Wow.
What an amazing day.
Cheney Stadium -- which was renamed Obama Biden Stadium for today -- was absolutely packed with fired up, ready to go Democrats. About 11,000 of us, to be exact.
It was a who's who of Washington State Democrats -- Jim McDermott, Norm Dicks, Darcy Burner (and oh, how the crowd cheered Dar-cy! Dar-cy! Dar-cy!), Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell, Chris Gregoire, and of course, our next vice president, Joe Biden. Whose name really is Joe.
From the very beginning, this Republican party has tried to suggest that Barack Obama, Sen. Barack Obama wasn’t ready to be commander in chief.
Ladies and gentlemen, with all the three and four star generals, with the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the former national security adviser, the former secretary of state, one of the most respected men who have ever worn the uniform endorsing Barack Obama over John McCain today, no more questions! Barack Obama will be a commander in chief we can all respect!
This wasn't like the Republican rallies.
Joe Biden didn't accuse anyone of being anti-American. He didn't accuse anyone of not sufficiently loving our country. And he sure as hell didn't accuse anyone of palling around with terrorists.
He didn't even accuse anyone of hiring Saddam Hussein's lobbyist or sleeping with a secessionist.
He didn't spout hate and fear and lies.
Instead, he talked about making health care affordable and accessible for all of us.
He talked about going to college on the government's dime if you serve your country. And not just by bleeding for your country, but by working in hospitals and schools and the parts of America that most need help.
He talked about a new, strong economy built on green energy so that we can stop borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Middle East dictators who hate us.
He talked about restoring our reputation in the world.
He talked about restoring our Constitution.
Think about that for a minute: a vice president who actually cares about the Constitution (and who knows that the founding fathers did not, in fact, write the Pledge of Allegiance. I'm looking at you, Bible Spice.)
The difference between our rally and those hate fests on the right is that our message is about hope and possiblity. It is not about fear of the other; it is about what unites us.
We were a crowd of Americans -- black, white, men, women, old, young, blue collar workers and working professionals. We were a true microcosm of America (and not in the way that Sarah Palin thinks Wasilla is a microcosm of America).
We proudly wore our shirts and our pins; we cheered until our throats were hoarse; we clapped until our hands were raw.
And together, we vowed to fight, not just until November 4, but the next day and the next. Because that is the real task ahead -- fixing the mess the Republican party has made of our country.
The real work, Joe told us, begins after the election. It won't be easy, but it is our responsibility.
Because we are Americans. All of us. And no one and no state is more American than any other.
We are Americans, and we will rise to the challenge because that is what we do.
Yes we can.
Yes we can.
Yes we can.
Yes we can.
Yes we can.
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Update: Thanks to dharmafarmer for some great photos.
And some more great pictures from icebergslim:
And more great pics from ninguno: