I

have tried to rehydrate myself after attending the Barack Obama rally at Wingfield Park. There were at least a couple of thousand people there jammed in the park, and believe me, it got damned hot before too long standing out in the sun.

I was standing behind the "VIP" areas that were roped off, and therefore I got a decent view of the event. However, Obama, who was going to speak at 12:30 so working people could attend the rally during lunch, was at least a half hour late. I was packed in like a sardine, like the Kerry rally of October 2004 at Lawlor, and it was pretty scary stuff. There was a lot of security, with police positioned at nearby Arlington Towers and the Washoe County Courthouse.

When he finally came in, he spoke for twenty minutes or so. He was lucky because he was wearing a light white shirt with the sleeves rolled up part of the way. I will admit he is a good speaker, although not in the league of a Barbara Jordan or a Mario Cuomo, but a good speaker. He would have made a good car salesman. He made damned sure he pronounced "Nevada" right. It was much appreciated by the audience. When John McCain mispronounced the state during his visit, the crowd didn't let him forget it (in his case it being odd because he is from Arizona). I recorded Obama's speech, and if I get any ambition at all, I will give a summary.

I did take some pictures following the speech, but I don't think any of them will turn out that great. As always after a candidate's speech, I made sure I got up very close. I was no more than a couple of feet away from the senator, but he didn't sign much in the way of autographs, if any at all, and I didn't get to shake his hand. I just missed that.

But I'll tell you, by the time he left, there was practically nobody left in the park. Everybody was in a hurry to get back to work. In fact, quite a few people left early.

Barack should have known better.