5:40pm

The area in the vicinity of Municipal Auditorium is in gridlock. News vans line the curb in front of the press entrance. Parking is a nightmare, but we end up in a lot down the street, and hike down the street to the building.

We’d been told that security would be tight and not to show up at the last minute, but the people at the press desk inform us that Sen. Obama is going to be late. A security guard scans us with a hand-held metal detector and searches our bags. We’re led around the auditorium to the press area.

6pm

The press box, behind the general crowd zone, is filled with print, radio and television journalists. I see cameras from the local networks, the AP and numerous other organizations. Tables behind the camera platform are covered with computers, notebooks, bags and coats.

“The Adventure” by Angels and Airwaves is playing over the sound system, and the crowd, which appears to be very diverse, is getting a little restless. Apparently Sen. Obama was delayed because of the weather (the roads outside are still pretty slick). The Marching Cobras, Kansas City’s marching band, entertains the crowd with a (very loud in the small space) performance.

Banners hang over the hall’s balcony, with slogans like “Fired Up” and “Change We Can Believe In” painted on them. I see plenty of people wearing blue and KU-related attire.

6:15pm

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who formally endorsed Sen. Obama on Monday, comes out to heavy applause. She speaks about her sons’ political work and how they pushed her to publicly declare support for Sen. Obama. We’re also reminded Gov. Sebelius also gave the Democratic response to Monday’s State of the Union address.

I’m standing on the steps that lead up to the video camera platform. The view’s pretty good, and it’s very entertaining to watch the television journalists work. Dave Helling’s behind me, typing on his laptop at a table.

6:25pm

Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill is the next person to come out. The two women make a few KU/Mizzou jokes and compliment each other accordingly.

U2’s “City of Blinding Lights,” the Obama campaign’s theme song, starts to play in the middle of McCaskill’s speech. The crowd goes nuts, knowing that he’s about to finally show himself (almost an hour late).

6:35pm

The moment’s finally here. I’m still in my spot on the stairs, feeling overdressed in slacks and boots (everyone else is in jeans and sneakers).

A deafening applause greets the senator, who comes out shaking hands, waving and smiling at the crowd. A girl screams, “I love you!” Sen. Obama responds, “I love you back!”

The speech lasts less than an hour, typical of most stump speeches on the road. Obama makes sure to address his Kansas connections and how his grandparents and mother instilled in his “Midwestern values.”

The topics range from genealogy—how embarrassed Obama is to be distantly related to Vice President Cheney—to more solid, issue-based discussion. Healthcare is brought up (everyone should have access to it, according to Obama), as is paying for college. Obama mentions something that I haven’t heard before—assistance for college in exchange for some sort of national service. I have to say that this is reminiscent of JFK’s famous line.

Of course Iraq is mentioned, but it doesn’t dominate the dialogue. Obama simply tows the general party line—troops should be out of Iraq before the end of his first term.

Alternative energy and the environment are touched upon. Obama proudly states that he mentioned fuel efficiency and alternative energy at an autoworkers’ event in Detroit, as opposed to preaching to the choir at a Sierra Club meeting. On education, he favors paying teachers more (which sounds warm and fuzzy but is economically inefficient) and focusing on less test-based initiatives. He clearly wants art, music and literature to have more of place in education.

The free market side of me winces when outsourcing is mentioned. No one wants his job sent off to a developing nation, but we can’t pick and choose what part of capitalism to adhere to, and globalism means exactly what it sounds like. Obama reiterates his support for the free market, but admonishes corporations for cutting pensions while giving CEOs bonuses and golden parachutes. He vows to give tax breaks to companies that keep jobs in America.

Like most of Obama’s speeches, this one hints at tangible policy issues, but is more focused on ideals. We’re not black and white America, or red and blue America. It’s a welcome message, but eventually Obama is going to be pressed to give more solid information on his platforms.

7:20pm

Obama closes his speech with a hearty thanks, while “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” by Stevie Wonder plays. The crowd is extremely hyped after hearing him speak. I have to admit that he has an extremely solid command of oration. He is conversational but also serious, and his language flows remarkably well. Nothing about him comes off as stiff or rehearsed, even though he’s given this same sort of speech at least a hundred times before.

The press starts packing up. By the time we leave, it’s almost 8pm. There are a few scattered journalists left, but most have hightailed it. The campaign volunteers remain, putting away chairs, streamers and signs. If nothing else, it’s clear that they believe in their candidate.