Obama in Oregon, vol. 1

Obama got the jump on Hillary in Oregon by visiting the state Friday and Saturday, and I decided to drive to Eugene and get in line. Unfortunately, we didn't get to hear his full address--just a 10-minute talk with about 5,000 other people behind McArthur Court at the University of Oregon. One friend said she waited 6 hours and the doors to McArthur Court closed when they were 10 feet away. I was in line for about 2 hours, and didn't even get around the block to see the front of the building.

He gave a Friday morning speech in Portland, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson appeared with him and endorsed Obama publicly for the first time--a nice endorsement, considering most Latino voters are supporting Hillary. From Portland, he traveled to speak in Salem, and then made an unannounced stop in Corvallis, ordering pizzas at American Dream Pizza, right across from the downtown apartment building where a couple of my friends live. I guess a couple of friends scrambled over, but only saw the bus pulling away. (Aside: American Dream is my favorite pizza place in Corvallis, but when you order a slice late at night in the Crow Bar behind the dining area, they just kind of lump some toppings on cheese pizza that has been warming for awhile. But, hey, it's only $2.50.) Friday night was the Eugene rally, and I heard that Obama made a stop in Medford on Saturday, too.

Below is a photo I snapped as Barack was shaking hands with people along the barrier. He took his time and went all around the front row of the crowd, and I was nearly within handshake reach as I snuck forward right after this photo. Great crowd, very diverse. I think he will win in Oregon, but maybe not by much. (There's sure to be a lot of cable news hyperactivity between now and then that, unfortunately, may sway some voters for trivial reasons, but I'm fairly confident that Obama will take our state.) April 29 is the last day to register to vote in time for the Democratic Primary in Oregon.

Upcoming Democratic primaries are:

April 22: Pennsylvania
May 6: Indiana, North Carolina
May 13: Nebraska, West Virginia
May 20: Oregon, Kentucky
June 3: Montana, South Dakota

So, Obama is sure to be back in Oregon before May 20, and I will probably devote a bit more time to standing in line when the weather is warmer. Or, I'll follow his bus and take a photo for the blog, at least.