Tucson Edwards Rally

Today, the KE 2004 campaign held a rally in downtown Tucson, AZ, at the Tucson Convention Center, featuring the VP candidate, John Edwards.  The gates opened at 11am, and we got there shortly after, around 11:10.  People were everywhere, walking towards the rally, getting in line, registering to vote, filling out volunteer forms, preparing to turn Arizona blue for 2004.  An overheard joke:  one way to turn Arizona blue is to use refrigeration.  Boooo.  Although it was hot.  The high today was over 100, and the cool convention center was a relief once we got inside.

Several speakers went up first.  Some local politicians spoke, then the band played for awhile.  Then our governor, Janet Napolitano, and one of our Representatives, Raul Grijalva got on stage.

Janet went up first.. She talked a bit about basketball, and then went on to say that this election was not a game.  It was dead serious; the real deal.  She then introduced Raul.  Raul was pretty eloquent, hitting the same talking points that KE have been hitting during the campaing.  We're less economically secure, less safe, etc.  He then introduced John Edwards.  The crowd went insane with cheering.  I don't know how loud it got, but a jet taking off would have been drowned out.  He seemed so charismatic with his smile.  I immediately thought of "Johnny Sunshine" for some reason.

He then went on through his stump speech with some current stuff.  He mentioned Cheney's ebay blunder.  Some people in the back of the bleachers started shouting "Four more years."  The crowd reaction was swift and negative, and started chanting "Two more months."  I wonder where the freepers went after that, since they were pretty much shouted down.  I wonder if they actually thought they would win any votes that way.  Anyway John's reaction was very positive.  He simply started smiling.  It was clear this had happened before....

He continued his speech, and then before we knew it, he was closing up.  The crowd shouting frenzied to a crescendo again, and I saw the secret service preparing for his handshakes in the crowd.  He came down off the stage right towards where we were, and started pumping hands and working the crowd.  I would have liked to shake his hand, but it was getting crazy, so we just left.  It was just before 2:00.  So the whole thing took about 3 hours.  Time well spent.

So that was my first political rally.  It was exhilarating.  John Edwards is an incredibly charismatic person, wonderful to watch and listen to.  He's a great speaker, and will be a great VP once we get them into the White House.

How's this for my first diary entry??  

•  good for you

  Sounds like a great afternoon.

  JK is going to be here in Madison on Wed.  I just took the day off from work to volunteer.  I am really looking forward to it.

  s

  by sarahinwi on Mon Sep 13, 2004 at 05:09:15 PM PDT

•  yeah it was great!

  I noticed Paula Zahn used parts of Edwards speech in Tucson today.
  I came late and so I was up above the seats, and I didn't hear well but I thought they said their was 10,000 and they had to turn people away.
  I noticed when Edwards  spoke about healthcare and Iraq he got the strongest responses.

  by TustonDAZ on Mon Sep 13, 2004 at 05:17:12 PM PDT

•  A retort to the fascist freeper assholes

  Wouldn't it be great, if when the freepers started shouting 'four more years' that Edwards (or Kerry for that matter) waits until it quiets down again and says 'There voice can be heard, because unlike the Bush/Cheney campaign, we do not require you to sign a loyalty oath before entering.'

  It would be even better if it was televised and big media picked it up.....whoa, feeling a little dizzy.  What did I just write?  Ah....yeah, like that will ever happen.

  by The Free Man on Mon Sep 13, 2004 at 05:22:41 PM PDT

  •  They were gone before it quieted down.

    Seriously, they were bundled up and carried off before the could unfurl their banner or say "four more years".
    You know I almost felt bad for the handful of wingnuts sweating outside before that happened. I think the sun evaporated their brain juices and I was thinking about offering them some water but then I thought "when you hold out a treat to a rabid dog you're likely to get bit."

    by TustonDAZ on Mon Sep 13, 2004 at 05:30:20 PM PDT

•  Edwards

  It would be nice if Edwards was a little more visible on the campaign trail. He appears to be finding his voice again and really firing up crowds.

  by jeepdad on Mon Sep 13, 2004 at 05:26:42 PM PDT

  •  Perhaps

    his absence was for a greater purpose. By fading out of the national spotlight, he can focus more on the local media outlets, and his appeal won't seem tired when he gets to the debates. So when people seem him give the smackdown, my theory goes, it will have a greater impact.

    by theprogressivemiddle on Mon Sep 13, 2004 at 05:29:30 PM PDT

•  What did Edwards have to say about jobs?

  And do you have any crowd estimates?

  Things like this make me pleased, as I am sure you guys can imagine. Bush may seem like he has cheering crowds, but they are highly staged events with those stupid loyalty oaths. Our support seems more genuine.

  by theprogressivemiddle on Mon Sep 13, 2004 at 05:28:04 PM PDT

  •  He said Bush will...

    be the first President since Hoover in 75 years of President to lose jobs. This is a popular sticking point, but damn true. He said when Kerry becomes President he will stop the practice of Dubya rewarding companies who outsource jobs with tax breaks.

    The Tucson Convention Center has a 9,278 person seating capacity. There were people sitting in the aisles and by the concession areas. And they turned away folks at the door. So I'm saying about 10,000 and a lot more had to go home without seeing him. I was amazed at the security. I didn't get patted down and there were no metal detectors that I saw.

    Oh yeah, and there was no loyalty oaths or vetting.

    by buffalo on Mon Sep 13, 2004 at 10:47:58 PM PDT

    •  As long as he doesn't

      pile on the protectionist rhetoric, he's good with me.

      by theprogressivemiddle on Mon Sep 13, 2004 at 10:56:53 PM PDT

•  Great post. More detail than I had.

  It was amazing how fast those 4 or 5 Bushies were shouted down. It was laughable. It was a long process waiting for him to show. I would have liked for the speech to be a little longer, but I just glad he came to Tucson to energize the Dems here. It was great. We need Kerry to come next and we'll get twice the turnout.

  by buffalo on Mon Sep 13, 2004 at 10:29:31 PM PDT