'Rednecks for Obama' Rally in Springfield

My friends, a couple and their two young girls, and I drove from Arkansas, two hours north to Springfield, Missouri for the Obama rally held Saturday night at a high school football field named JFK Stadium. We are not native Arkansans - we are the careerist transferees found in Corporate America who have lived in many big cities and small towns.

Once we arrived in the vicinity of the high school around 4 PM, we waited in very long line for three hours to pass through the security checkpoints. In the line, we had interesting conversations with others in the crowd, some of whom were wearing "Rednecks for Obama" bumper stickers on their jackets and shirts.

The long line stretched out for several blocks in a residential area. The Obama volunteers kept people moving in an orderly fashion and made sure we did not stray off the sidewalks into the street which had not been closed to traffic. There were a small number of protesters driving up and down the street, waving anti-Obama signs out their car windows, but they did not cause any problems. One man who lived in a house on the street had placed his van in his driveway, its boom box blasting the Sean Hannity radio show. He was screaming at the people lined up in front of his property but none of the Obama supporters in our portion of the line took his bait and yelled back at him. The man was very angry that thousands of Obama supporters were walking right in front of his home.

The crowd was estimated to be 30,000 to 40,000, far more than had turned up last week to see Governor Palin at the parking lot of the world headquarters of the Bass Pro Shop. It was a very polite and respectful crowd. I saw no pushing and shoving to get ahead of others in the long line to be admitted into the stadium and for the restrooms in the stadium. McCain/Palin strategists who have tried to scare small town and rural voters that Obama is a terrorist and a socialist should have been in Springfield last night - they would have seen firsthand that their fear mongering has not worked.

As we were standing in the end bleachers, listening to the warm up music, we were the first to see the caravan of SUVs and charter buses carrying Senator Obama, his family and the press corps driving up a long hill towards the stadium. It was very exciting to see all the flashing lights coming closer. Our section started cheering and waving, thus signaling to the rest of the stadium that the Senator was soon to arrive.

After the Invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, the singing of our National Anthem, and short speeches by local politicians, the highlight of the evening came. First, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, one of Senator Obama's earliest supporters, gave him a heartfelt endorsement and assured the hunters in the crowd that Senator Obama would not take away their guns as claimed by Republican robocalls. Then, Michelle Obama introduced her husband, and their beautiful daughters ran out onto stage with Senator Obama. Michelle and the girls left the stage while Senator Obama gave his rousing stump speech updated with a few jokes about Dick Cheney campaigning this weekend for Senator McCain and McCain having dressed up as George Bush for Halloween. Obama's voice was strained as he had been in Nevada and Colorado before arriving at the Missouri stadium around 9:15 PM. Unlike his opponents, there was nothing mean spirited in his remarks. He was talking about his policy differences with the Bush Administration and Senator McCain, not engaging in personal attacks.

What inspired me the most about the long afternoon and evening was the crowd. It really represented what Obama has reached out to throughout his long campaign - democrats, republicans and independents; blacks, whites, Hispanics, and Asians; young and young at heart; straight and gay; disabled and able bodied; and workers, farmers, business owners, health care professionals, and teachers. Even though he wants to bring back the Clinton era taxes on people earning more than $250,000 - there was no class warfare rhetoric that some other Democratic politicians have used.

I stood there with my friends and thousands of others cheering "Yes We Can", wearing my Obama/Biden T-shirt, "Republicans for Obama" button, and my White Sox baseball cap, since I, like Michelle Robinson Obama, was on the south side of Chicago.

The overwhelming spirit of the crowd and its leader was truly one of hope - hope that under an Obama presidency, we will move away from the divisive and ugly politics we have seen in recent years, and become unified as one nation - "indivisible with liberty and justice for all."

Comments

[vacuumslayer]

This Southern girl, who was born in South Carolina and raised in Arkansas was proud to cast my vote for Obama today!

[Okielady]

I love all the comments about Obama being in Springfield. I live in Oklahoma and really wanted to go but couldn't. I live in a VERY red county (and state) but I've been proud to sport my Obama sticker. The inclusiveness of his campaign is truly inspiring. I too go to church with very straightlaced Christians and some have been aghast when they find I'm an Obama supporter but it doesn't stop me. When they say Obama will make us all Muslims, I laugh and say I'm afraid Palin would have us speaking in tongues! I can't believe people buy into that. But really, I have more faith in God and my country and our constitution to think any of those silly things would be allowed to happen. We are a people that do not forfeit our constitutional rights without a fight. I think Obama will bring us together for a better future. Havent' we had enough of the scare tactics! Let's work together to promote healthcare, jobs and a better economy.

[queeng]

I really love this country and I feel we are on our way to healing. Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asian, Conservatives, Liberals, Gay, Straight, Believers, Non-believers, we are all Americans.
I wish the divisiveness would stop and the love begin.

[christyrochelle]

Same here. I love the LOVE of the Obama campaign! =)

[queeng]

To my red neck brothers and sisters your black sister from the south says not only do we have Barack in common we are the cooks of the country. I can't wait until we can learn each other's culture.
I love everybody.
Obama/Biden08

[Ohg]

We are rednecks in north Missouri and we think that Obama fells has some good old Missouri Common Sense. .Even the Redneck Gazette likes him. ..........­..........­..

http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/11/03/redneck-gazette-obama-uses-common-sense/

[Okieborn]

We were there in Springfield Missouri , we drove from Wagoner Okla. in about 2.5 hrs and it was a thrilling time !!!
Liz and I are Baby Boomers and there was plenty more boomers we met !!!
Ms Susie Hoeller your description was a very Bight Right On !!
We talked with lots of of the crowd and most were like Liz and I , just a spur of the moment LETS GO TO SPRINGFIELD !!!
Susie we searched for more snap shots of the Springfield campaign, not many to be found !!!

[myna]

Sweet. Thanks!

[showmestategal]

We we can is so Right for us because Democracy means a government in which the supreme power is held by the People.
It is about time someone is willing & able to allow us as their constituencies to be involved in Our own Democrracy showing us finally the respect we deserve to be Listtened to & knowing that we are smart enough & willing to sacrifice as needed fairly as American Citizens.

It is Our time to be involved as citizens in what is important to us based on our own diverse needs & wants to make this a better Country for All of We the People.
Shopping is not the only Responsibility, Option or our own given Talent's available to us in the time of crisis & facing the debacles this administration has chosen to dump upon all of us.

[miatamama]

I was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1961. My world is better because of the sacrifices made by the Civil Rights marchers, Dr. King, President Johnson and Bobby Kennedy. I may not be a red-neck, but....casting my ballot for Barack Obama felt like flying with new wings. My relatives that are red-necks have had a bellyfull of the Iraq war and how badly the republicans have screwed things up. They're mad as heck and voting for Obama too.

[miatamama]

Did I mention I'm white as can be?

[Noracharles1995]

Excellent story, and I believe WV will be the surprise of the night. It won't go true blue but I still say it WILL go baby blue. People forget that rednecks are sick to death of this war, sick of their kids, friends and relatives being sent there and sick of the war dragging the economy down. And plenty of rednecks are my union brothers and sisters and they love the Dems.

[hatethehype]

Excellent!

[Klenny]

Springfield and the Ozarks is changing! More people are talking about change rather than just whispering in safe confines. It was great to be with 40,000 people cheering Barack Obama as he encouraged us to get out the vote in the Ozarks. There were times when the roar of the crowd had to have been heard miles away.

Our big hurdle in Springfield is the "religous right." The Assemblies of God is headquartered in Springfiled. There are five "bible based" colleges in southwest MO. We have a number of mega churches. Many of the fundamentalist Christians are starting to question the link between the G.O.P. and God. They have an uphill battle though as these churches tend to keep a tight reing on free will.

We need to be patient with those in the fundamentalist s as many were born into these faith traditions and leaving will generally lead to a split with family and friends. However, there is hope as their worldview is slowly changing and we still have a secret ballot. I'm glad that the fundamentalists have finally been challenged about their assertions that they are somehow more patriotic or better (godly) than everybody else. All that is left in the Republican party is the holier than though crowd and Corporate interests who've played on their fears for far too long.

[drsmc41]

I lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas for a few years, and am glad to read of their support of Obama/Biden. Thanks for your piece!

[Softnsweet]

Awesome! Awesome!

[Frenchy9]

This piece is very very touching, well written, clear, sincere.

If this is going to be the new spirit of America ... well ... the world also might change!

Thanks.

[steve73117]

I am a redneck too, and I have already voted for obama in this here red state of lit dixie in oklahoma, i know i am a minority here but i truly believe that it's time to give somebody else a chance at change the way thing are done, hell i need a job and i have 4 kids to feed and my wife just got laid off, so yea i am voting for obama. tell your drinking buddies and go vote for change.

[6bd]

thank you......(I hope you will be in a well deserved, well paid job soon.)

[christyrochelle]

Me too. God Bless you and your family. : )

[fiorastar]

I happened to be in Pueblo, CO this past weekend, visiting a very ill relative. With my entire family having worked hard in Oregon throughout the campaign for Obama, we were worried that, though the visit to the relative was a very high priority, we would be missing the last few days of campaigning for Obama. We had no idea!!!

Heading to downtown Pueblo--a true "Main Street, USA"--to go to the one really good coffee shop in the area, we found the street closed off on Friday as people were putting up a stage and risers in the main intersection. I figured there was some kind of chili cook off or something getting set up for Halloween.
As we walked towards it, we asked a couple of people working what was going on--thinking we might bring our kids for some Halloween fun. They said, "Barack Obama is going to be here tomorrow."

We were literally floored!

And then, we asked for tickets.

The next day, the entire extended family, who had come from both sides of the country AND one from Germany, found ourselves in nearly the front row listening as General Wesley Clark, Michelle Obama, and finally, Barack Obama spoke to a crowd that had gathered in unseasonably hot weather to stand for three hours to see our next President!

It was, in every aspect, exactly as the Springfield rally was described.

[momof3inGA]

Reading comments like yours brings tears to my eyes! Wow.....a nation coming together....