The Portland Obama rally today is shaping up to be massive.

[swag]

I just got a call from a friend who was downtown - the end of the line to get into the rally on the waterfront is in the South Park blocks. Let me tell you, it's a bit of a walk from the South Park blocks to the waterfront.

They'll probably have a link to live video at http://www.kgw.com when things get rolling.

[Cha]

1. Nice day in Portland, Ore

to get out for Obama before Big TuesB-)

[K Gardner]

107. CNN Reporting 50,000.. largest rally to date.

[Adelante]

116. 75,000 on CNN just now

I can't believe it :wow:

[4_Legs_Good]

123. OMFG!

What is he, the Rolling Stones?

Wish I would have tuned in earlier. He's just finishing up.

David

[K Gardner]

129. !!!!!!!!!! I saw the pic at the end and thought it was a field of flowers.. LOL

[gateley]

132. Nope - it was a field of followers! nt

[Terri S]

134. what a sight!

[K Gardner]

140. Unbelievable pic ! Thanks for posting that..!

[gateley]

131. I thought I heard Obama say 30,000 --

which is impressive enough! God, if it was 75,000, I'm with you -- :wow:!!

[Adelante]

135. I get CNNI

They had a reporter there and at first he just said "thousands" and then somebody passed him a note. He said he had just been informed the estimated crowd was 75,000. He also said it was Obama's biggest crowd ever. It was 45,000 in Philadelphia, right? So 75,000 is more than 45,000.

[gristy]

2. And a beautiful day in Portland today! 76 degrees and sunny right now.

Forecast is for partly cloudy and a high of 81.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Sounds exciting!

Any musical guests planned?

[AbbeyRoad]

7. the Decemberists are playing

I'd be there too if I could teleport 2000 miles west. :)

[fight4my3sons]

4. thanks for the update!

and the link :)

[jenmito]

5. Yeah, but there are no hard-working white people in OR so it won't count when he wins.

All that will matter is that he didn't get the hard-working white people's votes in KY.

[milkyway]

46. Everybody knows the only hard-working white people live in Appalachia and vote for Clinton. Portland

is full of tree-hugging, latte-sipping, bicycle-riding, indie-rocking slackers that want to destroy America, so they don't count.

[jenmito]

73. Exactly. I don't know WHO those hard-working white people in the OP's article are trying to kid,

but they CAN'T be who/what they say they are. Those people only live in WV and KY.

[Jazzgirl]

121. You forgot the Birkenstocks.

n/t

[jenmito]

6. He held a couple events today so far and neither was shown on cnn.com/live for some reason, so

thanks for the link!

[Adelante]

8. Somebody said over 30,000 maybe

That would be massive :)

[gristy]

9. 2:30pm PT start time

ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama will be leading what's expected to be a huge campaign rally on Portland's waterfront Sunday afternoon, as part of his latest campaign swing through the state.

He's expected to begin speaking around 2:30 p.m. at Waterfront Park, near the Hawthorne Bridge, after visiting Gresham earlier in the day.

Obama came to the heart of Republican timber country in Oregon on Saturday, and drew a favorable reception from a large audience with his promises to end the Iraq war and deliver universal health care.

The Illinois senator packed nearly 1,500 people into the Roseburg High School cafeteria for what was his first campaign foray into one of Oregon's conservative rural areas.

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_051808_politics_obama_oregon.60db48e.html

[jenmito]

12. Is that Pacific time?

[gristy]

16. Yes. Added to subject line.

[jenmito]

18. Thanks. I live in NY, so 5:30 here.

:hi:

[TahitiNut]

10. That's huge. About a quarter of a mile.

Good for Portland!

[Tinksrival]

11. Snippets from your link.....

Obama came to the heart of Republican timber country in Oregon on Saturday, and drew a favorable reception from a large audience with his promises to end the Iraq war and deliver universal health care. The Illinois senator packed nearly 1,500 people into the Roseburg High School cafeteria for what was his first campaign foray into one of Oregon's conservative rural areas. None of that was in evidence Saturday in this Douglas County timber town -- the first stop in a weekend of campaigning in Oregon for Obama, who holds a large lead in polls leading up to Tuesday's primary election.
His Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, held two invite-only events Friday in Oregon, and does not plan to return to the state before Tuesday's voting deadline.

As Obama took the stage Saturday, he was greeted by one man's shout of "Obama rocks!" and he received several standing ovations in a county that has voted for Republicans in every presidential election since 1964, when the county went for Democrat Lyndon Johnson.
Douglas County is among the rural Oregon counties that have suffered economically with the decline in the timber industry -- the main source of jobs in Roseburg and surrounding areas.
Obama drew cheers when he called for more research into converting wood chips into an alternative fuel source -- both to boost supplies of renewable energy and to create new jobs in timber-dependent communities.
Audience members -- including some Republicans -- said afterward Obama had scored points with them in his Saturday address.
Mike Croning, 54, a registered Republican, said he is "strongly leaning" toward backing Obama in November.
"He's a Kennedy-esque type of person. He's a thoughtful person," said Croning, a financial planner. "I don't think he's the old-style partisan politics."
Roseburg dentist Bill Schuyler, 62, said he's been a Republican all his life but now is backing Obama.

[Tinksrival]

14. OMG...also from your link:

Former President Bill Clinton, campaigning for his wife Hillary in the Columbia River town of Scappoose, told a crowd at the high school Saturday that his wife "has respected you enough to campaign in rural as well as suburban and urban communities."

He did not mention Obama directly, but cited an estimate by Republican strategist Karl Rove that Hillary Clinton leads McCain in a composite of nationwide polls that includes electoral votes, while Obama trails McCain.

[jenmito]

17. Are you surprised Bill Clinton's quoting Karl Rove? I'm not!

The RWers are the Clintons' best friends lately.

[Arugula Latte]

24. Rupert Murdoch, Scaife, Rove ... Hillary has some fine friends there.

x(

[jenmito]

27. Exactly.

[rucky]

128. And we all know how Karl Rove is with "the math."

[jenmito]

15. That's a great article! Talks about the "hard-working white people" who are voting for him there!

:hi:

[VolcanoJen]

21. That's indeed great... and Obama's speech in Iowa Tuesday night will also...

... help highlight the fact that he does, indeed, have hard-working white support. It's really the most nauseating meme of this entire campaign, isn't it, the Pat Buchanan "Whitey won't vote for Obama" crap?

[jenmito]

70. Exactly! I can't wait! I don't understand how the Pat Buchanans of the country

can keep using that line when he keeps winning! And it's not just predominantly Black states. How easily Obama could point out that Hillary's support of Black voters hasn't gotten out of single digits! But he has too much class to do that. And that's why he's going to WIN!

[Leopolds Ghost]

155. Obviously, those beer-sipping, flannel-wearing loggers in Roseland aren't hard-working enough.

Back to work, slackers! :evilgrin:

[Zachstar]

13. Good!

[MoJoWorkin]

19. This Portland tv station says they will live stream, also

http://www.katu.com/


I've been looking around to find others, in case CNN doesn't show it.

[AbbeyRoad]

22. Thanks for the link

I've been looking for a site that will stream the whole rally including the band, but, alas, I've had no luck.

[mystieus]

Thanks

[VolcanoJen]

20. How exciting!!!

Sounds like a beautiful day there, too. Can't wait for photos, wonder if CNN will carry it live?

[Drunken Irishman]

23. I remember when Dean had his huge rally there in the summer of '03.

What a great moment and can't wait for the general, because I know Obama will make a stop here in Utah! :)

[Cha]

74. Thanks for the reminder of the Summer of Dean Days, DI

He started this whole 50 strategy thing

[Arugula Latte]

25. I was going to go but I have to work and I also thought about the size of the crowd ...

It just seemed overwhelming. Great ... but overwhelming.

A toast for my PDX Peeps who are there! :toast:

[Beregond2]

26. I was taken aback

when I read that they were having it there. It's not a very big space, as I recall; but maybe they have expanded it or something. I don't live in Portland anymore, and every time I drive into town, ten more buildings have gone up.

[oregonjen]

28. Just a kick to the top, it will start soon!

:kick:

[Sensitivity]

29. I can't find the stream at the kgw site. Anyone has it?

[Sirius1]

30. Here you go..

http://www.katu.com/news/content/7315311.html

[grantcart]

34. works great thanks

[grantcart]

31. any other link kgw doesn't load for me

[AbbeyRoad]

32. katu site is working

http://www.katu.com/news/content/7315311.html

[K Gardner]

35. The link below is working for me.. Obama is running a bit late, says they'll start

the stream when he begins speaking.

http://www.kgw.com/video/?nvid=57406&live=yes

CNN Live will probably have it, too. They said Obama just finished a press avail and slammed McCain on the 5th advisor to resign from his campaign due to lobbyist ties. Gobama !

[mystieus]

51. It doesn't work in FireFox for me, IE is fine though

[DU GrovelBot]

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[H2O Man]

36. My sister-in-law

and niece saw him in Oregon recently. My brother said that the crowd started gathering several hours before he was expected to even reach the campus. They were able to get front row seats, and e-mailed me a lot of nice photos.

[grasswire]

37. KATU has basketball on right now. (eom)

[Willo]

38. I have KATU showing the crowd. KGW showing hockey.

[swag]

39. Thanks.

Dang ol' KGW.

[dana_b]

41. yep. don't stop y'all, get down...

I believe in miracles... oops! now jazz...

[milkyway]

40. Link for Live stream from rally streaming now:

http://www.katu.com/news/content/7315311.html

Hasn't started yet, but they're showing the crowd.

I'm going to Portland on vacation this summer, I can't wait. Just checked the weather, 81 degrees, 26% humidity. I don't know if we ever get humidity that low here in NYC.

[malik flavors]

45. Thanks for the link.

[dbmk]

69. Not sure katu.com was ready to deliver the bandwidth needed for this. :)

Constantly buffering here.

But thanks for the link.

[mystieus]

42. Their feed keeps breaking up... ..are there any other links?

[BlooInBloo]

43. This Thread Is Useless Without Pics!

Cmon someone!

[GarbagemanLB]

44. I just got back from downtown portland. The line is fucking massive. It stretched at least 8 blocks

DOWN, and I don't know how many across. There were so many fucking people down there, it was ridiculous.

[dana_b]

47. I guess you will have a much better view in the comfort of your home!

[GarbagemanLB]

50. My thoughts exactly. I was literally shocked at how many people were in line. It was fucking ridicul

ous. I went to the Obama Portland rally in March and it was nothing like this.

[DesEtoiles]

54. Just took the stage! OMG! Look at that crowd!!!!!!!!!!!!

[grantcart]

48. CNN is going to show it after the commercial break

[malik flavors]

49. Aren't The Decemberists playing at this rally?

[dana_b]

52. I think they're done. n/t

[VolcanoJen]

53. The Obama Family hitting the stage now!

Looks like a gorgeous day!!!!

[K Gardner]

55. Why can't these CNN ANCHORS STFU ??!!

[kid a]

57. i agree - still babbling on!

[thewiseguy]

60. I just hate Jim. Someone should tell him to STFU.

[DesEtoiles]

56. Obama says: "Spectacular setting! Spectacular Crowd! Unbelievable!"

[VolcanoJen]

61. Obama: "This is the most spectacular setting, and the most spectacular crowd...

... that we have seen in this campaign. It doesn't hurt that it's a perfect day!"

[milkyway]

58. How special is this! Michelle and the girls are there.

[jenmito]

59. Look at the size of that crowd!!!

[K Gardner]

62. That is absolutely gorgeous ! People on the river in boats ! What a security nightmare.

[jenmito]

79. It reminds me of people going to see the Macy's fireworks on the 4th of July in NY by the river.

Unbelievable!

[DesEtoiles]

63. gotta be at least 30,000 - it is a gorgeous day in Portland today, picture perfect

[jenmito]

82. Yup-that's what Obama just said-about 30,000.

:hi:

[Adelante]

117. CNN just said 75,000

Unless I'm going deaf.

[DesEtoiles]

64. they need to show the crowd! Look at the FLEET of boats on the Willamette behind him!

[jenmito]

85. They ARE showing the crowd on a split screen on kgw's website.

It's unbelievable.

[VolcanoJen]

65. Know what? McCain's never going to get crowds like this.

And Obama's going to draw them no matter where he goes, all the way to November.

That has to have the McCain staff a little nervous, doesn't it? :-)

[Cha]

78. Looks like cnn is nervous too..not showing the

Obama crowd pics. Some station should show them as well and they'd be the one that people would tune in.

[VolcanoJen]

91. Ha! CNN finally forced to cut away and talk about that massive crowd.

:-)

Isn't Rick Sanchez a total asshat, by the way?

[Cha]

151. I've heard he is but since

I don't get cable I miss the dubious pleasure of his misinformation sleaze.

Thanks to ya'll for doing it though 'cause someone needs to for recon.

[jenmito]

92. Yup. McCain doesn't seem to have that "magnetic" quality.

:D

[DesEtoiles]

66. CNN feed is terrible compared to KGW locally-picture darkened on CNN

[DesEtoiles]

67. sounds pretty much like the stump speech at this point, but I don't care!

[jenmito]

100. Yeah, it pretty much is. But then ya gotta realize most people don't follow politics like we do,

tuning in to live streaming video, hearing the whole speech over and over.

[jenmito]

96. And they'll probably cut from his rally altogether soon. KGW's video is beautiful.

[DesEtoiles]

68. CNN is cropping out the crowd, and is not showing all the boats on the river

[Willo]

71. I'm watching all three and noticed that also.

[VolcanoJen]

72. I've yet to see one crowd shot on either feed

Why not??

[Willo]

76. KGW is showing some nice crowd shots

A sea of people and a crowd of boats :)

[PM7nj]

77. KGW is showing the crowd.

It is absolutely massive. This might be close to the Philadelphia rally.

[DesEtoiles]

80. KGW's coverage very good-split screen to show crowd, bridge, river

[VolcanoJen]

84. Thank you!!!! I was watching KATU which is the same as the CNN feed!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[VolcanoJen]

81. Wasn't the Philly crowd estimated at 25,000?

Looks like this one has it beat... and Obama certainly seemed overwhelmed and impressed when he came to the stage!

Way to go PORTLAND!!!!! :bounce:

[thewiseguy]

83. The philly crowd was estimated to be 40k

[Barack_America]

93. I think the final estimate was about 45,000.

It seems there were even people BEHIND Independence Hall.

What a night that was!

[thewiseguy]

94. According to CNN that record was just broken!

50K in attendance at Obama rally in Portland.

[jenmito]

105. Holy cow! This race is over Tuesday!

[DesEtoiles]

109. YES. WE. CAN!!!!!!!!!!

[PM7nj]

90. The Philly rally was over 35,000.

This might beat it though!

[DesEtoiles]

75. ok - Helicopter aerial view - holy COW! That's probably 40,000 +!!

[dbmk]

88. Yeah - there are people everywhere!

Seems like people have tried to find every conceivable spot to see and/or hear something from.

[JimGinPA]

89. CNN Just Said 50,000

[jenmito]

98. I'm not surprised.

[Terri S]

86. wow - they just said 50,000 on CNN !! n/t

[BlooInBloo]

97. Anybody know the record?

[thewiseguy]

99. Record was the Philadelphia rally at 45k

[BlooInBloo]

106. heh. "was".

[thewiseguy]

87. CNN: 50K attending the Obama rally!

[Barack_America]

95. Well damn, I guess they beat the Philly record.

:wow:

[VolcanoJen]

102. OMG!!!! 50,000 for President Obama!!!!!

This is fantastic!!

[NotThisTime]

103. Amazing!!! Go Oregonian's!!!

[DesEtoiles]

104. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Willo]

101. Imagine what a GE rally might look like.

[DesEtoiles]

108. woot!

[RainDog]

110. just gave a smack down to Bush

stump speech but updated.

[Poll_Blind]

111. Sweet! Ripping into Bush for his Israel-assisted slam on Obama as an "appeaser"! n/t

PB

[DesEtoiles]

112. Fired up and ready to go!!!

[mystieus]

113. Obama praising Portland for its mass-transit, alternate fuels, and bicycle happy culture. Nice.

[NotThisTime]

114. Man is he FIRED UP about foreign policy, GO BARACK!!!

[TexasLady]

115. Holy!...That's whatcha call a Lot of People!!

Incredible!!

[RainDog]

124. The crowd was MASSIVE

The shot of the crowd at the end, from behind the speaker's stand - incredible.

People in this nation are so hungry for real leadership, for someone who actually gives a damn about this nation and not just the rich fucker fat cats.

[TexasLady]

138. I cant WAIT for some pics of this!!!

Good wide shots of it!

[DemReadingDU]

118. Wow, that was a lot of people! n/t

[Labors of Hercules]

122. Oh how I want to move to OREGON!!!

DAMN! :wow:

[Poll_Blind]

119. Holy God! When Obama finished they showed the HUGE SEA of people there to listen to him!

  AMAZING! The aerial shots gave the impression that there were a HELL of a lot of people there but from his vantage it just stretched on forever.

PB

[ClayZ]

125. It is absolutely amazing!

WOW! How beautiful!


They looked like a garden!

[me b zola]

152. Mr Zola and I were two of those flowers!

:bounce:

[ClayZ]

154. Yay! How beautiful! What a gathering!

[PM7nj]

120. Wow! Wow! Wow!

What an amazing rally! 50,000 people!

[Terri S]

126. Wowza! The Obama site is saying it was 75,000

60,000 inside the park gates and 15,000 outside !!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

139. yes!

[Arugula Latte]

127. I'm SO PROUD of my city!!!

:cry:

DAMN!! I freakin' LOVE this place!! :bounce:

[ClayZ]

130. Whoooo Hooooo PORTLAND!

I love Portland!

(from Seattle)

[Arugula Latte]

141. I love Seattle!

Northwest Unity! :toast:

[ClayZ]

148. YEAH!

:toast:

We were at the Seattle Rally with 20,000 in Key arena, and 10,000 more outside, in WINTER!


Portland was AMAZING today!

The Whole World is Watching!


WOOOOO HOOOOO!

[Arugula Latte]

149. But what the hell was that large golden orb in the sky?!

It was heat giving, as well!

:D

[ClayZ]

150. Lofty thoughts!

[Terri S]

133. As well you should be!

I have a friend that's been after me to come out for the longest time -- she's in Ashland. I've lived in Washington state and CA and somehow missed Oregon. Gotta fix that someday soon!

[Arugula Latte]

144. Yes ... Please come for a visit!

...now that you're about as far away from us as is possible to still be in the United States ;)

[jefferson_dem]

136. You should be proud.

Beautiful place...with A+ political taste. Let's just kick that cretin Smith out of office and it'll be all good.

[Arugula Latte]

142. A-freakin-men. Smith is a stain on our otherwise great state.

:toast:

[NotThisTime]

137. I'd be proud too!!! What's your local station saying about the crowd #??

[Arugula Latte]

146. I basically just heard "massive" -- but I was flipping the channels around to get

different coverage and different crowd shots, so I probably missed a specific estimate. I'll watch local news later and see what the consensus seems to be.

75,000 as per CNN, though. :wow:

[PM7nj]

143. Here's what 75,000 cultists looks like!

[mystieus]

145. Wow! any more pics?

[DemReadingDU]

153. Wow, that was a lot of people! n/t

[FightingIrish]

147. What a great way to kick off the general election.

John McCain will shit when he sees those pictures.