Obama is greeted by a tightly packed, maximum capacity crowd here in Jacksonville

I arrived at Metropolitan Park at about 12:15 since the gates opened at 12:30. I figured I'd be one of the first in line since it wouldn't start until 2:30. I just realized something; I'm not always right. Very strange feeling.

By the time I arrived, there was already a mass of several thousand people in line forming underneath the overpass to get in. The line, of about five abreast, had appeared to form into two lines, but was (as I came to realize) the continuation of the only line that serpentined to the security checkpoint.

Metropolitan Park has the capacity to hold about 10,000--so I knew it wouldn't just be a little get together, but I didn't expect this either.

However long the line was, it still moved quickly even as a constant stream of people poured in behind me. A lady was pacing up and down asking people to turn their cell phones on. I think most people did have them on, so it only confused them even more.

Come to find out, they wanted them on so that security could ensure the phones were authentic, and not actually, you know, bombs or anything. (I got to thinking that if I were giving clearance to someone's entrance and was having my doubts about someone's phone not actually being a phone, but a bomb; I don't think I'd ask them to turn it on. But I get it.)

After I wriggled through security unscathed (and undected), I made my way up to the park. When I finally reached the summit, I couldn't help but think of that one scene from the first Land Before Time where they finally find The Great Valley.

Or maybe more something like this:

There were some young volunteers lined up to greet the lay people of Jacksonville and help set the tone for the rally. If the people were lacking in anything, it definitely wasn't enthusiasm. The electricity of the atmosphere was palpable--even for those who have waited in that line since the early morning hours to get a good vantage point for the speech that was set to begin at 2:30 PM.

It was about 1:30 by the time I got in. The people in the park looked jubilant; some sitting comfortably on the ground with their friends and family; unaware of the mass of people set to come in that would eventually require their space.

It was overcast, and looked like it might rain.
But as it turned out, there were people fainting due to near dehydration. Most of them were elderly volunteers that had been there all morning. Add the crowd to that equation and it's best that it was a little overcast. Some people were even wishing for rain.

People were helping each other out by relaying requests for water to those closest to the volunteers handing them out. I know everyone there was hot and thirsty, so it was great seeing people selflessly hand over the water to the one's that apparently needed it most.

At about 1:45, this thing began circling above the park.

"Florida is McCain & Palin Country!"

At first, people seemed a little disgusted at the distastefulness of the display, but eventually it appeared to be largely ignored. I got to thinking about the price for this. Considering the fuel, pay for the pilot and banner--it probably wasn't cheap. If someone changed their mind about their vote based on that then chances are they are a lost cause to begin with.


Eventually, another plane flew overhead with this message:

"Raising taxes is not p
atriotic!"

I don't know if the McCain/Palin campaign paid for these, but it almost worked on me. I was alright when the first one flew overhead, but damn that second one.


After standing almost motionless due to the amount of people around me, I heard a stir amongst the people in the back. Obama's motorcade had just arrived. Everyone, including myself, was on their toes with their cameras reached above their head to get a view that they'd not have otherwise.



I saw a man with a rifle atop the building adjacent to the street his bus was coming through, and after my first impulse of absolutely freaking out, I reassured myself that this man was actually there for security.


At about 2:40, the first speaker came on. It wasn't Obama. I have to admit that after standing for so long, I was just ready to hear Obama. This was only truer after having stood for a few hours in a crammed piece of landscape surrounded by impatient revelers literally falling down from dehydration.

So yeah--I was ready to hear him so we could get this thing going, and judging from the unisoned sighs of disappointment from the crowd after each speaker presented yet another non-Obama speaker--I wasn't the only one feeling that way. It got to the point that you couldn't help but think they were getting satisfaction from stalling.

"[...] and now - please welcome to the stage, Senator [insert unnecessarily long dramatic pause here] Tony Hill!"

"Awwww."

This happened no less than four times.

Just when the crowd was about to reach the breaking point, something strange happened. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds as Obama finally stepped out to be greeted by a crowd that I don't think he even expected to see.



Okay, I'm not one for sensational antics, so I have to say that part about the sun is total bullshit. (It actually hid in order to appease the weary and worn.)

"I'm amazed we got such a big crowd. I don't know if ya'll are aware, there's football today."

I wont get into too many details about what he talked about (you can read more about that here), but I will say that he did respond to the true, but mostly disingenuous tax increase 'talking point' that has been thrown around lately. Because the tax increase only affects couples making 250k or more a year, he asked if any of us were making more than a quarter-of-a-million dollars a year, to which we all pretty much laughed at...

...and then when the laughter subsided, I kind of died a little inside.

Obama told the Florida crowd of 12,000 today, "I will cut taxes. Don’t believe what those folks say. Don’t let them run the okey doke on you. You heard of the okey doke. Don’t let 'em bamboozle you. Don’t be hoodwinked. I will cut taxes, cut taxes for 95 percent of all working families."

Obama continued, playing off the crowd, saying "My opponent doesn’t want you to know this, but under my plan, tax rates will actually be less than they were under Ronald Reagan. If you make less than $250,000 a year – if you make less – that’s you? If you make less than a quarter million dollars a year – that’s you? – you will not see your taxes increase one single dime. Not one dime. In fact, I offer three times the tax relief for middle class families as Senator McCain does, because an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class."

"So don’t believe those commercials," Obama concluded. "I’m a tax-cutter. I’m gonna put some money in your pockets so you can spend that money buying groceries and buying gas and you can help that small business." [via]

Despite what you might have heard, 8,000 people (almost as many as were in the park itself) did not get turned away, the park was simply at capacity so those very people that could not get in, were welcome to stay, but outside the park where I believe they had speakers set-up. They still heard Obama's words loud and clear, as was confirmed by their chants echoing through the park from outside of the gates.

It was great to see the people of Jacksonville come together like this. I understand that many people traveled from nearby states to witness the event--some of those very people weren't allowed in, including dignitaries. Regardless, I believe they will all agree that the disappointment they faced in their inability to get in was overshadowed by the obvious display of overwhelming support from our city.

Florida is expected to once again be a 'battleground state' this year, so can we win it?

Yes...we can.