Obama Campaign Announces Election Night Rally at McCormick Place

Image from Esquire.com

Tuesday, November 4th 2008 was an electric and historic night in the Sloop full of amazingly tight security.  For those who aren't familiar with that date, it was the night local boy Barack Obama won the race to become the 44th President of the United States.

While we understand not everyone was happy to see this happen, you can't argue that our neighborhood was the epicenter of the world that night.  Lots of crying people.  Lots of smiles.  Lots of signs.  Lots of protests.  Lots of emotion.  And most of all lots of people in general.

It was an experience and something we will never forget.

Fast forward to this year's presidential race and President Obama's campaign is again headquartered in Chicago, his adopted hometown.  While their is definitely a different feeling this year than 2008, it was still assumed by many that the election night rally would be held in Chicago and probably held in Grant Park again (or so we thought).

Well yesterday night we found out that the event will be held in our neighborhood, but at a much more secure and less risky venue, McCormick Place.  The Tribune sums it up:

President Barack Obama plans to hold his election-night rally at Chicago’s McCormick Place convention center, a move aimed at easing concerns over weather and security, sources with knowledge of the event said Wednesday. 

Given the indoor location, the event seems unlikely to match the electric atmosphere of Obama’s 2008 outdoor victory rally in Grant Park. That event drew an estimated 240,000 people downtown and created picturesque images of the city’s skyline that were seen worldwide.

While we understand the rationale, it's still disappointing.  Chances are many of us who were there on that famous night in 2008 won't get access to McCormick Place.  It will be a different feel for sure.