Report from the Scott Brown Rally in Boston

Me | 1/15/10 | Darkwolf377

[Darkwolf377]

I just walked through the Scott Brown rally in the North End in Boston.

[Darkwolf377]

I didn't even know about the rally and I live literally hundreds of feet away and was listening to talk radio yesterday; I found out when my mom called and let me know. I worked the overnight shift and was on my way home when two men asked me where Paul Revere Park was; I told them to follow me and said it was good to see Scott Brown fans.

"We came up from Maryland," the man said. He was not one of the Obama beautiful people, not someone who was looking for stuff from the government. He was just a regular person. He talked about how important the Brown campaign was to everyone in the country. He may not have been one of the articulate lobbyists Martha would rather spend time with; in fact, were he a local, I could imagine him shaking hands outside Fenway Park...with Scott Brown.

I stopped home briefly and then walked through the courtyard of the Old North Church. It's cold out today but not too cold, and for some reason I thought of Washington at Valley Forge--gee, was I getting all romantic? Thinking about my country does that to me, I guess.

The Paul Revere Mall is not a large area. There is still so much snow that somehow couldn't be cleared even with our massive budget that a path shoveled through the mall is the only way to cross without walking in snow. I'd say the mall was less than a quarter full, and it should have been overflowing. Again, if a guy who lives as close to the location as any FReeper didn't know about this thing until last night, the word couldn't have spread very far. I was a little pessimistic, to say the least--will the news reports talk about the "small" crowd? Maybe.

But I don't think it will matter. See, the dems aren't the only ones who know a thing or two about media and imagery. The voters in attendance were crowded onto the sidewalk on Hanover Street and filled the area right in front of the Paul Revere statue. As soon as I got through the crowd and looked back, the visual was quite impressive. Rudy Giulliani was talking about terrorism while a crowd of, I'd say, 500+ stood in the cold, holding up several large Brown signs and many handmade signs. (Don't take my estimation as anything but a foolish guess, I have no experience estimating crowd size.) The thing that struck me was the enthusiasm, and the second thing that struck me was that the most enthusiastic were older folks. That's crucial, of course, but I saw in these men and women intense interest and joy. It was startling, actually.

The police working the detail seemed to be in good moods. Most of the crowd was middle-class white folks, but in that one quick survey I saw more black people than I've ever seen in the North End--not many, but enough to make me think Brown had appeal beyond the usual. Maybe not in Massachusetts, but across the country...?

I'm heading back now to hear Scott, but I wanted to tell folks at FR that the energy was great, and the location is going to look good on the tube.

[null and void]

Thanks!

[oyez]

Bunker Hill popped into my mind. If Scott Brown gets elected it will be the shot heard around the world.

[tgusa]

Thanks for the report. Sounds just like the last Tea Party event I attended. There IS hope.

[Daisyjane69]

good report.

Bring more later!

[NonValueAdded]

Thanks for the report and I look forward to your follow-up.

[musicman]

Bookmark & BTTT !!!

[Sparky1776]

Awesome Darkwolf!

Here’s more....

Mass FReepers -

A message to all members of BrownBrigade

Brown Brigade Members,

Join us for the BOLD NEW LEADERSHIP Bus Tour this Saturday. We are only a few days away from a historic victory and we need to show Massachusetts that the grassroots is behind Scott Brown.

Join us for a rally at 9:00 am this Saturday January 16th at the Thomas Crane Public Library in Quincy

Thomas Crane Public Library
40 Washington Street
Quincy, MA

Please RSVP

And we will be stopping at our Plymouth Campaign office at 11 AM:
Brown for US Senate Campaign
74 Long Pond Road
Plymouth, MA

And at 2 pm we will be stopping at Tommy Doyle’s in Hyannis.
334 Main Street
Hyannis, MA

Stay tuned for more information about our Sunday and Monday stops.

-Pete Fullerton
Political Director

Visit BrownBrigade at: http://brownbrigade.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Also from a call-in to Howie Carr yesterday - there’s another rally being held at Falmouth Lumber organized by a Scott Bower on Saturday at 12:30.

See all of you in Quincy!

[mwl8787]

Great report. Thanks! Please keep us posted on what you are hearing, seeing, feeling... including how local media outlets are reporting the race. Very important.

[Grampa Dave]

Every independent voter in MA needs to see this video:

Watch Coakley’s two thugs as they sight McCormack and the big thug goes after McCormack.

Then, watch the last 30 seconds or so after the thug pushed McCormack down and continued to hassle, assault and threaten him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGyIVstNTa8

Please get this to your ping lists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGyIVstNTa8

[SueRae]

I love it. Very good report, Darkwolf and I share your sentiment about the rising patriotism and genuine pride people are feeling again. I live near Valley Forge...and right next to another Revolutionary War battlefield.

I know the feeling you get when you are surrounded by so much early American history....and it does make me tear up. After lst year’s elections, they was tears of anger, followed by tears of fear and frustration. But today and forward, they are tears of pride and reaffirmed appreciation of just what those men and women laying on those battlefields were willing to do in order to gain and preserve freedom. We still have that strength and the will.

Enjoyed reading your post and looking forward to followup reports. Go Scott, go Massachusetts!

[wetgundog]

My brother just called to tell me he just send $100. to Brown.

We are in Michigan. GO BROWN!!!!

[Marty62]

Obviously not a venue for “Marie” Coakley.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

Might be that the AFrican American people present were ACORN workers looking to start a scuffle? :P

[olrtex]

Lexington and Concord, not Bunker Hill. The bad guys won at Bunker Hill, but they lost at Lexington and Concord (where the shot heard ‘round the world was fired).

[equalitybeforethelaw]

I really like the Paul Revere image with respect to the Brown campaign and what it represents to those of us outside of MA. Imagine Boston remembering her heritage. I didn’t think it possible after 3 generations of “Irish-Kennedy” propaganda. If this comes off, I might start thinkiing of Boston as an American city again.

[ConservativeStatement]

Boston Herald article, just posted — http://bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1225858&pos=breaking

[Gator113]

Thank you for keeping us posted.

[pingman]

“Bunker Hill popped into my mind. If Scott Brown gets elected it will be the shot heard around the world.”

Make that the “Scott” heard around the world!

[rlmorel]

While the “bad guys” did “win” at Bunker Hill, it was a victory they were stunned by, a phyrric victory. They took HUGE casualties (we actually engaged in the then heretofore ungentlemanly tactic of shooting at their officers, with great effect) and it had a major negative effect on them.