The further adventures of a politics junkie
I got an early entry ticket to the preferred seating section of the Obama rally! It took some driving around, thusly:
- Tickets available in lobby of Capitol University law school — no problem, I temped there spring of ’93, just after and I moved here. Off to just south of downtown I go.
- Capitol University law school is no longer there. Head to Bexley, where the rest of Capitol resides.
- See no law school. Stop at Bexley Library to check the Obama site again for directions that apparently I should have read the first time. Discover that the law school is now on the east end of downtown, by the main library.
- Drive through Bexley to get to get to Broad Street, and my goal. Approximate 10:2:1 ratio of yard signs between Obama, Clinton, and Ron Paul, respectively. Smile (and sing along with Creedence Clearwater Revival on the XM).
- Arrive at Capitol University Law School. My parking mojo still works, there is a metered spot right there. Get out of car. It is now raining. Ignore it and run for the Capitol Street entrance.
- Only presence in the lobby are two bored-looking security guards and a handful of students. Ask about tickets. Am directed to sign that on the door that I came in through that they’ve been moved to Democratic party HQ two blocks south. Grin sheepishly at badge-wearing gorilla in a crew cut and run for the car.
- Insert further quarters and grab my umbrella. Snow is now joining the rain.
- Discover short line for tickets at Dem HQ. Smile again. I am advised that the doors open at 8:30 and the event starts at ten and cameras are permitted. I advise that I’ve been going to political rallies since Carter and know that means ten-*ish*. :)
- Bump (figuratively) into nice lady wearing a ‘Yes We Can‘ button and ask if she knows where campaign HQ is. Collect directions and head off two blocks southwest. Snow and rain are now battling 50/50.
- Detour to City Center to use the public facilities. Details surely unwanted by the Gentle Reader.
- Find Obama HQ — directly across the street (coincidentally or not) from the local GOP HQ. Wave winningly at the depressed-looking man scuttling forth from the Republican offices, who seems embarrassed to be there. Note that building looks very like a funeral home, and no signs for *any* candidates are in evidence. Not even a McCain sticker in a window. Across the street in Obamaworld, the joint is jumpin’. Collect button and small window sticker — they’re out of bumper stickers. Head back to car wondering if I’ve run over the one-hour limit (remembering the Evil Eye given the vehicle by a meter reader as I parked).
- Return to the car and discover all that from collecting my umbrella and heading for Democratic HQ took only half an hour plus change. Contemplate the strange way time flows sometimes.
Pictures on my Flickr site when I get ’em. Woot!
St. Bob's Basilica 
(spotted on The Daily Irrelevant)
*gigglesnrk!* I gotta put that on my car. XD
Dude, I am so freaking jealous. No campaign around here, not even the enemy. But I live in New York, and both sides of the primary were a foregone conclusion. If it was summer I would have invited Obama and family to the track, but hey you get what you pay for. I live in the most conservative area in the country. Still because John Edwards had dropped out by then I voted for Barak.
I only settled on Obama in the last couple weeks. If Kucinich were still in it, I’d’ve voted for him, but alas… I was going to vote for Mike Gravel for a while, but all in all, I know Gravel’s chances of winning are zero, and while I would vote for Hillary with no hesitation, I know Obama would be the better candidate in the fall, with much longer coat-tails.
That, and this is the first time in living memory that Ohio’s primary counts for *anything* — the nomination’s always been sewn up before it got here before this year!