Obama Rally In St. Louis Draws 100,000 (VIDEO, SLIDESHOW)

Barack Obama drew a crowd of 100,000 at a rally near the Gateway Arch in St. Louis on Saturday, the AP reports. McCain spent the day campaigning in North Carolina.

The focus on the stump Saturday for both Obama and McCain continued to be taxes, and the candidates traded sharp criticisms of each other's plans.

More from the AP:

McCain, trailing in the polls, fired the first volley, likening his rival to the socialist leaders of Europe and saying he wanted to "convert the IRS into a giant welfare agency, redistributing massive amounts of wealth at the direction of politicians in Washington."

McCain added, "Raising taxes on some in order to give checks to others is not a tax cut; it's just another government giveaway."

Obama responded a few hours later in appearance before an enormous crowd, saying his Republican rival "wants to cut taxes for the same people who have already been making out like bandits, in some cases literally."

"John McCain is so out of touch with the struggles you are facing that he must be the first politician in history to call a tax cut for working people 'welfare,'" Obama said.

The Wall Street Journal has more details:

Barack Obama attracted 100,000 people at a Saturday rally here, his biggest crowd ever at a U.S. event.

The crowd assembled under the Gateway Arch on a sunny Saturday afternoon to hear Obama speak about taxes and slam the Republicans on economic issues.

Lt. Samuel Dotson of the St. Louis Police Department confirmed the number of attendees piled into the grassy lawn by the Mississippi River.

To be sure, big crowds don't always signal a big turnout on Election Day. But Obama's ability to draw his largest audience yet in a typically red state that just weeks ago looked out of reach, could signal a changing electoral map.

For months Missouri polls put Obama as much as ten percentage points behind Republican John McCain. It was widely believed that McCain's pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate would have won over the state's conservatives and boosted his chances there. So far, that hasn't happened.

A Rasmussen poll released on Friday shows Obama leading in Missouri 52% to 46% for McCain.

Comments

[mimple]

03:42 PM on 10/29/2008

Some of the very best minds in America came up with a solution on how to handle the problems with China. Our government will dig a hole to China, only, we stop half way. Throw Pelosi, Obama, Biden, Dodd and Frank along with other liberal weasels, rats, slugs and parasites into the hole. Fill the hole in, put a large rock on it and forget about it forever. All the problems of America are solved and all the future problems for us and the rest of the world solved too.

[research]

10:29 PM on 11/09/2008

NOT

[zerotimes10]

04:50 PM on 10/21/2008

I don't know how we're going to do it but we have all got to embrace each other as Americans. Those that preach Hatred will be silenced by our Love. They will change in their own time. Hating each other won't change anyone's mind. Just keep speaking the TRUTH. It will set us free.

[Allytude]

12:56 PM on 10/20/2008

Our country, if not the rest of the world, is set at pause awaiting the result of the accumulated results of US of A’s voters’ final act in the sacred election booth. Will the voters’ fingers pick a clearly decisive person, who has well-articulated plans and coordinated reactions to crises, a more compassionate view of the not so fortunate and a rather inclusive kind of approach or someone who seems to meander from position to position on anything concrete, except perhaps scary far right issues- so far right that they are that side of wrong.
Aside from its historical firsts, much finger waving and back patting, nothing else but the world’s ability to implement and execute the very definition of what we call “democracy” as well as address Economic slowdown (no-don't-call-it-a-recession-yet) of ours awaits the final decision from the voting fingers of the US of A.
http://virtualityforreal.blogspot.com/

[Carriet1267]

10:20 AM on 10/20/2008

It is amazing how one man's passion for not only this country, but for everyday hard working people who are hurting deeply, could inspire the need and hope for change. We know the Republican Party is trying to distort SNL's ratings for the Sarah Palin's appearance as Americans love her, but their ratings were high because the American people are waiting to see what new material she is going to provide Tina Fey to mock her. We also noticed her speaking role and level of participation was very limited, and she did not look like a happy camper. So they should clearly understand the American are not stupid, and this crowd is a clear indication of that. We know Sarah Palin is not ready to lead this country and the Republican Party know's this as well, we know it is just a matter of time within these next 3 weeks if they allow her to speak her LITTLE MIND Tina Fey will entertain us once again.

[mercury613]

07:25 PM on 10/21/2008

SNL's rating were high for the same reason that people generally cannot resist looking at a horrible car crash -- morbid curiosity.

[aaguilar27]

12:13 AM on 10/20/2008

While I agree w/ these comments, as it appears things are going the right direction, we cannot rest on our laurels! The race is too close and we MUST make sure that we get out the vote! If people think that they can stay home and not vote -- as the lead is large -- we will lose! Vote baby Vote!

[annamo]

10:52 PM on 10/19/2008

It was all for Obama I was there with tears in my eyes! Old, young, Black, white, Catholic, Muslim,.......
All one it was a moment. This is what America is all about! God Bless America! God Bless Obama!

[annamo]

10:40 PM on 10/19/2008

I was in the 5th row. It was awsome! I could see the capitol building in the backround this is were slaves were bought and sold. I have goosebumps when I think of how Barrack could be our first Afican American President. We will deliver Missouri for Barrack!
Oh by the way I am a 40 year old white suburban football mom.
Obama/Binden 08 !

[BPCentrisAmerican]

12:30 AM on 10/20/2008

The arch is extradnory, especially at night, to see more than a 100 thousand people and Obama under it must have been a sight to see.

[PlantGod72]

08:15 PM on 10/19/2008

100,000 in St. Louis, $150,000,000 in September...

P R I C E L E S S ! ! !

[awcbuddy8]

08:06 PM on 10/19/2008

Old news.

[americanalien]

06:42 PM on 10/19/2008

America is ready for a change, it's obvious. God Bless America.

[cmdixon]

06:11 PM on 10/19/2008

"Change" by Blind Melon

I dont feel the suns comin out today
Its staying in, its gonna find another way.
As I sit here in this misery, I dont
Think Ill ever see the sun from here.
And oh as I fade away,
Theyll all look at me and say, and theyll say,
Hey look at him! Ill never live that way.
But thats okay
Theyre just afraid to change.
When you feel your life aint worth living
Youve got to stand up and
Take a look around you then a look way up to the sky.
And when your deepest thoughts are broken,
Keep on dreaming boy, cause when you stop dreamin its time to die.
And as we all play parts of tomorrow,
Some ways will work and other ways well play.
But I know we all cant stay here forever,
So I want to write my words on the face of today.
And then theyll paint it
And oh as I fade away,
Theyll all look at me and theyll say,
Hey look at him and where he is these days.
When life is hard, you have to change.

Life is hard. So let's change.
Obama 08!

[leatherneck1971]

05:57 PM on 10/19/2008

PS....that 2% elite whom are rich and not merely paper rich have lost their troops to reality, what have they got left, a McCain/McSame/McBush & his running mate Palin/Pa-lies/Pa-failing to fight for them and even the elite on right cannot agree to liking their last two great white hopes for their party! It is funny how this reminds me of the old bible parable of the rich man whom came to Jesus wanted to follow him, but when told to give/re-distribute his wealth to the poor, he got suddenly sad, unable to do so, he went away, and another old bible parable comes to mind about the rich whom love money above their professed love of god/jesus is it will be as hard for a rich man to enter heaven as a camel going thru the eye of a needle! One can bet this 2% fits both these bible parables and these self professed conservative, compassionate, believers in the prosperity preaching false prophets/televangelists are the bibles predicted "blind biblical goats" whom Jesus will not know on judgment day!

[leatherneck1971]

05:52 PM on 10/19/2008

The "republican party has used racism, bigotry, the faithful of the televangelist prosperity preaching false prophets for many years to retain power", win elections, etc, but something has happened that has not happened since the first great depression, and that is our economy has gotten so bad, so far into a recession {which the elite right has denied up to now}, and is on its way to a 2nd great depression {which the right denies is going to happen but hint it might if you do not re-elect their messiah McCain}, the great equalizer between the rights foot soldiers the 27% of that 29% whom are not rich but were merely paper rich, were merely two paychecks away from homelessness, are on verge of loosing homes, jobs, and finding themselves in those same lines of the poor whom they have despised as lazy, shiftless deserving of their poverty, those lines of unemployment, welfare applications, food stamp applications, section 8 housing applications, fighting for those few minimum wage poverty jobs they feel is ok for the poor, but not themselves, is going to be the great equalizer in our society, only then will their racism, bigotry, hatemongering, warmongering take a back seat to self preservation which is human nature and will only then make them realize some humility!

[margardner]

05:47 PM on 10/19/2008

An Inspiring America. These pics make me feel all warm inside :)

Vote Hope, Vote Obama!

[showmeblue]

05:39 PM on 10/19/2008

We were at the rally in K.C. It was a beautiful day to see & hear from an inspirational speaker. The crowd was enormous, filling the lawn at the Memorial.
hmmm....Obama comes to K.C. on a Saturday and 75,000 people show up, McCain is coming to K.C. on Monday - to a rally at a private school. So tell me, who speaks to and for the middle class? Who values my vote? Who wants me to hear what he has to say?