The breakneck pace of these days before the oh-so-important election of our new president for 2008. And yet the sameness and even tedium. All those images of Barack and Joe, John and Sarah, day after day in different locations. With no real point in keeping track of the cities, or even of figuring out where they all are on a given day.
From the Obama campaign, incredible pictures are becoming commonplace. Barack has gone back to the huge events that were so made fun of by the Republicans. Jealousy, don?t you think? I was amazed that the Obama campaign scaled back. Now they?ve dialed up the energy again. 100,000 people under the Arch in St. Louis on Saturday, a few hours later 75,000 in Kansas City – sure makes it feel like Missouri, long red, might be turning blue – or at least a beautiful shade of purple.
But what amazing crowds, just looking at the pictures. Who can believe so many folk coming together like this, and in cities across the nation? These kinds of crowds might be seen every decade or so on the mall in our capitol, with the Washington Monument in the background. But happening now, twice in one day, in the hinterlands? And, when the news reports are given, the statement is: the biggest crowd in the US. Because that Berlin crowd last summer still holds the record.
Then the picture of Colin Powell last Sunday morning on Meet the Press, delivering in a calm and deliberate and fairly-Barack-like way, his measured explanation of his choice and then his endorsement of Barack for President. And evidence in the polls 4 or 5 days later that the momentum is building. Hurray!