Under skies that obligingly turned from habitual gray to clear blue, Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama on Sunday drew the largest crowd of his 15-month marathon campaign for the presidency.

Sixty-thousand people packed into a park alongside the banks of the Willamette River to listen to Obama, with another 15,000 left standing outside the gates, according to city fire officials. Hundreds more anchored their motorboats, or floated in kayaks and canoes.

... Even after months on the trail, Obama seemed slightly stunned by the size of the crowd, saying "Wow, wow, wow" as he surveyed the audience.

"We have had a lot of rallies," he said. "This is the most spectacular setting, the most spectacular crowd we have had this entire campaign."

In August of 2004, then-Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry held a large rally in the same location, drawing about 45,000 people.

But on Sunday, Obama topped that without even being the official nominee, speaking to a crowd filled with sunscreen-smeared babies in sun hats, union members in matching T-shirts, elderly ladies fanning themselves under the hot sun and twenty-somethings dancing to his opening act, the Portland-based band The Decemberists.

Some voters lined up before dawn to see him, including Michelle Kay.

"We are all so sick of Bush, his lies, the war," she said. "When Obama came out he was so honest, so refreshing."

Others arrived at the last minute, such as Afang Tang-Christianson of Beaverton and her husband Daniel. She is due to give birth to twins in the next week or two, and the two had spent the morning at the hospital when she began feeling early contractions.

But after leaving, she said they came straight to the rally, adding, "It's all about a new beginning, a new start. We are really hoping for change in Washington."

I saw it! 75,000!!!

You know, they looked like "hard working, white Americans" to me. Hope that counters WV and/or KY for the superdelegates.

Go Obama!

Proud Female, Black supporter of Barak Obama for President of the "United States" of America!

Obama '08!

The American people will not vote for Hussei Obama. He is not electable, he will never be the presidentof the USA.Hillary will be the next president.

Its got to mean something when more people turn out for a campaign speech than for an NFL game.

tuesday might be a hollow victory for saint obama,as thursday there will a news conferance by a small organization admittedly right wing ,however they seem to have documented proof of obamas self admited relationship with frank davis and william ayers and both of thease persons connecgtions to outside communist movements.you people want party unity and i say which party,certainly not my idea of the democratic party of FDR that i grew up with ,no to obama in 08.

Bishop,

Yes, maybe after Kentucky, Al Gore will come up, as usual to get more delegates.
Hopefully not!

Uh oh... it is after 9pm isn't it? (That IS when all the lonely, evil, Ditto Heads of Operation Chaos and Operation Turn-Down come out.)

Fellow democrats, unite! Ditto heads, daylight is coming soon...

Obama '08!

(Where's that gosh darn holy water when we really need it?!)

John_lai,

You are right. He likes rally.
Actually, some of those people are not Oregonians. I talked to some of them.
Do you think he just want to make it like big news and make Hillary's supporters down?

We responded. We rejected your math because the rules usurp Hillary's feelings.

48 states voted fairly.

Hillary should have fought for a rules change BEFORE the contest started, not after she started losing.

Obama '08!

VS,

Good comment.
I guess they don't want to hear any name of MI and FL and try to forget those states.
Anyway, good luck to Obama in the GE he can't escape from those states.
That's why the Super D keep saying on tv they want Hillary on the ticket.
This time they use Hillary to get her supporters to vote for him.
It's pathetic.

Senator Ben Nelson fought for a rule change and so did the democrat chair last aug, this was a set up . and Obama can't win

vs,

Florida and Michigan WILL count. The rules and bylaws committee is meeting on May 31st to decide how to seat the delegates. Clinton will NOT get them allocated the way they voted. That is just ridiculous and any sane person will be able to admit that. Either way they will be seated but it will not make a difference. The democrats have already picked their nominee.

Obama '08!

She will get FL. as they voted and MI split.No the news and Obama have pick thier candidate the rest of the party will pick thier candidate were we always do on the floor. At least in the last thirty five years that I have been voting.that is why we have the convention

Even though no one campaigned in Fl, Hillary would obviously win because everyone knows who she is. If Obama had campaigned there he would have received more votes. With that said, I think the Fl vote should count as is. Mi is tricky. Do you give the umcommitted votes to Obama. Maybe so, I just don't know.

Some of the racist comments posted here belong to the days of Jim Crow and slavery... Get over it! Those days are gone! The young people who are rallying behind Obama are ready to turn the page and create the future they want for their country. They understand (more than past generations) that a house divided against itself cannot stand. We cannot fight terrorism or compete in a global economy if we are fighting racial wars at home. United We Stand! Divided We Fall!

I cannot believe what I have read from some of the most raciest comments coming from people that call themselves Americans. Just believe that these same people go to church every Sunday and also Pray for forgiveness . Yes they do but when that day of reckoning comes whoever they pray to may not forgive them. I feel sorry and disgusted at the same time.

The following idea should be part of the inaugural address of the next president of the United States. This could also be mentioned on the campaign trail. The following is a suggestion to find a political solution to the war in Iraq.
Unlike many groups of people that identify them selves as the country they reside in, such as Americans, Canadians, etc. People in Iraq identify themselves as their ethnic background first, such as Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. The countries of Canada, Australia, and United Kingdom have the Queen of England as its head. However, each country has its own prime minister and parliament. The queen is looked upon as just a figurehead. Some of Their flags have the Union Jack as part of its design. We should strongly suggest the following for a possible political solution to the conflict in Iraq.
Let us separate Iraq into three partisans, each with its own prime minister and parliament. Their flags could be designed with a portion containing the present Iraq flag.
Ethnic leaders may design the rest of their flags however they want. They will be awarded the opportunity to elect their own prime minister and parliament. They will be able to pass their own set of laws. They may name their countries however they want. The present prime minister of Iraq will be the “figure head” grand leader of the three governments of Iraq. Just like borders separating countries, walls with checkpoints could separate these three countries.
The previous points may be a suggestion to find a political solution to the war in Iraq. This should be part of the inaugural address of the next president of the United States. This could also be mentioned on the campaign trail.

Obama claims were gonna change the world!!.. well i think we should start right here in the united states of america with the change's first..then if he has the time he can deal with the rest of the world.