25'

After getting back from the Boundary Waters on Monday night, the first thing I did was to pick up the paper and see what had happened with Puerto Rico and Florigan in the Democratic primary. I was amazed to find out that Obama would be speaking at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul after the end of the primaries on Tuesday, especially since at that point he would have most likely captured the nomination. Being a massive Obama fan since I watched his speech at the 2004 convention I knew I had to go. So at about 3:30 the next day, I headed to St. Paul to stand in line and hopefully get in to see history.

As I started walking along the line outside the Xcel at a little after 4pm, it was already huge. I came to the end of the line, but was informed that it reached back across the intersection I was standing right next to, and indeed I could see that stretched many blocks into downtown St. Paul. However, this line was set up along a metal fence that had been set up for the event. As I stood at the intersection, I saw people walking on the other side of this fence toward another entrance and forming new lines at the doors there. I knew that two entrances would be opened for the rally, so I just followed the line that was moving. So I ended up in one of six lines, about 20 people from the entry doors. I don't know if I was supposed to be able to do this, but no one told me not to. After two hours they opened the doors. I got in, bought some food and hit the bathroom (which turned out to be a very good decision, as I would have never gotten my spot back if I had had to leave it). In another stroke of luck, I overheard an usher saying that entrance to the floor could be gained from the line to my right. So I went to my right, stood in line, got onto the arena floor and grabbed the best spot I could-right in front of the empty podium, about 25' away.

The seats filled up slowly over the next three hours, and my feet started to hurt as I had been standing for a long time. But when Barak Obama and his wife, Michelle, came out, it was as if the room had exploded. MSNBC had been on the jumbotron earlier, but it had been turned off before Obama had been declared the nominee. Thus, when he came out and began to speak, the line "I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States" almost caused the crowd to riot. The closest thing I can compare it to would be the footage I've seen of Beatles' concerts in the 60's. I couldn't even hear the whole line-everything after "nominee" was cut off.

The speech wasn't long, but that was fine. Afterward I stayed and tried to get as close as I could to the rope line. I didn't get to shake his hand (I was about 2 people back from being able to do that), but I did get within about five feet of him as he worked the line. And that was pretty freaking cool.

Thinking about it later, it occurred to me that this might be the most historic event I'll ever personally get the chance to witness. Something could best it, of course, but for now it's easily at the top of the list. The best five hours standing I've ever spent.