I took the day off of work today to see the next President of the United States, Barack Obama. He spoke at a packed grandstand at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. I don't know how many people were there, but the record for the grandstand is 18,509 (Thanks NKOTB for that distinction).
It looked like the weather wouldn't give us a good day, as it had been raining all night and morning. However, there was just a bit of drizzle. not a bad October day in Indiana at all.
The doors were supposed to open at 10:00, but the line was pretty long and they started seating people earlier. I was in my seat by 9:45. Not bad.
More (and photos) below the fold.
A LOT of people showed up in the middle of the work week, which was great to see. It was a great mix; young, old, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, male, female. That's the Democratic Party, my friends. A whole bunch of "That guys."
Obama was scheduled to go on at 12:15, so at about 11:30 they started warming us up. we were lead through the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. I thought us commie pinkos didn't believe in that kind of thing. I didn't see anyone protesting it, though. Odd, eh? You'd almost think we're real Americans or something.
Next up was former congresswoman Jill Long Thompson, who is running for Governor against former Bush Budget Director Mitch Daniels. Despite a huge cash disadvantage, she's not doing too bad in the polls. Lack of funds forced her to pull advertising recently. If you'd like to help knock out a former Bushie (and firm believer in privatizing everything, including ADFC) please consider contributing to her campaign. She gave a pretty rousing speech, and the crowd making some noise.
Next up was Congressman Andre Carson, grandson of Julia Carson, one of the most kickass congresswomen. After Julia passed away, Andre stepped in, winning a special election. Andre got the crowd wound up a little more. They were definitely ready to make some noise. The bleachers in the grandstand are aluminum, and there was a lot of stomping. It sounded like thunder.
After a delay, the motorcade came in to thunderous applause. Senator Evan Bayh was up next, giving a good introduction for the next president, telling us that his father Birch took him downtown to see the last Democrat to carry the state, Lyndon Johnson in 1964. He wanted to do the same for his sons. That got a great reply from the crowd.
Finally, Obama was up. The crowd was absolutely nuts. There were times you couldn't hear him, the cheering was so loud. Most of the speech was the same great stuff you've all heard from him before, with more emphasis on the economy. It was just a great, inspirational speech, asking us all to give a little of ourselves for the good of the nation. We're all in this together, he said. When is the last time you heard a Republican presidential candidate talk like that?
There was one heckler, shouting something I couldn't make out. He wandered through the upper grandstand shouting something, but he disappeared pretty quickly. No shouts of "Traitor" or "Kill him." This was a positive crowd, listening to a positive message from a serious candidate. Let the hecklers heckle. We're paying attention to the adult.
Mr. Obama spoke for almost an hour. Once he was finished, he spent a good amount of time with the people in front of the stage. i believe they were mostly volunteers, and they deserved to get a chance to speak to the man and shake his hand. They've been doing one hell of a job in the state. I think we just might see Indiana go blue for a president this year. I started voting in 1980, and have yet to have my vote count for a presidential candidate. Our electoral votes always go to Reagan, Bush, Dole or Bush again. I'm ready to be proud of my state for a change!
Enough gabbing. Here are some photos of my morning.
A long line, 2 hours before the gates opened
Schoolkids for Obama!
Sheet Metal Workers for Obama!
Lotsa people in line
Entering the grandstand
The motorcade enters the fairgrounds
Obama takes the stage
Change we can believe in
These are happy people
Finishing up
Greeting the volunteers
Let's vote today!
Here's some video goodness from the Obama site