others were unable to articulate Obama’s policy positions when questioned, highlighting a divide in motivations. The Southern Poverty Law Center noted a rise in racially charged incidents nationwide post-election, though specific protester incidents at this rally remain anecdotal.
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protests_against_Barack_Obama)Protesters, including local veterans, faced challenges expressing dissent at the tightly controlled rally, reflecting broader community tensions in Bristol.
The Bristol Herald Courier (June 5, 2008) reported that Obama’s advance team failed to coordinate with city officials, frustrating City Manager Bill Dennison. The city provided police, fire, and emergency services but was informed of plans through media reports. The unannounced closure of Long Crescent street disrupted bus schedules, affecting elderly and disabled residents. Dennison criticized the campaign’s use of police overtime without direct communication, noting, “The chain of command starts at the top.” The event’s 2,000 tickets were reportedly distributed by 9:30 a.m., but local accounts suggested access was limited to pre-selected attendees, possibly Democrats.
[](http://www.sullivan-county.com/id5/obama_bristol1.htm)Interviews revealed varied attendee motivations. One white, 35-year-old woman expressed support for Obama to demonstrate racial progress, a sentiment echoed in Shelby Steele’s 2007 book A Bound Man, which described Obama as a symbol of racial redemption. Congressman Rick Boucher compared the rally to John F. Kennedy’s 1960 Roanoke visit, though President Bush’s 2004 Tri-Cities rally was more open to the public. Health care was a key topic, with Obama criticizing drug company influence, though many locals already accessed state-funded care like Medicaid. For related discussions, see Rapper "Birdman" Arrested, and Black Crime in Kingsport.
[](http://www.sullivan-county.com/id5/obama_bristol1.htm)The rally’s venue, Virginia High School, faced educational challenges, with a 57% graduation rate in 2005–06 (Roanoke Times, December 17, 2006) and a disputed 52.1% rate in 2007 (Editorial Projects in Education). By 2022–23, the Virginia Department of Education reported an 88.9% graduation rate, showing improvement despite socioeconomic issues tied to nearby public housing. The school’s principal, Ina Danko, was set to retire in 2008, with Martin Ringstaff appointed to address dropout rates. For more, visit Virginia High School.
[](http://www.sullivan-county.com/id5/obama_bristol1.htm)Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for helping me draft and refine this article. The final edits and perspective are my own.
