Going to Obama Rally and a little nervous……….
The city of Chicago is gearing up for Obama’s campaign rally in Grant Park, which means 300,000 media personalites, vistitors, and tourists will be venturing to the Loop during Rush hour!
As a journalist I understand the significance of the event and I plan on being there (tickets in tact) but as some of my collegues have suggested, this is not a typical event in Chicago, this is a political rally and to be honest it’s my first one and it’s a little scary.
The city of Chicago is gearing up for Obama’s campaign rally in Grant Park, which means a million media personalities, visitors, and tourists will be venturing to the Loop during Rush hour on a Tuesday evening!
As a journalist I understand the significance of the event and I plan on being there (tickets in tact) but as some of my colleagues have suggested, this is not a typical event in Chicago, this is a political rally and to be honest I am little nervous.
Nervous because of the millions of people, yes, but also the recent threats against Obama, the thought of so many supporters in one place late at night, and the millions of people from all over the world watching this rally, well yeah it’s a little nerve-racking. I am a HUGE supporter of Obama, but I am also a realist and this is an intense situation.
The city of Chicago is planning to take the same type of precautions as they do with Immigration rallies, Taste of Chicago and July 3rd fireworks events which bring one million visitors to the Lakefront, including street closings, added security and train lines and parking precautions.
But, there will also be another precaution and that is the city’s new 48-officer Mobile Strike Force unit, which will be used for crowd control, plus the additional firefighters, and closed-circuit security cameras.
While all these additions are important (especially security) it does not make me feel any better. But, also a journalist I can’t think of anywhere else I would rather be, because after a year of reporting on Obama’s campaign and writing about the primary, I think watching him live accepting the nomination for president of the United States, well that is a moment of a lifetime.
3 years ago