Smartpark? $5. Bottled water? $4. Obama rally in PDX today? Priceless!!!

[PretzelWarrior]

wow, I finally am at a computer to talk "RALLY". WOW. Portland and Oregonians in general...WE DID IT! I was kind of lazy but got my daughter downtown at 11am. Imagine as I'm driving I see block after block of a snaking line of people with Obama shirts, pins, etc. and I'm thinking...."oh shit". I guess it will be nice to look on from somewhere in a tree or something.

My daughter and I asked around and indeed all those people were part of one big line waiting to get in to the event. So....we strolled off toward the other direction and I"m thinking to myself, "maybe I can go to the restaurant way out on the pier area of the marina and see something from there. As I walked that way I talked to Obama volunteers and found out there's another entrance for the farther back crowd. So we got over there....around 12:10 or so they opened it up and we got to the front barricade of that area (non secure...didn't have to go through metal detection, etc). All in all, it was fun vantage point to watch the crowd start amassing in front and behind us.

What a GREAT surprise that The Decemberists played a set to kick things off. They are awesome! Obama was his terrific self. His family were adorable. Blumenauer did a great job of ticking off some excellent points about what a great wave of momentum is building for Barack as president. The young "Dr." woman was a bit funny in her ditzy enthusiasm. But all in all...I and a bunch of other people were there to see ONE MAN. And boy did we all light up and scream our lungs out for him.

Some of you may remember the other day I was so randomly lucky to have a chance to meet him personally and shake his hand and exchange a comment back and forth when he stopped in at Beaverton. Nothing can compare to that. But I'm so glad I got my daughter to that rally today. She will be able to remember this when Barack is nearing his second term as President of The United States and know she was there in the beginning.

I'll write more and I'll also see if any of my silly pictures are even worth posting considering the great ones I've seen.

Thank you everyone for showing up and sending a HUGE MESSAGE that the excitement of Obama campaign is not dying down and is in fact JUST GETTING WARMED UP.

Also, sorry for the false intelligence. I said something about downtown Portland rally I passed on from Obama campaign office in Beaverton. Apparently they knew what they were talking abour re: the rally....just not the timing being today rather than Tuesday.

Take care.... and VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!

[sandnsea]

1. Glad you got to go

I'm a little disappointed re Tuesday, but I think the strategy is to just kick off the GE without the appearance of gloating. So we'll have to wait for the celebration I guess, until Hillary drops out for good or until August. Oh well. Those 75,000 people looked pretty good to me! Way to go Portland!!

[PretzelWarrior]

4. me too. the only BIG advantage here is....

wow. what a crowd to show up!! wouldn't have been likely on a Tuesday. so...once again, the Obama campaign staff is smarter than me.

Going to Iowa is an interesting and perhaps INSPIRED choice.

It is also an opportunity for Obama to put a subtle dig into Hillary campaign and Dem rules committee about the importance of Iowa and why they made the rules they did and therefore we should figure out a FAIR way to count delegates from those states.

Letting the state's delegates stand as is would be RIDICULOUS. So Iowa is a great way to make that point.

[thunder rising]

2. Way to go Portland!!!

:woohoo:

[stevedeshazer]

3. Good report

I'm sick and couldn't go. Wish I could have been there.

This is just incredible.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

5. I think people in his country might be a little tired of ChimpCo, no?

B-)

Can't wait for the pictures.

[PretzelWarrior]

6. the crowd booed anytime Bush, Cheney or McCain was mentioned

however, they were very kind and supportive of Hillary as a strong fighter who in the end could not fight a movement.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

7. YOU LIE!

Sorry. Couldn't resist channeling a little GD-P vitriol... :P

Goes to show ya the majority of supporters (of both of our candidates) are civil, passionate and respectful. :thumbsup:

[PretzelWarrior]

8. exactly. the Portlanders don't hate Hillary.

and they fed off of the positive words Barack put out there about her intelligent and imposing campaign that's been there stride for stride with him.

It's funny...when my daughter and I were trying to figure out where we were going to go or end up...we got down to the center of the circus outside the gates. besides chants, senate race signs, the prerequisite plastic 5 gallon bucket players, etc. I saw a group of about a dozen or so 50 something and 60 something white women who were hillary supporters railing against Obama. I overheard one exchange between a bitter gal and a couple of young African American women.

Guess who came off looking better? The older white gal holding the Hillary sign was saying "VOte for change? What change? We never hear what change he's talking about." One of the young women spoke calmly and clearly and said, "Barack Obama has covered many times exactly what change he's talking about. Like health care. uniting people across parties, etc."