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Edited on Mon Aug-09-04 03:29 AM by ZombyWoof
This JFK was the first candidate to visit our fair burg since the other JFK in 1960, and the only candidate before that was Truman in 1948. To me, this was a bit of history.
DUer blondeatlast, her son, and her sister all joined me for some pizza and beer beforehand, and thinking we had plenty of time - hey, it wasn't even 6 yet and the starting time was 6:30 - we dared venture into line, not realizing until walking all the way around a city block just what a line it was. Oops.
After 2.5 hours, we finally made it through the security checkpoint. We shrugged off two naysayers who left the line ahead of us predicting we would never get in, saying we were "behind the cut-off point". Well, we stuck to our guns, and realized a bit later that the line went around the block TWICE (but not until an hour after we joined it), and they must have come from that portion.
But no matter! We got in. That morning's estimate was about 5,000 people expected, but by the time we got in line, I am thinking we had FAR more than that.
Flagstaff is a modest town of 57,000 people, and at 7,000 feet in elevation, sits high in the crisp mountain air. The downtown has been preserved wonderfully over the past century-plus, and has many charms. I love seeing all the small businesses with their Kerry and Babbitt (Paul, running for Congress in our district) signs in the windows. There is a strong Democratic vein in the civic life.
A few local and state Democratic speakers started at about 8:30, just after we got in, and Bruce Babbitt (Paul's brother, and as you all know, the former governor of AZ and Clinton's Interior Secretary) was there, as well as our governor, Janet Napolitano, who spoke briefly.
Congressman Ed Pastor, visiting from another district, spoke next. I inadvertently created a new chant during his speech. He said "When John Kerry was over in Vietnam, where was Dick Cheney? In law school? Maybe!"
"And where was George Bush?"
And I yelled, "Snorting Cocaine!"
Then he ran through another comparison of the time, and asked again, "Where was George Bush?"
Dozens of people in my vicinity shouted, "Snorting Cocaine!"
But this was huge crowd, and I doubt of we were heard all that far away - but still, I was amused and surprised, and was almost afraid if Pastor kept it up, it would get out of control.
Pastor was done, and I was safe for the time being.
We saw no freepers inside the confines of the rally, but earlier, blondeatlast and I did see a small band of 5 or 6 wandering around, with that vaguely befuddled and ignorant look about them. Their doughy henchman wearing a Bush-Cheney shirt. I overheard a young lady with them express dismay that they could not get tickets. That prompted a Nelson-style "HA-Ha!" from me and blondeatlast too.
There were more than a few Ivory Soap Purists at the rally. You know - always right, always white. Shopping at Wal-Mart by day, berating us for being corporate whores by night. A few carrying signs saying Kerry=Bush=War. Well, if that equation is true, why bother coming out to troll in person? If the election results do not matter - what makes you think you will get any converts? All you can do is laugh at their self-righteous idiocy. Which I did.
More time passed, more great songs by Springsteen and U2 blared over the loudspeakers...
Back to some sanity... Joe Shirley, president of the Navajo Nation spoke, and got us all primed for the Kerrys. Kerry was running late - it was past 10:30 now...
After a short eternity of anticipation, John and Teresa appeared on stage, and it was time!
Apparently, as Kerry told us, as their train passed through Winslow (50 miles east), they stopped because about 2,000 (and that town is SMALL) gathered at the depot with signs of support. He spoke to that crowd for about 20 minutes.
Teresa spoke first, and was every bit as gracious and elegant as you could imagine.
Then John...
Kerry's speech was much like the one in Boston, striking the same themes and full of emotion and power. He looked in good form, wearing khakis and a cobalt blue shirt, sleeves rolled up, relaxed, yet energetic. His voice is much more resonant in person - I think his oratorical skills are just fine. It was solid, and just the right length.
Finally, after getting back to my car, I was held up at an intersection on Route 66, as the motorcade was expected to take them to a nearby hotel. After 10 minutes, it started coming right at me in the opposite lane! John and Teresa waved at us in our lane, and then the people standing on the sidewalk on the other side. I waved back. Quite a way to cap the evening.
I did take lots of pictures, but it is anybody's guess how they will turn out. Once they are developed and scanned (yep - I am a dinosaur), I can post them later this week.
Now... time for bed. What a fine evening.
We are going to win.
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