I went to my first rally today. While it wound up being a very long and very hot day in the sun, it was still all that and a bag of chips!
I would tell you the whole story of my trip there, how the mountains were beautiful, the fact that we had to be bussed in from other areas because the town is just that tiny.
However, vertexoflife just wrote a diary about his trip to the Unity rally and his story is actually pretty parallel to mine. From the time he woke up, to traveling from Manchester to Sunapee and being bussed in from there (in fact I think he was only a few people behind me in line because I'm in his first pic).
The only difference is that he got to sit in the "cool kids" area and I wound up down by the podium. So here's the same day, from a different angle. :)
I went to the rally all by my lonesome but wound up befriending my seat-mate on the bus. When we got to the rally I knew they were hand picking what I call the "cool kids" to sit in the stands behind the podium. I was hoping to get picked because my "rally buddy" was pretty clean cut looking and I thought that might help us out... but it didn't....
Here's where the cool kids sit
And here's the cool kids with their "cool kids" signs
Even though we weren't the cool kids we actually managed to get almost right up to the barrier so we were right by the podium.
The town's honorary mayor introduced the senators. A woman standing with me was from Unity and said he seemed really uncomfortable being asked to do this. During his introduction speech he even mentioned being overwhelmed and then broke down and admitted he was a lifelong republican. He did say maybe this event could change his mind and there was a big cheer.
And at last, after hours in the blistering sun, BHO and HRC take the stage
The crowd erupted into cheers of "Hill-a-ry"
Obama looks at me and thinks "who is that super cool chick over there?"
I can't even remember what Obama was doing in the picture but I like to think he broke out into the robot
Hillary actually has an "air" about her. I can't describe it, and I never felt it through the tv, but she really is amazing to behold. I guess you would describe it as "presence".
I love this picture
I have to admit, when we first got there I was joking about how silly it is that people faint at these things, but by the time Barack took the stage I was sort of swooning myself. It was actually hard to focus because I kept slipping out of focus a little and I'd have to shake it off when I found myself swaying. (It doesn't help that I hadn't eaten since 9am the day before due to being both scatterbrained and busy)
I love when he gets all finger-pointy
"My daughters and all your daughters will know there's no barrier to who they are. . . . They will take for granted women can do anything that the boys can do, and do it better, and do it in heels. I still don't know how she does it in heels."
Honestly, I don't either...
Once it was over, they came around to shake hands. I managed to catch Obama's eye and as we grasped hands I said "thank you". He looked at me and said "thank YOU".
This was taken just after we shook hands and just before I got clobbered by someone rushing in from behind with a 16 foot camera lens.
So all in all it was a good day. I'm burnt to a crisp because it didn't occur to me to use sunblock, but I made a new friend in my "rally pal", got to see the candidates up close and personal, and I came away feeling the unity in Unity.
Me and my rally pally
The rain held out exactly long enough for us to get on the bus. During the bus ride back to Sunapee it was pouring and lightening.
All that....
...and a bag of chips