Obama's Election Night Rally in Chicago's Grant Park — Page 2

Dear SticktoPriest and all our friends at the Chicago rally:

I hope you're having the time of your life!

I can't wait to hear all about it!!

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Updated On: 11/4/08 at 11:56 PM

Sueleen, I want every single detail. The electricity was palpable a thousand miles away.

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A friend of mine was there and I texted her early in the evening to see how everything was going and she said it was a large well-behaved crowd and she was currently in line for the FOURTH security check.

No major arrests or incidents last night; everyone was just happy.

I'm so proud of my city right now!

The rally seemed to go off without a hitch! There were several security checkpoints, and no one ran/pushed/caused any trouble where I was. There was an extremely positive attitude in the crowd (gee, I wonder why?) and everyone was very polite. The only incident I ran across was on the El on the way home, an African-American man began to yell some very harsh words at a white man (I only specify because that's what this guy specified in his words...) because the man didn't get out of this guy's way fast enough as he left the train. The trains were SO crowded, I doubt this man meant any harm, but the first guy just lost it ("I will slash your face!!") and punched the side of the train. Other than that I didn't see any real trouble! There were TONS of street vendors with Obama's face on anything you can imagine. I don't know that I'd go to something like this again because I wasn't anywhere near close enough to see him (I was inside but watched on the big screen they had because you could not see the stage where I was), but it was great to say I went. Hooray! :)

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It was like childbirth. 10 hours of discomfort (standing in the crowds) all forgotten in an instant when history was made. I will try to post some photos later, but it was a once in a lifetime night full of love and exhilaration, joy, hope, tears, hugs, and laughs with over 100,000 of your closets friends. Simply a beautiful event!
Of course I am a wreck today, though.

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I was as close as the public could get. (The very front was reserved for staff and people like Oprah). But I was right there.

It was an experience unlike any I will ever have again.

I will try to post more and some pictures/videos later.

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Updated On: 11/5/08 at 04:04 PM

Sueleen, yes it seems no matter where anyone was, from the press box to the front of the stage to cramped in the front to the very back of the crowd, the feeling was electric and contagious and one-of-a-kind. How lucky we were to be there and soak it in.

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I'm C&Ping my friend's email. I love that she mentioned the proximity of the porta-johns:

We stayed in the back by choice. It was easier to see the jumbo screen
and alittle bit of the stage (on tippee toes). No lines for the johns.
Reasonable wait time lines for connie's pizza and hot
chocolate...shorter wait time compared to being at the Taste.

We were taken by surprise when they announced he won. It seemed so fast
all of the sudden. The cheers were amazing and the energy level was
awesome.

Well my sisters said they saw us on jumbo screen! CNN was the TV
station at grant park.

I didn't appreciate the size of the crowd until we left. All the
streets were filled with people walking west and north. We caught a cab
on wacker/state. The youth came out in droves! I never saw so many 18
- 34yrs olds at one time!

It was a very pleasant experience getting in and leaving. We'll do just
fine when we get the olympics!

I haven't gotten any work done this morning.

"We were taken by surprise when they announced he won"

Tell me about it! The poli-sci minor in me was really excited when he won Virginia and because of that the SECOND the west coast polls closed CNN was able to call it for Obama. *nerd out.*

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Jessica's right. We were all expecting "Polls closed on west coast predictions" and they announce his win. It was mayhem, pure electricity running through the entire crowd.

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My wife and I were marveling at the beauty of the city during the speech, the lighting and setting were perfect.

True, but no room over there. Sue, how was your commute home from the rally?