![\"Obama](\"http:\/\/masonvotes.gmu.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/09\/mainpic21.jpg\" "\\"Obama")
<\/a><\/p>\nAccording to UMW student Peter Ceo, a College Democrats member, people started arriving at the event at 10 a.m., nine hours before the Democratic presidential nominee and his vice presidential running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden, arrived.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe line was well over half a mile long this morning,\u201d Ceo said.<\/p>\n
According to The Washington Post<\/em>, Jay Snipes, chief of the University of Mary Washington police force, estimated that 12,000 people were at the rally and another 14,000 were unable to get in after the United States Secret Service stopped allowing people in around 5 p.m.<\/p>\n The large, diverse and fiercely loyal crowd withstood the afternoon\u2019s high heat and humidity, which left many dehydrated. Though event volunteers passed out water bottles to the densely packed crowd, at least two attendees were observed taken away by emergency medical staff.<\/p>\n Later, when the sky opened up and it began to pour, the audience shielded itself with trash bags, jackets, Obama\/Biden signs, blankets and whatever came to hand. Much of the press members took shelter, wrapping expensive cameras in ponchos as they retreated to a tent reserved for the traveling press or ducked under the risers.<\/p>\n Obama\u2019s supporters took the opportunity to dance and sing in the rain to the music pumping out over the loud speakers, a mix of classics such as Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell\u2019s \u201cAin\u2019t No Mountain High Enough\u201d and newer songs such as \u201cMove Along\u201d by the All-American Rejects.<\/p>\n The sun came out and dried out the crowd in time for a few preliminary speakers to give abbreviated speeches before Biden and Obama arrived. Fredericksburg\u2019s state Sen. Edward Houck jazzed up the audience by leading cheers commenting on last night\u2019s first presidential debate.<\/p>\n \u201cWho won the debate last night?\u201d Houck said, smiling at the crowd\u2019s roaring answer of \u201cObama.\u201d \u201cThe difference between Obama and McCain could not have been more obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n He also commented on the importance of registering to vote, saying, \u201cAll across America we have the opportunity to reach out and touch the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Raucous cheers greeted Biden and Obama as they walked out on the stage. Biden began the program to cheers of \u201cJoe! Joe!\u201d by talking about the differences between Obama and McCain at the debate.<\/p>\n \u201cLast night McCain\u2019s silence was definite,\u201d Biden said. \u201cYou did not hear him say the words middle-class or working class once.\u201d<\/p>\n Biden also criticized McCain\u2019s foreign policy positions in Afghanistan and Iraq.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need more than a brave soldier,\u201d Biden said. \u201cWe need a wise leader. And that\u2019s Barack Obama.\u201d<\/p>\n Obama cracked a joke to begin his speech.<\/p>\n “I know some of you got a little damp, and I’m deeply sorry,\u201d he said. \u201cThose of you wearing that special outfit, I would like to cover everyone’s dry cleaning bills tonight, but I can’t cause I got to use it on the campaign. So consider it one more modest effort to help the campaign.”<\/p>\n Later on in his speech, as another deluge of rain began, Obama took off his jacket after joking about his own dry-cleaning bills and then proceeded to continue speaking to the crowd for another ten minutes, without cover.<\/p>\n Obama also spoke on the debate, calling McCain \u201cout-of-touch\u201d and saying \u201c\u201cOn issue after issue, you heard John McCain make the case for more of the same.\u201d<\/p>\n He also joked about McCain\u2019s use of \u201cchange\u201d in recent political advertising by saying \u201cChange is more than a slogan.\u201d<\/p>\n Obama referred to McCain\u2019s lack of mention of the words \u201cmiddle-class\u201d or \u201cworking-class\u201d by saying \u201cIn 90 minutes, John McCain had a lot to say about me, but he had nothing to say to you\u2026We need a president who will change the economy so it finally works for your family.\u201d<\/p>\n Obama spoke of the American dream to succeed as well, saying, \u201cIn America, our destiny isn\u2019t written for us, it\u2019s written by us.\u201d<\/p>\n After talking for almost half an hour, Obama said good night to the crowd, leaving the stage with Biden. The crowd dispersed quickly, eager to get to their dry cars and dry-cleaning bills.<\/p>\n ——————–<\/p>\n