“See a presidential candidate’s stump speech in late October…you may be listening to the next President of the United States”
Those were the words i read in a recent issue of Men’s Health. I don’t know why but for some reason those words struck a chord (or maybe an arpeggio.) Maybe living close to DC has turned me into a political junkie; maybe living close to DC allowed me to catch the political bug that is present with almost everyone I meet down here; maybe it just seemed like a cool idea.
Living in the battleground state of Virginia meant that this idea was also rather possible to do- it was only a matter of time before he’d come back into the area to garner up some support.
And that moment came sooner than I thought.
After watching the Presidential Debates last Tuesday the “best political team in town” mentioned that Barack Obama would be in Roanoke that upcoming Friday. The gears slowly started to turn as I got up the next day.
I spent that day at work thinking, planning, plotting: Roanoke is 4 hours away. I have plenty of time-off built up to easily take Friday off. However I need to fly out for work on Saturday…
On Thursday I had it all planned out and I was ready to make one of the most random trips of my life.
I was going to go see Barack Obama.
The plan was to get out of work on Thursday and quickly pack some things and drive to Roanoke that night. I’d find a motel to crash in and get up early the next day to wait in line and ensure a good spot to see Barack. After the rally I would jump back into my car and hightail it back to DC where I would make an evening flight out to Boston for work that weekend.
It was going to be a tight schedule but I was already committed to doing it.
After work on Thursday I packed for my weekend and I made sure I included a couple of Obama oriented items.
The latest issue of Men’s Health features Obama on the cover. I also brought a sign I got while working for the campaign in Philadelphia. I knew that the chances of actually shaking the man’s hand was slim- getting him to sign a couple of items was even slimmer, but you never know.
Driving non-stop to Roanoke that night wasn’t much of a problem. I popped a couple of pills and I was already flying down the roads both figuratively and literally. For a guy that will drive eight hours to the beach or eight hours to Massachusetts, a four hour trek at night to Roanoke is nothing.
The roads were pretty much deserted, except for the occasional tractor-trailer. The landscape got less city and more Boonie. I drove by JMU and Virginia Tech and realized how isolated both schools are from the world. Driving down those empty roads made me realize how isolated I was from the world.
Making the drive down meant that I wasn’t able to see how the Red Sox were doing in Game 5 of the ALCS. I pulled out my phone for a score update and saw that the Rays were up 7-0 in the late innings. With a 3-1 lead it looks like the Red Sox were done for the season. I put my phone away in disgust and continued to drive.
As I approached the city I encountered a lot of police cruisers on patrol, pulling over drivers, and parked alongside roads. I wonder if it was a sign of increased security or that time to meet your monthly quota. I drove by the Civic Center where the event was going to take place and the entire place was already fenced off from anyone that wanted to park or camp. That meant I’d have a good head start if I got up early tomorrow.
I decided to spend the night at the Days Inn across the street from the Civic Center. The motel was pretty much what I paid for. Too bad I didn’t pay the extra bucks or probably could of landed the Jimmy Carter Suite.
I hope he knows that in the middle of Roanoke is a dingy motel that was a craptastic room named after him.
After getting settled into my room (next to the Jimmy Carter Suite) I turned on ESPN to see how bad the Sox lost. I was pleasantly surprised.
The Sox pulled an amazing comeback and won the game! I’ll live to watch them for another day!
As I walked outside my room the next morning I was met with a wall of rain. The forecast called for a 50% chance of some precipitation and it looks like the coin didn’t land in my favor. While checking out at the front desk the manager on duty had this to say:
Manager: “You know Barack Obama is speaking right across the street this morning…”
Me: “Oh really…”
Manager: “Ya- you gotta be crazy though to want to see him in this weather…”
Me: “Oh ya, you have to be insane… well thanks!”
I am that insane person.
The Civic Center opened their parking lots and since I was a good 2.5 hours ahead of doors opening I easily snagged a spot. As I walked up there was already a line forming, I got in probably amongst the first 100 people. I was excited.
I was also wet and cold.
The rain made quick work of my jacket and jeans- but my spirits were still strong. Others in the line decided that the weather wasn’t worth it but for me it wasn’t a decision to make. I already drove four hours and I wasn’t going to miss this chance to see the candidate I am supporting.
The people in line were really friendly a couple of them let me duck under their umbrellas and we made small talk. Vendors quickly setup in the lots to sell everything from knock-off Obama shirts, buttons, and even underwear. There was a woman who walked up and down the line yelling “Bargains & Badges!” I have no idea what it meant but everyone found it hilarious to listen to.
At 10 AM the doors flew open and we proceeded inside. After going through security I was funneled into the a section of seats. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to the floor and after I found out that I could move down, I decided against it. I wanted a seat after all that standing and the floor was already full of volunteers that were able to get in early.
As I walked around the venue I noticed that the men in suits were already roaming about. It was exciting to see real secret service agents and actually got to talk to a couple of them.
The rally itself was your typical political event. Local officials said a few words before Senator Jim Webb came up and blasted McCain and Palin. I didn’t know he was going to be at the event so he was a pleasant surprise. Towards the end of Webb’s speech he just quickly introduced him and before I knew it Obama was walking through the tunnel into the arena.
The speech was full of message points and lines that I’ve heard in debates and MSNBC- but it was just great to see them delivered live. Obama presented himself as a leader but also as a “local Joe” while he maybe a politician, he does a great job in relating with the middle class audience of Roanoke. A memorable moment for me was when he put his speech aside to call out a girl that got on the shoulders of a friend to get Obama’s attention. While he doesn’t come out to pyrotechnics, Obama rallies really do have a certain rock star quality to it; during the rally the entire arena was doing the wave.
As his speech came to an end and he walked off the stage to shake hands, I just tried to take in the moment. In only a few short days this man might become the next President of the United States and I can say I was there at the beginning. Sure lots of people in Arlington will try and see him on January 20th but that show will almost impossible to see. I was wet, tired, and hungry on the trip back to DC however never once did I stop and think that I wasted anytime on a trip that encompassed many miles.
Sometimes you need to got the extra mile if you really want something, even if that extra ends up being a few hundred.
The local CBS affiliate has the entire Obama Roanoke speech on their website. Barack’s Blog Community has the full transcript of his remarks. Below are some highlights from YouTube:
The Obama campaign also produced a clip, this one features Barack on health care:
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Patrick,
Sounds like a great trip and I’m jealous. He’s been in VA two or three times since I’ve been in Chicago and now I’m heading back to VA and will miss the election night party in Chicago. I’m wondering about the karmic laws I may have violated to deserve such treatment…
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[...] also made 2 Obama related road trips this year: one to Philadelphia and another to Roanoke. I’m really happy with the work and travel I put into the campaign and I hope that in the [...]