We went to the Obama LINE in Charlotte today!!

[renie408]

We stood in line for 2 1/2 hours and didn't make it to the rally. I have never in my life seen that many people standing in line before. Everybody around us kept saying, "I can't believe this. I just can't believe it." Not even my 77 year old mother complained about anything. The people in line seemed pretty upbeat and we were chatting with people in front and behind us. Even though it is disappointing to not actually see him, I was so THRILLED to see so many people there all supporting Obama. Rally organizers said they had been expecting about 30,000 people. I am no judge of crowd size, but my husband and I were trying to figure it out and he thinks there had to be upwards of 40,000 people between the ones in line and the ones that actually made it in.

It is hard to see in the pictures, but that line goes on for as long as you can see. It made a couple of turns before it headed back towards the rally. Michael says it was probably a mile long.

I have to tell you, as I was walking the 20 blocks to get to the end of a line five people deep, it hit me....


WE ARE GOING TO WIN THIS THING.

[AtomicKitten]

1. .

[renie408]

27. I am always curious about what that means.

The single period, I mean.

[BlooInBloo]

2. Not everybody can get to an Obama rally, but everyone CAN get to an Obama LINE!!!

:rofl:

[renie408]

6. LOL...My son actually said that today!! n/t

[BlooInBloo]

17. Hah! Your son is a bright lad!

:rofl:

[gblady]

3. sorry...

you did not make it into the event...
looking forward to your photos

[renie408]

9. Honestly, it was OK. Just seeing all those people made me almost cry.

I come here and I watch Olbermann and Maddow, but I have never really gotten the feeling of how much energy there is for Obama until today. I have said it about a hundred times and will probably end up saying it a hundred more....I just couldn't believe it.

[TTUBatfan2008]

23. Makes you wonder...

why the fuck the polls are so close. :(

[MadMaddie]

44. Because they are lies. Polls can be made to look bad or good

depending on who is reporting the numbers. I don't pay attention to them anymore.

[1corona4u]

47. Exactly. Someone asked me yesterday why the polls were so close

and I said, they're not. They are lying about it, or their polling is flawed. There is no way this race is close. No way.

[DangerousRhythm]

33. That is completely awesome.

I'm glad there was such a turnout! When I went to the Obama rally here in Houston it was positively electric! What a great feeling. :D

[nc4bo]

4. GO Charlotte, North Carolina!!! Sorry you couldn't get in but

just being able to be *there* and be surrounded by thousands of Obama supporters still has to feel wonderful!

I'm hoping he comes to Raleigh. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[Tikki]

8. I second the GO Charlotte...GO North Carolina...

We love you all...you can help US win.

Tikki

[DesertRat]

5. Thanks for the exciting report!

:bounce:

[lovelydem]

7. I am jealous. I SO want Obama to come to my neck of the woods

although it sounds like it's hard to actually get into the rally (which is a good thing)

[renie408]

11. Hey, the line was a lot of fun, I recommend it highly!! n/t

[DesertRat]

14. Don't know if he'll come here to McSame country

He was here during the primaries. I'd love for him to come back.

[Metta]

10. thanks for the uplifting news.

:hi:

[flamingdem]

12. Wow. Monster rally for Obama thanks for letting us know

the numbers were so huge, wow.

[Orsino]

13. I'm not sure I've ever seen someone so *happy* about not being able to get into a rally.

I concur. :thumbsup:
:toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast:

[liberalmuse]

15. When he is sworn in...

I want to go to DC to see it. Not that I'll get anywhere near him, because just about everyone is going to want to be there, but I want to be there to soak it all up, so to speak.

I envy you. He's not coming here being that this is a blue state. Having lived in a red state, I know how much these events mean, though, even if you weren't able to be let in. Thanks for reporting!

[NightWatcher]

16. he needs to start booking football stadiums

he had 20K in Jax and turned away 8K.

[renie408]

19. Seriously. The Panthers were getting their ass kicked in Minnesota today

we could have used the stadium!!

[madmax]

18. My heartfelt thanks

and gratitude for all the brave souls who stand in line and attend these gatherings! Guys and Gals :yourock:

:grouphug:

[AZBlue]

20. Going to the opening of the Obama office here in Phoenix was a similar experience

The crowd wasn't quite that deep, but driving down the street all of a sudden I was just bombarded with waves of people, carrying signs and wearing Obama gear. Everyone was really enthusaistic and energized and it was beautiful! I burst into tears just watching it and, like you, I knew we are going to win!

[grantcart]

35. great news

BTW can you advise me if they have an office in YUMA - I go there a lot and could canvass there.

[AZBlue]

43. I don't think so but I'll find out for sure tomorrow.

I do know someone who knows someone there who's very active - let me find out!

[young_at_heart]

21. I wish I could have been there-----thank you for sharing this!

I hope the "undecideds" will read about this.

[chat_noir]

22. Daily Kos poster has coverage, too

25,000 to 30,000 Show Up For Obama in Charlotte Today!

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/21/162726/750/309/577349

[nc4bo]

24. All these reports have me near tears..the KOS diary, omg *sniff*

My husband told me the other day that he worried I'll have a breakdown if Obama loses (hush yo mouth). He knows I am an emotional trainwreck ever since he became our nominee. Such a historical election with HRC and Obama and now with seeing so much love for Obama from so many people is a wonderful thing to see.

***grabs tissue, dabs eyes***

[renie408]

25. I am telling you, before today I felt so ANXIOUS. But I am not kidding you about that line

It started at 4th st, when down to 11th st, made a turn for two blocks and went ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN TO 4th St. And I mean, five people deep. All pretty contentedly waiting to get in. On the train ride back to our car, none of the people around us had gotten in. And NOBODY was complaining. We were all sharing war stories about how long we had driven to get there, how long we had stood in line and how far we had gotten.

I dunno, maybe I am being naive, but I just feel so GOOD about this election now.

[JimWis]

26. Great news - thanks for the post and the pics -

McSame can't even fill a gymnasium. Does make on wonder about the polls.

[Kalyke]

49. Amazing, isn't it?

Even when McSame's traveling with Churcy Spice, he can't fill a college lecture hall; however, the media keeps alleging that Caribou Barbie is "bringing in crowds like Obama."

I don't think so.

[wildeyed]

28. We were there, too!

We got in just as the Senator began speaking and didn't get to see much either, but we had fun anyway. Standing in line we had great conversations with nearly everyone around us. Most well informed and had already spent time volunteering, so we had much to talk about. Everyone was so nice about helping us watch our two little kids. They all made a human barricade so my little ones didn't have to see the gory, huge pics the abortion fanatic counter protesters were displaying to the waiting crowd. Even though the wait was long and not everyone could see well, the crowd seemed happy. Even the police officers assigned to crowd control were chatty and nice.

[renie408]

30. We didn't see the protesters...I wonder if they were thinking, "What the fuck??" when they

saw the size of the crowd???


Or the psycho fundie equivalent of "What the fuck?"....

[wildeyed]

32. Were there two entrances?

Maybe you were in line for the other. On our side, these guys were hard to ignore. They were stationed in several places across the street from the line with megaphones and huge gory pictures. My kids are little. I am not ready to have the kind of discussion those picture will elicit with them yet. Maybe in 10 years, but not now.

But other than that, great day!

[renie408]

36. They probably left by time we got around to the side near the entrance. Seriously, by time

we got there (about 11:45ish) the line went all the way down to 11th st, turned and followed 11th St back down to Davidson and went down Davidson almost back to 4th St. It was 2:15 before we got to the entrance of the rally. The line had started moving well, but what we didn't realize was that it was moving because everybody INSIDE the rally was leaving.

[SaveAmerica]

39. Did you get in, we should have had a mega DU meet there. There were 2 entrances and you were at the

crazy side.

[wildeyed]

45. Figures! I always end up on the crazy side.

If he comes back we can have a DU meet-up at the event. It would be fun to meet other NC DU'ers.

[GreenInNC]

48. You at the crazy side?

I find that so hard to believe Wildeyed., hehe

[wildeyed]

50. Yeah, and you are right there with me.

:toast:

[KC]

34. We were there too

and did the same thing with a family in front of us, trying to help keep their children from seeing
those horrible poster pictures.
The crowd was amazing, wasn't it ?

KC

[wildeyed]

37. Amazing!

:kick:

And more amazing that NC is getting national attention and that Charlotte merits a pre-presidential visit! I am really proud of our state.

[LuckyLib]

29. I saw Obama in June of 2007, and there was a line 5 blocks long to get in the door.

Most folks made it in, but the 30 minute wait was a view of upbeat, amazed folks who sensed the significance of the man and the moment. Inside, it was electric. This, a full 15 months ago. We all said, "There's something going on here . . ." Folks of all ages, backgrounds, the committed, the curious. An experience to remember. The sight of the blocks of folks waiting in Charlotte was a statement to the public in and of itself. Causing folks to wonder, "What's going on here?"

[Top Cat]

31. Gobama.......

[KC]

38. I was there as well

Amazing crowd !

KC

[SaveAmerica]

40. To put that line in perspective; the people who are by the first building are still not near the

event location. I was in line by 7:30 and there were maybe 80 people in line in front of me, within a half an hour the line was around the corner and very soon after out of my line of vision. When you're up front like that (I was very near our next President - about 6 rows behind the barrier) you don't have any idea of what's going on behind you and it's insane to see that massive amount of people in such a small area and crazy to think of that many people in little old Charlotte standing in line that far away from downtown.

I loved how it felt like a block party afterward.

[renie408]

41. What a lot of non-Charlotteans might not get is that downtown Charlotte

isn't the easiest place to get to or around. I was impressed with the EFFORT that so many people took to get there. I think it was interesting that the LYNX platform guy that we talked to said that the trains had been packed all day from the SOUTH BLVD stop. That is the farthest stop from downtown and would mostly be used by people coming from a fair distance. We came from Fort Mill, SC and talked to people from Monroe, Rock Hill and Indian Trail. The parking decks at the station were over half full, more cars than we have ever seen there.

[SaveAmerica]

42. I talked to someone from Asheville - I thought that was the farthest trip to the

rally until they told me they were standing with people from Georgia. There were girls in line behind me from Chapel Hill and a lady in front of me from Fayetteville. North Carolinians know a good thing when they see it! People were determined to get there. When did they get the word out about this? A day ago? And there were 20k + there? Amazing.

[cwydro]

46. Where did they have the rally?

I live in Florida now, but Charlotte is my hometown.

[stillcool]

51. We saw Obama in New Hampshire..

and experienced the same thing with the Obama line. It was great to see Obama but the conversations going on all around me were very, very uplifting. "We the people" are not nearly as stupid as some would have us believe.