Santa Rosa Democrats inspired by speech

Liz Basile, 80, and Cristian Fertino, 17, may be separated by several generations, but they agree Barack Obama is the right choice in November.

"He can relate to the average person and not the average American rich guy. He knows what we -- the middle class -- go through," Fertino said following the Democratic presidential candidate's highly anticipated acceptance speech Thursday night.

Fertino, a Roseland University Prep graduate who is entering UC Riverside, will turn 18 in time to vote for Obama.

"What we need is young voters. The youth will carry this vote. You're going to win it for us," Basile told her younger counterpart after Obama's speech.

"This is our future," Travis Villa, 18, a Santa Rosa Junior College student, said of Obama. "He gives us a sense that America can be great once again."

The three were part of a group of about two dozen party faithful who came to watch the televised speech at the new Democratic Party/Obama headquarters in downtown Santa Rosa at Second and D streets.

Paul Greeley was concerned prior to the speech that the presidential hopeful would have trouble living up to Thursday night's hype. But he said Obama, a strong orator, was up to the challenge.

He said Obama made a convincing argument that "this country can't survive the direction it's been going in, and he's a strong candidate to make that change."

"What stood out for me and had me cheering was where he laid out the failings of the Bush administration and said 'Enough,' " said Stephen Gale, chairman of the Sonoma County Democratic Party. "It's time for Barack Obama and the change he represents to come into our country."