So Close, yet So Far Away

Today, Sen. Obama came to Charlotte and spoke at a rally. Having missed both Joe Biden and Michelle Obama's visits over the past week, the hub-unit and I were excited about the possibility of seeing Obama speak, live and in-person. We packed up the toddler and went downtown (arriving later than I would have liked to, but we won't discuss the reasons for that *cough*unscheduled McDonalds stop*cough*) and stood in line for 2.5 hours...to no avail. We were still several blocks away from the entrance when we heard the unmistakable sound of Barack Obama's voice over downtown, punctuated by the disappointed groans of those in line around us. One lady in front of us burst in tears because she was so disappointed. Even though Sen. Obama spoke for 30 minutes, we did not get into the venue. Estimates indicate that close to 20,000 people were inside the security when he started speaking, while at least 5,000 to 10,000 were outside.

While we were extremely bummed about missing the chance to see Obama speak, I have to say that we were thrilled by the turnout. It was amazing and exciting to be a part of such a diverse and enthusiastic group. It really made everyone feel as though "Yes, we can!"