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Now that security has been hired, we can go about looking at some of the details about Obama's Election Night rally in Grant Park. Emails are being sent out gradually to supporters directing them to this site where they can apply for tickets (at a limit of one per applicant).
Mayor Daley today speculated as many as one million people may attend; he also claimed there would be no screening process, that it would be the responsibility of the Secret Service. “We're not gonna be screening people going to the park. You'll be here for the next two weeks. You just can't do it. That is not us. No, no. We don't screen anybody in the park. No. That is up to the Secret Service.” Well, let's hope something is done since there is no shortage of nut cases out there. As we mentioned earlier, the Obama campaign has agreed to pick up the $2 million fee that Mayor Daley tabbed for the occasion.
Update - A clarification on the security issue, from Mayor Daley: "The Secret Service has the priority of basically policing the area. And like everything else the candidate and his family, let's be realistic, the highest security goes to the candidate and his family. That night we will have the best security not only for the candidate and his family but the entire city as well."
Photo taken from Obama's Flickr Photostream
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Maybe good ole CTA Chief Ron Huberman can tell us if the CTA's wheels won't fall off that night....
This is gonna be a shit show. Anyone attend a movie in Grant Park this summer? What is that like MAX 5K people? Think about the borwn and redlines after wards. PACKED NIGHTMARES.
One rock gets thrown, it is gonna be a powderkeg. I will NOT be there.
Jennyblur, you promised to go with me and I am holding you to it.
i signed up for a ticket, although i'm still not certain i'll go for the reasons jennyblur lists. i saw stevie wonder this summer, and it was effin' INSANE. mobs get too crazy too fast.
it says you need to bring a photo id to the thing, so i don't know what that's going to do, but they better make sure it's kosher.
FINE Steph. I guess one of us had better get the tickets. I am bringing a lot of booze.
I signed up for a ticket but I'm an election judge and from what I'm hearing, I may be stuck at the poll until 10 or later.
Each person can only register for one ticket. I've already registered for mine. Make sure you register!
No pulling a "but I thought you picked up the tickets" day of.
Each person can only register for one ticket. I've already registered for mine. Make sure you register!
Gotta read the fine print on the site...
"Each official printed ticket is valid for the ticket holder and one guest."
Two people can get in on one ticket.
Just checking... when you submitted your name, did you get a confirmation screen that said it's been accepted. Or did it just go back to the original screen? I filled out the form, hit the "send" button and it went back to the original screen. It also says that duplicate requests from the same person will be rejeted. I don't want to send in my name again if its already been accepted and cancel myself out.
Stealth:
You should get a confirmation email. If you didn't get that immediatly, I would go back and retry.
Fie upon this.
You want "change" have a restrained party and donate the 2 million to people losing their homes.
Another Obama speech for the faithful. That's not change, that's pattern.
My mom in Texas already sent me a worried-ish email... "the mayor said the city won't be screening people down there..." and "isn't that where there was a shooting at Taste of Chicago?"
I informed her that she's right, the city won't be screening people but private security companies will.
Regardless, I do want to go but will strategically try and stay out of the fray of the major crowds. Experiencing Lollapalooza crowds in that area are a lesson in best practices for getting out of there quickly, and safely. Though it will be cold, I think having a bike locked up near the lake path provides the best exit from there no matter what could happen.
Oh c'mon Albany...so cranky!!!!
I have NO desire to be inside of that can of sardines, but I think it's going to be fun to get my vicarious thrills and watch all the excitement on tv. It's like New Year's Eve when the ball drops...a lot of money goes to a lot of things that are not essential. When you look at it like that, there are no parties that are essential. I could not buy Halloween candy to pass out and send the money I would have spent to charity.
Get your champagne, tune in and smile!!!!
I'm a little tired of the Obama party mode speechifying. I'm glad he's going to beat the holy hell out of that miserable old man and his sugar baby, but it's getting damn cold and hard out there for people. One more feel good rally ain't what we need.
Albany:
Maybe a feel good rally is exactly what we need. Bread and circuses.
I think it's exactly what we need.
After this election season especially. The lies, the hate, the vitriol, the 'unfair and unbalanced' garbage that they've been spewing.
They're sending out fliers now to black people warning them of arrests that are going to be made at polling places, they sent out fliers to people telling them to come and vote on Nov. 5 because the crowds will be too big on Nov. 4.
Each day that goes on the desperation from the McCain camp is turning uglier and uglier...in Pennsylvania this week, the hateful ignorance coming from the mouths of McCain/Palin supporters at rallies is crazy insane and downright frightful.
After all of this...I think that a big party is just what the doctor ordered.
I ordered my ticket earlier.
The way I see it is this -- this could be a historic night. The candidate I really support has an excellent shot at winning, and his rally on election night is practically in my backyard? How many times in my life will I have this chance? Despite the potential for chaos, I wouldn't miss it for the world.
I signed up pretty early and have already been wait listed. It is Chicago through, so I made a quick donation to see if that greased the wheels any.
--The way I see it is this -- this could be a historic night. The candidate I really support has an excellent shot at winning, and his rally on election night is practically in my backyard? How many times in my life will I have this chance? Despite the potential for chaos, I wouldn't miss it for the world.
I agree with that sentiment. I'd love to go and be a part of that history too but the thought of that crowd....just can't do it.
It's really going to be electric. Enjoy!!
I only like it when the Christians get eaten at the end.
@Ingrid:
Oh it's only going to get crazier once he's in office you know. Republicans love nothing more than to proclaim themselves the underdogs.
Daley is hammering home that this event is all on the Secret Service so he can point fingers when the violence breaks out -- and it will -- as to hopefully not damage our rep any further with the IOC.
Cyncial, yes, but this election cycle has done that to me...
I accidentally submitted my request twice before reading the fine print. Although I got the confirmation email now I'm paranoid i screwed myself out of tickets because of a technicality. Oh well, it might be for the better....
I don't know I kinda second the Parkrman, as some one who's doing "o.k" I feel for those losing jobs and homes. It makes it hard for me to get into this as a celebration especially for 2 million buck- a- rues. Heck every day walking home I have to venture pass a food pantry, the line may not rival the Grant Park planned shindig, but its gotten longer and longer and more diverse. I also call for a bare bones inauguration in the spirit of Lincoln.
p.s and you B*tches best not call me cracky, I will be watching election returns at my local public house and I might get drunk and call in sick the next day, ya heard!
I say 2010 the GOP reclaims congress. People don't realize that the president/government cannot pull us out of the economic downturn regardless of who they are, and the change bandwagon shifts.
Then Obama uses the GOP takeover to win again in 2012, gaining Dem seats in both houses but not a takeover. It is not an advantage to be the majority party given how many Americans expect the government to take care of them.
Hello Chicago supporters from a California supporter...
I have supported Obama since 2004 and have been volunteering and calling for the campaign all year and will continue to do so through election day.
I was very excited about attending the election night rally and even bought my plane tickets and prepaid for my hotel room in Chicago. Then today, as soon as I saw how to sign up for tickets, I tried to, only to find that I'm relegated to the waiting list with probably very little hope of getting a ticket.
I am not mad at the campaign, obviously there are logistics they have to worry about, but I am hoping that one of you kind Chicago supporters might have gotten a ticket and would be willing to allow me to use your "guest" spot?! Pretty please?!
Please email me if it's at all possible. Thank you! Keep up the good work!
Melissa
Hello Chicago supporters from a California supporter...
I have supported Obama since 2004 and have been volunteering and calling for the campaign all year and will continue to do so through election day.
I was very excited about attending the election night rally and even bought my plane tickets and prepaid for my hotel room in Chicago. Then today, as soon as I saw how to sign up for tickets, I tried to, only to find that I'm relegated to the waiting list with probably very little hope of getting a ticket.
I am not mad at the campaign, obviously there are logistics they have to worry about, but I am hoping that one of you kind Chicago supporters might have gotten a ticket and would be willing to allow me to use your "guest" spot?! Pretty please?!
Please email me at (melissa at emeybee dot com) if it's at all possible. Thank you! Keep up the good work!
Melissa
So how do you know if you got a ticket or put on the waiting list?
My confirmation email said this...
***THIS IS NOT A TICKET. THIS EMAIL CONFIRMS THAT YOU HAVE SIGNED UP TO RECEIVE AN ELECTION NIGHT EVENT TICKET. ***
You will receive further ticketing information in the coming days.
Thanks,
The Democratic Party
I haven't seen anything else. So does that mean I did get a ticket?
Mine said I was confirmed on the waiting list, so you must have a ticket.
Melissa,
Have you put in a call to Nancy Learjet Armani Pelosi?
Nope, not that it would matter-- I'm from Southern California.
this is what my e-mail said
*** THIS IS NOT A TICKET. ***
Thanks for signing up for the wait list for the Election Night event in Chicago.
If tickets become available, you will receive an email with further ticketing information.
If you do not receive further information, you will not have a ticket and will not be admitted to the event.
Thanks,
The Democratic Party
-====================
so is that what everyone says or did some people already get confirmed tickets???
or is everyone on a waiting list or is it a kind of lottery?
you're on the waiting list, then...meaning, you'll probably not have a ticket.
I received this (because I signed up within minutes of receiving an email from the Obama campaign):
"***THIS IS NOT A TICKET. THIS EMAIL CONFIRMS THAT YOU HAVE SIGNED UP TO RECEIVE AN ELECTION NIGHT EVENT TICKET. ***
You will receive further ticketing information in the coming days.
Thanks,
The Democratic Party"
which I take to mean, I will have a ticket and it will be emailed to me shortly.
This is a case of first come, first served.
Hey instead of basking in the glow of an obama victory in nice solid blue Illinois how about earning your ticket by volunteering this weekend to call undecided voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Indiana. This election aint over til its over. You guys are already picking out the china patterns. Some day you can say you HELPED get Obama elected. That would be historic.
ah thanks gerobobo
just wanted to make sure there was a difference.
yeah we'll see what happens.
Whatever happens that night will be historic. (good or bad, but hopefully good)
by the way.....can I be your plus one if you don't have one already...hahah
I hear that the scalpers are already out on Craigslist, selling tickets for $100 a piece.
I was wondering how long it would take for those scum to come out.
Watch it on TV.
Between the security and the horrid way the city manages public events, you're better off all around.
And god forbid he loses...bad times.
Some day you can say you HELPED get Obama elected. That would be historic.
Yes I along with the wieght of the Chicago Machine and corporate America help O'bama get elected setting a historic record in Campaign funds raised by not just democrates but republicans as well!
Its all about Change!
Honestly, I don't understand Daley here.
"We won't stop anyone from coming down! We won't screen anyone! It's going to be a free for all! Yay!" What the hell? I'm not saying that he could do those things, but jeez, there is no need to advertise a lack of control.