My First Election

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We were fortunate enough to sit on the field, not too far from Obama, though his back was to us. Where we sat, it was very difficult to hear what he was saying because it echoed. However, what I did see was the way the crowd accepted him--how they stood for five minutes and cheered while he walked to the podium, how he brought people from all over -some who drove hours-to come together and how they all stood and sat in the heat to hear him.


The 60-year-old man standing behind me as I waited to snap a picture said that, despite being a Republican, he was brought to tears by Obama. A 50-something woman approached a man in a suit whom she assumed to be Secret Service; he informed her he was with the Sheriff's office. She asked if he could give Obama a hug from her. He replied, “I’m not good with man hugs.” Then she said, “Golly, I really hope he wins." As Obama walked by to get into the silver SUV, everyone who waited around to see him that close, less than a hundred feet away, cheered.

I almost didn’t get into to see Obama on Wednesday. The line to get in was extremely long — it took more than half an hour

of walking to get to the end of the line, and it became known as the ‘line that never ends’ by all of the people walking to find it. Once in line, the thousands of people who drove to Dunedin stood and inched forward for at least two hours, slowly moving. I think I walked four miles just getting to and from parking, and then from little streets to the stadium.

Outside of the stadium were, of course, the McCain supporters. They were loud and they yelled. The people in line behind us began chanting “Obama, Obama," which drowned out the McCain supporters. One man held a sign that said ‘Women for Palin.' A woman walked up to the man and said “I am a woman and I am not for Palin." The man said, “So? You’re only one person; you don’t matter."

The stadium was packed...

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