Today, the family headed to see Barack Obama speak to people in Western North Carolina hungry for change. 28,000 peoplebraved hours in line to listen to Barack's message about health care, the economy, and change. Here are a few photos of the event. People were fired up, ready to contribute their time, money, and effort in turning North Carolina blue.
Update: More diaries covering the amazing Asheville rally here and here and
here Be sure to check them out for great perspective and more photo goodness.
Update2: WLOS the local news channel discussed below just confirmed the attendance was 28,000! 22,000 inside the stadium, an additional 6000 listening outside. Just for fun, compare it to this Palin rally in bright red Alaska where the author calls it an "empty chair convention"
The crowd snaked through the campus of the local community college, but everybody was in good spirits.
The crowds settled in early, allowed into the stadium at noon, in anticipation for the 2PM rally.
A group of young cheerleaders helped fire up the crowd.
Also attending the rally, was the lovely Kay Hagan, the next United States Senator from North Carolina after she beats Elizabeth Dole on November 4th.
The crowd began to get very loud, applauding wildly. I wonder why.
Our next President, Barack Obama greets the enthusiastic crowd, before stepping up the stage to offer up some real straight talk.
Obama speaks, we listen.
The rally was well organized and attended after just 3 days notice. One thing that was new at least to me, in this talk focused on the health care crisis was the insurance company give aways that McCain wants to offer.
Senator Obama ,explained how states now can require that health insurance companies offer services such as cancer screenings, birth control, and mental health coverage as North Carolina does now.
Under the McCain plan, the coverage is dictated by the state the insurance company is incorporated in. This will be a race to the bottom state. Whatever state has the laxest legislation will be where the insurance companies will all move their corporate offices. Barack Obama is not prepared to allow that to happen.
Obama mentioned how McCain makes the excuse that he was talking about the american workers when he said that the fundamentals of the economy were strong. With so many workers and citizens without health care coverage, the workers are not strong. "This is America", Obama declared. We can do better.
He spoke eloquently, passionately, and inspirationally to a section of the state of North Carolina that has last been visited by a candidate in the general election by Nixon and Hubert Humphrey.
Obama believes he can win this formerly red state. Yes he can.