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I tried to stay up all night. I don't go to sleep until late. But, I didn't want to sleep and be all groggy in a few hours so, staying up would be the plan. By 3:00 I took a nap.
My husband and I were up around 4:00.
We left the house about 6:00. As we took to the road to leave Rockford for a 3 hour ride south, the temperature was -2.
The trip went smooth and easy. we got to Springfield about 9:00. Luckily we found a good parking area and only walked about 6 blocks. There were alot of chartered buses and I heard there were people from Texas, Missouri, Iowa, ect.
I wondered if other politicians get this. Crazy people like me who get up and go for hours in the subzero cold to stand around and watch someone give a speech.
As we got about a block from the site we came across long tables with free doughnuts. The draftobama people took the last of the money and bought them for the crowd. I donated to them and thought, I like it that the last of the money is used for the poeple like this.
We headed for good ground but, found out that only people with tickets could be inside the fenced in area. The rest of us, general public, were outside. The fence was an open wrought iron thing so you did not miss anything but, were just farther away.
At 10:00 Dick Durbin came on as opening speaker. Then, Obama came on. I couldn't see him but, there were speakers and we could listen. While we stood there before obama came on, we spied 3 sharp shooters ontop of a nearby building. How strange.
Barack Obama spoke for abut 20 or so minutes. I thought it one of his best that I've heard. He played the crowd like a violin. We were taken up to the high notes and gently let down to the quieter ones. He gave a huge ending.
For 15 degrees it was surprising so many did not seem to mind the cold or pay attention to it.
The crowds were around 17,000. There were people who look like they were in their 80s (one had a walker). Students and children. Farmers and businesspeople. Black, white and brown. We were America. The mix of the melting pot. All walks of life. Everyone was up and happy and polite. people were nice to each other. We were freezing under a sparkling blue sky and everyone was still nice and thoughtful.
And we screamed, shouted and yelled. Clapped and listened. Nodding in agreement and whopping the next.
As people began leaving I spotted an opening for my husband to take a picture. I spied the candidate. Right there. Hurry Rod, hurry. snap snap for pictures.
I came away pleased. We had an easy time down, found good parking, the sky was such a blue. sun so bright. We found our car and got home in good time.
My impression was he was a serious candidate. Not running for vp. he was going for the big job. And he was pitch perfect. His message was one of inclusion and taking our government back. You just knew this was the man for the moment. The person who should go to the White House. He could repair our image abroad, work with our allies and deal with our foes. Our image would be so good again.
It seems we get into trouble and the country is quite ill. During critical times when it looks like all is lost, we the people have the wisdom to vote for the inspiring unknown. And FDR or Kennedy or Lincoln. The untried but, somehow we vote for this person who makes us feel it will be good again and make us proud again because they inspire us to new heights.
We are at that crossroads again and we have the man who would save this country. he is on a stage in front of the Old Courthouse in Springfield, Illinois.
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