A Tale of Two Rallies

Yesterday, I went to the Obama rally in Bridgeport. It was your typical political rally, with the statewide Democrats giving speeches and encouraging voters to mobilize for the election. The keynote speaker was President Obama. This was the first time I have ever seen him in person, and I was excited. The president did not disappoint. His speech was smooth, energetic, and clear. He encouraged everyone to get out and vote, and to speak out against the Tea Party.

A few of my friends went down the DC for the Jon Stewart rally. The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear seemed to be a great success. It seems to have been a success, with an estimated 215,000 in attendance. This is great news for liberal groups, who have been hoping that the turnout would exceed that of Glenn Beck’s rally a few months ago. Not only did more people show up for Jon Stewart, but the crowd was about two and half times as big. For liberals who have been worried about an enthusiasm gap between the left and the right, this figure is at least a little heartening.

Obviously the two rallies had many differences. The Obama rally was a regular political gathering, while Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert were rarely serious. The DC rally was full of musical guests like the Roots, and other entertainers. But the rallies had some similarities as well. The most important similarity is that both rallies showcased the point that there are plenty of liberals left who are by no means staying silent. The way the crowd reacted to Obama, with thundering applause and all the whooping and hollering you can imagine, reminded me of 2008, when an ascendant Obama captivated the nation with his promise of change. And while the DC rally was not strictly partisan, I think it’s safe to assume that most of the participants weren’t Tea Party sympathizers. Yes, people are angry at the government, and even diehard liberals don’t agree with everything that has occurred over the last two years. But that doesn’t mean that the American population has entirely refuted the Democratic Party. Obviously there are problems, but there are still plenty of liberals and Democrats who are excited about the election. There seems to be a narrative in a lot of the media that liberals are disheartened and alienated from the rest of America. If these two rallies are any indication, that storyline is simply not the case.

Regardless of whether or not you agree with the Democrats, it would be a serious folly to ignore them. There is a tendency in the media and in the public mind to focus on the Tea Party and the resurgent conservative movement. But it’s important to recognize that just because a group is snagging the headlines it doesn’t mean that they are the most important force in the election. There plenty of us liberals alive and kicking and the outcome of this election really won’t change that. Those who say that liberalism is on its way out are just plain wrong. To say that Democrats are outside the mainstream is a gross misrepresentation of the country as a whole, and an insult to millions of liberals. No matter what happens this Tuesday, we’ll still be there on Wednesday, trying to save our country from the misguided policies of modern conservatism.