Living in LoCo
Biden Rallies LoCo
Erica Garman at 6:37 p.m., September 19, 2008 (20 comments)
Jill and Joe Biden. (Photos by Erica Garman)
Obama's Campaign for Change officials estimate that 700 attendees were at Sterling's Claude Moore Park to see and hear Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden. Biden appeared with his wife, Jill Biden, at today's "Women's Rally for the Change We Need" event.
It's unclear how many in the crowd were from Loudoun, but I spoke with several LoCo residents and asked what brought them out today.
Mackenzie Collins of Leesburg brought her children Ethan, 4 and Delaney, 2 to the event to support the Obama/Biden ticket. Collins is a labor-delivery nurse at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Leesburg; Her homemade T-shirt read, "Nurses for Obama."
"This is the most important election of our lifetime," she said gesturing towards her kids, "and their lifetime."
Joining the Collins crew were Amanda Sullivan of Ashburn and her 20-month-old, Derik. Collins also homemade T-shirt read "Hockey Mom for Obama," – an obvious play on Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's moniker.
Mackenzie Collins of Leesburg and Amanda Sullivan of Ashburn with their children.
"My husband is a hockey player," she said, "and as soon as Derik's old enough, he'll be on the ice as well."
Sullivan is a staunch Obama supporter, who frequently brings food she prepares to the volunteers in the Leesburg Obama office.
Today's rally, which was planned with the female voter in mind, drew many young mothers like Collins and Sullivan, but it was well-attended by women of all ages.
Five ladies from the Wingler House retirement community in Ashburn Village were treated to special seating near the front of the stage for the rally. "This is what age gets you," joked Lydia Pokrass. "The best seats in the house!"
The rally also drew women of color.
Pauline Singletary is a retired librarian from the New York Public Library in Manhattan and has lived in Loudoun since 1992. As the founding chairman of the county's Black History Committee, Singletary helped publish the group's two books, which highlight influential African Americans in Loudoun.
Singletary is thrilled that she's seen an African-American come this close to the presidency. "This campaign reminds me that life is worth living," she said. "I just wish my husband were alive to see it."
Wingler House residents L to R: Elease Sturgis, Judith King, Marie Gigliotti, Felicia Barnes, and Lydia Pokrass.
And even though the event was tagged as a women's rally, it also drew many men.
Nathanael Arthur, 22, of Sterling came out with his two friends to see what Biden had to say about the issues. "I'm still undecided," he said.
And, of course, the rally drew journalists.
The roving media – on their whirlwind tour with the Biden camp – were fully wired with some major camera equipment, PDAs, and laptops, and many reporters and bloggers were filing stories from right there in Claude Moore Park.
I spoke briefly with CNN's David Mattingly who said he was working on a segment about Jill Biden that will air tonight at 10 p.m. on Anderson Cooper 360.
And of course, a political Democratic rally wouldn't be complete without some local politicians.
Representing Loudoun at the rally were State Delegate David Poisson (D-32) and State Sen. Mark Herring (D-33). Also in attendance was Loudoun Supervisor Andrea McGimsey (D-Potomac).
One of the homemade signs in the crowd reads "Hokies for Obama."
Herring said Loudoun is a critical county in November's election, but he's optimistic that the results will be positive. "If we carry Loudoun County, we can carry Virginia," he said. "And, if we carry Virginia, then Barack Obama and Joe Biden will be in the White House."
Since political experts cite Virginia as a critical swing state in this election, I asked Clark Stevens, spokesman for Obama's Virginia campaign if there's a chance the Senator from Illinois will make a stop in Loudoun before November. Stevens didn't say yes, but he didn't say no, either.
Were you at today's Biden rally? What did you think? Please share your comments in the space below.
And with the tight race, do you think it'd be a good idea for Sarah Palin to make a Loudoun appearance? Or, do you think the recent Fairfax McCain/Palin rally was as close as we'll get to a Republican campaign stop?
RELATED BLOG: Live Tweets From Biden Event
RELATED STORY: Biden Seeks Women Vote at Sterling Rally
RELATED VIDEO: Biden Rallies Women in Sterling
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I was there. It was great. You missed some other Loudoun notables:
Supervisor Stevens Miller
School Board Member John Stevens
10th Congressional Candidate Judy Feder (she got to address the crowd, too)
As much as a political junkie I am, I had not heard most of Biden's speech. He was great. Biden obviously really believes that strong women are the backbone of our society. I think that's clear with Obama as well.
Posted by filmjoy (anonymous) on September 20, 2008 at 12:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow - 700? And only 23,000 for McCain/Palin a few miles away? Wonder who has the edge in Virginia.
Posted by nobamessiah (anonymous) on September 20, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow - 700? And only 23,000 for McCain/Palin a few miles away? Wonder who has the edge in Virginia". Wow, 23thousand McCain supporters in Northern Virginia are so rich they don't have to go to work at a job everyday. Must be nice to be among the wealthy who can come and go as they please on any day of the week. Most Americans have jobs (usually working for the indulgent rich Republicans) and can't just take half a day to travel to an event. Besides, most of the folks who would have wanted to go already know who they are voting for and don't need constant reassurance about their choice!
Posted by boomerbaby54 (anonymous) on September 20, 2008 at 12:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Rich, bummerbaby? Don't think so. Just really fired up AGAINST the obamessiah (that pretentious, sophomoronic, anti-American racist with the nasty spouse) and reallyreally pro America.
Posted by nobamessiah (anonymous) on September 20, 2008 at 4:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
@nobamessiah
Did you leave out one adjective or were you afraid to use it and show your real self?
Posted by loco224 (anonymous) on September 20, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You are truly loco if you choose to believe that I am 'afraid'. Typical of you DailyKosovites and Sorosoviets to transfer your own characteristics onto others.
Posted by nobamessiah (anonymous) on September 20, 2008 at 8:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I didn't realize that there were still people out there spewing the lie that Obama is a muslim...he's actually a christian. I guess ignorance is bliss or, lets face it, just ignorance.
Posted by msm6 (anonymous) on September 21, 2008 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Christian????? He belongs to a racist cult ( affectionately known as 'black liberation theology - which makes racism a religion, at least on the part of obama-type blacks) that espouses anti-Christian and anti-American values. (see http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/03/t...
Sounds pretty muslim to me.
And didn't you catch his 'misstatement' (until George S. corrected him) when he referred to "my muslim faith".
Or his 'misstatement' about visiting all 57 states? The USA has 50, but there are 57 muslim states.
This Manchurian Candidate poses a 'clear and present danger' to the USA.
Posted by nobamessiah (anonymous) on September 21, 2008 at 2:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I finally figured out Obama's "Hope and Change" message. With his hand so far up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's collective cookie jars...He wants to CHANGE our money into HIS money, and he HOPES we wouldn't find out about it until those two houses fell because he voted against regulation on them 2 years ago, because it would have cut off his money tap. http://ace.mu.nu/archives/273753.php
Posted by honchonumberone (anonymous) on September 21, 2008 at 8:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
From factcheck.org:
The Manchurian Islamic Candidate?
Readers have also asked us about an oft-forwarded e-mail falsely claiming that Obama is a Muslim and suggesting that he is part of an Islamic plot to take over the U.S. "from the inside out" with "one of their own." This screed reads like the outline of a bad remake of the 1962 movie The Manchurian Candidate, in which Frank Sinatra unravels a Communist plot to make "one of their own" the president.
There is little excuse for those who continue to circulate this one. The most audacious falsehood it contains (of several) is a claim near the top: "We checked this out on 'snopes.com'. It is factual. Check for yourself." Anyone who actually does that would quickly find that Snopes.com, the respected debunker of urban myths, judges the message to be "false." And yet we continue to receive examples sent to our readers by others who either don't take the time to check, or who don't care that they are repeating false and damaging statements.
Copyright © 2003 - 2008, Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Posted by msm6 (anonymous) on September 21, 2008 at 9:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Joe really knows how to bring them in. I can't believe he went through the rally without a gaffe.
Posted by opieterp (anonymous) on September 21, 2008 at 10:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
@nobamesiah
Why all the name calling? Is it because you have nothing constructive to add to the pre-election conversation?
Posted by loco224 (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 8:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How many times did he say OB should have picked Hillary for his VP? Way to go JOE!
Posted by Funnyguyva (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Joe Biden?? What is he running for? Oh yeah. He is the VP candidate for the guy who isn't qualified for president. Joe Biden is the guy who bills the taxpayers $187 every day for an Amtrack ticket to Delaware.
Posted by kmccorma (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 1:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
At least he's living with his constituents. Further, good for him for using public transportation.
Posted by jasonc (anonymous) on September 22, 2008 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
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