Obama greeted by largest crowd of his campaign - 35,000!

[sabra]

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5joZ3qLp6q573frLjOGU3W8koFk0wD904LC1O0

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Barack Obama was greeted by the largest crowd of his campaign Friday night in Philadelphia.

Some 35,000 people jammed into Independence Park to see the Democratic presidential candidate, four days before this state's crucial April 22 primary.

...

Obama told the crowd the United States is at a crucial moment in its history, much like what the founding fathers faced in Philadelphia.

"It was over 200 years ago that a group of patriots gathered in this city to do something that no one in the world believed they could do," Obama said. "After years of a government that didn't listen to them, or speak for them, or represent their hopes and their dreams, a few humble colonists came to Philadelphia to declare their independence from the tyranny of the British throne."

The Illinois senator called Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton a "tenacious" opponent but said it was time to move beyond the politics of the 1990s.

"Her message comes down to this: We can't really change the say-anything, do-anything, special interest-driven game in Washington, so we might as well choose a candidate who really knows how to play it," Obama said.

[NJSecularist]

1. He needs to absolutely dominate Philly to have any chance to win PA

So this is a good start.

[saltpoint]

2. 35,000 goddam people! I want to kiss every one of them.

[NC_Nurse]

5. Me too! I'll kiss you first...

:* Love your posts!

[saltpoint]

10. NC_Nurse, you rock. And I'll take ya up on that first smooch for Senator

Obama's chances.

He's a good man.

[Ichingcarpenter]

19. I'll take a Kiss!!

35,000 times!! That is half the size of my town.
What a turnout!!

[saltpoint]

23. NC_Nurse & Ichingcarpenter -- with all this kissin' there's good news and

there's bad news.

The bad news is we're likely to catch mononucleosis.

The good news is we're gonna have a great new President.

35,000 people. I just can't get over that.

[Ninga]

37. Hello? Anybody home? Kissing? Where do I sign up? 35,000 people!!! Awesome!

:hi:

[saltpoint]

39. Yes! Mega-Kissing! Right here! Right now!

Hiya, Ninga.

Good to see you.

[Ninga]

41. What fun! And such a good idea. A little Friday night party, right here on DU, with good people a

and spirited debate.

:loveya:


:loveya: kiss kiss kiss :loveya:

[saltpoint]

43. !

[NC_Nurse]

29. Here ya go!

:*

[dchill]

31. No kiss for me, thanks...

but 35,000 is 7 times the size of MY town. :hi:

[loyalsister]

33. same here

When you put it that way I just now realize just how big a number it really is.

[Barack_America]

24. You can start with me.

I just got home from the rally.

[saltpoint]

26. Tell us what happened and how it felt, Kristi.

Any update would be most welcome.

[Adelante]

27. It must have been amazing

I hope you will be doing an OP report :)

[Barack_America]

34. I will.

Just gonna relax for a few minutes.

This was an all day event, considering we were signing up volunteers in exchange for tickets all day long.

[quantass]

48. K/R

[NC_Nurse]

32. Woohooo!

:* YES WE CAN!!!!

[writes3000]

3. That's a fantastic headline. Really, really great going into the weekend. n/t

[WillyT]

4. WooHoo !!! - Big K & R !!!

:bounce::woohoo::bounce:

[SeattleGirl]

6. Wow! That's great!

:woohoo: :woohoo:

[Drunken Irishman]

7. They don't count.

[K Gardner]

8. Was this by any chance televised in the PA market, does anyone know?

[noel711]

16. It's 10:30 ish in PA.. and no coverage on our cable service...

of this event.

HOping there's more on the 11 pm news...

[K Gardner]

20. Hi Pennsylvania.. ! Thanks for the update.. keep us posted !

[noel711]

51. The news coverage was.... adequate.. (yawn)

We switched around to the various local stations..
I figure that maybe C-Span might have it.
apparently it was incredible...

Shame it takes a political primary to bring
folks out here,including lots of press,
and celebrities...

Just got an email announcing Hillary speaking
at LIberty High School in Bethlehem this Sunday at 11 am....

Maybe they're gonna have church there...

[grantcart]

9. I am so bitter I couldn't be there

[saltpoint]

12. : )

[Faygo Kid]

11. I wish I had been there, to feel the electricity with the spirit of Ben Franklin.

What a moment for those attending. What a president for our nation.

[dchill]

59. MISTER President!

Wow - Clapton and Winwood are reuniting? That's great, too!

[rug]

13. Did he compare his campaign to the Declaration of Independence?

[krkaufman]

60. Nah, just said that we need to "declare our independence" from old school politics. n/t

[tishaLA]

14. God Damn! That's amazing!

Now all those people have to help get out the vote. Let's bring it home and end this thing. Please.

[Adelante]

15. .

[BeyondGeography]

18. Wow

:toast:

[ampad]

25. OMG this is amazing

It makes me want to cry, amazing.

[Unsane]

17. God damn

[K Gardner]

22. Jeremiah.. is that you?! :-)

[Kittycat]

21. This is just incredible! Yes, We Can!

[meow mix]

28. amazing!

:toast:

[jefferson_dem]

30. Philly Ignites For Obama - - Check out this review from Ambinder --

Philly Ignites For Obama
18 Apr 2008 09:36 pm

PHILADELPHIA -- It wasn't so much that Barack Obama had real fight in him tonight, or that more people attended his rally in front of Indendence Hall than any other event since he announced his candidacy. It was the spontaneous demonstration of support that happened when it ended.

5,000 people (at least) had nowhere to go but up Market Street. Obama's charge of the night: "Declare independence!" was with them. They started with the familiar "O-Bam-A." By 7th and Market, they had graduated to "Yes we can!" By 10th and Market, with hundreds streaming in between cars on the road, they were just cheering. At first, a few Philly cops, killjoys, tried to rough the crowd to the sidewalks. It didn't work. The cops retreated to the sidewalks. By the time I ducked into my hotel, a full mile away from Independence Park, the Obama crowd was still marching.

The headlines Obama intended to make were as follows: first, the secondary point, so reporters can write that Obama looked forward to the general election: John McCain is man who deserves respect. "But the change this country needs will not come rom a third George W. Bush term. And what is exactly what his campaign is offering. John McCain is offering four more years of a war with no exit strategy, a war with no end in sight, a war that is sending our troops on their thid, fourth and fifth tours of duty." Four good meaure, Obama repeated the disputable claim that McCain saw "great progress" from seven and a half years of George W. Bush."

The main headline was a series of non-wimpy, crisly delivered, very direct digs at Hillary Clinton. Obama started this riff, but aware that the crowd was still thinking about McCain, paused, then said,"Listen up you guys."

Quiet.

Hillary Clinton "is a tenacious campaigner and is a committed public servant," he began. (Boos. I mean, Obama could have said the same thing about Brownie.) But her messag, he said, is "that we can't really change the say anythig, do anything special interest game of so we might as well choose a candidate who knows how to play the game." He mocked her "kitchen sink strategy." Then he said, "I'm not runningt o be the president who plays the same old game. I'm running to end the game."

"This year we can’t afford the same old politics. This year we can declare our independence from this kind of politics."

<SNIP>

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/04/philly_ignites_for_obama.php

[dchill]

36. Thanks for that link jefferson_dem...

What a great night that must have been. :)

[Adelante]

38. Thanks - astonishing!

:wow:

[DerekJ]

40. K&R

[Tatiana]

49. Just wow. I don't think I'll ever see anything like this again in my lifetime. n/t

[meow mix]

35. I'm running to end the game." K&R

[thoughtcrime1984]

42. It gives me hope to think of the tens of millions of Obama supporters

in the US. Fuck the flag pin, give me the Constitution back!

[Drunken Irishman]

44. Anyone have video of this?

[SoonerPride]

45. I wanna see this speech as well.

Youtubers do it!

[Tatiana]

46. Pennsylvania, will you "declare independence?"

Ohhhhhhh I *LOVE* it!!!!!!

[quantass]

47. OMG!

[thewiseguy]

50. That's a hell of a line!

[Middle finga]

52. No political figure in the US can even come close to pulling in those

kinds of number. I would like to see him go overseas and visit a few countries during the GE so people can contrast his visits with Bush's overseas visits. When the so called patriotic people in the heartland see how beloved Barack is around the world how can they not get behind his campaign.

[dempartisan23]

53. GOBAMA

more great news!!

[chitty]

54. Amazing!

Simply Amazing.

Thanks Philly!

[psychopomp]

55. "Enough with the big speeches, the rallies..."

:rofl:

[FrenchieCat]

56. I'm crying for joy.......

We can do this.

I wasn't always sure until now.

[Scurrilous]

57. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Mme. Defarge]

58. 35,000!

Astounding! I was at a rally of 30,000 for John Kerry in July 2004 -- if filled the entire SW Portland Waterfront on the Willamette River. A sea of hopeful humanity.

THIS TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cyberpj]

61. Obama Philadelphia Rally Pics and Full Video Of Speech

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5576155

[workinclasszero]

62. YES WE CAN!!!

Woohoo! Go Philly!!!:applause:

[democracy1st]

63. great crowd

:kick:

[ORDem]

64. K

:kick:

:bounce: