Waiting in a Queue

It's what we British do best. Form and orderly queue, and wait in line. How much of our time do we spend standing behind a row of people, just to get something done? Something which usually takes a maximum of five minutes. In the post office, in the supermarket, in a fast-food place, even in a busy restaurant. Theme parks don't count. You go to a theme park to queue, that's a given.

What makes these lines all the more frustrating for me is that I can guarantee I will pick the slowest moving one, or get the checkout/cashier person who either a) is new b) moves like a tortoise, or c) is completely incompetent. Either that or I  get stuck behind Mr. I am a difficult customer, or Mrs. I am going to count out all my change for you. And then maybe just for fun, throw it all over the floor. Either that, or I get Miss Nosey-body having a peek into my basket to see what I've been buying, seeing if they've missed any great offers, or judging me on my purchases. Worst case scenario is getting pressed against some sweaty, smelly guy. No, wait. A drunk, sweaty, smelly guy, buying more beer.

In America, I have found my queuing experience to be even longer. The main reason, I am sad to say, is laziness. In a lot of stores here, cashiers have packers at hand to help with every customer. It's not like in England where "Would you like help with your packing?" is just a polite phrase instilled into workers; if you say yes, you're asking for more trouble- delays getting a helper, terrible packing etc. Here in the US, almost everyone accepts help from packers, and they are trained how to do it. But some people have taken it to a level where not only do they accept help, but they expect it. It's demanded. So in smaller grocery stores, like the one I was in today, the cashier not only has to scan and deal with your payment, but also pack too. I'd rather just get on with it myself, and get out of there. Instead of my shopping experience being nice and fast, I have to stand in line and watch perfectly capable, but lazy people stand there, doing absolutely nothing, and watch as the items pile up, while the cashier tries to multitask. Just pack it yourself!

Of course, elderly or disabled people need help, as do people with huge cart loads. But just for a few items, is it really that hard to grab a bag yourself and start packing. You may be faced with the difficult choice of a paper or plastic bag, but you can be deciding on that while you wait in line. While there, you can also figure out if you want cashback, and how much you want, instead of umming and errring by the till. Be a bit more efficient, so that I can spend less time stood in the queue waiting for you to finish!

Obamamania: The Aftermath

With 24 hours passed since the President graced the humble UW-Madison, life has returned to normal, though his visit is still the talk of the town. Local and national coverage of the event has been largely positive, with most stories tending to focus on the youth aspect, and the needs of democrats to rally students to turn out the vote. Its all about engaging with the apathetic generation. And it seems to have worked. The biggest rally of Obama's presidency, shown across the nation, has been heralded as a return to the 2008 campaign, and pledges to vote along with donations have been rolling in to the democratic headquarters. And by all accounts, Obama loved the event, thriving on the enthusiasm of the vast crowd before him.

Worries over the cost of the event have been raised, in particular the amount of taxpayers money used to provide extra police services. However, these complaints have been countered with the fact that it is an honour to protect the President, and that they amount of coverage Madison received as a result of this event is sure to bring in increased revenue in the coming months.

Of course, the rally was a partisan event, so the complaints are mostly coming from the Republican side of things, who describe the event as a costly show, a desperate attempt by democrats to rally the troops. Hearing Obama's speech in person, I can see where they are coming from, as it was largely political, but nevertheless I was convinced of the need for change, and that progress is well on its way.



Spare a thought for those people who did not make it into the event, despite have waited for hours outside. Though the snaking line across campus appeared to be an orderly queue, once the gates open people rushed forward, and in the mass push, many people managed to sneak into the line. With all the gaps in the line, as it crossed over roads, it was inevitable that people would push in, and cut the line. Despite the shouts of loud policewomen on horseback.

One would think that a great communal event like this, people would be decent, and respect the thousands of people who had been standing around waiting for hours. But no, in a blatant disregard for politeness, people insist on cutting the line. Luckily we made it in, but I feel sorry for those people that had been waiting patiently, but were turned away. The pictures below give you an idea of the queue. After the event, we saw humanity at its most brutish, as students tried desperately to escape the arena as fast as they could, resorting to literally running up walls to try and beat the crowd. Most failed.

This was University Avenue, which you can see on the map below. And then see how far the queue stretched after that.

The red squiggle marks the route of the queue.

A huge gathering for the President. Can you spot us?

Our claim to fame comes in this next picture..... the building behind his car is on the corner of our street!



I think this is enough Obama for know, though I will upload the pictures I got from the event to Facebook tomorrow, and post a couple on here, along with link.

Apologies

Apologies to anyone who was receiving a great big red warning upon trying to visit the site. Google found malware on another random site, but I had embedded a picture from that site, so it was just warning everyone. You're computer won't have come to any harm, don't worry. I have since changed the picture anyway.

On the subject of technology, with the various things that usually go wrong with me and it, I often wonder how we will ever reach a world like the ones you see in futuristic movies, with artificial intelligence doing everything. For me, things always go wrong, and I need an actual person to tell me how to fix it.

I just had to order a new cable for my external harddrive as it wasn't working as it should. Nevermind. Back to work.

Obamamania: A Rousing Speech

As Tuesday dawned, Library Mall was bustling with activity. Overnight, floodlights had been erected, a stage set up, and the area gated off. As police and secret service moved in, roads began to close, people started getting excited, and the crowds began to gather.

The city was just buzzing all day. The atmosphere across Madison was incredible, as Obama was all anyone could talk about. Just walking up State Street, there was a great feeling of anticipation in the air. After a brief stop off at work, having just seen the National arrive (a band that would open for the President), I grabbed some lunch and headed out over to Park Street, where the entrance to Library Mall, and where the line to get it had begun to form.

Only, it hadn't just begun to form at 2.15. It was already stretching all the way down Park Street. I wandered down to the end of Park, and to my amazement, saw that the line stretched all the way down university, as far as the eye could see. It was incredible, that one man could draw out all these people to come and see him speak. And they weren't just students either. Media coverage of the event has tended to focus on the student population here, because the rally was held at the UW. Yet on my trails weaving through the crowds, handing out Tammy Baldwin stickers to garner support for her re-election, I saw an eclectic mix of people; families with children as young as 3; elderly couples from out of state; middle aged groups of people. People from all walks of life, all nationalities, all races, had turned out to be a part of this moment, the first time in 50 years a sitting President had visited the UW. I guess that's why they call him the leader of the free world.

There was a great sense of togetherness and friendship throughout the queue, as people laughed and joked, talking about all things political and all things non-political. Hands shot up in the air as a Secret Service helicopter flew overhead, as friends turned to each other wondering aloud if Obama was in there. He wasn't. Too early yet. Political operatives from all candidates, both parties, and all different organizations walked through the line, trying to whip up support for their official, or their issue. Pro-Life, Anti-Abortion, Anti-War, Pro-Obama. All were there, all waving signs and chanting their cause. Yet the atmosphere remained cordial, from the front of the line at University Avenue, all the way down to Charter, up to Linden, down to Babcock, stretching as far back as University Hospital. That's a hell of a long way.

As the gates opened and people started to file in through the airport like security, the line slowly moved towards Library Mall, halting traffic in its flow. It certainly was a sight to see. As my stickers ran out, and the people I was helping walked off to the media entrance to use their tickets, I, a measily volunteer, turned to join Nicole in the line, becoming part of the vast sea of people. Though I wouldn't get close to the President, it was nice to be a part of all those people patiently waiting to see Obama.

The hours ticked by, and doubts began to spread through the crowd about whether we would actually make it into the area to see him speak. The event was being held outside in Library Mall, and not at the Kohl Centre where Obama had previously spoken, out of fears that he wouldn't draw a big enough crowd to fill it. It holds 17,000. Early estimates for yesterday put the crowd at 26,000, though I think there were more than this. Overflow areas and Bascom Hill were full of spectators, as were bars,restaurants and shops along State Street, broadcasting the event. As the clock turned 5, we just made it into the security area. Maybe  a hundred people came through behind us, then that was it. Capacity reached. We were extremely lucky.

We'd missed The National, but Ben Harper opened up to the crowd with his guitar, followed by a short speech from Russ Feingold, Senator for Wisconsin. It was a partisan speech, largely defending his reputation, which has been tarnished by attack ads. He spoke about the mess Republicans got the country into, and was strongly against corporate interests, stating that he was the number one enemy of lobbyists in Washington. It was a good fighting speech, strong against his opponent Ron Johnson, without mentioning his name. He admitted to being outspent by millionaire Johnson, but maintained that the seat had to be earned, not bought. And he hadn't been out-earned.

Next up, Mayor Tom Barrett, running for governor, took to the stage and gave a rousing speech about driving out the vote and getting people to prove the polls wrong. He made a great point that people had forgotten about pre 2008, forgotten about the recession to a certain extent, forgotten that Obama had got the country out. For Barrett, who needs all the votes he can get, it is integral to democracy that everyone gets out to vote. The biggest problem for Democrats is that democratic voters aren't energised, and that's what this rally aimed to do. Barrett started that, but it was Obama who really fired everyone up.

Obama's colloquial style got the crowd laughing immediately, as he briefly mentioned his time in Madison as a student. Soon though it was all about energising the crowd, engaging all those students, and people from all walks of life watching live across the nation, to get out the vote. It's a fight for the future of this country he said. It's been done before, in 2008, and it can be done again. People power. "YES WE CAN" shouted the crowd. Speaking for almost 40 minutes, Obama showed the crowd why he is President; what he has achieved these past two years, following up on his promises; what he has planned for the future; and what a superb orator he is. Defending himself and democrats, he spoke about his successes in the economy, in job creation, and received a huge cheer when he mentioned healthcare reforms. A lot of news coverage has focused on the general public's opposition to the healthcare bill, but the reaction Obama stirred in Madison last night proves that to be wrong.

Naming the things he had achieved, he admitted too that things had been hard. But he reminded the crowd that he told them it would be hard, and they would have to keep fighting. He joked that he couldn't have done much more, otherwise he would have nothing left to do for the 2 years he has left.

Despite his little stutter from time to time, which in some ways makes his speeches more personal, Obama rallied the crowd to a near frenzy. "What enthusiasm gap?" he shouted, acknowledging the incredible support he was receiving, and the number of people who had turned out to see him. For good measure, he denounced the Republican's and their plans for the future, denouncing the special interests supporting them. His car analogy towards the end of his speech was just inspiring. Check it out below.

I have spoken for too long, so I will leave you with a video of his speech. I have so much more to say about it, but I have to go to work! It really was inspiring to see this man speak, and he even had me convinced about the greatness of America, and the need for more change and progress. The future has great potential, but it needs the voters of America to support it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28XM4fb93Zo]

Obamamania: The Prologue

I intended to write this blog post before President Obama came to visit here in Madison, based on my general impressions on him, on his presidency, and what I have heard from people on my travels around Wisconsin.

I have a whole new post to write on Obama's stirring speech to the crowds at UW-Madison, but I will save that one to follow up my initial impressions with my experiences today.

My dealings with voters across Wisconsin in the past few weeks largely confirmed what I myself had been feeling toward Obama: Disappointment. The elections in 2008 were filled with promise, with "hope" and with so much feeling of "change." I genuinely thought Obama would accomplish so much as President, and was almost swept along with the feelings of euphoria which engulfed the nation as Obama became the 44th President of the United States. And yet two years down the line, I cannot help but feel that Obama has not lived up to expectations, has not accomplished what he set out to achieve, and has not aspired to the superman status supports had ascribed to him.

The closure of Guantánamo Bay was fraught with difficulties; withdrawal from Iraq seemed half hearted; the economy remains in the doldrums; and the healthcare bill, though passed and signed into law, was plagued with revisions, additions and changes, greatly weakening the President's stand out policy. For some, Obama has intervened too much into private affairs, and meddled with the economy too much, spending too much on stimulus packages. For many, Obama has not done enough, failing to go the full distance in what he promised, intervening and spending too little. Month after month, the President's job approval ratings steadily declined, as in the eyes of voters, he was a disappointment. So much so, that democrats in close races have distanced themselves from the President, not wanting to be associated with his policies.

But has he really failed? Well he stopped the recession from becoming any worse, and set the economy back on the road to growth. He has withdrawn troops from Iraq, and has closed  Guantánamo Bay. And the healthcare legislation he passed was the most monumental legislation of its kind. It just maybe wasn't enough.

Its quite possible, that Obama overstretched. He anticipated too much, promised too much, and ultimately did too much; more than he could handle. Instead of focusing all his energy on one important issue, he tried to diversify too much, and ended up not putting his full attention into each policy. While it is important to be ambitious, certainly with regards to life changing legislation, it may be that Obama has been too ambitious. Perhaps even too intelligent.

Much like President Carter before him, Obama is somewhat of an outsider to Washington. While he is an incredibly smart man, knowing exactly what he wants, and what is needed, he has been criticized for too much partisanship, for not being able to play the political game. He is a man from Illinois, accustomed to the political machines in cities like Chicago. Not used to the way things are run in D.C., despite being a Senator there. It was said that Carter knew everything that was going on in the White House, right down to who was playing on the tennis courts, and this immense knowledge transferred over to policies. However that did not help him in getting policy passed through Congress. It is possible to say the same thing about Obama, as despite his obvious intelligence, he has come under criticism for the way he has handled Congress, and then bemoans the fact that they will not pass his legislation. This poor congressional handling may also be down to the fact that Obama brought with him to the White House, lots of his own political aides from Illinois, and has kept many Washington political insiders out of the Oval Office. Again, this has generated criticism that Obama is only receiving a narrow set of advice from his advisers, which may be where some of his problems lie. There is a story that after his first year in politics in Illinois, a famous Senator from the state, a great politician, turned to Obama and said, "Kid, you're not cut out for this, you should find another profession."

Whatever the case for his approval ratings, Obama needs to get things together come the election in 2012, and if he wants a supportive Congress in the next two years, he really needs to rally the troops to get out the vote in November. And this he plans to do, by travelling across swing states and convincing voters of the good he has done, the good Democrats have done, and the need to do more.

Thus his first stop; Madison, Wisconsin. A state which is very important to national Democrats. A fight to hold the governorship, a fight to keep a Democrat Senator which could affect the whole Senate, and a fight to hold onto the state legislature. Preparations for his visit began over a week ago, as the logistics for an event like this are huge. Secret service has been patrolling the area, plans put into place. A lot of disruption results from the President's visit, as businesses must close, roads are shut, traffic held up and diverted. Secret Service, Madison Police, UW Police, Capitol Police and Dane County Sheriffs were all called in to help set up the event.

And was it worth it? Find out in the next post.