Yes We Can

The video quality sucks, I know, but it's the audio that gives me chills. The good kind.

As I was leaving Invesco Field last Thursday, the "OBAMA!" chant went up throughout the concourse. By the time I got my camera out, it had shifted into "YES WE CAN!" Note how the chant becomes completely in unison ... completely together ... one movement, one thought, united, not divided.

It was cool.

Obama's acceptance: how it looked from the cheap seats

I took this video, as I did many of the photos previously posted from Invesco, from my seat way up in Section 530. I think you still can feel the excitement, though.

The clip starts with the cheering as Sen. Obama enters the stage, and it only lets up around 2:30 or so for his speech. But then, at about 2:47, you hear: "With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination --" ... and more bedlam ensues. Finally, at 3:26, Obama thanks Hillary Clinton, and again the crowd goes wild.

Enjoy.

Playing catch-up on DNC photos: more from Invesco

Better late than never ...

The sun sets behind Invesco Field as, on the big screen, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduces Barack Obama.

This is the best I could do, a mile away with a shitty camera, to get a picture of the nominee.

I guess not everyone in Denver was happy to see us ... or maybe this is just a typical Republican greeting. Or both.

Getting out of Invesco was a colossal clusterfuck. Whereas most entrances to the stadium area were open beforehand, the police funneled all 85,000 of us out through just three exits. So besides getting lost (if, like us, your original entrance was blocked for egress), we ended up in massive human traffic jams. Some enterprising folks, though, created a new exit by tearing down one of the temporary fences so that we could climb over the concrete barricades.

Here's a closer look at the new impromptu exit, as one of the two -- TWO! -- cops on scene tries to figure out what the hell to do. Finally, whoever was on the phone with him told him to let us go ahead, rather than try to close the fence back up. (Stay tuned for video of this scene.) Video of this scene is at the bottom of this post.

The intrepid Sucky Blogger himself goes all artistic and shit with cigar and throwback sweatshirt whilst waiting for his FPC colleagues to return. It ended up being a long wait ... like 2½ hours. Oh well ...

UPDATE (1:29 pm 9/2/08): As promised, here's the video of the police trying to close that "new" exit from Invesco. The police officer, after shouting, "Go that way!" tells one woman whose companion is still behind the barricade, "I don't care, I'm sorry ... that's why there's a barricade here."

Playing catch-up on DNC photos: Thursday at Invesco

Still trying to get all the pictures and videos posted. Evidently I was brain-dead earlier on Thursday, because the only photos I took were from Invesco. But here are some more goodies for ya ...

Attendees arrived in endless serpentine lines that went on for hours, like this one on the west side of the stadium around 4:30 pm local time.

Same thing on the east side a short time later.

The Denver skyline rose majestically to the east of Invesco, without even a hint of the rain for which James Dobson's minions prayed so fervently. I guess it only rains on Republicans' parties ...

Everyone bearing a "community credential" had this unique holographic "ticket," the two views of which are shown here.

Stevie Wonder performs on the big screen, with the iconic bucking bronco, formerly resident at the old Mile High Stadium, representing the home of the Denver Broncos. Note the snipers on top of the scoreboard.

Advertising signs were covered with black tarps or curtains, and the lighted signs around Invesco, like these, displayed appropriate messages depending on the speaker or the topic. We're between acts/speakers here, so we get the standard Obama/Biden tagline.

This was the perspective on the podium from where I sat. Here, Al Gore speaks and shows us his back and the top of his head -- unintentionally, one presumes.

Although the ads were covered up, the Broncos Ring of Fame was still visible ... so while he never played in this stadium (having retired before it opened in 2001), everyone knew whose house it was.

Each attendee received a small American flag, and there was one huge flag given out in each section as well, for waving when Sen. Obama spoke. It made for quite a spectacle, even from where I sat.

I think one more set of pictures ought to do it ... and I have a couple of videos that you might find interesting, too. Stay tuned ...

More photographic goodness: wrapping up Tuesday

"What?," you're saying. "But today's Thursday!" Yeah, I know. I'm like a day and a half behind on pictures and it's only going to get worse. But I'm trying ...

This batch takes care of Tuesday ... stay tuned for Wednesday's pics.

Here's an early look at the stage setup for tonight's festivities at Invesco. As of Tuesday night, when I took this picture, there were none of those elitist uppity pretentious columns. I just figured Obama would rise up on a platform in the middle and join Bon Jovi for "You Give Love a Bad Name."

The purveyors of lies right-wing talking points mainstream broadcast coverage will be ensconced on the north side of the field.

At the "Four State Four Star" event in the East Club Lounge at Invesco Field Tuesday night, featuring (l-r) Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, New York Gov. David Paterson, former president Bill Clinton, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine. No word on whose brilliant idea it was to light the stage from behind.

Sen. Clinton with FPC blogger Legend Killer.

President Clinton poses with a supporter.

I love the logo for tonight's event. It looks great on the big screen at Invesco, doesn't it?

The FPC bloggers rub elbows with the chair of the Florida Democratic Party. Left to right: Ray Seaman of Ocala, FPC chair Kenneth Quinnell of Tallahassee, Justin Hope of Tallahassee, Legend Killer of Jefferson County, FDP Chair and former congresswoman Karen Thurman, Sinfonian of Boynton Beach, and former state legislator Ed Jennings of Gainesville.