by John Chase
Inside the hulking Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines, the quickly building crowd of hundreds cheered wildly beginning around 8:30 p.m. as national networks began predicting that Obama had won the Iowa Caucus.
A group of Spanish-speaking supporters began signing “Ole'” while watching large-screen televisions and then began chants of “O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!”
The first people to enter the party were supporters from Illinois, Wisconsin and all around the nation who couldn’t participate in the caucuses. But soon, they were joined by their brethren from Iowa who had participated.
Faces beamed as the once-empty hall suddenly became packed with exuberant supporters who stamped their feet and cheered.
As Obama took a 7 percent lead by 9 p.m., Obama chief political strategist David Axelrod was more confident than just minutes before when discussing the impending win.
“It’s a great day,” he said. “In every way, we’ve exceeded expectations and I think it’s going to give us great momentum.”
They said this day would never come, our sights were set too high.. but on this Jan night you have done what the cynics said we couldn’t do. You have done what the stare of NH can do in five days. you have dfone what amereica can do in this new year 2008.; in lines that stretched around schoosl and churches you came to gether as dem repun to say we are one nation, one people and pur time for change has come.
As supporters continued to jam themsleves inside the Hy-Vee Hall, they were treated to the music of a raucus drump corps, which for 15 minutes energized the growing crowd to a near frenzy.
With word continuing to spread about Obama’s victory, more and more people filled the hall the size of an airplane hangar. The crowd was filled with mostly young people, especially college students and a mix of 20- and 30-somethings many of whom talked about how they ran over to the hall after caucusing for Obama.
But others like Tim and Ali Rausch said they came to Des Moines from their home in Bucktown to see history.
The married couple, both 26, said they arrived today, showed up at Obama’s headquarters and grabbed a bunch of Obama signs before heading off to 2nd and Grand in Des Moines as part of an improptu rally downtown.
“We’ve been following Obama’s career for years and volunteer for him in Chicago but Feb. 5 (Illinois’ primary) is a while away and we wanted to be here for the first night,” Tim Rausch said.
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