I just logged in here at the Obama/Deeds rally at The Ted on the ODU campus. I’ll post some thoughts (mostly fun, a few serious) here and there as they come.

2:15   Two things I notice on the way in: a whole lot of McDonnell signs, and a long line of people waiting to get in. (The majority of them black, for what it’s worth.) There’s one man carrying in a giant portrait of Obama dressed in Jesus-like robes, sitting on a granite throne. It is diamond shaped and I think it might be made of velvet. Wonder if it’ll make it through the Secret Service?

2:25  The action doesn’t start for a couple hours but half the arena is already packed. The music they are playing makes me feel like I should be Jazzercising.

2:35  One of the big LCD signs in the corner encourages us to “Text Deeds” Hannah asks, “What do I want to text Deeds for?”

2:45  There is a genuine buzz here in The Ted. I just caught a Secret Service guy staring at me like I’m a pork chop. Oh man.

2:46. I’m listening to Dead Man’s Bones on my headphones while I type this. I just got confused and thought the crowd here was chanting, “My Body’s A Zombie For You!” Maybe it’s time to take the headphones off.

2:52  Hannah just got back from doing interviews outside with the people in line. “It felt like the young people were more swayed by Obama’s influence when it came to their vote,” she said. “The biggest issue everyone out there is talking about is health care.”

2:57  I probably shouldn’t be admitting this, but I have a lot of research to do before election day. My instinct is just to vote Democrat across the board, but that kind of mindset is no good for our democratic society. And then there are the local elections where party affiliation doesn’t matter nearly as much, if at all. Much to learn.

3:20  The MC just came to the stage. “I’d like to introduce the president… of ODU University!” A big groan from the crowd. Very funny.

3:30 The woman singing the national anthem just sang whatever she felt like for the first half of the song. Seriously. She wasn’t even singing sentences in English. It was like listening to Tracy Morgan sing the national anthem.

3:39 A candidate for attorney general is talking about abused children, amber alerts, and violent crime. Feels like he’s given this speech 50 times. I wish I knew what to look for when considering which politicians I trust. That’s part of what’s so great about Obama. He looks you in the eye (through the TV) and you just believe him.

3:43 An official is handing out blue Deeds signs. People don’t seem to know what to do with them.

3:44 Here comes Hampton Roads’ own Jody Wagner, candidate for Lt. Gov. “You look marvelous!” she says, sounding like a Mouseketeer. “Now, let me tell you something, elections are important,” she tells us. She asks if we want to “go backwards” with “the other guys.” Apparently the Lt. Gov. currently in office only attended 6% of the… meetings? votes? I’m not quite sure, but apparently this guy has better things to do than serve his office. Or so Wagner wants us to believe.

3:48 The crowd chants “Jo-dy! Jo-dy! Jo-dy!”

She also reminds us that election day is in six days. The Obama/McCain election couldn’t have been only a year ago, could it?

3:50 Deeds has the support of The Virginian-Pilot and The Washington Post, if those kinds of things matter to you.

3:52 Tim Kaine is in the house! “You guys look great, you look great!” he opens. “Who is ready to win again? Who is ready to surprise the other guys again?” Of course, loud cheers. I understand that a big part of these kinds of rallies is getting the base excited, but what about the people here who might be on the fence for voting for the Democratic ticket? Do they respond to these kinds of partisan, us-vs.-them politics? Eh… phooey.

3:55 Kaine is talking about equal pay for women, health care, and economic recovery. The person at the laptop in front of me is on Facebook, looking at the profile of someone who’s profile picture is their dog. Cute dog, though.

3:57 Every time I hear the name Creigh Deeds I think of Creed from The Office and the way John Turturo said the word ‘Deeds’ in the movie Mr. Deeds. Could be worse.

3:59 And here’s Deeds! He’s all kinds of fired up, and so is the crowd, who gave him a standing ovation. “I’m running for governor to create opportunity, prosperity, and hope in every corner of Virginia,” he says and, for reasons I cannot explain, I do believe him. In the next line he admits to hitch-hiking in his youth. I like him even better now.

4:01 Deeds just mentioned the Franklin paper mill closing. “It broke my heart. I canceled my political schedule and went out there that night,” he said. “I’m going to be the governor that creates jobs in every corner of Virginia.”

That’s great, and I wish enthusiasm was enough. I know this is not the time to outline policy point by pragmatic point, but still. How?

4:03 He mentions lowering the cost of education. Easy cheer here on campus.

4:04 “Reports of my demise have been exaggerated,” he says in reference to the polls, where he is currently down about 11 points. That’s a big deficit, but it’s possible.

4:07 And here’s the President! Damn! He’s still a rock star. Girls are screaming like Obama’s a Beatle. It’s quite cold in here, but I just got a chill.

4:13 “I would have liked this guy no matter what because he’s got a funny name like me,” Obama says. The crowd is cheering where they’re supposed to. It’s a speech that Obama could be giving with just small tweaks about any candidate in any race in any state, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that he cared enough to come here in support of Deeds. That’s how important the President views Virginia toward accomplishing his national goals.

4:16 “When I had showed up after inauguration they’d left a big mess on the floor,” he says. “So I got a mop.” I LOVE having a President that can write.

4:17 “It doesn’t bother me when people ask why I’m not mopping up fast enough,” he says. “My attitude is, pick up a mop.”

4:19 “Virginia will start working toward a health system…” he says, and then, for a moment, the cheers are too loud to hear the rest of the sentence. There’s something about hearing a crowd drown out their hero that will let you know just how much people care about the health care issue right now.

4:23 Obama mentions all the people who thought there was no chance he could even win a caucus before Iowa. Remember when it seemed almost destined that Hillary would be the nominee? Funny how history–and humans–have a way of forgetting losers.

The President, glowing after shaking Hannah Serrano's hand.

4:25 “I don’t believe in quitting. I don’t believe in giving up,” he says. “We can, if you’re willing to work this last week… If you’re willing to knock on some doors this last week and talk to your friends and neighbors this week… Grab your cousin you had to drag out to the polls last time, Cousin Pookie, drag him out again.”

President is hella funny.

4:28 End of speech. The President goes to greet the group of people chosen to sit behind him. One girl hugs him hard and holds on. Like the President is Usher or something.

4:31 I’d lost touch with Hannah for a while. She runs up to me. “I shook his hand! I shook his hand!” she says. She then makes a very gracious offer to me. “Want to shake my hand?”

And you know what? I do.

4:33 “This is one of the best days of my life,” Hannah says. “I’m gonna rub this hand all over my face.”

And then she rubs her ‘Obama hand’ all over her face right in front of me.

That’s politics for you.

Signing off…