Obey Giant Obama Progress Posters @ Clark Clinton Rally

Talk about timing!

An Express Mail package from ObeyGiant arrived at my door at 11:30am today and Hillary Clinton was due to speak at Clark University just 4 or so blocks away at 12:30.

When I took the day off today a couple weeks back the idea behind it was the fact that I would be nursing a Super Sized hangover after a Patriots victory, but instead I had crow for breakfast and did what I could to make something positive out of the day. Heck, I moved to Worcester for reasons such as this... If a presidential candidate is going to be stumping just a brisk walk away from my doorway I would be ignorant not to go and show my face.

The liveblogging by the Worcester Magazine crew let me know that Hillary was running late and I had plenty of time when I headed out the door at noon. Upon arrival the line for admittance went from Kneller Aud. all the way down Downing St. to Main St. and the down Main St. to the main gates to Clark Campus. Since the line was so long at this point I took up a post at the Church on the corner of Gates St. and Main. Once they herded most of the people inside I went down Downing St. right in front of Kneller Auditorium and met up with the folks you see holding the signs. At this point a couple other Obama supporters came over our way as well as a reporter from the Fitchburg Sentinel who we chatted with for a while.

All of the crowd was inside by this point and I headed home as I had some errands to run. A trip to the Post Office later and the Daily Worcesteria blog tells me that Hillary is still running late and that she is on 290. i figured I would be doing more good going back to Clark and holding a sign outside the venue than sitting at home. So I marched back to Clark and arrived at the front doors just before Hillary began speaking.

I took up a nice spot on the top of a berm near a tree right at the main entrance to the auditorium. In my time holding the sign there I can certainly say that the under 25 vote was very vocal for their support for Obama and the sign was getting all kinds of shout outs from the crowd. A group of local school kids came over and started mugging for the camera while there friends took camera phone pics, a boyfriend and girlfriend couple came over and asked if they could take their picture with the poster. This went on for quite some time, the sign generating "whoops" from the crowd as well as some "Obama" chants. The college aged kids in the crowd were quite vocal in their support.

But I will also say there was a small but sizable contingent of older status quo Dem's, stately looking men in ties and sportcoats, who would give me a wry smile or a hidden thumbs up as they walked past me. It seems they felt that they had to be subdued in their support, but it makes me think that when they get behind the curtain tomorrow and are ready to make their vote that the can certainly be voting Obama as well.

Only two people really "yelled" at me. One older gentleman yelled, "You had your day, it's time for you to go home...." Another lady repeatedly yelled, "All hat, no cattle." Upon a bit of googling I have come to find out that the phrase applies to pretend cowboys that dress and talk the part, pretending to be what they are not.

I thought that is what we were dealing with in the White House now. Oh but that's right, he does like to clear brush.

All in all this was a very cool way for me to spend a scheduled day off. Much more interesting than being at work and really made me excited for tomorrow's election results in Mass and beyond.


Daily Worcesteria