The Election Night Rally in Grant Park, of course, will be one of the most memorable nights of our lives. It still hasn't sunk in yet, though.
We rode our bikes down to the vicinity of the park, arriving at about 8:30. After a brief struggle, we found a chain link construction fence to latch up to near the intersection of Monroe and Wabash. There was a throng walking toward Grant Park, but the crowd mostly was subdued. It was mix of young and old, white and black. One thing I will always remember was a guy on a cellphone who loudly said "He won Ohio!" to anyone nearby. A round of cheers and applause went up. At this point, we already knew Obama had won Pennsylvania--a major development--but, as any regular
fivethirtyeight.com reader will tell you, Ohio was far from certain (and of course the Buckeye State is meaningful to me). An Ohio win plus Pennsylvania virtually assured Obama of the presidency.
We kept making our way toward the park, passing through three security checkpoints. There was something a little surreal about it. The combination of the loudspeakers echoing across the park and off the row of buildings on Michigan Avenue, combined with a fairly quiet crowd, created an eerie feeling. Not to mention the unseasonable temperatures in the 60s. One doesn't often gather with this many people unless it is for a sporting event or concert, and fans of sports and music are quite boisterous.
We made our way to an area probably 300 yards from the stage. CNN was playing on a big video board, and whoops of delight went up whenever a state was called for Obama. At about five minutes to 10, CNN called Virginia for Obama, who by now had a huge lead. It sent the crowd into a frenzy. At 10, the polls closed on the West Coast and CNN declared Obama victorious. The crowd reached another level of jubilation, with people hugging and crying (the picture above is from just after the announcement). It was shocking to see the word "president" next to Obama's name and photo, as shocking as learning of any other major world-changing event. It's strange because we knew he would probably win last night. It just wasn't something I really allowed myself to imagine after the disappointments of the past eight years. And to think that this is the same guy I was standing in a South Side pantry with about two years ago.
The time between 10 and 11 was mostly spent listening to music and watching the video board. (One song I remember was "Signed, Sealed, Delivered.") CNN provided some analysis, and McCain delivered his concession speech. Many in the crowd graciously clapped for sections of McCain's speech. A few started singing "Hey Hey Goodbye." (And after all of the Republican hit jobs, smear tactics and dishonesty, who could blame them.)
After an invocation, pledge of allegiance and the national anthem, Obama took the stage with his family. He delivered a speech that was very serious in tone. A speech that didn't self-reference his remarkable achievement but rather focused on the steep challenges that we face. The inspiring oratory prompted more tears and cheers.
We could see the runway that jutted from the stage, Obama looking like a miniature person in the distance. After the speech, the Obama and Biden families appeared together and waved to the crowd. Most everyone in the audience stayed until after the stage was cleared.
We made our way to the exits and walked toward Michigan Avenue, which was awash in revelers. It was a very peaceful celebration with everyone lining the streets, chanting, cheering and taking pictures. By 1, we had ridden all the way back north. The entire evening was such a rare opportunity, and I'm thankful that we happened to be in the right place at the right time to be a part of it.
