whinging

Obama Draws Huge Crowd in Oregon as Clinton Courts Kentucky – New York Times

Obama Draws Huge Crowd in Oregon as Clinton Courts Kentucky

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

Barack Obama spoke to 75,000 people on Sunday in Portland, Ore. He called it “the most spectacular setting for the most spectacular crowd” of the campaign.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a President we like again?

I guess some don’t think so…

How many of the people showed up to hear Obama, and how many to hear the band?

Here’s how the local paper The Oregonian, which estimated the crowd at 72,000, reported the rally:

“Obama was the biggest star at Sunday’s gathering — though a popular Portland band, The Decemberists, provided the warmup act. With blue skies and temperatures in the 80s, many in the crowd said Waterfront Park was simply the place to be.”

CNN headlined its 10 p.m. segment on May 18 with “Barack Obama: Achieving Rock Star Status in Oregon.”

The New York Times, which ran a color photo of the crowd, estimated the throng at 75,000, noting that it was “the largest crowd of his campaign so far.” There was no mention of The Decemberists, and the Times described the weather as “an unseasonably hot day.”

Dude, seriously. My response is now aimed at people like those at ‘Newsbusters’ and other knee-jerk politically assigned websites. Gimme a flippin’ break.

They guy got 75,000 people to come out and listen to a brother talk. 75,000 people.

That’s more than Jesus met in his lifetime.

I saw the Decemberists on Colbert, and frankly, they ain’t pulling 75K on their own to a park, even on a nice day in Portland*.

Anyway, I found the whinging about the news before I found the news, so I thought I would reply to the whinging and then get to the news.

* the avrerage high temperature in May in Portland, Oregon is 67°. In June it is 74° [source] so saying ” There was no mention of The Decemberists, and the Times described the weather as “an unseasonably hot day.” ” about a day that was in the 80’s in Portland in May, is quite accurate reporting. Yea, opening acts get shafted in the big time, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Local paper reports local band and national paper reports national news. As mentioned, I’ve seen the Decemberists, and I think the May Weather and the Obama were a much larger factor in the curious fact that 75,000 people came out to hear a politician speak.

I don’t think this was the draw of the day….(apologies to the band, and I do like the pirate)….