Despite Rain, 26,000 Virginians Show Up For Obama-Biden Rally

Update: Here's the full video of Obama's speech.

So it's Saturday evening in Fredricksburg, Virginia, and the rain has just started to fall.

How many people do you think are going to show up for the political rally? If you guessed 26,000....then you're right.

The pictures (from the Obama campaign) are pretty cool, but the local news coverage is even better.

Here's two reports, one from the local NBC affiliate, the other from the FOX affiliate. Both are positive reports, but the thing that I think makes them especially strong are the veterans for Obama interviewed in each piece.

And here's a report from the local FOX affiliate:

And just in case you weren't satisfied with the electronic media coverage, here's the front-page of the local newspaper, the Free-Lance Star:

Pretty good, eh?

Comments

[lily31]

This is just so inspiring ~ the image of him in the rain and the words he spoke. All so very indicative of the great man he is. Too bad he had to be put in Keith Oldermann's "worst person" dog house ...... but it makes him so much more a part of the family of man.

Just what we needed on that Black Monday!

Love ya' O and Joe!!!!

[barackobama4prez]

LET IT RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TomNY]

I love that picture of Obama in the rain.
If that was McCain, his make-up would have melted away.

[Jholland]

This is actually my first post on Huffingtonpost. I have been a daily reader since the primaries.

I WAS THERE and it was unbelievable. I stood up in one place for 6 hrs without water , in the ran but it was worth it to see our next president. To see him in person and to have my children there with me will be time in my life that I may not ever come again. For him to continue to speak when it started raining again made me feel like he was with it, about us and for us. Amazing!

[dayala]

welcome to the huffpo community and thanks for sharing your experience with us.
I'm a Virginian too.

[lily31]

Wonderful post ~ and yes, having your children there is very heartwarming and they will always have their story to tell!

Thanks!

[jusion]

From ABC-News:
As the rain began to pour harder, Obama noticed his running mate’s stool close to the edge of the slippery stage.

"I'm gonna ask Joe to move that stool up because I don't want to have to choose another vice-president," Obama joked. "I don't want him slipping over, toppling over there."


Yes, no one would want that, would they, Barack? "Nice gaffe-prone vice presidential nominee you got here...Shame if anything should happen to him."

[ellawensmom]

This is what so appeals to me about Obama, (other than his excellent judgment, intelligence, and great ideas, etc. :) There are not too many politicians who would notice something like like and do something about it right away.
When I attended his rally in Ft. Worth, he noticed immediately that I was in a tight spot with my baby, and we were getting pushed. He stopped what he was doing, and IMMEDIATELY called for people to stop pushing. He said, "Everybody, stop pushing! There's a baby up here!" He reached out to touch my baby's shoulder, and looked at me with concern in his eyes and asked, "Are you alright?"
This is a considerate and thoughtful man.

[smit9187]

Thany you for this post, it's touching.

[dayala]

wow...thanks for sharing that up and close personal moment with our next President.

[lily31]

Thanks for your story ~ indeed he is a considerate and thoughtful man ~ a man comfortable in his own skin!

[yvonne61]

I JUST READ IN THE PAPER SOME UNION PEOPLED DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR OBAMA. I NEVER SEEN NO MESS LIKE THIS THEY RALLY VOTE FOR MCCAIN WHILE THEY FAMILY CAUGHT H#LL AT HOME. YOU CAN'T PAY YOUR BILLS KEEP GAS IN CAR FOOD ON YOUR TABLE. BUT, YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY FUTURE IT IS SO SAD TO ME. I FEEL LIKE THIS IF YOU THINK THE LAST 4 OR 8 YEARS WAS THE BOOM YOU GO FOR IT HELP MCSAME TAKE US DOWN DEEPER, LOWER THAN WE IS. BECAUSE, YOUR GIRL HILLARY NOT ON THE TICKET YOU WANT MESS IT UP FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. OBAMA IS A GOOD MAN LOOKING OUT FOR EVERYONE AND YOU WANT TO TRIP LIKE THIS WHERE ARE YOUR VALUES,HOPE, PRIDE FOR YOUR FAMILY..MCCAIN NOT FOR MIDDLE-CLA­SS,LOWER-C­LASS,POOR-­CLASS HE FOR HIS CLASS THE RICH THE OIL FRIEND,LOBBYIST THE PEOPLE YOU PAY YOUR RENT TO. I WILL PRAY FOR US THAT PEOPLE WILL VOTE WITH HEART AND SOUL NOT WITH THIER EVIL AND HATE OF ONE COLOR.

[rzan1]

I don't understand it either. My union is 100% for Oama and was right from the beginning. I don't understand the unions that are for McCain. He doesn't care about the average working person.

[freedomthrutruth]

To vote for someone who clearly doesn't give a damn about you so that you can avoid voting for a person with darker skin betrays a demonic form of racism.

[VeganCupcake]

My father is a strong union member--one of my earliest memories is my father in a picket line--and I'm sad to say he is against Obama because of his color and the rumors that he is Muslim. It upsets me so much that an otherwise intelligent, hardworking man is willing to vote for McCain, risking all that he has worked to achieve with the union.

[freedomthrutruth]

Kudos to you as it is not easy to overcome racism in America and to transcend the faulty beliefs of your father.

[TuffCookie]

I WAS THERE!!!!

we LITERALLY stood in the rain chanting "O-BA-MA!!" while it poured. Everyone was soaked, but we did not care. We were like soldiers, waiting for Obama and Biden to grace the stage. So moving. To see him in person was just amazing.

[VOTER]

I know the feeling of goodwill and American Pride.

My husband and I went to the Springfield, IL rally and it was amazing.
30,000 waited for hours in the hot sun and 95 degree temp. to see and hear Obama and Biden.

What was telling:
The ages of supporters from the very young to the very old..........waited for hours.
The Good Will......­.......nev­er heard a discouraging word.
We were there together for one reason: TO TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY
BY SUPPORTING THE VERY BEST, OBAMA/BIDEN.

Thanks for your VA report. I am thrilled. GO OBAMA/BIDEN!

[dayala]

I desperately hope Obama takes Virginia. I'm in Southeastern VA and everyone I know including military are behind Obama, I was dismayed seeing McCain up in the polls in VA. knowing that the most populated areas of the State are behind Obama including a huge AA contingency in Hampton/Newport News who barely participated in previous elections.

OBAMA please take VA!

[ellawensmom]

These pictures are so incredible! Good for all of you! It must have been physically miserable, but the joy of being there all together for the good of our country must have been exhilarating!

[Ged2012]

Wow!

Obama looking into the eyes of people in the midst of a rainy night is powerful. It strikes a powerful symbol of leadership that sees through difficult times.

McCain, on the other hand, would certainly need an umbrella in a similar event.

[tinarm]

Every once in a while something actually catches your eye in this crazy world and it makes you stop and actually think for a moment. When I saw the still photo on the front page of the newspaper it was one of those moments. You know I want Obama to win so bad not just because I like him, but because I think it is necessary for our country to survive and prosper in the future. The picture shows the desire and understanding of this moment without words. This photo will one day be in books and in frames around this country, even if god help us Obama doesn't win. Sometimes I think we as supporters forget the absolute historic event we are watching and are being a part of. I never thought I'd see this in my lifetime and I'm 42. When I saw this picture it gave me the same feeling I got when I saw the first space shuttle go into space, and moment in history, a golden moment that doesn't come around often. Our generation has a chance to make history, let's do it, for our country.

[kid5rivers2]

This bit of news actually brought water to my eyes, for it's on;y the big oted who would NOT see that this man is extra special and who would NOT revjoice at being alive to witness him in action.

Barack Hussein Obama! May his reign as POTUS be long and most fruitful!

Oh! By the way! Pun intended!

[PT6]

A FAIR SOCIETY and FAIR MARKETS are What Made America Great!

American Society is not a Completely Free Society but it is a FAIR Society with Certain Freedoms.

A Completely free Society without LAWS to GOVERN would be CRIME RIDDEN, ruining our standard of living.

If American Markets were Completely Free Markets Corruption would RUN WILD.

For most of our history AMERICA PRIDED ITSELF IN FAIR MARKETS.

But in the last 8 YEARS we have SEEN AN EXPERIMENT WITH FREE MARKETS and AMERICA IS IN CRISIS.

Therefore, like Society, our Markets need a Robust set of Rules and Regulations to reduce corruption and apply punishment to those violating those laws.

[JT16682]

And all of this reported by a Fox station? Unbelievable. McCain: If your slogan is really "country first" , just drop out of the race and stop making a fool of yourself/

[teron678]

Not Faux Channels ...... spew right-wing talking points ... like faux news .....

[missedith]

He's coming to speak here in Reno, NV on Tuesday. I'm taking the morning off work to go. SOOOO excited, I can't wait.

[PlantGod72]

I hope I can get my sister to go to that rally! She's been a Republican supporter over the past two decades, but she's fed up with the NeoCon agenda of division and greed.

[QuinnIsIrish]

I so hope VA goes blue.

[PghDemocrat]

Me too - although primarily because I want to call my ultra -republican Aunt and Uncle Democrats for the next four years. I figure if their state goes blue, they do too. Right? :-)

[nextpres08]

That's a GREAT pic on the cover of the newspaper!!