Reply #21: Another Portland report- These big crowds do not usually appear this early

[bigtree]

snip:

After worrying about their message, advertisements and grass-roots drive, the Bush campaign now has another concern on the horizon: the buzz generated by theatrical events, celebrity endorsements, and heavy supporter turnout on the other side, adding the glow of momentum to the Kerry campaign in a race that is locked in a statistical dead heat in most voter surveys.

Kerry, with the help of an occasional rock star joining him on stage, has sustained crowds into the tens of thousands since the convention in Boston, in a few instances clearly dwarfing the ticketed events President Bush tends to hold. Kerry, with fewer security concerns than a sitting president, can throw open his doors in ways Bush cannot, giving him a logistical advantage in building big audiences.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/15/kerry_hopes_to_capitalize_on_buzz/