A Rock Concert Atmosphere at the Civic Center for Obama - 17,000 Show up to Hear Obama Speak

[MadBadger]

rock concert.

That's what it felt like at the former Hartford Civic Center on Monday night during the campaign appearance by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The place was packed. With people standing on the floor where the basketball court would normally be, the crowd was estimated by a fire marshal at about 17,000.

The highly enthusiastic crowd started doing "The Wave'' even before the speakers started. In section 102, a woman was holding up an infant who was wearing a bib that said, "Babies for Obama.''

The crowd roared when the first speaker came out, and he wasn't even part of the official program. When the official party came out, U.S. Rep. John Larson of East Hartford - the first speaker - told the crowd to look at the people on either side and remember the event.

"Feel the moment,'' Larson announced. "You are part of history. ... This is something you will remember all of your life.''

Some politicians have compared Obama to John F. Kennedy, and former presidential candidate Bill Bradley said Monday that Obama is the type of political figure who comes around once every three or four generations.

The highly partisan crowd cheered any time one of the speakers would say that George W. Bush would not be president one year from now or that he would not be on the ballot in November.

"GOP used to stand for Grand Old Party,'' Larson said. "Now, it stands for Gas, Oil, and Petroleum.''

When Obama finally came out, he waved to the crowd behind the stage and they roared back in the way that Bruce Springsteen fans respond when The Boss waves in their direction.


"Wow!'' Obama said when he took the microphone. "Look at all of you. What a magnificent crowd.''

Obama has been drawing increasingly large crowds since Iowa, and the basketball-arena crowds are becoming more common. He spoke Monday at the Meadowlands in New Jersey before heading to Hartford.

Before Obama's 49-minute speech, people waited outside in blustery weather in a line that stretched four blocks around the civic center. People of all ages came from all across Connecticut.

http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2008/02/a-rock-concert.html