VolcanoJen's Excellent Cincinnati Obama Rally Adventure! (loooong but lots of pics!!)

[VolcanoJen]

Sorry this report is a little late, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. And I hope it gets you FIRED UP and READY TO GO!!!!

Thursday, October 9, 2008 - Cincinnati, Ohio - Ault Park

On a beautiful October day in Cincinnati, Ohio, bathed in resplendent sunshine in gorgeous Ault Park, I saw for myself the Next President of the United States.

The day began on a bit of a sour note. At a Sunoco in Covington, Kentucky, picking up some coffee and wearing my Obama shirt, a man asked me if I was on my way to the Terrorist Rally. Now, I feel the best way to deal with these people is to use snarky humor, so I snapped back at him that yes, and in fact I was late to pick up Mohammar Qadaffi and didn't really have time for small talk. The clerk behind the counter laughed her ass off, and the man just walked away. Don't ever forget... these people are cowards. Hit 'em back and they'll run. While paying for my coffee, the clerk told me, "Be sure you don't wear that shirt into the polls when you vote, they might not let you vote and you need to have your vote counted!" I smiled and told her that I live in Ohio, and I already voted. She high-fived me.

So, off to pick up my friends and head to the rally! We wanted to get there as early as possible so we'd get a good view of Obama; the rally was scheduled to start at 3:00 with the "doors" to the park opening at 1:00. We arrived at 11:30, and walked right up to a perfect view!!

We took our spots on the gorgeous lawn and since we were so early, everyone just stretched out like felines and bathed in the abundant sunshine. We were surrounded by such lovely people. There was an adorable family picnicking in front of us, with kids in their Halloween costumes. The little boy wore an Obama Halloween mask and his mother lifted him up on her shoulders while hundreds of people snapped photos of him, laughing. It was so wonderful to be surrounded by joyous, positive people. Such a refreshing change from these awful McCain/Palin rallies we've been watching on our televisions nightly. We chatted while the hours passed; the most common topic was that nobody could remember the last time a DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT stumped in CINCINNATI in OCTOBER. For those who do not know, the southwestern corner of my beloved state of Ohio is the reddest part of the state, and I will always believe that the 2004 election was taken from John Kerry here. It is incredibly encouraging that Barack Obama decided to fight for the voters of Cincinnati, so we showed up to allow ourselves be counted. The local media reported that 15,000 of us were gathered together to show our support!! You'd really have to be from here to understand how astounding that number is.

A few crowd shots to get you warmed up:




The rally started with Cincinnati Mayor Mallory getting us all fired up. We heard from our EXCELLENT candidate for Congress in the Ohio 1st Congressional District, Steve Driehaus, who is leading in the polls!! We received a beautiful invocation, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. And then, a surprise guest... our own Governor, Ted Strickland!!! We roared in approval when he was announced. Now, something pretty funny happened... he began his speech with "My Friends" and the entire crowd groaned! Governor Strickland did this on purpose, and when he broke into a huge smile, we all had a hearty laugh! He said that after we work hard on Election Day, we Ohioans will go home, tired, put up our feet and begin watching the returns. He said that, at about 11:57 pm, when the newscasters say "AND THE GREAT STATE OF OHIO HAS GONE TO BARACK OBAMA," we will know that we have won. The crowd erupted when he made his electoral prediction! GO TED!!! We love our Governor.

Next, we heard a heartwarming speech from a Mount Orab mom whose husband lost his job. We were all excited and happy until she spoke, because she really brought home the economic crisis to all of us. You could hear a pin drop in our crowd of 15,000 as she spoke.



Well... until she began the words "I introduce to you the next...."

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

"... President of the United States, Barack Obama!!"

I've just never seen anything like it. When that man walked onto the stage, we erupted in joy. Just pure, unadulterated happiness, I tell you. It was a sight to behold. I will never forget it and hope to carry that precious memory throughout my life.



Barack gave an excellent speech about the economic troubles we face. He had to have swayed any undecided voter in that crowd when he said, "Now, there's a lot of you here, Cincinnati. Can I have a show of hands? How many of you make over $250,000 a year?" Of course nobody raised their hands and we all looked around and laughed. One guy behind us yelled "I'M BROKE!!!" and Barack laughed. He talked about the greedy AIG executives. He talked about the ridiculous bankruptcy laws that won't allow you to write off the mortgage on your FIRST house, but you can write off your SECOND to your SEVENTH house. He talked about seven houses an awful lot and we all laughed every time he said it.

He spoke for 40 minutes and it felt like 5. He left the crowd wanting more, more, more. He left us SO fired up. I'm telling you, my dear sweet Democratic Underground friends who have carried me through these last seven years of misery, Ohio voters will walk across glass through a desert to vote for this man.

This is probably my favorite photo of the day... let it be known that when Barack Obama carries Ohio, that's the BALLGAME. Let it inspire you through the last weeks of this historic campaign:



Here's a crowd shot of the walk out of the park.... look at these people! They stretched beyond that for-eh-ver. It makes all of us wonder if the estimates of 15,000 weren't incredibly low.



And finally... as we walked back to the car, we walked through the wealthiest section of one of Cincinnati's suburbs, Hyde Park. The neighborhood was littered with McCain/Palin signs in every yard. But there was one woman we'll never forget, because she stood on her lawn berating the crowds as we walked past. And what was she doing? SHE WAS WALKING HER PONY. A pony! A miniature horse!!! And she had a tire swing in her lawn!! And a McCain sign! If you're a reader of Atrios' blog, you have to understand that we hit the motherlode... a pony, a tire swing, and a McCain sign! Literally thousands of people walked past this McCain supporter and she just kept givin' it to us. We had to capture the moment:



And so, that's my report. I realize it's long, but I hope you enjoyed it, I hope it inspires you, and I hope you know that we are fightin' here in Ohio and we will deliver to you THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BARACK OBAMA!!!!

[AnnieBW]

1. F*ck her

and the horse she couldn't ride in on!

Great report! Since I'm in Maryland, and the guys don't need to stump here, I'm living vicariously through everyone else's reports.

[VolcanoJen]

2. I'm so happy to deliver a report like this!

I gotta tell ya, it's a blast living in Ohio in the autumn in an election year. We get all kinds of special attention.

Isn't that woman hysterical!!!???? We only wish we had audio to record her rants!!!

[xxqqqzme]

50. Democrats don't come to Califirnia either

so I 'feel your pain' {Kerry only came when he needed $$$$$)and envy those who are fortunate to hear 'n see the next president of the US.

Love, love, love the pictures. Bitter woman! Hope that endless walking crowd spoiled her Saturday.

[Hepburn]

3. Wish I could rec this more than once ~~ thank you! n/t

[gateley]

4. Thank you -- i enjoy these reports so much. It really makes me feel

as though I was there -- and I can feel the excitement!

[pleah]

5. K&R Great pics!

[Joe the Revelator]

6. I want a minature pony nt

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. Jen, are you a reporter? If not, you should be. I almost felt as if I were there.

Kudos to you and your fellow Ohioans. I'm sure you know how much you guys matter this election season. Thanks for the report. k&r.......

[VolcanoJen]

10. Thank you!!! PLEASE DU keep this kicked for inspiration!!!!!

Tarheel_Dem

GO NORTH CAROLINA! GO OHIO!!!!! LET'S DO THIS THING!!!!!!!!!!

[Tarheel_Dem]

11. You betcha. And I'm sorry about the pony lady. They all seem so unhinged

lately.

[VolcanoJen]

12. Oh, don't be sorry! The Pony Lady was laughed at by thousands of Cincinnatians!!!

[Punkingal]

8. Great report and pics..

But why no pic of Jen? I am disappointed!

[firedupdem]

9. Great Post and Thanks for the pictures! It feels good to see the

people and feel the enthusiasm in other states! I live in this fucking red state of hell and if it weren't for posts like this I would totally miss out on the total excitement in this election! I hope Obama will come back to Omaha! I would walk across glass to be a part of the crowd!

[stevedeshazer]

13. Yay! Your pics are excellent

Thanks for posting this, VJ.

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. Another kick for inspiration. Go OHIO!

[trashcanistanista]

15. Wonderful post!

You made me cry! Bring it home for us Ohio!!!!

[VolcanoJen]

18. I cried while I wrote it, trashcanistanista

OHIO FOR OBAMA! OHIO FOR OBAMA! OHIO FOR OBAMA!!!!

[asdjrocky]

16. Gotta give this a big K&R! nt

[MarthaMyDear]

17. Ponies for McCain...lol!

Great report! I agree with others...you should be a reporter!

[JimWis]

19. Thanks. Outstanding report & pics.

[SallyMander]

20. K and R!!!

Here's to a blue Ohio!!!

[mod mom]

21. I have to say I lived in Hyde Park when in grad school (across from Busken Bakery)

and when I visited recently, I was pleased to see so many SUPPORT THE TROOPS END THE WAR signs on my old street (Zumstein). Not all are Republican.

Great pictures. I worked the Columbus Rally!

[VolcanoJen]

24. Hyde Park is a great Cincy neighborhood

As you obviously know, there are very, very, very wealthy sections of it, and very youthful, exuberant, thriving working-class sections of it, too. It was a little bizarre seeing the signs change.... walk through Observatory and it's nothing but McCain/Palin signs. Hit Edwards and it's nothing but Obama/Biden signs.

Kudos to you for working the Columbus Rally!!! Obama Volunteers are THE BEST!!!!

mod mom

[chieftain]

57. I used to live on Observatory and loved the neighborhood.

Every once in awhile I still find myself thinking about Graeter's ice cream. So thanks for a trip down memory lane and the great report on our next President. GOBAMA!!!

[JeffR]

22. Fantastic job!

Great pics and inspiring words! Take a bow.

[NanceGreggs]

23. Excellent reporting ...

... and fabulous pics!!!

Thanks, Jen!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

25. I think the pony lady is going to become legendary around here

Great report, Jen!

I saw Obama a bit upriver from you in Portsmouth on Thursday

[VolcanoJen]

26. Portsmouth is BEAUTIFUL

My grandfather was from there, and I treasure the memories of visiting that gorgeous part of our great state when I was just a kid.

What was that like??? Did Obama bring out the people of Portsmouth? I'm so happy he visited there... it's excellent news for Ohio Obama supporters!!!

Edited to add: I want to make The Pony Lady famous.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

84. It's beautiful, but it's in tough times

The town is dying economically. I used to work at the paper there a few years ago ( I live an hour away now) and it was sad to see such a once vibrant, small-town community falling apart so rapidly. Forbes magazine just named the town one of the most economically vulnerable in America earlier this week.

The people there are wonderful. Lots of pockets of progressivism in southern Ohio that you don't hear about enough. We had some truly great contributors who's send us thoughtful LTTEs on a regular basis.

The rally at Shawnee State University was packed. Obama was a bit late, as he made an unannounced stop in Lucasville, but he gave a great speech (as did Sherrod Brown)

I've been criss-crossing the bottom of the state a lot for this campaign. Headed to Athens to see Biden on Wednesday, then to Cinci on Thursday.

[glowing]

27. You are so right, when he speaks, though it takes 40mins, it doesn't feel long enough.

Its amazing the feeling you can receive by words, inspiration, and the energy of positivity... Seriously, when they show an Obama rally, its like sunshine.. When they show a Palin/ McCain rally its like a dungeon of gloom doom and hate.. I feel like I'm in that man's old prison cell....

[IndianaGreen]

28. Thank you VolcanoJen for your fine reporting and pictures!

Keep up the good work!

[VolcanoJen]

31. Thank you!!!

And my dear IndianaGreen, isn't it astounding that a Democratic candidate for President is stumping in Indianapolis and Cincinnati in OCTOBER???

[IndianaGreen]

34. Indiana is ripe for picking!

Lots of unhappy people that voted for Bush in 2004 are now going to vote for Obama.

[VolcanoJen]

38. So many of my friends are from Indiana

They moved to Cincinnati years ago, for work.

The other day, a friend told me about her sister and brother-in-law, who live outside Bloomington. They operate a family-owned soy farm that has been in his family's possession for generations. She told me her sister, a four-time Bush (pops and son!!) voter, is freaked out because they were denied a loan to purchase the seed they need for the next crop. Her husband says they will lose the farm if they can't plant, and the credit crunch is hitting them at home.

They're voting Obama, and my friend can barely believe it. What's really a shame is that it had to get to the point of desperation and despair for some people to realize they've been voting against their own interests for their entire lives.

C'mon Indiana, though. C'mon, now!!!!

[WillyT]

29. Fantastic Report VJ !!! - K & R !!!

And thank you for all that you do!

[ismnotwasm]

30. Absolutely awesome

Thank you for all this, it's a beautiful part of my day

[MsLeopard]

32. Bookmarked, K&R

Wonderful summary of a glorious day. Thank you for taking time to share.

[Cha]

33. Rec'd~This is a magnificent report from Cincinnati, Ohio on

John Lennon's birthday, Jen!

I saw that Rally livestreamed on cnn and thought what another really great speech Obama gave right when we needed it, again

OHIO FOR OBAMA

Thank you, Jen!

[Zomby Woof]

35. Excellent work, fellow terra-lover!

I myself have been known to prefer direct confrontation with the brain-dead.

GREAT pics, and a wonderful day for all of us!!

[VolcanoJen]

40. You!!!

Freakin' terrorist baby killer asswipe!

Ahhh, Ohio in October, nothin' like it!!!

Wasn't it interesting to see McCain finally push back yesterday on the powder keg he set aflame? And how his crowd booed him for it?

Interesting times, my friend. Interesting times. ZombyWoof

[Zomby Woof]

42. His desperation knows no bounds

The booing was chilling. Basically, these people are addicted to hate, and his words were a buzzkill. They CRAVED reinforcement and validation of their hatred, and they weren't getting it. It's not much of a stretch to say their kind would be at home in Nuremburg, circa 1938.

It was a desperate act by a man broken and defeated. Good. I want to see him beaten down by the very hatred he encouraged and enabled.

I admire your hard work for Obama's Ohio campaign. We don't have a single vote to waste! JenJen!

[RollWithIt]

36. Confused about the pony, tire, and sign thing....

Just wondering. I looked at atrios and couldn't find anything relevant.

[VolcanoJen]

39. In a nutshell....

There's an old war story that says something about "if we dig through all of this bullshit, there's gotta be a pony under her somewhere!" Atrios uses "pony" to describe the Bush Administration. Where's the pony? Will we find the pony? I hope there's a pony here somewhere.

That's the pony part. Someone else here at DU can surely describe it better.

Tire Swing... well, over this summer, McCain held a Barbecue at his Sedona cabin compound for members of the press. His daughter Meghan shot video of it and posted it here. It's unintentionally hilarious! There's a portion of the video where major media figures take turns on McCain's tire swing. Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!! That's the tire swing part. Whenever you're looking around Atrios or Talking Points Memo and hear about a tire swing, it's because the media has been in the McCain tank for-eh-ver.

And the McCain sign just ties it all in together. Sorry to have been elusive in my OP about the pony, the tire swing, and McCain!

[RollWithIt]

43. Cool, hey, was it a horse like this?

Because I know dwarf horses are excellent guide animals for the blind. If they're trained right. You can even potty train them and they are excellent lawn mowers!

[BrklynLiberal]

56. That is so incredible..with sneakers and all...

Must be an extremely sweet animal. I guess they live longer than guide dogs as well...

[Kukesa]

83. Nice explanation. n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

55. Here is the "story"

There is an old story about a little boy who was always optimistic. He always found the good side of everything. He drove people crazy. One day his parents decided to teach him that sometimes bad things happened without a good side. So on his birthday they filled his room with horse manure.

The little boy jumped in with great abandon and started searching. When asked what he was looking for he replied, "with all this manure there has to be a pony in here somewhere!"

[geckosfeet]

37. Thank you for such a wonderful story. So refreshing and good to hear about

Obama's campaign stops. Such a positive and uniting message.

Thanks.

[caseycoon]

41. Great photos! Wonderful report!

But long? NO!
You could have gone on & on & on & still I would have hung on every word. Like Obama you left us wanting more! LOL!
Thanks so much! K&R

[JimGinPA]

44. Great Pictures - Excellent Report (And Very Funny Too!)

K&R

[VolcanoJen]

47. Pennsylvania for Change!!!!

I love your sig, Jim!

Thank you for the kind words. JimGinPA

[Barbara2423]

45. Thank you so much

I am still registering people to vote in California - there are no safe states. We must continue to work until the job is done.

[Tarheel_Dem]

46. Another kick before heading out........

[adoglover]

48. awesome

First time poster, avid reader of this thread. What a sight your "excellent adventure" was! Awesome. Am a CA resident so my vote not that important (though we need some votes against Prop hate)... nice to see Ohio for Obama!

[road2000]

49. Temporarily housebound.

I just had surgery and was unable to be there. So your great report made me feel so much better!

Wish you could vote twice -- once for you and once for me. I'm about one mile south of Downtown, but it's still Kentucky. At least we have a shot at ditching Mitch this year.

Thanks again for your great report and the photos!

[Cali_Democrat]

51. rec'd

nt

[crazy_vanilla]

52. Thanks !!! I pity the pony, though

Pony, if you see Sara Palin, run, run for your life for she may mistake you for a miniature moose and do away with you.

[BrklynLiberal]

53. Incredible report..and certainly not too long.

Wonderful pics and heartwarming descriptions.

The pic of the woman and her pony, swing and McSame signs is priceless!!!

Thanks so much. I am also looking forward to hearing the words "Ohio goes to Obama!!" on election night!!!

[Ozma]

54. You do great pictures and reporting

Are you a photojournalist, a print journalist, or just a lover of Obama with a great sense of the world around you?

I don't know you, (sort of new here, have read a few of your posts before) you seem like a great person to know.

[ProSense]

58. Awesome photos.

I love the shot of the crowd walking down the street.

[Born_A_Truman]

59. Thank you so much!

I almost moved to the Cincinnati area (Wilmington) in the 90's and it's beautiful country! Probably a good thing I didn't because the facility is no longer in business now; it was a video duplication division of my old company located at the business park near Airborne (now DHL). They are closing too now, right? Another reason to thank McCain.

I pray Obama takes Ohio. I am going to have a case of tissue for election night! GOBAMA!

[bluesmail]

60. I wish your journal was LONGER! Like a good book

I never want to end. Thanks for the inspiration! I know that feeling of amazement/wonderment/special-ment.

[BlooInBloo]

61. Might be the best rally report thread yet! Thanks!

[mamalone]

62. That was such a great report!

Too bad pony-lady had to pollute the good-feeling day... may I ask what she said to you all? People like that just befuddle me. Does she think she'll change anyone's mind by screeching at them? so sad.

[quiet.american]

63. Thank you for this AWESOME post! nt

[DemReadingDU]

64. Nice pictures!

Earlier Thursday morning, we went to Obama rally in Dayton


82 pictures
includes both Dayton and Cincinnati
http://projects.daytondailynews.com/galleries/News/Loca... /

[Susanelle]

65. What a Great Day!

I know exactly how you feel! I attended a rally in Asheville, NC last Sunday, waited all day & eventually my son & I got to shake hands with Barack. It was such a wonderful experience! We got some great pictures and we were on CNN live during the handshake. While waiting for 9+ hours, we met & talked to such nice people who felt as we do that Barack is going to help America do great things. The whole day was an experience I'll never forget. 28,000+ people were there, and I am determined to help NC take Obama/Biden to the White House! Thanks for sharing your great day.

[and-justice-for-all]

66. "THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BARACK OBAMA!!!!

That has such a nice ring to it!

Did that fascist give you their traditional Nazi salute as you walked by?

[grantcart]

67. If Ohio or Florida go Obama then McCain has no chance

[Liberalboy]

68. Thank you so much!

I loved the story

[jillan]

69. Thanks for sharing your Excellent Adventure with us!

[phoenixriz]

71. What a wonderful journal

I loved the way you spoke to us and spaced the pictures. Great description of your entire day and especially enjoyed your terriost response.

My brother use to live there but is now in Dayton. 8 votes for Obama from Dayton on the way.

I love that part of the country. It reminds me of Eastern Kansas where I live (no, we are not flat) across the river from Missouri. Unfortunately, our Eastern Kansas vote never counts in this red state. Maybe someday but at least I get to cross the river and see Biden and Obama when they come. Michelle and Biden were here this last week.

Thank you so much for sharing with us. Now I am going back up the thread to see the Daton pictures.

Ohio...........bring him home!!!!

[AzDar]

70. Wow! Ault Park! One of the earliest photos of myself in existence is in front of that pavilion

in the fifth photo where (very coolly) the 'Ohio For Obama ' sign is now.

I used to LIVE in that park (not literally); had SO many great times there growing up, and haven't thought about it in years.

It's still beautiful, I see, and made even more so by all the BEAUTIFUL, ENLIGHTENED, HUMANITY in the pix.

Glorious! Thanks for posting, VolcanoJen....

[CoffeeCat]

72. Jen, this was so uplifting...

...and such a colorful, fun, inspiring post!

I have to say that I am still laughing at that woman with the pony! What really
made me chuckle was the tire swing. I kept imagining one of you saying, "What's
with the tire swing? Are you expecting President Bush to come by for a visit?"

She's a caricature! I can only imagine what she said to everyone!

That really gave me a chuckle.

A pony!!

[Kaleko]

73. It's rare to read something so refreshing and sincere.

I remember your report from the primaries too, Jen. You have a unique voice. I'll look out for your next one. Thanks for sharing.

[ClayZ]

74. Thank you so much!

What a great report and wonderful photos!

[flygal]

75. Can I be your neighbor?

I might be moving to cin next year and I'm Everyone at our company is pretty right. It's good to know there are so many cool people. ETA - thanks for the post and pics - woo hoo!

[Sunnyshine]

76. I was there too, as a volunteer. Thank you for this amazing OP highlighting the historic moment.

I was volunteering for Obama campaign but ended up helping the Cincinnati Firefighters, who verified their count at about 20,000!

It was an amazing afternoon! Hope filled the air and the sky was so blue. Like Ohio will be Nov.4.

I trained and worked for the event and loved watching people pour in from every neighborhood across the Tri-state. There was a great turnout of rural Ohio voters, probably a higher than expected turnout from Kentucky and Indiana, we had groups on bicycles, whole families coming together, lots of senior citizens, and I spied many Obamicans, one particularly funny one from a group of Harley Riders. Dozen or so of school groups and of course, college students everywhere. I was elated by the end of the day.

All of these every day people knew that we were there because we are strongly united by the words of Sen. Barack Obama, who might I add, was physically and emotionally- right in there amongst us. It felt personal, and you knew his words gave everyone in attendance a better understanding of what we are facing and exactly how we can begin to fix our troubles.

We all left knowing we had to come together like never before- to solve one of the greatest challenges this country has ever faced. We are determined to take back our country. Cincinnati needed this and I believe it will have a lasting impact on our community.

I'll always be grateful for this day and for the experiences I've had while working to elect Barack Hussein Obama as our next POTUS.


Great job VolcanoJen! The Alt Park setting rocked the hilltops of Cincinnati! Obama/Biden '08 Fired UP!

[ColbertWatcher]

77. Beautiful pictures! Thank you! k+r, n/t

[Kajsa]

78. What a great report, Jen! The photos are fantastic!

I wish I had been there, but the feelings came through
your report.

Thanks so much!

[saltpoint]

79. Damn. Look at all those PEOPLES!

I love it.

John McCain is not drawing crowds remotely similar to this in volume or in enthusiasm.

And John McCain isn't drawing class-act supporters like the OP, either.

I thought you handled that jerk at the store perfectly. Keep up the great work.

[liam_laddie]

80. Ault Park adventure

VJ - terrific report as usual; you've set the bar very high indeed! We were there just under the "OHIO FOR OBAMA" sign. Crowd was 15K minimum, maybe 20K. A fire marshall said it was the biggest he'd ever seen at Ault. The only downside was that the advance people ordered only four schoolbuses for the parking shuttle from Lunken Airport; coulda used a dozen. (For non-Cincinnatians, Lunken is a late '30's municipal airport, now used for private and corporate aviation. About two miles by street from the rally. Many Gulfstreams and lesser birds serving the topmost layer of the local republic "base" are HQ'd there.)
The line waiting for the shuttle was at least a quarter-mile long, snaking all over the tarmac in front of the terminal. Hundreds of cars parked there, too. After, we went to Allyn's on Columbia Parkway and had the unfortunate experience of seeing the Straight Talk Express bus, escorted by at least eight CPD cars, taking L'il Sarah downtown to pick some rightwingers' pockets. Damn near spoiled our quesadillas! Palin was here and Wilmington, Ohio - DHL's "home" - that day. Hope she noted the huge Obama turnout evidenced by the massive number of cars parked for the shuttle.

[VolcanoJen]

81. Thank you, old friend!!

It really is up to us to just treat those kinds of people with humor and a bit of sarcasm. They don't ever expect you to hit back at them; I honestly think they're hoping to make you cry.

I have cried for eight years. I am not crying anymore.

Old Crusoe

[Kukesa]

82. Terrific Post and Terrific Photos! Thanx, Jen.

[barack the house]

85. Exactly humor is the antidote to all their rage pacify negativity with fun.