Caucus in Wichita: Amazing!
We went to the caucus tonight. At our polling station they were expecting 100-120 people. They GROSSLY underestimated the turnout. The line outside the door was about 5 or 6 blocks long, out in the sleet. HUNDREDs of people, winding around, in freezing sleet (that turned to snow). We waited about 20-30 minutes in line before Zora just couldn’t take it any more. She was too cold. She was bundled up good, but the wind was biting and she didn’t want to be held any more. We contemplated Zach taking the kids and coming back to pick me up and another person in line told us to go to the front. We did. When we got to the front, we asked if it was ok if we cut in line because our kids were getting too cold, and not only was it ok, the crowd turned around and helped us make it through the glut to get to the actual inside. Inside, there was another 3 or 4 blocks worth of lines zig-zagging through the hallways.
While waiting, we found out that the main gymnasium had already filled up and they were sending the Obama supporters still in line to the other gym for overflow. The main gym was a combination of Obama and Clinton. The gym we ended up in had 1120 people (plus kids) in it. It was the smaller gym. Literally, standing room only. Packed, wall to wall.
It was supposed to take “maybe an hour”. It took more than three hours. When we left there was several inches of snow to trod through, and a lot still falling. Our car was about 5 blocks away, the closest spot we could find (and only as close as it was because our car is small). We had to uncover our car to get in and leave. We got home about 10pm, four hours after we left. We were TIRED. (the adults at least. Zach held Zora almost the whole time, except for a while when we were outside).
It was inspiring. It was amazing. I kept having to choke back tears seeing the passion of the people I stood with. I have never seen anything like it in my life.
The thing I found particularly amazing is that they asked the crowd how many people had changed parties to vote in the caucus and a couple hundred hands went up. There is hope.
Obama won Kansas by 80% (not all the numbers are in yet, so it might be a few points off). Can you believe it?
eta: an article in the local paper. It doesn’t mention our caucus site, but I think it is largely because they just weren’t expecting many people to show up and didn’t have any reporters on hand. lol http://www.kansas.com/news/story/303360.html
I have never been so emotional about an election before. Maybe its pregnancy…But God, please let Obama win. Don’t let “them” take control again. Please give us our heart’s desire.
I was there, I wish I had run into you.
Wow! Three hours! Talk about commitment to democracy! Even though I only had to stand in line for a few minutes, the little polling station I went to also said that they had seen a much higher turnout than expected. I also got a little choked up, too. I know this may sound stupid or overly idealistic, but there is something powerful in exercising your right to vote. It was like I felt proud of all the people who took time out of their day to stand up and say “I care what happens in this country.”