UPDATE 7:21PM CST - Nebraska Democrats site must be getting hammered with traffic right now.
UPDATE 6:41PM CST - At 7:15PM, the caucus stats will be posted at the Nebraska Democratic Party website. Let's keep this diary going as we bask in the glory of our first statewide caucus!
I went a-caucusin' today. We had a pretty good turnout given the projection for the weather, even though it was nice and sunny early on (it was getting windy and cloudy when I left though) and all told, we had just shy of 1400 people there.
I'll preface it by saying this: Supporters from both Clinton and Obama sides had tremendous enthusiasm, but Obama had numbers. And boy did he have them. Pictures/video below the fold.
UPDATE 6:41PM CST - At 7:15PM, the caucus stats will be posted at the Nebraska Democratic Party website. Let's keep this diary going as we bask in the glory of our first statewide caucus!
There was a cardboard stand-up of Barack himself, smiling and looking presidential as ever:
Once I got inside (quite a wait, might I add - lots of people showed up!) we see the scope and breadth of the support Obama has in our little district:
I point out here that my vantage point on the floor was not of convenience, but of necessity: Obama's stands were filled quickly, so we spilled out onto the floor. I was surrounded by friendly Obama supporters like myself on all sides.
And of course, the scope and breadth of the support Clinton has in our little district:
They were a spirited bunch, though :)
And now for the videos:
A look around:
Jim Esch finishes his speech for Obama:
The count for Obama: (1062!!! 76 PERCENT)
Clinton Supporters: I apologize for not having a video of her count, but I tried to get my camera back up in time for that announcement, and all I got was "--ndred and twenty, that's 23 percent." She had 320 counted for her, but y'all were a noisy bunch, let me tell you.
Also, some old hag managed to get in and start yelling something about Obama being terrorist/muslim (like it's a bad thing, some people think the damndest shit up) and was promptly drowned out by "NO MORE HATE, NO MORE HATE!!" She was subsequently assisted out the back door.
With her stupid pink hat.
Great day though.