How long do Obama's rallies usually last?

[Sugarcoated]

I'm going to one tomorrow in Abington, PA and trying to talk my husband and son into going before they head out on a camping trip later in the afternoon. Doors open at 9:00, rally begins at 11:00 and I'm thinking it'll be about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Also any tips on getting a good seat, or any tips at all would be appreciated! :)

[SteppingRazor]

1. Varies wildly dependng on how many speakers they have.

Could be an hour, could be three if every Tom, Dick and Harry who's running as a Democrat in PA gets on the bill to get some of that Obama magic.

[Sugarcoated]

5. is there some way to get a list of speakers?

I wouldn't mind seeing Rendell . . . I would think my Rep. Allyson Schwartz should be there, up for re-election, no one running against her, though.

[glowing]

2. If you want good seats, take the camping gear out and sleep overnight.

I would think that it will be typical of many.. show up hours in advance and wait... once he finally talks, its usually only 20 - 40mins of seeing him talk.

[gblady]

3. from what I've gathered here....

and seeing the very huge crowds lately....

go very early...dress appropriately, wear comfortable shoes,
take water and snacks...
and CAMERA for sharing photos back here on DU...

Lucky you to have him so near...
Have a blast, and give a full report!

[ChiciB1]

10. I Have Lots Of Pictures, But STILL Trying To Figure Out How To Get Them

posted here. Probably too late now. And yes, I got help from another person here at DU. Got them into Photobucket, but I guess I should have transferred them to another program first.

I'll keep trying.

[bicentennial_baby]

11. Once they're in Photobucket,

copy the "Direct Link" under the photo, and paste it into your DU thread/post. Do that for each pic. :)

[ChiciB1]

15. Working On It... Didn't Use The IRFView Program To Get Them There!

Another Du'er has given me some good advice... STILL trying!

As soon as I finish I'll post. Thanks for the input.

[NYC_SKP]

4. Gee, they can go camping another time. Obama in person? One shot only.

I wish your dilemma was mine.

[Sugarcoated]

12. My husband has been trying to get these two dad's and their son's

to do this for years, so he won't cancel. He's type A and anal about plans and probably thought he'd leave very early in the afternoon even though the campsite is only an hour away and the other guys aren't meeting them them till after work. He's very organized, so I think he can swing this, but I want to be as honest as I can on the time frame because I know how he is. Me? I'm in on this trip, but if I was I'd cancel. I'll see if one of my friend's can go, otherwise, I'll go by myself.

[NYC_SKP]

17. I hope you can swing it, bring a camera or camcorder! nt

[gauguin57]

6. You have to figure on multiple hours ... the doors open at 9, but you may have a long wait B4 that

In order to have a chance of getting into the venue, you usually have to get there REALLY EARLY. At a recent Virginia rally, in order to be sure of getting in, my niece got there several hours early ... it wound up being about a six to seven hour time commitment. About 12,000 people who waited several hours never got into the actual venue on that one (but could hear him from outside).

A few thousand people who didn't get to a recent southcentral PA rally a few hours early to stand in line didn't get in -- even though it was in a public park.

If you get there at 9 and expect to get right in, you will be disappointed, I think. Also keep in mind that, if thousands and thousands of people show up, they all have to be screened by the Secret Service.

[BlooInBloo]

7. Once when I was in graduate school I missed out on a Violent Femmes concert...

because I decided to go snowboarding.

I'm glad someone else is about to eclipse my record for being a fucking idiot. Thank your husband for me, please.

[ChiciB1]

8. I Went To One Last Week In Dunedin, FL. Gates Were To Open At

10:00 AM, we got there about 7:45 and approximately 2000 people were in front of us. He was to speak at 1:00 PM and people got turned away. I would give myself at least 4 maybe 5 hours before the event if you want to get. That's depending on the space available. The stadium there held 6100, but they let in about 10,000.

That's my experience.

[JimGinPA]

9. Go At Least 3 Hours Before The Gates Open To Get Close To The Stage

Obama usually speaks about 45 minutes to an hour after he's scheduled to go on (he signs books & does meet & greets before he speaks at every stop). Take a camera.

[backscatter712]

13. Expect to wait in line for a while. Get there really, really early!

If you want a really good seat (or a seat at all,) you'll want to arrive HOURS early. You might want to show up at 7:00 or 6:30 or even earlier. Bring some munchies and an iPod or book or something to keep yourself amused while you wait.

Typically, you'll still be waiting for a while after the doors open - the lines will start moving, you'll go through the Secret Service screening, and depending on whether you arrived early enough, either you'll get a good seat, maybe even a front row seat where you'll get to shake his hand, or you'll be standing in the nosebleed section if you didn't get there early enough (or worse, you might not get in. :( )

And when you're there, it's not just Obama who's speaking. At the rally I went to, we had several other VIPs - local mayor and city council members did some short speeches, mixed with some inspirational speeches from union members or disabled folks or just plain ordinary folks. As things move along, you'll see some more important VIPs (in my case, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter).

Senator Obama isn't likely to come out and do his speech until noon or so.

Yeah, you're in for some waiting. Be patient. It's well worth it. And if you bring a book, do what I did and bring The Audacity of Hope and see if you can get Senator Obama to sign it (yes, he does autographs!)

Oh yeah, pics:

[Sugarcoated]

14. So I'll get there super early, but can my husband and son

join me in line closer to 9:00 when they open the doors?

[ChiciB1]

16. Yes, I Got In Line While My Daughter Found A Parking Place... Others

were doing the same. I guess it depends on how "the crowd" reacts, but all were very nice.