Word in Chicago is spreading: Obama loss is expected. Grant Park rally downgraded to "tens of thousands" instead of the million Obama
promised
Posted by hillbuzz under Uncategorized
Here in Chicago, a group of us just got back from doing visibility for McCain here in Boystown on a break from monitoring the polling stations in our neighborhoods. So far, we have not seen any instances of Obama followers intimidating voters or committing any sort of fraud - but are keeping our eyes open. We are all veterans of the Iowa, Texas, and other caucuses, so we know how bad Obama's followers can be.
The weirdest thing about today is that we honestly see less Obama tee shirts, stickers, and buttons out that we saw Kerry stuff in 2004. We spotted two black people in Obama tee shirts and a 60-something white hippy woman with long gray hair wearing about 57 Obama buttons (one for every state), but that's about it. Spotted one McCain tee shirt and one pink Palin shirt though.
The best part: SAW THREE PEOPLE IN HILLARY CLINTON TEES.
Honestly, you would really not know there was even an election going on. There is no excitement in the air here in Chicago. Our polling stations are in a neighborhood heavily populated with young professionals and college kids - supposedly Obama's demorgraphic. Both polling places near us have not been busy all day. There was never a line, and inside the room there are about 35 poll workers and monitors, with something like 25-30 voting booths, and at most we've seen 6 of them occupied at a time.
Where is Obama's "youth army"?
Or, are they all going to come in 10 minutes before polls close to overwhelm the room, like they did in Iowa for the caucus?
You can tell the Obama supporters on the street, though. They look really worried. Word's spreading fast here that Obama's going to lose - the big Reifenstahl-styled rally Obama planned for Grant Park has been downgraded, according to police we know. Instead of one million people coming out to hear his concession speech tonight, the city is now expecting only "tens of thousands". The world's biggest celebrity doesn't seem to be drawing the crowd he hoped.
More later when we get the chance - back to our stations - another four hours or so until polls close here.
If turnout and excitement for Obama are as dismal in the rest of the city as they are in Boystown, this could be a VERY bad night for Dear Leader.

