According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, police estimate 28,000 people gathered today at Asheville High School's Memorial Stadium to see the future president of the United States address a crowd of (mostly) Western North Carolinians.
Early estimates were that 15,000 would arrive - that 28,000 actually showed is huge! I have consistently believed that North Carolina was in play for Obama. Now, I'm convinced we will win this state!
For more on my experience, see below the break.
For me the day didn't start so well. I've been having car issues recently and, due to work obligations, was supposed to bring two cars to today's rally. After about three blocks, my engine seized up. Luckily, my partner, Amber, was behind me. Even though I wasn't able to bring a chipper mood, at first, I still decided to go. It's Sunday, no car mechanics are open, so the car can wait until tomorrow.
We arrived at the AB Tech/Asheville High campus about 9:30 and already a line had stretched over a half a mile. The doors were supposed to open at 12:00 and, reportedly, people had been camping out for prime seats since about 6:00 AM.
Around 10:30 the line began to move. I think that they realized the crowd was much bigger than expected and that if they were going to do this in any sort of the expected time frame, they would have to start things up a little early.
Shwag vendors were everywhere! We decided not to pick up anything, though because our local democratic headquarters is selling stuff, too. That way we can make sure that all the money goes to a good place.
Once we got through the metal detectors, I noticed a woman in her 30s who was pulling down the ropes that were keeping people off of the infield of the stadium. "Are you guys opening up the infield?" I asked. "Yes. Right now." I was the first one on the infield! I took my friend's daughter Taya with me and we sprinted to what I thought would be the prime position.
By this time it was about 12:20 and people crowded in. We were surrounded by Obama supporters - Black, White, Latino, Asian - it was really a mixed crowd. I was impressed by the diversity of the crowd.
In particular, Asheville's black community seemed to come out in full force! Asheville has a terrible history of segregation and, even though our mayor is a successful black woman, and there are some very powerful black people in our community, Asheville still remains very divided. We were not divided at this rally.
Loads of press were there - BBC + the local network news. I even thought I might have spied Markos at one point...but I couldn't convince myself it was him. Then I thought I saw Brownsox...still, I can't be sure.
Next to us, a couple who own a small business told us that they had recently changed from Republican to Democrat. "My Republican friends think the Democrats are bad for small business. Listen, the Republicans have it wrong. If normal people can't afford gas, they're certainly not going to come in my store and buy something. We have to take care of the regular folks if we want our businesses to succeed." AMEN!!!
After a prayer, a speech by a local nurse, and a couple of false starts - Obama arrived!!! The crowd was rabid! Obama came up on to the stage and started out with some nice things to say about Asheville. He told us he could tell he was in "God's country" and felt blessed at the "day the Lord had made" (and it was gorgeous - 78 degrees, with a light north breeze. In the background, the autumn leaves were beginning to change, and a bright AHS topiary that had just turned deep maroon set the backdrop for Obama).
He stumped for Kay Hagan and Bev Purdue (our democratic candidates for Senate and Governor, respectively), and then he got to business. He started out by saying that the McCain camp has said they are going into "swift-boat attack" mode in order to shift the attention off of the economy. He said that if he had McCain's record on the economy he'd want to change the subject, too. One of the best lines went, "But this time, we are not going to be hoodwinked." (then he takes a cue from a couple of guys near me who shout "BAMBOOZLED.") "That's right. We won't be bamboozled. They won't pull the okey-dokey on us. Y'all know the okey-dokey in Asheville?" I worried a little about the Malcom X reference, but I have to say, it was well-timed, spontaneous and funny.
Then Obama went into a speech about health care. Obama did an excellent job of highlighting the differences between himself and McCain on health care. This was very important to the crowd because he showed how inept the McCain health care plan is. I can't believe the shi* that McCain wants to do to help the health care companies continue their corrupt practices. Well, I can believe it, the Republicans have been doing it for years...but we won't let it happen this time.
Obama ended with the most inspiring rhetoric I've heard from him in some time. "My fellow Americans, our adversaries are strong, and they are organized. They are not going to give up easy. But I promise you, that I will not give up, I will not give in, if you won't. Will you stand with me? If you have the nerve to say no. To say not this time, then I promise you, I will not stop until every American has access to affordable health care, I will not rest until every American who wants to work can find a decent job, and I will not rest until the America that we know that we can be is a reality for everyone."
LONG STORY SHORT - it was an amazing afternoon! I'm sunburned, I'm tired, but I'm also inspired. I feel like, if we can turn out 28,000 people for Obama in Western North Carolina, then we can change this state from red to blue. And if we can change a state, then we can change a country, and if we can change a country... well, you know the rest.