BARACK OBAMA!

As now it was after 8:30 p.m. with Barack considerably out in front, we walked out east of the building to upper Randolph. The police had roped off Millennium Park and we walked with crowds down Michigan Avenue past the lighted fountains and the Art Museum. North of the museum a huge line began for the Butler Field area which would have a screen projecting Obama’s speech. This line stretched south to below Balbo with thousands of people waiting and slowly walking north. We walked south the entire length of Grant Park to Roosevelt turning east to Columbus where Chicago police checked our Obama’s Headquarter’s badges. (With the huge crowd in Grant Park one couldn’t help thinking of the contrast to the 1968 Democratic convention.) Here we entered a long plywood walkway crossing the myriad cables to handle the news media coverage. We passed signs for “Biden Guests” and private tents. We followed the crowd behind media tents and out to a people-filled area where a stage extended out into the crowd from an arc of flags against a blue curtained background. There were what appeared to be two very thick glass bullet proof shields slightly in front but sidewise to where the speaker’s podium was – we didn’t understand the arrangement. At the south was a big tent for media with lights and cameras and then small house shaped tents with open access to the field with CNN and NBC signs and broadcasters pumping out stories. To the west was an immense open white tent with tiered rows of media packed full of still and television cameras. The bright camera lights everywhere were all softened by makeshift cloths to mute the glare on the announcer. The six of us found a comfortable area in the field about 50 yards from the podium.

CNN was projected on a huge screen to the right of the podium and we could see that Obama was out in front of McCain in the electoral count by about 338 to 153. The crowd roared and small waving U.S. flags competed with digital cameras each time new positive results were announced. The crowd yelled out the countdown of seconds to the 10:00 p.m. CST closing of the polls on the west coast. Then bedlam broke out as it was announced that Obama was the projected winner of the election (in spite of North Carolina, Indiana, Missouri and others not yet being decided). To our right the boys pointed out Barack’s speechwriter who at 27 looked too young for the part. He and his family were together as were other family groups of campaign workers.

Earlier than expected, John McCain appeared on the projection screen and began his concession speech, initially drowned out by loud music. This was quickly remedied and the crowd politely applauded McCain’s gracious speech. Only when he mentioned Palin did some in front of us boo, but I pointed out to them how much she’d helped us! Patrick showed us a message on his blackberry from Barack to his campaign workers saying that he was coming over to Grant Park now, but wanted them to know before it was announced. Someone came out to check the microphone at the podium, and soon a clergyman came out to give the invocation. He was interrupted by cheers in his prayer when he said something like “Barack Obama our next President” which was fun. The pledge of allegiance was followed by a woman who sang the Star Spangled Banner who only realized that the crowd was following along late in her performance.

Then an announcer came out and introduced the new first family as Barack came out with Michelle, Malia and Sasha all dressed in color coordinated red. What a sight. They waved as they showed obvious warmth to the children to the appreciation of the crowd. Then Michelle left with the children and Barack gave his speech to the applause of the crowd. It was a little disconcerting for me that the speechwriter who we had seen earlier was mouthing the words of the speech to our left as Barack spoke them! When Barack finished, his family rejoined him with the Bidens and then their extended families including Michelle’s brother’s family and the Biden clan including his elderly mother. It was wonderful to see both races on the stage being cheered by the crowd and intermingling with each other. They stayed and waved for a long time and then gradually walked back along the stage to the rear arc and went behind the curtains. Everyone was so excited and happy and a spirit of warm camaraderie settled over the crowd.

It was not easy to get to the exit and we watched the media people behind us in the tent as we inched our way. Rob pointed out a white haired man with matching beard who had been the expert on the primary rules in each of the states, which had made such a difference for Obama when he was going against Hillary Clinton in Nevada and Texas. The crowd moved along patiently, and then we found that it was easier to go back and to our left. We walked towards the big projection screen as the television camera projected the picture of the our immediate crowd on the screen. The boys would meet fellow workers and give them hugs and campaign workers were collecting on the stage. Some wrapped themselves in the red, white and blue bunting on the stage and took pictures of groups as others ran to join them. We were separated a little as we got through the bottleneck leaving the field but soon re-grouped and walked out on the wooden walkway to Columbus Avenue.

We parted with the boys and Scarlett on Michigan Avenue a little north of Roosevelt thanking and congratulating them - we're so proud of what they and the campaign staff have accomplished. We walked south to the El on Roosevelt as they walked north to get Rob’s car at the office. Michigan was blocked off and a tiny black girl was walking in the middle of the avenue waving a flag and chanting O-Bam-A by herself in front of her family. Soon the crowd picked up the chant with her and carried it on for half a block. Bon hugged another woman who was as euphoric as we were. We passed by vendors of every kind of Obama button and T-shirt on Roosevelt and the friendly crowd as we walked west to the El. We waited on the El platform at 12:15 a.m. feeling wonderful and tired. The green line train soon arrived and, being south of the loop, we all got seats. I listened to NPR on my little mp3 player dozing on the way home.

It was still a mild temperature as we walked from the Ridgeland El station to Lake and up Elmwood rustling the fallen leaves on the sidewalk. We chatted and had a celebratory beer with cheese crackers in the living room before turning in.