Adventures of a Swing-State Voter - "I Go To Rallies and Take Pictures" edition
Ten things I will remember from the Obama rally.
1- Downtown businesses were closed, except Jimmy John's stayed open and was roped off. they could have made a killing, but I don't think they did. I suggested that we could order some subs and have them delivered ten feet away. Some people eventually got that idea.
2- When I get old, I can go to rallies and dress like Uncle Sam.
3. - This rally famously featured the president crying, but we couldn't see any of that
4- In line, my friend R told me a conversation he had lately with a 19-year old "If Obama gets elected. I'm moving to Canada. I hate Obamacare (socialized medicine)." Let that one sink in.
5. Like five years ago, Obama ended his speech with the story of Edith Childs, a supporter in South Carolina, who coined "Fired Up, ready to Go". So, maybe I didn't get a lot of original content, but then again, I knew Bruce was going to end his set with "Land of Hope and Dreams", so why shouldn't Obama play his greatest hits, too.
6. I can't capture the genius of Springsteen's "spontaneous" Adam Sandler-esque campaign rally song "Forward", but he did mention that its hard to come up with words that rhyme with Obama, and it ended with the lyric "Fox news thinks he smokes Marijuana".
7. Besides businesses, there are apartments in the area. There also were the expected 'secret service men on the roof'. I thought about taking a picture of that, but thought it might not be the best idea. The loft apartments meant some people (mostly young adults) were able to watch the rally from inside their house. It also meant when one college-age dude wanted to open his window, the secret service shined a light on him, and with a nod to the Texas Book Depository, made him shut it.
8. Local business made reference to the visit. One boutique advertised "25% off, Michele Obama only"
9. The crowd was fairly civil for 20,000, though for a moment I had a 6'4" guy in front of me. Additionally, not too many things would draw together a hipster in a Sonic Youth stocking cap and a 50-something blue-collar union worker.
10. I did get a political button to add to my collection. There was swag for sale, but the day before the election, it wasn't really moving. No signs were let in, but rallies are constructively created, so we all had Forward! signs in our hands by the end.
Not the greatest pics in the world, but they're mine.. oops, I mean, they are all website exclusives.
1- Downtown businesses were closed, except Jimmy John's stayed open and was roped off. they could have made a killing, but I don't think they did. I suggested that we could order some subs and have them delivered ten feet away. Some people eventually got that idea.
2- When I get old, I can go to rallies and dress like Uncle Sam.
3. - This rally famously featured the president crying, but we couldn't see any of that
4- In line, my friend R told me a conversation he had lately with a 19-year old "If Obama gets elected. I'm moving to Canada. I hate Obamacare (socialized medicine)." Let that one sink in.
5. Like five years ago, Obama ended his speech with the story of Edith Childs, a supporter in South Carolina, who coined "Fired Up, ready to Go". So, maybe I didn't get a lot of original content, but then again, I knew Bruce was going to end his set with "Land of Hope and Dreams", so why shouldn't Obama play his greatest hits, too.
6. I can't capture the genius of Springsteen's "spontaneous" Adam Sandler-esque campaign rally song "Forward", but he did mention that its hard to come up with words that rhyme with Obama, and it ended with the lyric "Fox news thinks he smokes Marijuana".
7. Besides businesses, there are apartments in the area. There also were the expected 'secret service men on the roof'. I thought about taking a picture of that, but thought it might not be the best idea. The loft apartments meant some people (mostly young adults) were able to watch the rally from inside their house. It also meant when one college-age dude wanted to open his window, the secret service shined a light on him, and with a nod to the Texas Book Depository, made him shut it.
8. Local business made reference to the visit. One boutique advertised "25% off, Michele Obama only"
9. The crowd was fairly civil for 20,000, though for a moment I had a 6'4" guy in front of me. Additionally, not too many things would draw together a hipster in a Sonic Youth stocking cap and a 50-something blue-collar union worker.
10. I did get a political button to add to my collection. There was swag for sale, but the day before the election, it wasn't really moving. No signs were let in, but rallies are constructively created, so we all had Forward! signs in our hands by the end.
Not the greatest pics in the world, but they're mine.. oops, I mean, they are all website exclusives.