Humongous crowd greets Barack Obama in St. Louis; that might worry his campaign

The advance crew for a Barack Obama rally in St. Louis on Saturday certainly performed above and beyond -- a throng estimated at 100,000, a figure a police official signed off on, jammed into the area around the city's Gateway Arch to hear the candidate hold forth. (See the video by clicking on the Read more line below.)  

A large gathering also was massing in the evening for an Obama appearance across the state in Kansas City.

But rather than get a raise, might those hard-working Obama staffers in Missouri need to fear for their jobs?

We ask, mainly in jest, to offer a reminder that big crowds have not necessarily been a boon for the Democratic presidential candidate. Consider:

** The weekend before the New Hampshire primary in early January, much of the buzz concerned the packed houses awaiting Obama as he traversed the state. On primary day, he suffered a stunning upset loss to Hillary Clinton.

** A few days before Pennsylvania's April primary, Obama attracted an overflow crowd -- widely estimated at 35,000 -- to downtown Philadelphia. On primary day, Clinton easily bested him.

** His largest audience to date -- roughly 200,000 -- was recorded overseas, for his much-touted speech in Berlin in late July. John McCain's brain trust effectively used that against Obama as part of its late-summer ad campaign.

** That Obama attracted 80,000 people to Invesco Field in Denver for his speech wrapping up the Democratic National Convention was quickly forgotten when, the next morning, McCain unveiled Sarah Palin as his running mate.

More to the point -- and as Obama's top operatives well know -- large, raucous....

...gatherings can be the soul of illusion in a political campaign. They speak to enthusiasm levels, but not necessarily a candidate's reach.

Still, it's hard not to be impressed with a turnout like the one in St. Louis. As Obama aptly put it as he took the stage, "All I can say is: Wow."

Actually, he had quite a bit more to say. And in North Carolina, McCain had quite a bit to say about the Democrat's fiscal policies, which he unabashedly attacked as a brand of socialism. The Times' Bob Drogin and Mark Z. Barabak have the details here.

-- Don Frederick

Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Tom - Georgia]

Large crowds don't mean a thing. If I had been close around I probably would have gone to see a spectacle also.

[Jim Spriggs]

If he ever comes to the Long Beach area, I'm going. This is big. The whole planet is riding on an Obama victory.

[Mark O]

I think it's a stretch to say that a large crowd in itself might worry the campaign. I think they'd be more worried if they weren't able to attract people. At least the Obama campaign doesn't have to lie about the size of crowds.

[Corey Fischer]

What a beautiful sign of hope for our troubled nation! 100K Americans showing up to give the lie to the tired rhetoric of hate and the cynical attempts to inflame, rather than heal our deep racial wounds that McCain, who tragically sold out his former integrity to become a sad caricature of a demagogue, and Palin about whom nothing more need be said, have been using in their scorched-earth desperation.

[Paulrevere]

This may look good as its shown in St. Louis, but the rest of Missouri ain't buying his socialism.

[jake]

ACORN Volunteers What a Joke. REID PELOSKI obama NO NO NO in NOV

[amccoy]

I think they would be more worried if McCain had anything to say.

McCain is still talking about Joe the plumber even though it is now clear to everyone the guy was a republican partisan trying to cause problems (and would actually pay less taxes under Obama's plan than under McCains) and alternating that with Obama is a socialist ( a line of attack that is about as accurate as the Joe the plumber attack was).

[Mike]

Save us, O Great Obama! We need higher taxes and a bigger government to save our economy! Get rid of all the rich people! Jobs are not really needed when we have the great Obama as our leader. He is so handsome!

[MM]

And how exactly is a 700 billion 'rescue package" NOT socialism?

[Vegas]

For Tom in Georgia...I don't think 100,000 actually equals a few folks wandering over to see what's up!

These people clearly came out to see Obama. Like it or not. When Palin gets crowds, maybe they're wandering over to see her. But this man is commanding. I'd want to see the next president, too!

[Winston Smith]

OMG SOCIALISM!!! Hahahah!! Nobody believes your smears! Socialism? Seriously? hahahaa!

OHNOES! Socialism! that's the best mccain has! 175 thousand people in MISSOURI see beyond mccains smear and lies! socialism!1 hahahahahaa! damn, that's funny!

Don't forget to VOTE on November 4th!!!!

[Vegas]

To Paulrevere...

Many of my republican friends say they have no choice in this election. There are two Obamas running. They say they can vote liberal or liberal. Which candidate opposed the bailout? Neither.

McCain is touting similar policies, like Obama's.

Real conservatives are erroding. They just put the R by their name, but they're like everyone else. The hard conservatives, the true conservatives, like Pat Buchanan (which by the way, Obama has the same position as Mr. Buchanan on trade, McCain's is liberal) and Goldwater, they're almost like dinosaurs.

McCain has proven that he will do and say anything to win this election. All that country first, I'm going to run a clean campaign, sending your wife Cindy out there to say, "Oh no, nothing negative is going to come from our side", it was all lies. Then McCain tops it off with domestic terrorism, not Ayers, but actually McCain/Palin are domestic terrors. They are inciting hate, fear, and bringing out all the evil America has tried to bury. Bringing out all the old racial hatred tactics, etc. I think they owe older black people and Arabs and Muslims apologies.

I actually believe they should be disqualified from running in this election. They are very UnAmerican. They are nasty, hateful, and vile. We don't want a president and vp like them. We're all trying to get away from all that bs. We need a uniter not a divider. This is the United States of America, not the Divided States of America. Palin should talk about her secessionist hubby, and her own radical ties in the AIP. That's VERY UNAMERICAN!!!!!!!!

Obama is clearly the best man for the job. McCain has turned into a dirty old rat, flushed everything down the toilet and sold his soul to the devil to try and be president. He is so DESPERATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Debra]

Beautiful to see! Socialism bailouts are good enough for Wall Street...spread the wealth there right. Nonsense, for the middle class, we don't need eight more years of the Republican's "spreading the poverty" plan.
Obama will win!

[theoatwa]

don't mean a thing eh. would you still be saying that if 100k showed up for mccain instead of the 4,000 that turned up today? don't be a sore loser. no democratic alive that i know will miss voting nov 4th. enough of this pathetic 8 years of do-nothing republican fraternity that's done absolutely nothing for this country.

[David Kenyon]

I was in St. Louis for the rally and "raucous" is hardly the word I would use to desribe the largest political rally in the history of the United State. "Reverent" might be a better word, but it was not all for Sentator Obama. It was the awe one felt of the sheer numbers of well wishers (there were few pure spectators). But more importantly, it was the sense of community. For the first time at a massive civic gathering in St. Louis, race was not an issue, it was a celebration. The friendliness was breathtaking. I was nearly moved to tears watching black and white families having their pictures taken in front of large portraits of Barack Obama painted on loose canvas as people took turns holding the portraits up by hand. Whites took pictures for blacks and vice versa. This is not the St. Louis I have lived in for the past 25 years. Things have changed. Times have changed. I have changed. This is an army, a movement, a community action group of enormous proportions. "Campaign" is a gross understatement.
What side of history are you going to be on?

[Simon Foster]

@ Paulrevere. Socialism? Give me a break. Only someone with his head full of McCain campaign BS would brand tax cuts for families earning under $161K (and zero tax increases for families earning up to $604.4K) as being akin to socialism.

[Jose Miguel]

Obama's radical policies may benefit a few initially, but his brand of socialism is constructed to exploit the middle class, so any gain will be short lived. It is mindboggling that so many people still believe that Obama can actually "heal the planet" or do anything that will improve the lives of everyone in the country, much less the world. Some may benefit, but others will have to pay. It's really very simple. The government has NOTHING to give that was not first taken from someone else.

[Sher24]

Right. Socialism. You have got to be kidding. Obamaʻs plan just brings high income taxpayers up to about what they were paying in the Reagan times. Repeat. If you make $250,000 or less, and that is adjusted gross income, not what you made in sales if you are a small business owner, you do not have an increase in taxes. Socialism? What we have now, hello?, is an income tax that the rates go up as you make more money. Do you consider us a socialist country now, and did you consider us socialist under Reagan, and why not, particularly considering the following:

What we just witnessed in the $700,000,000 (did I forget a few zeros?) bailout of poorly run businesses, highly paid CEOʻs taking everything they can, and what we witnessed in the savings and loan bailout that occurred after McCainʻs front and center meetings with with Keating and the Keating 5, is in fact socialism for the rich. Hello taxpayers, you are experiencing socialism that benefits the rich republicans. Like it? Where is it getting you??

[Peter Truong]

A bunch crowd try to find out who is Obama....

[Jason D]

"socialism"? You are simply regurgitating today's right wing talking point. Or maybe you make over $250K a year. If you do Not... then the Republicans have scared you into voting against your own interests. The Republican party is ANTI-worker, and PRO-big business. Wake up, and educate yourself. You are be used.

[kenisi]

to theoatwa:

i was there as well and i totally agree. this isnt the st. louis i have grown up in either. i am african american and grew up in a prodominatly white- west county community and i always felt uncomfortable about race relations. but to go there and see all those people (and im willing to bet there was more then 100,000) together really did bring tears to my eyes. this was truly a sign that this is what this man can do--bring people together. i know what side of history i will be on!

[Suzanne]

On tax breaks: i honestly do not believe that either candidate will provide a tax break to anyone. Regardless of income.

On tax breaks to big business: Heaven's no; that would be a travesty. All of our American companies are doing so well. That's why they are laying off workers. They want to get smaller.

On the bailout: if you borrorowed money you can't repay, then you should loose your house. I don't agree with either candidate.

Bottom line: I can't think of anything the Government does well. Redistribution of wealth by the government; take my money, give it to the government, and they "decide" what program to apply it to is ....SOCIALISM. This is the "change" Obama is talking about. Read the thoughts of those wacko's that he associates with.

Wake up America. Read Atlas Shrugged by Ann Rand.

Tax me to death and I will just quit working - leave corporate America and live a lifestyle that does not take much money to support.

[Kathy]

I want to comment on the use of adjectives in this article.

Obama's loss to Clinton in NH was "barely", not "stunningly". How has everyone seemed to have forgotten that where the votes were counted by hand, he was winning? It was only in bigger places where votes were counted by machine that he lost. Please give me a giant break.

And how did McCain use the 200,000 person crowd in Germany "effectively" against Obama? By putting out more inane ads that journalists oohed and ahhed about for awhile and then forgot? At least 100,000 people in St. Louis saw the real effect Obama could have on the US and the rest of the world.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to just have the true facts reported without all the spin? But as they say, it is about perception, not facts.

[Pam]

LANDSLIDE!!! Get used to the change non-Obama supporters for we will LOVE the hatred out of you just to have progress in every aspect of our country to give it once again the best reputation on the planet.

We have to lead by stopping the x vs y arguments, escalation is not good manners. I will not hit you nor will I humiliate you, can you do the same? Lift hearts and minds to open people to happiness, it's the Christian way.

[jan fernandez]

It is going to be interesting when all the negative, radical folks in the country reap financially from a change in Washington. How about we give to the ones that actually supported Obama and the rest can fend for themselves.

[Felise]

I was actually there at the Obama rally in St. Louis and what a feeling to see so many people of all races come together to support someone I believe will make a difference in America. See what people fail to realize is that either we can elect a man that will not only help me and my family but yours also. I don't know to many people that is making over 250,000 dollars a year, so its people like me that wants to start their own buniess but the way the economy is going it is quite scarce. We need change and not a country that is fighting a sinceless war, corporations that are being outsourced and the fact of not knowing that when I turn 65 or 70 years old will I have a retirement plan that I can live off of from the many of years I have worked. I don't want to have to go back to work at that age and be degraded by people because my government didnt want to pass a sufficient bill for retirement. Come on people wake up and realize that we can not afford another 4 years of this foolishness that we have sustained.

[Vonnie]

It's sad that our country is full of hatred. It is obviously why so many people came out...For CHANGE, we need it, so bring it OBAMBA. St. Louis represented passion for CHANGE! Some of you weren't there to see and feel what OBAMA brought to St. Louis. People are sick and tired of the same old eight years of dead beat politics. St. Louis aren't afraid to represent who their vote is for and we shall see in November. Don't get nervous...change your ways, we can't continue to live in this world of smile in your face and back stabers...like some of you! When people are raise with so much hate, this how the negativite reponse come out. Seek to Change your inner thought as well and maybe you will see a Blessing. Not McCain but OBAMA!