Amy Chozick reports on the presidential race from Fort Collins, Colo. October 26, 2008, 7:17 pm
If big rallies are any indication of voter turnout, then the Democrats appear to be in good shape.
Barack Obama has spoken to roughly a quarter million people over the weekend on a swing through Western states.
On Saturday, he held rallies in Reno and Las Vegas that attracted a combined total of about 30,000 people. He spoke Saturday night in Albuquerque to more than 35,000. According to a University of New Mexico fire marshall, at least 15,000 people who couldn’t get in listened to the speech outside the gates.
On Sunday morning in Denver, the Illinois senator drew more than 100,000, his biggest crowd in the U.S. yet. Sunday afternoon he spoke to more than 50,000 people [in Fort Collins] as late comers ran in to catch a few sentences at the end of his stump speech.
“Colorado, in just nine days, you’ll have the chance to elect your next President,” Obama said in Denver. “But we’re going to have to work, and struggle, and fight for every single one of those 9 days to move our country in a new direction. We cannot let up. And we won’t.”
John McCain has been attracting crowds of a few thousand people. The Republican nominee said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday morning that he has seen a new level of enthusiasm at his rallies.
“The enthusiasm, at almost all of our campaign events is at a higher level than I’ve ever seen and I’ve been in a lot of presidential campaigns,” McCain said. “I see intensity out there and I see passion.”
Obama aides say huge crowds help generate excitement during the critical early voting days and are an important get-out-the-vote tool.
At the beginning of his rally here, Obama asked for a show of hands of who had already voted. A majority of hands shot up.
“That’s what I like to see,” he said. “If you have not early voted, then talk to that person raising their hand next to you and find out how to early vote. It’s easy. It’s fun. You’ll feel morally superior having already cast your ballot while those lazy procrastinators are waiting until Nov. 4.”
“I especially want you to vote early if you’re voting for me. If you’re voting for the other guy, you should just wait until Nov 5,” he said laughing. “I’m just teasing, it’s actually Nov. 4 is the election.”
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