Just Another History Making Stump Speech

I chose a party to belong to this year. I didn't want to, though. When i became a Colorado resident, i was able to choose neither of the big two, and register as an independent. I felt confident that this choice was not only representative of my contempt for some of the things that both parties choose to stand upon, but this choice would also limit any partisan phone calls later on.

Then, the insanity of the primaries came home to roost this past Spring, and being a registered independent in Colorado meant nobody cared what i thought. I think i was even out of the country for the tuesday in February in which the centennial state chose their candidates, and it sat poorly with me that i wasn't able to participate. So, this past summer, when we were asked by mail if we would like to be able to mail in every ballot in the future (yes.), i chose to be a member of the Democratic party. While this doesn't mean that i am now a straight ticket voter, it does mean that i can no longer act like i am better than everyone else because they would have a single letter in paranthesis before their name if they were ever elected to office, and i wouldn't.

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Short story long, Barack Obama made a campaign stop in Fort Collins on Sunday. We've been fairly entrenched in all of the races for offices and campaigns for ammendments - so we knew going in that there was not going to be a single new thing that we were going to hear. We've watched all four debates, the senate and house debates, and are currently leading a small group that is discussing how we should be interacting with the political system. We both listen to too much political news on the radio, and read daily about the crazy things that Biden and Palin have been prone to say. We could probably go to either party's rally and give the majority of the stump speech without too much of a problem.


But we decided the opportunity to see Obama in person was one we shouldn't pass up - and also to experience the madness that he is whipping up at every place he stops. (All the shots are over here) He was supposed to begin speaking at 3:30, the gates to the Oval on the CSU campus were supposed to open at 1:30, so we walked over after the early service at Joe's and found a spot in line just after 11. We were already easily a quarter mile back from the front of the line, and only watched the droves and droves continue to show up for the next four hours. Adam joined us, and then Sean slightly after, and we eventually began to see line movement around 2. Since we had a decent enough spot in line, we got into the first large standing area, and had to go through the metal detectors. At this point, it was a near fervor getting in, and people were as excited as, yes, a rock concert. The comparison is fair.


We were about 50 yards back from where the main speaking area was, and had a decent view. Well, we did to begin with, until the law of 'Tall Guy Drift' went into effect, and the three CSU basketball players (one being 7' tall, easily) managed to get directly in our line of site. Awesome.

They prayed, said the pledge and sang the anthem, and had Betsy Markey and Govenor Ritter speak. Right on time, Obama came on at 3:30 and talked for about a half hour. It was indeed the same old speech, with roughly the same exact points, but he was incredibly effective at drawing the (humongous) crowd in and getting them excited. People were still streaming in to the back of the common area when he was wrapping up, and we were pretty shocked to find out when we got home that there were almost 50,000 (!) people there with us.


I'm glad we went, but mostly as a cultural experience, and as something that really does make me feel a little safer to get excited about change in this country. About letting go of my pessimissim and cynicism, that this singular guy can incite such a force and an effort from anyone, with his banner being of hope - and not fear mongering - doing the leading makes me glad to have been a participant... at least for the afternoon.

Go Vote!