Impressive. And it was just as impressive when Kerry drew that many people to see him at the end of October in Wisconsin and when Mondale and Ferraro were able to draw that many in the Garment District of NY in November.
Historical context is helpful, isn't it? Don't be swayed by crowd size, polls or pundits, the election isn't over until the votes have been cast and counted. Don't be discouraged, my Republican brethren until the race has been called for Obama. Don't give up hope that the Lord will bless us with...er....um...it's really hard for me to say "Bless us with McCain" :-) And don't gloat lefty adversaries, we will accept no crowing before it's time.
(via)
Update: Now the figure is 175,000. When do you think it'll reach 200,000?
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Here's some more historical context.
Missouri went solidly for Bush in 2004. Yet, this year, Obama gets a crowd of 100,000 there, and the state is very much in play.
Meanwhile, next door in Illinois, the Chicago Tribune, which has monitored Barack Obama's political career since its inception, has endorsed him for President. He is the first Democrat to ever be endorsed for President by that paper since it's founding in 1847! This is the same paper which was so eager to proclaim a Republican victory 60 years ago that it published the infamous "Dewey Defeats Truman" headline. (Which stands as an eternal warning of overconfidence and the tendency for political zeal to blind people to the facts.)
No, Obama backers should not gloat now, or even after the election. I don't plan to, even though I have been an enthusiastic supporter. Gloating is born of the self-righteousness which has proven so poisonous to politics.
But there is cause for optimism that we will have reason to celebrate, soon.
"But there is cause for optimism that we will have reason to celebrate, soon."
I will go outside into the park across the street and fall on my knees under the stars and give thanks to God. Then I will set off fireworks. Then I will get rip-roaring drunk for the first time in decades and march up and down my street and sing at the top of my lungs the way we do at Cameron Indoor when the Blue Devils have trounced the other team:
Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah, nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah, hey-hey-hey, GO0D-BYE.
And then I'll go inside and call everyone I know and cry and laugh and cheer with them. And when I can't stay awake any longer I'll go to bed and read "Goodnight, Bush" and fall asleep a happy. happy ol' Yelladawg. So even if you're not happy about Obama becoming president, try to be happy for me.
I know, Michelle, we can't afford to be complacent. That's why I just gave Obama's campaign some more money after reading this.
You know what's really strange? If you take a look at politics globally, you will see that on a general scale, Obama and McCain really aren't that different. Maybe after this election, the Republican Party will split into it's more meaningful parts and create a Huckabee Christian/populist party, a Bob Barr Libertarian/conservative party, and a McCain big government/moderate party... and what if the Dem party split into it's more meaningful parts, too? The yellowdog Dems, the Dems who really should be Greens, and so forth...
Wow, I just felt like I had an out of body experience and drifted into naive-idealist land. America will never escape from the tyranny of the two-paryt system. Nevermind, carry on.
"Update: Now the figure is 175,000. When do you think it'll reach 200,000?"
maybe when he speaks to another 25,000 supporters in missouri.
here's how i taught my youngest back when she was in first grade. read the word problem and translate it into a mathematical problem.
st. louis crowd: 100,000 and kansas city crowd: 75,000
this concludes our session on 1st grade mathematics. jeez.
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