Wednesday, October 20, 2004
A Fresh Start
whatsup
My trick has text-messaged me. It's a booty call using the latest technology. I could have made several phone calls in the time it takes to thumb toggle a response.
kerry rally
To avoid the crowds, I had parked a mile away from our minor league baseball field, where Kerry is to speak. As I hike through the neighborhood of abandoned factories and empty warehouses, I keep in my sights the banks of stadium lights that tower above them. When I turn a corner to walk the final blocks, the crowd noises and speaker's voice reverberate off the old brick walls.
People are lined around the block. There are at least three columns, thousands of people, and a general excited mumble. There are placards, signs, flags, posters, balloons. There are radio stations, portable satellite dishes, TV cameras, press crews. There are police directing traffic and volunteers directing the lines, stadium crew with glossy identification tags, contingents with matching T-shirts meeting on corners: ELECTRICAL WORKERS FOR KERRY. Hydraulic brakes burst-releasing on charter buses as they pull up to unload more people.
There are protestors, some against Bush and the war: BILLIONAIRES FOR BUSH (ha ha). There are some against Kerry: KERRY WILL SHED AMERICANS' BLOOD (above a picture of a fetus). A truck with a poster stretched over its cargo-hold circles the block: VOTE THE BIBLE! TAKE A STAND FOR MORALITY!
"We have opened another entry," a staffer points, and I turn in a simultaneous dance move with a column of people. Most people turn back in disinterest when they see it's into the outfield behind the speakers' stand. I don't turn back for exactly that same reason.
"No umbrellas! No blankets!" barks the guard, and blankets, umbrellas, coolers and home-made signs grow in a pile beside the gate. "Single file!" I choose a spot, leaning against a fence, where I can see the speakers' platform between portable lights and seating. The ballpark's lightboard blinds us with OHIO IS KERRY COUNTRY. We were listening to John Cougar Mellencamp and U2, but as I take my place, former astronaut and home-grown Senator, John Glenn is speaking.
"No one since George Washington has performed more admirably than our troops," his voice bounces off the stadium at the opposite end, the upper levels filling like a flood. Even further, people watch from the roofs or windows of the warehouses. I bet my high-powered BIPC friends are watching with wine glasses from their renovated loft a few blocks away.
Volunteers sprint towards us distributing posters, and people rush the sections where they approach. CAMP KERRY. A FRESH START. Like Pirrhanas, hands desperately grip in a roiling pool, ripping at the posters as they are fed up. Most submerge into the crowd, one poster is torn apart. A second after, and people wander away. John Glenn speaks evenly, "It gives me great pleasure, to introduce to you, the next president of the United States, John Kerry."
And there he is. A smiling head moves through a sea of frantic flags. When he makes it to the stage, I can see all of him from where I sit. He takes a microphone.
"Thank you, Ohio. I'm happy to be here in Dragons Stadium. In Dayton. I'll tell you what," he says, "you have better locker rooms than at Fenway Park." The crowd hasn't stopped cheering.
He is coming off as personable, likeable. "It's great to be introduced by John Glenn. You know, he was telling me on our way here there are two things you can see from space. The Great Wall of China. And the Bush Deficit."
Perhaps there was a joke or two more, and then he moved to more serious stuff. If you saw his last debate, there were many of the same soundbytes. I'm not sure I understood one: At no time since 1928 is the middle class taking home a less percentage of national gross product; at no time since 1929 is the rich taking home more. I believe I know what he means, but those years evoke the image of a roaring exuberance and not of soggy breadlines which is what I'd think he'd want. Perhaps we're to visualize '4 more years' will bring us to the harsh years of 1931 and 1932. Hmm, I bet that's it.
There were other good points, and he ended well. "At the debates -- you saw him -- the president kept saying 'It's hard work.' 'It's hard work.' Well Mr. President, I'd be happy to relieve you of that burden." A wave of cheers shot through the field. "In 14 days, Ohio. Give me a chance to prove it to you. In 14 days I'll show you that I've Got Your Back."
He already had my vote. But it was good to see him in person. This was, I think, the highest ranking person I'd seen ever. On my walk back, I find a discarded CAMP KERRY poster that I pick up. A bright blue and red collegiate font. At my car, I see my phone has a new text-message.
soreback this week.layin around My trick has written, and using punctuation, too. I key a new response. feel better ok? call tomorrow
Which is what I will do right now.
My trick has text-messaged me. It's a booty call using the latest technology. I could have made several phone calls in the time it takes to thumb toggle a response.
kerry rally
To avoid the crowds, I had parked a mile away from our minor league baseball field, where Kerry is to speak. As I hike through the neighborhood of abandoned factories and empty warehouses, I keep in my sights the banks of stadium lights that tower above them. When I turn a corner to walk the final blocks, the crowd noises and speaker's voice reverberate off the old brick walls.
People are lined around the block. There are at least three columns, thousands of people, and a general excited mumble. There are placards, signs, flags, posters, balloons. There are radio stations, portable satellite dishes, TV cameras, press crews. There are police directing traffic and volunteers directing the lines, stadium crew with glossy identification tags, contingents with matching T-shirts meeting on corners: ELECTRICAL WORKERS FOR KERRY. Hydraulic brakes burst-releasing on charter buses as they pull up to unload more people.
There are protestors, some against Bush and the war: BILLIONAIRES FOR BUSH (ha ha). There are some against Kerry: KERRY WILL SHED AMERICANS' BLOOD (above a picture of a fetus). A truck with a poster stretched over its cargo-hold circles the block: VOTE THE BIBLE! TAKE A STAND FOR MORALITY!
"We have opened another entry," a staffer points, and I turn in a simultaneous dance move with a column of people. Most people turn back in disinterest when they see it's into the outfield behind the speakers' stand. I don't turn back for exactly that same reason.
"No umbrellas! No blankets!" barks the guard, and blankets, umbrellas, coolers and home-made signs grow in a pile beside the gate. "Single file!" I choose a spot, leaning against a fence, where I can see the speakers' platform between portable lights and seating. The ballpark's lightboard blinds us with OHIO IS KERRY COUNTRY. We were listening to John Cougar Mellencamp and U2, but as I take my place, former astronaut and home-grown Senator, John Glenn is speaking.
"No one since George Washington has performed more admirably than our troops," his voice bounces off the stadium at the opposite end, the upper levels filling like a flood. Even further, people watch from the roofs or windows of the warehouses. I bet my high-powered BIPC friends are watching with wine glasses from their renovated loft a few blocks away.
Volunteers sprint towards us distributing posters, and people rush the sections where they approach. CAMP KERRY. A FRESH START. Like Pirrhanas, hands desperately grip in a roiling pool, ripping at the posters as they are fed up. Most submerge into the crowd, one poster is torn apart. A second after, and people wander away. John Glenn speaks evenly, "It gives me great pleasure, to introduce to you, the next president of the United States, John Kerry."
And there he is. A smiling head moves through a sea of frantic flags. When he makes it to the stage, I can see all of him from where I sit. He takes a microphone.
"Thank you, Ohio. I'm happy to be here in Dragons Stadium. In Dayton. I'll tell you what," he says, "you have better locker rooms than at Fenway Park." The crowd hasn't stopped cheering.
He is coming off as personable, likeable. "It's great to be introduced by John Glenn. You know, he was telling me on our way here there are two things you can see from space. The Great Wall of China. And the Bush Deficit."
Perhaps there was a joke or two more, and then he moved to more serious stuff. If you saw his last debate, there were many of the same soundbytes. I'm not sure I understood one: At no time since 1928 is the middle class taking home a less percentage of national gross product; at no time since 1929 is the rich taking home more. I believe I know what he means, but those years evoke the image of a roaring exuberance and not of soggy breadlines which is what I'd think he'd want. Perhaps we're to visualize '4 more years' will bring us to the harsh years of 1931 and 1932. Hmm, I bet that's it.
There were other good points, and he ended well. "At the debates -- you saw him -- the president kept saying 'It's hard work.' 'It's hard work.' Well Mr. President, I'd be happy to relieve you of that burden." A wave of cheers shot through the field. "In 14 days, Ohio. Give me a chance to prove it to you. In 14 days I'll show you that I've Got Your Back."
He already had my vote. But it was good to see him in person. This was, I think, the highest ranking person I'd seen ever. On my walk back, I find a discarded CAMP KERRY poster that I pick up. A bright blue and red collegiate font. At my car, I see my phone has a new text-message.
soreback this week.layin around My trick has written, and using punctuation, too. I key a new response. feel better ok? call tomorrow
Which is what I will do right now.