Obama praises woman who popularized ‘fired up’ chant during 2008 campaign

Former president releases video tribute for Edith Childs, South Carolina county councillor who is retiring after 24 years

Marking the retirement of the woman credited with popularizing the chant “Fired up, ready to go!” that epitomized his campaigns, Barack Obama said her energy played a key role in lifting his spirits and his candidacy for president first time round.

“It was early in my campaign, and I wasn’t doing that good,” Obama recalled in a video provided by the Obama Foundation, harking back to a 2007 campaign stop in Greenwood, South Carolina, on a dreary, rainy day.