BARACK OBAMA IN RHODE ISLAND MARCH 1, 2008

The weather forecast was for the snow to start at 3:00 a.m. and continue throughout today. When my alarm went off this morning, Saturday at 7:00 a.m. so that I could go to the Barack Obama speech today in Providence, Rhode Island, I looked out to see whether I had to shovel the snow. Great news, no snow, just rain. When I hit the garage door opener, the electricity wasn't working. There I was ~ already leaving later than I wanted and I couldn't get the car out of the garage!

After running up and down the stairs to the electrical box, I manually opened the door and drove off, leaving the garage door problem for later. When I got a half mile from the location the traffic was a standstill ~ one and a half hours before the doors were to open at noon. The speech wasn't officially to start until 2:00 p.m. I decided to get out of the traffic and park right there and walk. Good idea!

I began talking to another woman who also was walking. She had been to Hillary's speech last Sunday which was at the very same location. She said the crowd was quite different today. Even the policeman was overheard saying, Barack had a much bigger crowd. Once there, the line wrapped around about ten times before it straightened out for the last stretch before we got through the door. Outside speakers were set up and we could hear the local live band playing inside. Unlike the speech I heard in New Hampshire, every one here had to go through metal detectors and all metal things had to be removed, cameras and cell phones had to be turned on for security before getting the nod to go in.

Once inside it was clear I wasn't going to see Barack, but I was there. The crowd was somewhere around 6,000 inside and outside I heard between 2,000 and 4,000. Barack talked to the outside crowd first. Patrick Kennedy introduced Barack.

I took pictures and videos but I was so far back.


Here is a "live-blog" of the rally:
http://www.rifuture.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=1841

Here are his pictures and a wrap-up:
http://www.rifuture.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=1842

LA Times

You can listen:
NPR: Rhode Island Refuses to Be Overshadowed March 4

Tomorrow, I canvas and Tuesday my assignment will be driving people to the polls.

Obama for America