Obamamania Arrives in Omaha!

[CoffeeCat]

(snip)
Bringing his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination to the Civic Auditorium, where some in his audience had waited since morning, Obama said voters share that sense of urgency.

(snip)

The excitement was palpable as the crowd poured into the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Some waited eight hours to get a seat.

At times, the line extended around the auditorium. People arrived waving signs and chanting: "Go 'Bama" and "Yes We Can." The last was a reference to a video circulating on the Internet in which an Obama speech is crafted into a song.

(snip)

The audience was not limited to Democrats or young people.

Several said they were Republicans who had come to see what all the excitement was about. Some Republicans said they supported Obama because they believed he would bring change.

"He's inspiring. He's a leader. And he's positive," said Sterling Schultz, a Republican farmer from Naper, Neb., who said he planned to fill out the paperwork necessary to caucus Saturday as a Democrat.

Crowd estimate = 7,000

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10252926

[Mags]

1. Ohhhhhh, Come to Jesus, sorry I meant Come to Obama!

[angie_love]

4. LOL you can't even spell Jesus right.

[Mags]

6. Sorry, but you did get the point,

[THUNDER HANDS]

2. Republicans switching over

they've seen the light. hazahh!!

[angie_love]

3. That was a very positive piece about Obama

and alittle snark at Clinton "Clinton, however, appears more focused on states further down the election calendar. She campaigned Thursday in Virginia and Maine. Maine's caucuses are Sunday; Virginia's primary is Tuesday."


"Obama's visit marked the first time in years that a major presidential candidate has campaigned in Nebraska during the primary season."

[Pirate Smile]

5. The crowd estimate ended up being 10,000. Here's a link.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10252948 - a blog entry by a reporter of the day and rally.

"5:25 p.m.

Although some space remained on the floor of the Civic, by 5 p.m. the arena reached the capacity fire marshals deemed safe for the rally - near 9,000 people. Obama had not yet arrived by about 5:30 p.m.

A sizable crowd remained outside the arena when officials closed the doors. The overflow audience was moved to the Mancuso Center, an exhibition space attached to the arena.

The overflow crowd, which Obama staffers estimated as near 1,000, would have audio of Obama's speech piped in. Obama planned to visit the overflow room before leaving as well, staffers said.

...

5:50 P.M.

Obama took the stage first in the Mancuso overflow area to speak to that crowd at 5:37 p.m. He spoke until 5:41 p.m. and then shook hands for a couple minutes."

[Diane R]

7. Clinton has booked a 6,000 seat venue in Seattle...Obama booked a 16,000 seat venue....