GOTV With Tim Walz

It was a balmy 98 degrees.  

I parked in the high school's covered lot, walked past the vendors, and waited near the front of the line, in the shade, with tables nearby if we got tired.   Big Cuter, upon seeing this photo, 

was struck by the fact that I was, once again, waiting in line at a political event.  I should have taken pictures of the police and fire and Secret Service people protecting us.  They were ubiquitous.  

Entry to the entrance to the event required presenting the emailed ticket, which was checked to be sure it came to the same person on the picture id I handed over to the nice lady at Table C, who examined both quite closely.  

Down the ramp to the gym door, passing between a row of security on either side, I emptied my pockets and surrendered my small purse to the Secret Service agent on the other side of the table before setting off the metal detector with my bionic hip.  While another Secret Service agent wanded me front and back, I watched as his colleague opened and closed every zipper in my bag.

The same thing was happening on the other side of the lobby.  I felt very safe.  Once I got inside, I felt even safer.

  I had plenty of choices

.  

and plenty of time to look around.  The scoreboard made me smile.  

The VP-To-Be's plane had mechanical issues in Phoenix, so the rally was running late.  No one was leaving.  Everyone was smiling.  There was music from every era; everyone had a chance to sing along.  When a song everyone under a certain age understood meant get up and dance, they got up and danced.

Mariachis from Sunnyside High School kept us occupied for almost an hour.

These kids were poised, polished, and confident.  Their voices filled the room.  There was much singing along.  There was much more gasping at how good they all were.... and how much fun they were having.

Still, there was a lot of down time.  There was also a lot of media.  These two spent quite a while expounding on who knows what.  Politically involved young people ought to be interviewed; I enjoyed watching them enjoy their 15 minutes of fame.

Telemundo was there, too.  

They must have had an early deadline; I took this photo at 2:30 and Tim was still two and a half hours away.

More on Monday.