’)Together, we can change the world.
Sen. Barack Obama saved his biggest Virginia rally for last — bringing out more than 85,000 people to the Prince William County Fairgrounds on the eve of Election Day.
The Democratic presidential nominee’s final major rally before voters head to the polls brought Obama back to where he kicked off his general election race five months ago — Northern Virginia.
“I know Virginia’s ready to bring about change in America,” Obama told a roaring crowd that waited hours under a “Vote for Change” sign for their candidate to appear. “It starts here Virginia,” he said.
Somehow this considerably lessens the sting of the ‘Skins having their butts handed to them on national TV. Laugh it up, Cole.
I was at the rally in Manassas. A few observations.
1) Traffic was an unbelievable mess, and we parked in residential Manassas maybe 45 minutes away on foot. It was like Katrina without the flood. There was no efficient way to get out of Manassas to 66, though we cut 5 miles west through residential streets and then rode the same 5 miles east more or less backtracking. Dear heaven my feet hurt.
2) Overall, police and security were quite professional, but the lack of instructions was disturbing re exit procedures. Especially when they penned in maybe 15,000 of us in the back and wouldn’t let us out for maybe 1/2 hour. Signs or broadcasting of instructions might have helped.
3) Barack was quite late, but was apologetic. Hard to see him because they put his teleprompter in the way; nice view of his waving right arm on occasion. We were WAY in the back.
4) My friend who has some experience with the math of crowd sizes said that 80-100K were there easily.
5) The diversity of the crowd was beautiful. One young woman wearing an Obama Pride T-Shirt. A male couple standing arms around each other’s shoulders. A Muslim family with girls in headscarves. Ethnically very diverse. Lots of Black fathers holding children up high in the back so they could see the Senator. More White and Black moms dragging 2,3, even 4 girls or young women along. Young straight couples obviously treating this “date” (and each other) as very special. A very happy, warm, dare I say loving place. It made me so extremely proud not only of Senator Obama, but of the massive American flag that stood 1/8 of a mile away near the stage.
I absolutely need to go to sleep.