matthewkappenman.net/blog

Last night was one of the most thrilling events in my adult life. It wasn’t the hour long wait to even get inside the caucus, or pushing 5 cars out of the mud, or even being a part of a clear and amazing majority of Obama supporters filled with friends and co-workers. It was showing up to vote in something and actually having my voice matter on the national political stage.

All in all 2,218 people showed up at at my location, overwhelmingly for Obama. In fact, during the first alignment of the caucus Hillary was 20 votes short of being inviable, meaning that had Hillary started out with a 20-30 less people the entire State Congressional district would have gone Obama. Instead, after the Kucinick and Edwards people re-aligned themselves, Obama ended up with 9 delegates to her 2.

As you can see I snapped a few photos last night, however try as I might I couldn’t get a wide shot of the mass of democrats that showed up. For that, check out this panorama by an LJWorld photographer.

Also, Joel, formerly of my favorite LJWorld blog Cup o’ Joel, shot some video of the event for his new blog redblueamerica.com. He also liveblogged the event, which I attempted to do via Twitter but my phone’s lack of a keyboard made it a little cumbersome.

Here are a couple more links as to how the caucuses played out in Lawrence, and also in Hutchinson. I would have killed to see that kind of Democratic turnout in Hutch (my hometown), especially after reading some of my friends parents switching party affiliation just to have their voices heard in this Democratic primary.

I hope everyone who could got out and voted/caucesed last night. It was a big pain to wait 20 minutes in traffic to drive one mile, walk in the mud and snow, stand in line, stand around while everyone else waited in line just to stand in a big group and caucus. However, I couldn’t be happier with how the night turned out, or more excited to wait and watch Obama win the rest of the country!

p.s. Mike, I didn’t steal the headline from your facebook status…I actually wrote half of this last night until I fell asleep. Honest!