Obama and Oprah crowd "looked like a Bennetton ad," draws more people than Harkin Fish Fry

[ClarkUSA]

The crowd, a campaign staffer joked, looked like a Bennetton ad, filled with diversity that one rarely sees in Iowa. A group of Giuliani supporters
had high praise for Winfrey, saying that Obama was lucky to have someone like her, but questioned whether the candidate would be able to sell
his message to Iowans.

Others said they were open to Obama because of the speech. One group of women, who got tickets, because their brother was a precinct captain,
had never caucused before, and at least three were planning to attend the January caucus partially because they felt Winfrey helped push them
towards a call to service. One of the three said that after listening to Obama's speech that she was open to caucusing for him.

Winfrey's speech was sandwiched between a short introduction between Obama’s wife Michelle, and a longer speech by Obama. He praised Iowa
and Iowans for their kindness and openness to supporting him, and said that even when he was down in the polls, he would always point to Iowa
as a place where voters were listening to him.

The campaign estimated that 18,500 people packed HyVee Hall in downtown Des Moines. That number is several thousand greater than the number
of people that appeared for all seven Democratic candidates at the Harkin Steak Fry in September.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/12/08/505813.aspx

The Des Moines O-O rally was the biggest political event of the year for Iowa - and that doesn't include tonight's Cedar Rapids audience. Drawing
more Democrats and left-leaning independents and moderate Republicans to our side in a state that went for Bush in 2004 is good for all of us.

O-vation!

[Webster Green]

1. What the hell is a Bennetton?

Never heard of it, but I don't go to shopping malls or any dumb ass shit like that.:shrug:

[silverweb]

4. Benetton Advertising Group...

Responsible for some great ad campaigns: http://press.benettongroup.com/ben_en/about/campaigns/history/?t=print

[ariesgem]

6. Benetton's a clothing label known more for their ads. They use models of all ethnic persuasions

with a theme of racial harmony.

[Taverner]

2. Rock on O & O

Please - change the texture of modern politics with this...

[babylonsister]

3. 'Change the texture"

I love that! :thumbsup: Change is sorely needed.

[K Gardner]

5. What's a Harkin Fish Fry?

[silverweb]

7. Fish, steak... whatev...

It's still a _party!_

:D

[K Gardner]

8. Good lord, I MUST move to Iowa ! That looks like a blast...

Thanks for the link !

[silverweb]

9. You're welcome!

Harkin's Steak Fry has been an annual ritual for 30 years now -- one hell of a party.

Check out the very best, most uplifting and hope-giving speech of this year's event: _Part1_ and _Part2_.

:hi:

[tomreedtoon]

11. It's something as messy as a fish boil.

You've certainly heard of a fish boil. That's where they throw the fish into a big kettle and boil them until a stinky, poisonous oil comes out. Then they pour some gasoline onto the top of the boiling water, and set it on fire to burn off the poison oil. Then they dredge the cooked fish out once the fire has died out, THEN they skin and clean the fish, then they feed it to hungry people.

It is said that this is similar to the Biblical story of the loaves and fishes, since it's a God-given miracle if you live after eating this stuff.

Now imagine the same thing, but with hot grease boiling in the kettle instead of water, and no gasoline fire. That's a fish fry.

Senator Harkin started this tradition, or so I'm told, because after people ate this stuff, he passed out the airsickness bags, for which the voters were grateful.

[FrenchieCat]

10. Hey....... how they get that much diversity in Iowa?

Iowa = Bennetton? :wow:

[ClarkUSA]

12. lol

Well, there's Iowa Bennetton ads and then there's East Bay Bennetton ads, you see... ;)

[IA_Seth]

13. I hope that was sarcasm?

Iowa's metro areas are rather diverse for the midwest, especially Des Moines.

[Beacool]

14. A Bennetton ad in Iowa??????

Surely, you must be jesting!!! Iowa is one of the whitest states in the nation (over 92% white). Let me guess, how many people were from IL and surrounding states in that crowd? Too funny.........

[goodhue]

16. The city of Des Moines is 80% white

There are about 40,000 people of color in Des Moines

[ClarkUSA]

17. Thanks for the facts.

I'll bet a large fraction of that population was in Des Moines yesterday.

[ClarkUSA]

15. Heads-up... link to full-screen online viewing of O-O rally in SC

Enjoy... the rally begins in an hour.

Link: http://ustream.tv/1vt,YsmlDTltX5Vyeow.LLF2pLttiKm7.usc

And C-SPAN is replaying the Des Moines O-O rally at 6:30 PM ET.