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.

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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

[jlsdunn]

Actually it was 175,000.

[publanski]

Well, 100,000 in St. Louis and 75,000 in Kansas City. Two different rallies.

[anopenmind]

--------------- BREAKING NEWS -------------------

Obama and Clinton are holding a Rally outside "Amway Arena" in Florida on Monday!!!

Obama raised $150 Million in the month of September.

"Yes We Can"

[1Smartchik]

Ghandi," Be the change you want to see in the world".

[BigSurf]

Trying not to be outdone McSame/Palin try to fill a stadium:

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/00SHdSa6qOfWO/340x.jpg

[ThunderMongoose]

ROFLMAO....funny!!!

[SPQR1052]

I meant "THAT ONE" :-)

[SPQR1052]

YHAT ONE IS RACKING "EM UP!!

Another endorsement of 0BAMA today by the Buffalo News:

" ..The only thing we have to fear, a great president once said, is fear itself. B a r a c k 0bama is not afraid. Concerned. Alert. Maybe even a little alarmed. But the Democratic candidate for president of the United States is not afraid and, of perhaps even more importance, he does not seek to be elected by making us afraid...."

http://www.buffalonews.com/149/story/467867.html

[anopenmind]

Obama had another 75,000 in Kansas City Yesterday afternoon!!!!

[SoupBoneJones]

Obama puts country first, while McCain puts people in his tax bracket first.

[BigSurf]

McSame puts "Country Club" first

[klandish]

That needs to be a bumper sticker.... but I'd have to pull it off in a couple of weeks after Obama wins the election.

[GeminiMoon]

I am so proud that I am apart of this movement. Me, an ordinary American citizen owns a part of this extraordnary movement. I am a part of the 3.1 million who have stood up with their voices, their time and their resources. Change is on the way and I couldnt be more proud.

[rockyb26]

I feel the same way.

[Craniumdude]

Powerful visuals indeed. Sunday TACOMA........Biden!

[ensure]

Barack Obama raises record $150 million in September:

http://www.sefermpost.com/sefermpost/2008/10/barack-obama-raises-record-150-million-in-september.html

[Onepebbleinthelandslide]

Where he’s speaking Monday in Tampa is around fifteen miles from the park in Clearwater where some of the crowd first got ugly at the Palin rally. That kind of stung being so close to my home, a little too close perhaps. At the time I thought, those are my townsfolk behaving that way, I bump into these people in the store and whatnot.

For me it helps to see the contrast between the two groups of supporters being attracted, not only in terms of the diversity of their beliefs and attitudes but now, by the sheer masses that are turning out for Obama rallies. This speaks volumes for the man and his message and I find it all quite encouraging.

This past decade was our wakeup call and what I’m seeing here, particularly of late, is US, returning that call.

[klandish]

Keep the Hope alive. We support you.

[klandish]

The basic cable mainstream news networks have been deplorable for a while, now it's affecting the MSNBC ... double deplorable!

[Kane]

Obama follows up his 100,000 rally in St. Louis with a rally of 75,000 in Kanas City.

175,000 in Missouri!


Meanwhile, McCain drew an estimated 7,000 in North Carolina on Saturday.

Obama is scheduled to speak at a rally in North Carolina on Sunday. What are the odds that more than 7,000 people show up?

[Andoy]

With the economy tanking, the charge that Obama "Wants to redistribute the wealth" is NOT persuasive. It's precisely the greed of the powerful that has led us to this economic situation ...

[missette]

Exactly. What McCain fails to tell us is that for the past eight years the wealth has been being redistributed. What should have been the middle class's has been redistributed to the very top, hence stagnant wages despite high productivity.

[publanski]

Every time McCain talks about "redistributing the wealth" I suspect he earns votes for Obama.

[blowhard]

I am voting for That One!!!

[ThunderMongoose]

Or in SNL fashion: "Mr. Pee-pee Pants ..."

[TopDog]

$150,000,000.00 raised in September. Good God!

[mig991]

Right on! Sen. Obama got another $200 of my dollars last month, I phone banked twice and canvassed in PA once. If we don't win this it can't be for lack of effort. 15 Days!!!!

[Workinwithu]

This is true for we in GA too. We are working hard to turn GA Blue- Keep you eyes on the prize!