Pics from the campaign:
Mind you, this was after about 18,000 people went to see them in Greensboro, North Carolina.
That is really amazing. I'm telling you, I love Barack, but I don't know that I'd stand out in the RAIN (mostly because of my hair). I don't really have much to add to this, but here are two local news reports about the rally:
The Obama Blog has the following from the Virginia Rally:
"I'm going to take off my jacket here, hope you don't mind." - Barack
Normally when Barack takes off his coat it's on account of the heat, but this evening in Fredricksburg it was because of the heavy rain that fell on the enormous crowd that gathered to watch Barack and Joe Biden at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Over 25,000 folks (according to Police Chief Jay Snipes) felt the mud churn under their feet as they listen to Joe and Barack explain their plans for changing this country.
"Try and take your partisan hats off and pretend you are in a political science class at this great university," Joe advised them before Barack spoke.
It was a heavy day of campaigning, from the J. Douglas Gaylon Depot, a beautiful old train station in Greensboro, North Carolina to the Congressional Black Caucus Awards dinner in the heart of Washington, DC. On the heels of his superb campaign performance in last night's debate, Barack has been eager to bring his message to supporters and undecideds wherever they may be. And from the looks of the sopping wet crowds that formed today, people are eager to hear it in all kinds of weather.
I love this! It's obvious that change is DEFINITELY in the air!
Here's the front page of the local newspaper:
h/t to Jed(he's on the Huffington Post now!) for the videos.
Virginia Vets for Obama:
North Carolina, Hillary in Michigan, and Barack and Michelle Obama at the Congressional Black Caucus(yeah, this one is pretty random ~lol~)
I don't have any video on Hillary, but I did find a couple of articles:
In a harangue aimed squarely at Republican candidate for president, John McCain, Clinton admonished Republicans for financial policies she claims led to faltering credit markets and a government bailout plan that appears certain to come.
"We're supposed to spend 700 billion dollars to fix this problem," said Clinton, to a chorus of friendly boos. "Well, I've got to tell you, we may have to fix this but, boy, we need to fire the group of people who are responsible for it ... and if you think I'm getting worked up here, you're right."
"Senator Obama will fight for the policies that will help your families; there is no reason to believe Senator McCain will," she said. "When you look at their tax policies, when you look at their economic policies, one favors the vast majority of Americans and one favors the few."
With the exception of a few shots directed at McCain and his running mate, Alaska governor Sarah Palin, the so-called "ticket to nowhere,"Clinton rarely strayed from the populist economic playbook on her third such stump stop in Michigan on Saturday.
Source
And from Detroit:
"This means even more that we must have change. We cannot turn over our country, with our deep deficits, these serious economic problems, the international challenges, to the same team that got us into this mess in the first place," she said.
Clinton acknowledged the warm autumn day, in contrast to Washington, D.C., where she voted Saturday morning on a stopgap measure as negotiations for a U.S. bailout of Wall Street continued.
Things, she said, are "kind of grumpy" in the nation's capital, and she launched into a 20-minute lashing of the Bush administration, GOP presidential candidate John McCain, the loss of U.S. jobs overseas, greedy Wall Street executives and the need for universal health care.
Clinton noted the presidential debate Friday night, and said, "I'm campaigning as hard as I can to make sure" Obama "is the next president, and I'm sure last night a lot of Americans saw why."
In one of several pointed jabs at McCain, Clinton said his proposal for a market-based national health care system "would work as well as what we've seen on Wall Street. A lot of people would get rich, while a lot of others would be left holding the bag."
The difference, she said, is that lack of health care would jeopardize people's health or their lives if the system failed.
Go Hillary!!! So nice to have her on OUR side :o)
Obama on the debate in NC:
For those of you who want to see him FIRED UP, there ya go!
Here's Obama's CBC speech:
Michelle and Jill in Tallahassee, Florida:
Geesh! The Obama campaign was all over the place (location wise) yesterday! Where was McSame?
UDPATE: More on the Virginia Rally
A Very Wet Virginia for Obama by Mash is a diary about his/her experience at the rally. He/She didn't get to see Obama, but they did have a great experience, check it out!
Photo Diary: Obama-Biden at U. Mary Washington by lowkellhas more pictures from the rally.
The Swamp notes that Obama went a little biblical with the rain:
The question has always been whether Barack Obama can take the heat. But can he stand the rain?
Obama is delivering a speech here this evening outdoors on the campus of Mary Washington University and a drizzle is turning into a steady autumn rain.
"I'm going to take off my jacket," he says. "I need a hat."
His running mate, Joe Biden, is standing beside him, playing the loyal soldier, even as the rain falls.
It's been raining off and on here, and much of the crowd, estimated at close to 26,000, was soaked before Obama got here.
He even works the rain into his speech, saying his opponent, John McCain's economic philosophy was like the weather.
Trickle down. Get it?
Later in the speech, though, he switches suddenly into preacher mode.
"Sometimes the skies grow cloudy, and it's dark," he shouts, "and you think the rains will never pass."
The scene, is well, biblical. The oratory more for a pulpit than a podium. And the crowd eats it up.
OBAMA, OBAMA, they shout.
Who knew that tonight, God would make a cameo?
h/t JasperJohns
Yes, I think we CAN stand the rain :o)
and the NYT Blog has some nice stuff
Remember last month, when a conservative group prayed for rain to disrupt Senator Barack Obama’s stadium-style acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver?
That night, it didn’t rain. And for months, at outdoor rallies across the country, Mr. Obama’s campaign events have escaped repeated bouts of rain and stormy weather – even if it was in the forecast.
But the run of good luck with Mother Nature ended here on Saturday night, as a steady rain began to fall shortly after Mr. Obama began speaking at the University of Mary Washington. After keeping his supporters waiting for nearly an hour, Mr. Obama went forward with his speech as a crowd estimated by campus officials at 26,000 grew soggy.
"I’m sorry for those of you who are wearing that special outfit," Mr. Obama said. "I’d like to cover everyone’s dry cleaning bill tonight, but I can’t because I’ve got to use it on the campaign. So consider it one more modest contribution to our efforts to change the country."
[snip]
But the Obama supporters, who were already wet from a rain shower before Mr. Obama arrived, didn’t seem to mind the soaking. They cheered throughout the remarks, raising their voices even more as Mr. Obama unleashed a string of weather-related metaphors about the country’s current state.
"The storm hasn’t quite passed yet. Sometimes the skies look cloudy. And it’s dark," Mr. Obama said. "You think the rains will never pass, but here’s what I understand: As long as all of us are together, as long as we are all committed, then there’s nothing we can’t do."
h/t Constant
Here's a great pic from the Fredricksburg Site:
h/t newleymintedjerseygirl