A high point of Audrey’s birthday celebration weekend was a family trip to the Kamala Harris rally in Madison, Wisconsin. We were in the 4th row, behind the podium. It was loud, colorful and exciting.
Getting in required a very long walk around the stadium perimeter to get to the security screening area. Secret service dogs were sniffing people as they entered. We had to show id to check in, and then passed through an airport screening machine. No bags were allowed. Jacob arrived late and they had closed the doors and wouldn’t let anyone else in.
Inside people were dancing to loud pop music. A first batch of local politicians made speeches. Then there was more music. Then a second batch of Wisconsin politicians made speeches. Then we could tell it was about time because the national press crew entered and took their positions for photos, and secret service people showed up.
She gave a rousing speech for about 30 minutes, with lots of active participation from the audience. Kamala briefly lived in Madison as a child, and described visiting her old house. She connected well with the audience. When she told a story about a young women who died because her doctors were afraid to provide a necessary procedure, you could have heard a pin drop in the audience of 10,000. At other times, the chants were so loud, we couldn’t hear what Kamala was saying.
The house was packed – not an empty seat. And packed with true fans. It was better than a rock concert.
