My niece said it was like going to a rock concert. Luckily, The Decemberists played some songs for the crowd and entertained everyone until he and his family got on. Just like The Roots and Ed Kowalczyk (lead singer of Live) opened in Philly. Haha, opened, like a rock concert. Well, it's typical to have some type of entertainment to warm a crowd up at a rally.

So the official report was that 75,000 people showed up. 60,000 on the main lawn, and 15,000 on the Hawthorne bridge, in boats & kayaks, and across Front Ave (now called Naito Parkway, which I can't get over). Oregon's consistently been a Democratic state after 1988, so it's no surprise to see the reaction to Obama.

Growing up in Portland, and especially in Oregon, I got the chance to be open. I use that term only because it truly describes Oregonians. We are open, friendly, natural people. Everyone is authentic. There's not a fictionalize image people wear. From the scientists at Intel, to the athletes at Nike, to the logger of the Cascades, everyone has adopted the spirit of Oregon. It definitely made me who I am today.

I can see how Oregon is for Obama. My parents were on the fence with him, but as they got to hear him speak and see how he deals with adversity, they (along with my whole family now) became rooting supporters.

Good luck Oregon on Tuesday!

~Philly

Update: My friend from PDX sent me The Oregonian's collection of pictures. Wow!