Thursday, July 08, 2004
More rally photos (updated).
When we heard that the rally would be at 10PM, and that doors would open at 8, we figured to leave about 6, get down there at 6:30, get something to eat nearby, and get in line about 7:30. But when we passed the Coliseum at 6:30, we already saw this line forming:
So I was dropped off to stand in line, while Jo hunted down some take-out. While in line, I noticed all kinds of interesting folks, especially this guy. Showing up at a political rally with the Travis Bickle look - wearing a mohawk and dressing in camoflauge - is pretty much the equivalent of begging for a Secret Service full body cavity search.
This woman took a backseat to no one in the sign department:
And this guy wasn't going to take any Bushit:
Meanwhile, once we got inside (about 9PM) we saw signs like these:
And while waiting for the main event, I kept busy taking a picture of Jo in her Democratic regalia:
Finally, at just before 10, Kerry, Edwards and various Democratic lumnaries (and other hangers-on) took the stage. I should have used my Bush tax cut to buy a digital camera with zoom; instead, I'm still using my old Clinton-era camera. That's Edwards speaking. The lady just to the right of Edwards is Teresa Kerry, and the guy in the dark shirt up front is Del Sandusky, Kerry's former Swift Boat mate, who was featured in the Kerry bio commercial and led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance before things got under way. And to his immediate left, standing sideways, is Elizabeth Edwards. Yeah, I really do need a zoom.
It was a great time, and given that we live in the swing part of the ultimate swing state, I'm sure we'll be sick of these guys before long.
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So I was dropped off to stand in line, while Jo hunted down some take-out. While in line, I noticed all kinds of interesting folks, especially this guy. Showing up at a political rally with the Travis Bickle look - wearing a mohawk and dressing in camoflauge - is pretty much the equivalent of begging for a Secret Service full body cavity search.
This woman took a backseat to no one in the sign department:
And this guy wasn't going to take any Bushit:
Meanwhile, once we got inside (about 9PM) we saw signs like these:
And while waiting for the main event, I kept busy taking a picture of Jo in her Democratic regalia:
Finally, at just before 10, Kerry, Edwards and various Democratic lumnaries (and other hangers-on) took the stage. I should have used my Bush tax cut to buy a digital camera with zoom; instead, I'm still using my old Clinton-era camera. That's Edwards speaking. The lady just to the right of Edwards is Teresa Kerry, and the guy in the dark shirt up front is Del Sandusky, Kerry's former Swift Boat mate, who was featured in the Kerry bio commercial and led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance before things got under way. And to his immediate left, standing sideways, is Elizabeth Edwards. Yeah, I really do need a zoom.
It was a great time, and given that we live in the swing part of the ultimate swing state, I'm sure we'll be sick of these guys before long.
Back from the rally.
It was a lot of fun, even if I am a bit sore after standing for 4 1/2 hours in line and at the rally. Got close enough to Kerry after the speech to take this photo, and Jo (my wife) got to shake Edwards' hand. Many more photos to come tomorrow.
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Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Off to see John-John.
We interrupt this lack of blogging to mention that the wife and I are headed to the St. Pete Coliseum to catch the Kerry-Edwards rally tonight. I'm bringing the digital camera, so I hope to have some pictures up either tonight (if we get back at a reasonable hour and I'm motivated) or tomorrow.
As for the pick of Edwards, I couldn't be happier. He was my first choice to be the nominee during primary season. In retrospect, I'm kind of glad it turned out this way - Kerry has a much better resume to run on than Edwards, but we still get Edwards' charm and enthusiasm on the ticket.
The rally comes the same day as the release of the latest polling numbers in Florida, this time by Rasmussen Reports. Rasmussen has Kerry up 48-43, and now has the state in the "leaning to Kerry" column. And the notable thing is that this poll was taken during the month of June, before Edwards was added to the ticket. I think Edwards will help the ticket by 2-3 points in this state (perhaps more), so the next set of numbers should be interesting. It's my impression that this state is starting to suffer from "Bush fatigue"; not only have we had 4 years of W, but we've also endured 6 years of Jeb.
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As for the pick of Edwards, I couldn't be happier. He was my first choice to be the nominee during primary season. In retrospect, I'm kind of glad it turned out this way - Kerry has a much better resume to run on than Edwards, but we still get Edwards' charm and enthusiasm on the ticket.
The rally comes the same day as the release of the latest polling numbers in Florida, this time by Rasmussen Reports. Rasmussen has Kerry up 48-43, and now has the state in the "leaning to Kerry" column. And the notable thing is that this poll was taken during the month of June, before Edwards was added to the ticket. I think Edwards will help the ticket by 2-3 points in this state (perhaps more), so the next set of numbers should be interesting. It's my impression that this state is starting to suffer from "Bush fatigue"; not only have we had 4 years of W, but we've also endured 6 years of Jeb.
