Obama rally in Portland draws 75,000 (w/pics, video)
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At Portland’s Waterfront Park, Obama spoke to the laregest crowd of his entire campaign: 75,000. That’s the same size as the attendance at the last SuperBowl. It’s the largest crowd for any event in Oregon history, larger than Vietnam War protests even. By direct comparison, John Kerry drew 45,000 to the same place 4 years ago.
Update: a video of his entire speech is available here, though it’s a bit tiny.
NTodd was there reporting and taking pics.
Via MSNBC:
Obama hailed Clinton as a “formidable candidate,” saying she “has been smart and tough and determined and she has worked as hard as she can and she has run an extraordinary campaign.”
He added a few lines to an otherwise typical stump speech, attacking presumptive GOP nominee John McCain for his ties to lobbyists, an issue the campaign is pushing and one the candidate spoke about with reporters earlier in the day. “John McCain now has had to get rid of five of his top advisers because it turns out they’re all lobbying, many of them for foreign governments. That’s because he practices the same kind of politics that we’ve grown accustomed to in Washington,” he said, adding that his campaign did not take money from PACs or federal lobbyists and saying he would have meetings on C-SPAN rather behind closed doors with lobbyists “in their Gucci shoes.”
He also criticized President Bush for comments he made in Israel last week comparing those who would engage in direct diplomacy with governments like Iran to those who appeased Hitler. Obama’s campaign has interpreted the comments as a hit against him and today he called such tactics “Karl Rove” politics.
The sound is too poor for picking up anything important, but the Fox News video provides an idea of what 75K looks like.
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This YouTube has better sound but worse video.
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And here’s a long slideshow from Oregonian blogger Mike Zacchino. (Alternate, longer slideshow or individual pics via the Oregonian are here).
Blue Oregon’s thread about the event has begun here.
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