So last Friday, the 17th, Johnny and our BFF Melissa and her little man Skyler headed to the Roanoke Civic Center to partake in a rally where Barack Obama came to speak. Now, first of all, let me just say that I was very impressed that Senator Obama put Roanoke on his to-do list. I mean, Roanoke is a fairly smallish city, so for him to visit us was a pretty big deal. We made a game plan for that day because we knew that parking was going to be a headache. My wonderful sister-in-law Kelly graciously volunteered to help the cause by driving us to the Civic Center and then picking us up.
No parking...thank God we got a ride!
Yay! Don't know why this says 10 AM though - it started at 12:30 PM.
So, around 11 AM, we got dropped off right in front of the Civic Center! That was great, except for the fact that the line started all the way behind the Civic Center and wrapped around the parking lot. Ahhh, good times. And in the rain, no less.
We're gonna be here a while, huh?
It wasn’t too bad. The line moved pretty quickly, and we were to the doors in 15-20 minutes or so. While we were in line, we got to shake Sam Rasoul’s hand. He’s running for Congress in our district, so that was pretty cool. He’s a young guy who seems to have some pretty open-minded viewpoints about the issues, so he’s definitely got my vote. To add to our amusement, there was a group of McCain-supporting “protestors” who were dressed up as “Joe the Plumber.” They pretty much sucked though - they had no game at all. The most “intense” we saw them get was when they walked by the line and someone behind us said “You need to pay your taxes” (hinting at the fact that the real “Joe” owes a bunch of money in backed taxes) to which they responded “Yeah, well, uh, you’ll be paying more taxes under Barack Obama.” So, I said, “Oh, yeah? Who here makes $250,000?” So, that was fun. So, we got up to the building and we saw umbrellas and various items strewn about.
Umbrella? Anyone?
They were pretty strict about what you could and could not bring into the Civic Center, so a lot of people had to ditch they’re things. We got inside and we had to dump our belongings on a table and have our cell phones and cameras on, then walk through a metal detector. I guess I failed because I had the honor of spreading my arms for a guy to molest me with his hand-held detector. Oh well, all in the name of safety I suppose.
So, we finally got into the Civic Center and this is what we saw:
Wow! So exciting!
They had the podium set up on a stage at one end of the civic center with people on the floor standing around it. We looked up and all we saw were people. We had to act quickly because there were mobs of people clamoring to find a seat. We really wanted to find a good seat, but that option quickly went out the window when we decided to get there after like, 7 AM. The volunteers wanted us to sit behind the stage (so that they could fill up that section of the Civic Center so it would look full on TV), but as selfish as it may sound, we wanted to see Barack Obama. So I kind of pushed my way through. Johnny got blocked, but I kind of waved him through. Haha! So we pretty much walked all the way around the Civic Center before we decided on a spot about 7 miles away from the stage.
Yeah. We sat pretty far away.
Oh well. I mean, at least we were there, right? And you could see him if you squinted. Haha! Before Obama came out to speak, Rick Boucher (a local Congressman) and VA Senator Jim Webb spoke. They had some awesome things to say about Barack Obama and really got the crowd pumped up. Then, the moment arrived where our future President Obama came out. The crowd went wild!!! Hell, we went wild! I felt bad for Skyler because he looked pretty freaked out and confused about all of the screaming happening around him.
Where's Obama?
Melissa and Skyler - freaked out.
Senator Obama said a lot of things that we’ve heard him say a million times during the debates and on commercials, but hearing him say it himself and make it personal for a Roanoke audience was absolutely inspiring. I just feel really strongly that we would be really stupid not to vote him into office. He offers a fresh approach, which is exactly what we need. He is a beacon of hope to the average American who is looking for the government to head in a different, refreshing direction. He comes from a grassroots background in politics, he has a wonderful and intelligent running mate (which is a far cry from Palin) and he really seems down-to-earth and cool under pressure.
Probably the best picture we got of him.
As he left he shook hands, and I wished so badly that I was down there. Instead, we waited it out while throngs of poeple migrated towards the doors to leave.
Melissa and Skyler hanging out after Obama's inspiring speech.
Group shot!
All in all, it was super awesome. Johnny took a half day (in the middle of the day) so that he could come partake in the experience. I think they said somewhere around 8,200 people were there, which I think is awesome for the middle of a workday. All of the people there seemed very passionate about their want for Obama to become our next leader. It’s funny too - I was telling Johnny that in the last election I totally wanted John Kerry to win. It sucked when he didn’t, but I moved on. This time, I think I’ll be really, really bummed out and literally concerned if McCain wins. I really feel in my gut that things would get worse if he is elected. I am not only hoping but praying the Obama clinches a victory this year. GOBAMA!
Posted on October 22nd, 2008 by Hollie
Filed under: Politics
I saw you, Melissa, and Skyler on the news talking about your plans to go to see Obama. You’re celebrities!
So awesome. That’s cool that people actually go to where you live. No one comes to CA, but good thing I have training in FL! Last night was AMAZING!