Remember the hope: Kerry rallies in '04 still the biggest political rallies in history [View All]

[beachmom]

There has been a lot of gushing about the crowds Oprah got for Obama last weekend, which were, of course, extraordinary. But the reality is that John Kerry, who appeared with Bruce Springsteen in Madison, WI and with Bill Clinton in Philadelphia, PA in 2004, got the biggest crowds for a political rally in history. How do you beat Kerry? Get over 80,000 people:

http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/261681

On the New York Times political blog, The Caucus, reporter Katharine Q. Seelye wrote about the duo's rally at the University of South Carolina's football stadium in Columbia:

"It was a staggering sight. Upwards of 29,000 people at a political rally. And the Democratic primary in South Carolina is not until Jan. 26.

"The Double O Express -- Oprah for Obama -- drew what is easily the biggest crowd at a campaign event, for any candidate, so far this season," Seelye continued. "It may have helped that the day was unseasonably warm, above 70 degrees, and gorgeously sunny. But this size crowd is rare even for a general election in the fall."

...

I can tell Seelye that in Madison alone in the past 15 years, we have had two political rallies featuring non-incumbent candidates that outdrew the Double O Express. One of them easily drew more than double the Carolina crowd for Oprah-Obama. It featured Bruce Springsteen and John Kerry, and for anyone who was there, as I was, it remains unforgettable.

He then tells a nice nostalgic story of seeing Bill Clinton and Al Gore at a big 1992 rally in Madison, which you can read at the link.

Still, that one pales in comparison to Springsteen's appearance for Kerry. A Madison alderman, Mark Clear, actually took up the New York Times on its invitation to recall a larger campaign crowd.

On Sunday, Clear posted the following comment on the Times' blog: "John Kerry (and Bruce Springsteen) drew an estimated 80,000 on October 28, 2004. Oprah's good, but she's no Bruce."

Clear's post didn't mention that the rally was here, but it was, with a stage set up at the bottom of West Washington Avenue, facing up toward the Capitol. West Washington was packed and the crowd spilled out into the side streets. For once, the students had the luxury boxes -- their second story front porches -- and when Springsteen showed up and sang "No Surrender," the Kerry campaign's theme song, it was magical. You could have made a lot of money betting on George W. Bush that day, because 80,000 people would have bet against you.

I did a little checking on Tuesday to see if the Kerry-Springsteen appearance in Madison four years ago might have drawn the largest crowd to a political rally, ever.

Once again, the only other name coming up to rival that crowd was John Kerry appearing with Bill Clinton (who was referred to as a rock star) in Philadelphia, PA, which also was around 80,000.

Madisonians were happy to see the real rock star, and Springsteen, too, knew something special happened that day. The following spring, after Kerry had narrowly lost the election, Springsteen told a Minneapolis reporter that the experience had stayed with him.

"I sat in front of 80,000 people in Madison, Wis.," Springsteen said, "and it was probably one of the most amazing days of my musical life. There was a lot of hope."

The thing that no one can deny is the Philly rally and the Madison rally had one thing in common: John Kerry. Because the electoral loss was so painful, people decided it was easier to forget the hope and excitement Democrats felt leading up to November 2, 2004. But there is an official record of pictures and stories that show that John Kerry symbolized hope throughout the fall of '04, and his being denied becoming president, was a real loss to our country.