My wife and her parents went to the Bush 2004 rally at the Excel Energy Center yesterday afternoon. We got in line around 3pm, and we moved slowly towards the entrance. There were a small number of protestors across the street, maybe 20-30 or so, and they were holding the predictable "BUSH LIED, PEOPLE DIED" type banners. Most looked like they had just jumped off of the Granola train and were in sore need of a bath. We finally got to the entrance at around 3:45. They were checking IDs at the door, as well as doing the airport type screening - sending people through metal detectors, checking bags and so on.
Once we got in the arena we took our seats straight back from the podium and surveyed the scene as shown in the picture below. There were tons of people there, by all accounts close to 15,000 or so.
The group was quite diverse, from young professionals, to grandmas, to young families
Several speakers came to the podium including the highlights of St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly and Senator Norm Coleman. The excitement kept building until President Bush's bus rolled into the arena and the crowd erupted. Bush received a standing ovation that lasted for what seemed like 10 minutes. He then took the podium to speak.
He received multiple standing ovations for his speech which touched on themes of the war on terrorism, an ownership society, and an over-reaching theme of his administration "getting the job done".
I read the Star Tribune account of the rally this morning, and of course they highlighted the fact that there were "hundreds" of protestors at the event, showing their disapproval of the administration. I never saw "hundreds", but I did see about 75-100 protestors when we were waiting in line, and upon leaving. Definitely not hundreds, however. Here is a picture of a few of those "hundreds".
UPDATE: More on the Bush Rally HERE and HERE
Once we got in the arena we took our seats straight back from the podium and surveyed the scene as shown in the picture below. There were tons of people there, by all accounts close to 15,000 or so.
The group was quite diverse, from young professionals, to grandmas, to young families
Several speakers came to the podium including the highlights of St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly and Senator Norm Coleman. The excitement kept building until President Bush's bus rolled into the arena and the crowd erupted. Bush received a standing ovation that lasted for what seemed like 10 minutes. He then took the podium to speak.
He received multiple standing ovations for his speech which touched on themes of the war on terrorism, an ownership society, and an over-reaching theme of his administration "getting the job done".
I read the Star Tribune account of the rally this morning, and of course they highlighted the fact that there were "hundreds" of protestors at the event, showing their disapproval of the administration. I never saw "hundreds", but I did see about 75-100 protestors when we were waiting in line, and upon leaving. Definitely not hundreds, however. Here is a picture of a few of those "hundreds".
UPDATE: More on the Bush Rally HERE and HERE
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