Kerry in Kansas City today.

[SheilaT]

Maybe no other DUer was there, which is why it hasn't been posted yet. Happened this morning, around 11am local time. Good crowd, a lot of former Dean and Clark supporters. Actually, I wasn't going to go until I got an email that Bush supporters would be there, and I figure at the very least they needed to be outnumbered. Best part was that they were consigned to a zone several hundred yards from the Kerry supporters.

Kerry took plenty of time walking around, shaking hands, signing things, speaking with people. I got there early enough to be right up on the barrier, right next to a couple with a year old baby, which of course Kerry picked up and held and it was quite sweet. He was very good with the baby.

In person, he looks a little less Lurch-like.

Secret Service was in full force.

I also got to speak briefly with Kathleen Sebelius, Governor of Kansas. Not to mention some other local Democrats no one hear would know of. In short, it was a good morning for Democrats in the Kansas City area.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Thanks for the report

Out of curiosity..how many pubbies were there?

[SheilaT]

2. Not sure.

Perhaps 30, if that many. When we arrived about 5 or 6 were also pulling up. We got there early enough to park near the hanger on the far side of the old downtown airport where Kerry's plane pulled up and we Kerry folks were gathered. I only turned around a handful of times to check them out, and after a while the crowd was seven or eight people deep behind me so I couldn't really see them.

There were 300 plus is my guess of the Kerry people. There was a nice energy, but I can tell you it was NOTHING like the energy Dean generated. Don't know about any of the others, because I never went to see any of them.

Kerry is probably exceptionally impressive in a small group setting, but he doesn't have the kind of populist -- I want to say charisma -- that Dean has to generate enthusiasm. I suspect that to sit down with Kerry over a glass of wine and discuss various topics of mutual interest would be genuinely worthwhile. But what worries me (among many other things) is that it's his very strengths that make him most vulnerable to attack.

I am not, even at this point, a true supporter of Kerry. Oh, I'll probably vote for him in November -- I certainly WON'T vote for anyone else, but he does not have my heart and soul. He does not represent the kind of change this country needs, and I'm sick to think that he's going to be the nominee.

It's Dean that turned me on to party politics this year, and only because of Dean, and my hope that somewhere down the road his ideas and convictions will change this country is what keeps me going.

[MuseRider]

3. I did not know he

was coming to KC, missed any mention of that. I probably would not have made it anyway. Glad he came, too bad more were not there. Why is anyone for any reason put into zones? Really, even if they are Bush* supporters this bothers me.

[SheilaT]

4. There was a collective feeling

of, they do it to us, we'll do it to them. Kerry is OUR guy. And he hasn't trashed the economy, singlehandedly pissed off the rest of the world, and all the other stuff that Bush did. As angry as I am at Kerry for his various votes, Bush takes the full blame in the end. And those around him, of course.

The Bush folks weren't even as far away and out of sight as anti-Bush people normally are. If they'd been allowed to mingle with us, it might have gotten quite ugly. I think an awful lot of us are so angry at what's happened since Bush seized power that it wouldn't take much to start trouble. Perhaps I'm underestimating people. This is, after all, the Midwest where people are notoriously friendly and good-natured.

An example of the collective dislike of the Bush people: about 10 or so minutes before Kerry's plane arrived, someone came over to us and said two cars needed to be moved because they were blocking where Kerry's motorcade would be, and one guy said (in response to the kind of cars they were) that he was quite sure Bushies had gotten out of them, because he'd just moved his car from that spot. We all said, "Tow the cars." Don't know if that happened, or if someone went over to the other group and let them know.

[MuseRider]

5. I do understand that

feeling and I am sure things very well could have gotten ugly but still, I hate to see anyone doing it. That is all. Perhaps things need to get ugly? I certainly do not want that to happen but fencing people off is just wrong IMO.

[DaveSZ]

6. "Free speech zones"

very much disturb me.

Why do we on this board complain when we aren't allowed to protest Bush, and then praise the fact that Kerry protestors are treated in the same fashion (like cattle)? Has the Supreme Court resolved this issue concerning whether this practice violates the First Amendment?


:think:

[SheilaT]

7. I guess the Supreme Court

hasn't said anything yet. In fact, I don't believe anyone anywhere is bringing a lawsuit about this. Although I agree it ought to be done.

Sometimes it's just not in me to rise above pettiness.

[Jai4WKC08]

8. Excellent account

Thanks Sheila.

I was there. Also helped pass along the e-mail on the Bush counter-rally, via a friend in Lawrence.

A word about the Bushies' not being allowed inside the fence. They weren't forced to stay out. But none of us were allowed to bring any signs in--pre-prepared signs were handed out after we went thru airport security. Without their signs, they would have only looked like more Kerry supporters, so they chose to stay outside. At least one Bushie I saw did come in and there was no problem until he started being disruptive and was politely but firmly asked to leave.

Oh, and the baby's father was one of the heads of our KC-area Clark group. A great guy. I SO hope he'll one day be able to tell his little girl she was held and kissed by the President of the United States. :)

[SheilaT]

9. Thanks for reminding me about the signs thing.

My husband mentioned that as a factor when the Bushies were assembling where they were.

Were you standing near the baby? I was immediately to the mom's right, and talked with both her and the dad quite a bit before Kerry got there. They were quite nice and likable. I'm sure they'll treasure the photos and make sure baby Emma grows up knowing about this day.

[Jai4WKC08]

10. We were over on the other side

Nearer the hanger. But a bunch of us Clarkies were hollerin' to Mike (Emma's dad) to hand her to Kerry. And one of us ran over with a digital camera and got some GREAT shots. Mike was about to burst with pride--I talked to him and his wife afterwards (Susan? Sharon? Can't remember. I don't know her as well--I think she must have been always stuck at home with the baby.)

Like most of us, I don't think Mike ever had any serious reservations about joining the Kerry camp, but he's a convert now for sure. ;)