So I went to the Kerry rally today. That's my roommate, Sam, and his son, Gavin. We stuck around through Bruce Springsteen, but had to leave before seeing Kerry. No that we would have---neither one of us could see anything because of the huge amount of people there:
Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It was pretty cool.
There were a few Bush supporters there, just outside the main area:
See, they're dressed like flip-flops.
I guess that's clever.
I guess.
They seemed happy and confident until Billionaires For Bush joined them:
It's hard to read the banner behind them, but it reads:
Billionaires For Bush: Because we're all in this together, sort of.
Well, the Bush group got pissed at this, and started to shout at the Billionaires: "But Teresa Heinz-Kerry is one of the richest women in the world!!!"
And then chanting: "FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!"
Which led to the crowd around them chanting:
"FIVE MORE DAYS! FIVE MORE DAYS!"
Which led to one of the billionaires ("Billionaire's Commander of Black Ops Alan Greenspend," I think) starting a THIRD CHANT:
"FOUR MORE WARS! FOUR MORE WARS!"
The cop who had to stand in front of the Bush supporters looked amused at that.
I asked him where to go if I had a white ticket, and he pointed me ahead, past the banner that said "Wisconsin Is Kerry Country."
It occured to me last night that it was amazing to be able to be there, amongst all these other supporters of Kerry. Part of me wanted to also be able to go to a Bush Rally, just to hear both sides, but then I realized that I'd have to sign a loyalty oath. That alone should push you in Kerry direction.
Oh, I know, the South Carolina Dems did it, too, any conservative will tell you.
(Some of the hardcore right-wingers will somehow tell you that without acknowledging that Bush did it first.)
But it's worth pointing out that the reports of the "Democratic Loyalty Oath" were greatly exaggerated and as it turns, they didn't do it anyway.
Personally, after looking at this picture, I'm ready to vote for SAM:
What I took away from it all was something I hadn't expected. As hokey as the whole thing was, it was nice to be able to look around and see the hope that things could be made better, and that we all could be a part of it.
As I looked up at the American flag we were standing under, I felt something I wasn't expecting.
Patriotic.
And then I thought: Oh, wow. SO that's what it feels like.
posted by Rob on 2:12 PM |
link
--------------------
