The street scene in Chicago
It was a picture-perfect day in Chicago – temperatures in the 70s, a clear-blue sky, and the crowds building inside and alongside Grant Park, where Barack Obama is scheduled to hold his election night rally.
The setting is rich with history – the park, of course, is named for Ulysses S. Grant, who commanded the Union Army during the Civil War – and the park was also the scene of rioting during the Democratic Convention of 1968, which occurred during a period of great concern over civil rights just after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Today, many of the larger buildings along the southern stretch of Michigan Avenue have American flags mounted to their facades, and the Hilton Chicago, a hotel closely associated with the 1968 unrest, is festooned with red-white-and-blue bunting. Along the avenue, which runs parallel to the west side of the park, vendors are hawking Obama merchandise – buttons and T-shirts, mostly – and many people are decked out in as much Obama gear as they could find. On Congress Parkway, where the crowds waited for access to the fields, there was a guy posing for photographers wearing a pinstriped baseball uniform with the name Obama and the number 08, a young woman was selling T-shirts saying “Obama 08/Grant Park/I Was There,’’ and a teenager was playing an electronic version of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” on his guitar. On Roosevelt Road, across from the entrance to the press area, a union has hung a banner reading “Local ironworkers support Barack Obama for president,” and a station wagon drove by covered in quotes from Martin Luther King Jr., blaring Obama speeches from a bullhorn. On its roof, a giant picture of Obama and the words “The dream comes true.’’ A middle-aged couple walked by me, arm-in-arm; he was wearing a T-shirt that said, “Bush Lied,’’ and she was wearing one reading “O1.20.09,’’ referring to the final day of the Bush administration. Ben King, 24, of Gary, Indiana, was selling T-shirts and buttons; he told me the most popular was an iconic Obama image with the word Victory, but he also has high hopes for a mock-front page of tomorrow’s Chicago Tribune that says, in huge letters, “Obama Wins.’’ One vendor was selling T-shirts describing Obama as commander-in-chief, and he was shouting “the first black commander-in-chief’’ as he hawked his wares for $5 apiece.
Obama is to speak in Hutchinson Field to a crowd of about 80,000 people who got tickets; a much larger crowd is expected to watch or listen from nearby Butler Field and from the streets. The park is lined with port-a-potties and food vendors selling Intelligentsia coffee and Connie’s pizza.
There is an enormous security presence. When I walked through the lobby at the Hilton, it was swarming with Secret Service. There are various types of police on every street corner, and a police boat patrolling Lake Michigan. Lake Shore Drive has been lined on both sides with chain link fences, and no traffic is being allowed to cross the park. There are barricades everywhere. Inside Hutchinson Field, the press is going through metal detectors and the platform where Obama is to speak has what appears to be bulletproof glass in front of it.
People lined up for hours to get into the fields – I spoke with Tom Krieglstein, 28, of Chicago, who managed to be first in line by showing up at 7:30 last night. He slept for a bit in a bus station and a hotel lobby, while his brother held his place. “It’s the front row of history, literally, today,’’ he said.
Archie Garomondeh, a 27-year-old Liberian-American, told me he flew to Chicago this morning from his home in Louisville, Ky., in the hopes that he might catch a glimpse of Obama. “I wanted to be here to be a part of making history, and I want to be on the ground where the history will be made,’’ he said. “It is like coming from somewhere, and going to another place. It’s a history-making election.’’
Teri McClain, 41, flew out to Chicago from Seattle without a ticket to the rally; this afternoon she was walking through the crowd wearing a white sandwich board reading “Please take me as your guest to the rally.” She had at least 7 Obama buttons along her neckline, an Obama T-shirt, an Obama doll in her front pocket, and an American flag in her back pocket. McClain (who worries that her name too closely resembles McCain) is a bit of an Obama groupie – she works for Alaska Airlines, so she travels for free, and she said she has been to 18 Obama rallies, has hugged him three times, and has 17 autographs. “I got hooked when he went to Key Arena (in Seattle) in February,’’ she said. “He has brought so many people together.’’
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Well please mark my Words The election will be decided Nov 5 before 12pm and
JOHN SYDNEY MCCAIN/SARAH PALIN WIlLL WIN
www.matthewredmond.net
"Well please mark my Words The election will be decided Nov 5 before 12pm and
JOHN SYDNEY MCCAIN/SARAH PALIN WIlLL WIN"
lol nope
Ha. Have you checked the latest polls. Maybe with a miracle.
If McCain wins it would be because of foul play with votes, sorry, Matthew
You spelled "will" wrong.
It might happen, tsshyeah, right, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.
I think? that whoever typed the article? needs to quit using? such a liberal amount of question marks? I think? that I'm reading an article? written by someone? from California?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahaha, now that is a good one Matthew
i would like to buy t-shirt for 5 $.where can i get this?
I wish I could be in Chicago today to celebrate Obama's victory! He's just what the doctor ordered for our sick nation. Go Obama! Go America!
Obama you Betcha!
I totally agree Matthew. The Democrats are going to be crying tomorrow.
If Obama wins it will be because of foul player with terrorist, foul player with foreign interests, foul play in his own church, foul play with votes thanks to Acorn and the rest. For a man who says that if he doesn't take care of his family how can anyone expect him to take care of them, he was right. Look at his brother living in Africa in a hut living on $12 a year, and his aunt who is an illegal immigrant living in a slum here in America.
For all of our sakes, I hope McCain wins.
is Sarah Palin becomes Vice-Pres... I'm moving to Austrailia !
Abby, it must be your computer. I don' see and question marks. What does California have to do with anything? *Question mark, there you go :)
GOBAMA!!!
Matthew & Jane, the Democrats will be crying for sure tomorrow. Tears of joy!. KP Minnesota
Really hope you all crawl back under your rocks till the next election cycle.
ewpslis:
way to drink the kool aid
Have a safe trip Pat!
Finally we kick Bush and the republicans out of office !!!!
The only people that would possibly even give thought to voting for Obama are confused people tired of the Bush admin. I'm not very happy with the past 4 years either. But I would never put a person black ,white ,yellow or green in a position of power that has no real experience. Plus one which will not provide a simple document providing place of birth,
WAKE UP AMERICA get your head out your A%$
THE polls will be extended and tomorrow NOv 5 2008 MCCAIN/PALIN will arise the victor
www.matthewredmond.net
Type your comment here...going to the rally on the el. Everybody is happy. Mccain people are at home. Stocking up building their bomb shelters.
I haven't found one question mark in this article, Abby... It must be a font issue.
mccain win ??????????????? only & only iIF the same crooks who put bush
in .... is still aound cheating .... with mental health that mccain showed in choosing
Palin...god forbid theres that many sick ones who would vote for anther 8 years of poverty & war GOD BLESS AMERICA..... MCAIN SURE CAN'T !!!!!!!!!!
Go Barack Obama! From a 9-year old fan.
America is ready for change. Go Obama!
ROSA SAT, SO MARTIN COULD WALK, MARTIN WALKED SO BARACK COULD RUN, BARACK IS RUNNING SO OUR KIDS COULD OF THE FUTURE COULD FLY AND I WANT TO SEE THE FACES OF PEOPLE WHO CAN'T EXCEPT CHANGE JUST THE LOOK ON THEM FACES WILL TELL IT ALL. AN TO ALL THAT WELCOME CHANGE WELL, CAN WE SAY A BRIGHTER FUTURE AHEAD 4 EVERYONE AN THOSE THAT DON'T LIKE IT WELL TAKE A BACK SEAT OR GET IN THE TRUNK IT'S GOING 2 BE LONG DRIVE 4 YEARS OF IT. HA HA HA
Matt Redmond is a total dork, but he comes from the party of fantasy planning, so you can't really blame him.
If Obama wins, I am moving to Texas! The only state in the union that could legally secede from the US. Don't want to be part of this change - for the worse.
I am beside my self as to why this isnt a gonna be a landslide for Obama, i think he'll win but not by a huge margin, then i read idoit postings like the one from matt redmond wtf how could you even visualize those two running the white house, what are you smokin?
NOBAMA!
NO McBush!
Obama declared the winner! All is right in the world tonight...
mafia man...were you referring to Palin when commenting: "But I would never put a person black ,white ,yellow or green in a position of power that has no real experience."
I'm wide awake and ready for a change!
OBAMA WILL WIN!!!!!!!!! GOBAMA!
I am ready and excited to see the new President of the United States will be....Barack Obama!!
REPUBLICANS HAVE PLAY WITH THE BALL LONG ENOUGH IT,S TIME TO PASS TO THE DEMOCRACTS
I think America is ready for Change. I can only hope that OBAMA wins tonight!
www.socialistamerica.info
well it won't take a very smart person to understand that the person who wins will be appointed by Uncle Sam,just like GB was twice. something will cause the vote to go wrong and then Uncle Sam will step in and take over just as before,and low and behold guess who will win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm currently in UK. If Palin wins, I won't consider coming back.
Only Obama is for real CHANGE. Wake up America, let's vote for change. We have enough of Bush/Republican leadership. Same party is same policy = like where we are today (suffering the credit crunch).
I tink it be good Obama win...he gonna pay fo my gas an ma mogage cuz I support him he gonna suppot me. Go Obama!
We're all for Obama here in Washington state.. (Well most of us anyway...)Two schools in our district "voted" and both went overwhelmingly Obama!!! (I don't know about the rest. Those were just the two I heard about.)
Woo Hoo!! Maybe we'll secede the union if McCain/Palin win.
McSame and Pain win? Not unless they steal this election too! For the people pulling for them, just brace yourself like we did for the last 8 years, you'll get through it! We did!!!
This country needs Obama. I pray he will be our next President.
Hey Gang, saying so doesn't make anything so; however for those who want America to flourish and freedom to reign then Obama is the man to pull people together, heal division, solve problems. McCain lost my respect when he chose Palin, WHOM DOES NOT HAVE ANY VALID EXPERIENCE (but she sure does look good, duh) for vice president. We need smart people in the office who care about everyone not just "their people".
Mafia Man, Obama was born in Honolulu Hawaii. You can go to factcheck.org to find the documentation you are seeking. Who needs to get their head out of their @$$? And, I'm tired of people saying that he doesn't have experience. In addition to being top of his class at Harvard, as a Juris Doctor, he's served in the Illinois Senate for 8 years and has been in his current position with the U.S. Senate for 3 years. That's over a decade of experience, not to mention all of the International and Civil Rights experience he has from his humanitarian work. He's also aligned himself with people of great experience and expertise in Economy and International Relations. McCain aligned himself with Sarah Palin.
For those who speculate that Obama is somehow a terrorist under cover: Let me ask you this...How do you think someone under such extreme scrutiny, like the president, could get away with something like that? His every move is made public. Obama has faired much better than his opponent under such scrutiny and has never been investigated for serious crimes, unlike McCain. Additionally, Obama has gained the support of many reputable Leaders in this country, Republican and Democrat, as well as around the world. Every one of our global allies want to see Obama win the presidency.
the 1968 democratic convention rioting in Chicago was not over civil rights and Dr. King's assassination as the writer states. It was the Democratic Convention selecting a policy pro or anti war platform. Civil rights was not the agenda, stopping the VietNam War was. Eugene McCarthy was the hero there, not anyone else. Lets at least get fundamental history correct gentlemen.I was there as an anti-war protestor, the zeitgeist was stop the war, not remember Dr.King or Robert Kennedy both of whom were murdered just months before. Laudable as the thoughts over civil rights are they belong in a different context and the writer is not correct in his singular assertions that rioting was over civil rights
Matthew & Jane & Jane Doe, are you watching the results? Dems won't be crying tomorrow!
Sniff? Sniff? What's that I smell? A concedeing speech coming from the McCain/Palin pipeline? I'm on my way to the celebration in Chicago's Grant Park. Repubs, you have at least 4 years to just start at ground zero with your party and just restructure. Youv'e lost alot of respect for your party. Remember, don't pick someone just because of their race or gender. Palin was totally wrong for the VP position. She had no clue as to what her duties would have been office. I was insulted as a woman. There were way better choices of women he could have picked from. Sorry Elizabeth Hasselbeck!
According to Matthew McCain/Palin will win, but if not. Does anyone think Sarah will be available a date?
According to Matthew, McCain/Palin will win, but if not. Does anyone think Sarah will be available a date?
The only hope for thr GOP is if they can added to the Endangered Species List.
Wait... House controlled by Dems!
Wait... Senate controlled by Dems!
Wait... White House controlled by Dems.
Ain't gonna happen, so in the future you might see one or two in a Zoo or a museum exhibit. Yup right next to the Dodo Bird.
congrats obama! january 20 can't come quick enough....