Crowd of 9500+ Welcomes Obama to Española NM

NM-03 candidate Ben Ray Lujan speaks to the crowd in English and Spanish about the victories to come -- if we stand together and work for it

This is only PART of the crowd

Obama in front of a quintessential New Mexico backdrop, Plaza de Espanola

The place was packed. The town was packed. The streets were packed. The plaza in Española, NM was packed with more than 9500 enthusiastic, sun-drenched people from Northern New Mexico and beyond, many of whom waited in line for hours to get a chance to be a part of Barack Obama's Change We Need Rally. At its longest, the line waiting to get in reportedly stretched about two miles -- and I believe it. When the plaza was full, more people crammed into the spaces outside the barriers, periodically yelling and cheering for Obama from the peripheries. They got the shade of the TV satellite trucks. It's always a trade-off.

Mariachis entertain the crowd

As we were driving around scoping things out and trying to find the press entrance, we passed a line that filled the sidewalk, snaked around corners, filled an entire sidestreet and and tailed off into the distance. People didn't seem to care about the wait, the sun, the crazy-quilt parking or the semi-chaos that was evident all over Española -- population 9688 according to the 2000 census. Yes, that's right -- the town's population almost doubled with the influx of Obama fans, former Hillary fans and folks coming just to take a listen to the candidate who's now 7-8 points ahead of McCain in New Mexico in the latest polling.

The crowd was festive, friendly and pumped -- you could feel it all over. The town was bustling with vendors hawking Obama everything and folks renting out parking spaces in their yards or outside their businesses, making nice profits on the deals. Nobody was complaining. Lots of neighbors greeting neighbors, talking family, talking politics, talking how great it was that Obama was visiting the gateway to the Hispanic North and paying his respects to the very voters who just might put him over the top in the presidential election. Hispanics, Anglos, Native Americans, Sikhs, gays, straights, browns, whites, blacks, young, old and everything in between. Most of all, Democrats. La Gente -- the people who truly believe in of the people, by the people, for the people.

Gov. Bill Richardson revs the crowd

I caught snatches of conversations about the Kennedys and their visits to Northern New Mexico long ago, and how presidential candidates had rarely bothered after that. It was clear that memories were welling up throughout the crowd, of politics and presidents and Democratic victories past, when things were different and progress was being made on equality and pay and expanded opportunities. When things seemed like they were getting better, not worse.

And then the hopeful wondering -- could we get Obama elected and could he help us get to that place once again? That place of moving forward, not back. That place of unity and community, not hate, not fear. When it felt good to be an American, a New Mexican, a worker getting a fair shake, a family whose kids just might do better with hard work and determination and a fair deal. When people were looking ahead, not back.

Obama steps before the crowd

If the crowd that showed up in Española is any indication, people are starting to believe once again -- and are ready to put the pedal to the metal to get there, to help Barack get there. To help us all start moving in that direction once more, after eight very long years without nourishment, without movement, without progress, without hope.

I'll be writing more about Obama's latest visit to New Mexico, but I wanted to get something up now so you can get at least a glimpse of what the day was like -- from my perspective anyway -- before I give in and hit the couch. Also check out and What's the Word for coverage, as Matt and Peter were also (as always) right smack in the middle of things today.

Oh, and then there were the forlorn Republicans. Their campaign office, such as it is, was nearby the plaza. As you can see in this photo, they had plenty of time on their hands -- and no takers. I guess people don't really want to "Play It Safe" -- whatever the GOP means by that ....

You can see more photos from Española in our Flickr set, and more videos that we'll continue to load at our YouTube channel.

All photos and video by M.E. Broderick. Click on photos for larger versions.

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