I just shook John Kerry's hand

[Nevernose]

My daughter got to shake his hand, too. It was almost accidental. We went outside to wait for some friends, and when we came back in, the gymnasium had been sealed off by the fire marshall (the guy's a real dick -- I've run into him before).

As it turned out, there was a back door open for the press and Kerry to come through -- no one said a thing when we slipped in through the door. They even seated us and gave us front-row chairs in the VIP section, because they just assumed we were supposed to be there. It was very surreal.

It was right up front at the entrance Kerry was using, which was primo hand-shaking/baby-kissing territory.

Good speaker, liked his message. Fairly quick wit, though there was a pun about "Las Vegans betting on Bush" that elicited mass groans. Changed his pronunciation of "Nevada" to the correct one halfway through his speech.

He didn't have to come here. We're a little, fairly unimportant state (except to me, of course), and all the other candidates have totally ignored us. He could have spent one last night stumping in Wisconsin or Minnesota or whatever frozen wasteland is caucusing tomorrow, which has three times the delegates/electoral votes; I think it made a lot of Nevadans feel like even the little guy is important (then again, he'd just come from a private fund-raiser; the Greenspun family were big financial backers of Clinton, too).

ANyway, I haven't felt like this since my first election, CLinton in '92.

[KFC]

1. Nice. Always nice to shake hands with a President.

Interesting that he knew (or was told) that the correct pronunciation is "Na vaaada", not "Ne vauda".

[frustrated_lefty]

3. He's a candidate, not a president.

Never-the-less, to the original poster: cool! That had to be a blast, good for you and your family! :)

[Nevernose]

7. Nope, he's a president

I could tell before hwe walked in the joint -- this man's got what it takes, and the CROWD. I talked with several people afterwards, and none of us had any idea just how many people here felt this way. They were expecting a crowd of a thousand; they were turning people away at the door.

By coming here, he has REALLY helped to energize a sluggish state machine, and there's no doubt in my mind that in eight years, we'll all be sad to see Kerry leaving office.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. That post is gold. Thanks.

Kerry may even make us all forget about Clinton. He really is that good.

[Name removed]

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[Nevernose]

5. Is this a reference to the "special-interest money?"

Seriously. I'm sometimes kind of dense on these things :dunce:

[onehandle]

6. You mean after strangling the reputation of the Green Party?

No wait, that was Nader.

[JI7]

4. Kerry is visiting all places before elections

John Kerry is trying to, and so far has been to each state which have held elections so far. hopefully he will keep it up. even places without much competition or delegates, he still went.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. That would be great if he makes it to Montana

we vote last - June 8 - so I'd be surprised and happy.

[JI7]

12. i hope he does

whoever wins the nomination will have it by then. but i hope he visits anyways. you should write to the campaign and ask them to try to get him to make plans for a visit.

[AVID]

17. Fellow MTan

Love to see Kerry here!!!

[TheDonkey]

8. Very cool nt

[aldian159]

10. Very cool Nevaaadan

I must admit, I pronounced it the wrong way to.

He rocks, good to hear you heard him.

[Punkingal]

13. I was there, too!

I didn't get to shake his hand, but I had a very good view, and I found it all quite exciting. I, too, am grateful that a candidate decided to come see us, and there is no way I would have stayed home.

Here are some impressions I took away from the event:

He looks younger in person, and comes across as very relaxed and confident, yet I got a definite feeling that there is a toughness there. I can believe he is not afraid of the campaign ahead, should he get the nomination. Since I watch C-SPAN a lot, I had heard the speech before, but it was still exciting to hear it live. The union people were out in full-force, mostly the firefighters and the sheet metal workers, and they were loud and raucous, as was everyone else. For me, it was great to be in a gymnasium full of Democrats, chanting "No More Bush." And I got a kick out of yelling, "Bring It On." It felt like I was saying it to Bush, and that felt damn good.

I was sitting near one of the entrances, and there was a little group of protesters who came in, teen-agers mostly, and they had signs that said, "Hypocrite," and one of them started inching toward the stage holding it up, and a policeman came and took her out of the gym. They were Bushies, because one had on a t-shirt that said, "George W Bush Rocks." (:puke: ) That's really all they did, and I don't think the policeman should have taken her out...this is America, after all, but then when I think about all of Bush's phony, staged rallies, well, I can't be too upset about it. They were just kids, though, and as one person sitting near me said, "They don't know any better. Their parents are Republicans." I thought that was cute.

So tonight I was in a gym full of screaming Democrats, and it felt great. Tomorrow is our caucus, and I am going to vote, and I am going to vote AGAINST George W. Bush. And it will feel damn good!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

14. Nice report

thanks and have fun tomorrow!

[Nevernose]

15. Right on!

I was exactly opposite them. We couldn't tell what happened to them, only that they dissapeared. Someone with a Kerry sign was also strategically placing their sign between the disruptors and the crowd.

I was very glad that I was nowhere near them. In my younger days I had a penchant for violence, and battery is only a misdemeanor in Nevada. :evilgrin:

I can't go to the caucus, unfortunately, since they won't let me bring my kid. I don't do much without her, and I think the whole thing would be such a great expereince for her.

Anyway, I'm glad you thought as much of it as I did!

[Punkingal]

16. I forgot to say, I am glad you posted this.

I kept looking around, wondering if there were other DUers there. I just knew there had to be.

I also forgot to say, I was impressed with Kerry. I thought he was warm, sincere, and passionate about wanting to undo Bush's mess. Really, you just don't get a true sense of these candidates from watching them on television. It really is a shame more people don't take the time to do this when the opportunity presents itself.

[Johnyawl]

18. Great posts, Argumentus &Pumpkingal!

I love hearing these stories!

Last saturday, after our caucus (Washington) Geniph & I went to a Caucus Returns Party & Chili feed put on by the State Democratic party. It was absolutely wonderful to be in a room full of Democrats, all wearing buttons and signs for their candidates, and all of them chanting and sceaming "No more Bush!"

[NV1962]

19. That's great!

Yeah, today, a day after your meeting John Kerry, we slightly missed a "big one" here in Reno - but that didn't spoil the party we were having, all 1600+ of us!

That sounds like a great experience you had "down there" in Las Vegas ;)

And I agree - this "battle born state" isn't much in the way of electoral votes (all five of 'em!) but... It is a very important place, considering that it is traditionally very conservative, with Las Vegas / Clark County usually going Democratic, and "the rest of us" being painted deep, deep blue... In 2000, that swept the vote for, eh, not Gore.

This year it probably will go Dem - which is really a slap in the face of W. Then again, he slapped Nevadans in the face with his promised veto against a "temporary" license to start dumping nuclear waste material in Yucca Mountain and "demand" a scientific clean health bill, and once in the WH instead gave Nevada to the "nucular" / energy lobby.

That has cost him immensely among Republicans here - and that explains why practically every high-level GOPer here is not only angry, but wholeheartedly endorsing the litigation by the State against Yucca Mt.

This is a "battlestate" for the elections, but if we manage to get the vote out, also and especially among the Hispanic population (now there's another case of broken promises!) we will be happily painted red come the November election results map. It would be very nice and helpful if the nominee pressed along with us here, in the run-up to November 2nd.

Karl Rove -- from nearby Sparks here -- will have to bear with the truckload of egg over his face! Another interesting bit: last week, Ed Gillespie came to Reno here, presumably to "counter" Kerry's appearance in Las Vegas and lambast him & Clark. Wellll... that trip went by unnoticed like the proverbial tree falling in the middle of a thick forrest.

Good luck there in Las Vegas! We can do this - and together, we will. (Of course I'm trolling here for an affirmative "you bet" - hehe)

[Name removed]

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[oasis]

21. You just met the next president.

[bushwakker]

22. It was a GE visit

NV winnable in November

[NewYorkerfromMass]

25. Yes. Kerry is smart as nails

His time in NV was well spent.

[Peeance Freeance]

23. I've met him. Very Presidential.

nt

[oasis]

24. The real deal.