a sense of obligation and debts to be paid to earlier generations.

I met one of those women in Greenwood， South Carolina. It was back early when we were way back in the polls. Nobody gave us much of a chance back then. I had gone to South Carolina early in the campaign to see what I could stir up in the way of endorsements， and I was at a legislative dinner sitting next to a state representative that I really wanted to endorse me. So I turned to her and I said I really want your endorsement. And she looked at me and she said I ll tell you what， Obama， I will give you my endorsement if you come to my hometown of Greenwood， South Carolina. I must have had a sip of wine or something that night because right away I said Okay. I m coming.

So the next time I come to South Carolina it s about a month later. We fly in about midnight. We get to the hotel about one o clock in the morning. I m exhausted. I m dragging my bags to my room when I get a tap on my shoulder and I look back and it is one of my staff people who says Senator we need to be out of the hotel by 6 a.m. I say Why is that？ He says because we have to go to Greenwood， like you promised.

So the next morning I wake up and I feel terrible， and I think I am coming down with a cold， my back is sore， I feel worse than when I went to bed. I open up the curtains in the hotel room to get some sunlight in and hopefully wake me up， but it s pouring down rain. I go outside my room and get the New York Times， and there is