I arrived at 10 am, after a reconnaissance pedal-by verified that a line was already forming for tickets to President Obama’s surprise visit to Boise. The tickets were free, limited to one per person, and wouldn’t be distributed till 4 pm. There were probably 50 – 75 people in line in front of me. Many had been there since 6 am.
Idaho is, if not the, certainly one of the most conservative states in the country. A sample of Idaho policy:
- Taxes the poor while doling out tax exemptions to the wealthy and the corporate
- Welcomes spent nuclear fuel with open arms but without any viable, safe measures of storing it
- Sanctions wolf shooting and bunny clubbing derbies as a form of wildlife management
- Withholds basic human rights protections from the LGBT community, while
- Protecting the rights of concealed weapons permit holders to carry guns to school in their backpacks and briefcases
And yet there are enough Democrats in Boise to queue up on short notice, on a cold, foggy day to wait for the opportunity to see our President.
I have never waited longer than 30 minutes in line for a meal, movie, concert, or celebrity. But it’s never too late for a new experience, right? During the first three hours, we huddled under coats, blankets, and sleeping bags. 
Ad hoc friendships ignited as strangers saved places in line for one another’s potty breaks and food runs. Around noon, the sun finally burned through the stubborn fog layer. 
These Indian families, in town to visit their BSU-student daughters, came prepared for the long wait. They generously shared snacks and REAL hot, home-brewed Chai.
The press showed up. These days journalists are masters of it all, shooting, interviewing, and schlepping their own gear.
The line continued to expand, wrapping around the south end of the the Albertsons famous (blue-turf) football stadium, all the way to the east entrance and beyond. 
At 3:43, six ticket windows opened and an emotional jubilee rang through the parking lot. By 3:48, I had ticket in hand and by 4 pm, I was home delivering the message! 
Reportedly, 5,000 tickets were handed out within an hour. Unfortunate late-comers were turned away. Wednesday, the 21, will find me in line again for an unassigned, standing room only, patch of ground inside the Caven-Williams Sports Complex. #ThanksObama!
Rangewriter 
Congrats on the score!!! Look forward to the follow up blog post
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Yea, this should be a very interesting follow up blog. Looking forward to it. 🙂
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Oh dear, I’m beginning to feel pressure….:-)
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Oh dear. I hope I can follow through. I may be so carried away by the moment that I’m unable to make sense of it all. :-0
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Your picture reportage about the queue was fantastic, Linda. I am sure you’ll do all right telling us something about the big event! 🙂
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Wow good for you. And I can’t stand our right-wing Prime Minister coz he’s too conservative ! I’d go mad in Idaho.
You left out: “They’ve made it illegal to expose cruelty to animals in factory farms”.
Enjoy the 21st !
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I KNEW I was forgetting something. There are so many things… Good dog it is hard to live in this state at times…especially during elections!
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Unfortunately, I don’t drive back to Boise until Thursday, so I will miss all of the festivities. Wish I could experience it with you.
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Me too, Glenda. That would be awesome.
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I’m content to watch what comes on tv. Your tougher than I Irina.
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Like I say, never before have I stood in line like a cow waiting for feed. But this is my turn.
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I did it for Kennedy, but waas a lot younger then.
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This must have been a great experience. Nice written. But the Idaho policies are real strange…
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Idaho is a strange place to live. Beautiful country, great weather, but politically….after each election I threaten to run away. It is a very backward state, lots of poorly educated and misinformed people. Lots of “Christians” who haven’t really got a clue what that word really means, but are very good at spouting the biblical dogma that their churches coach them in. Oh, and can they complain bitterly about Muslim extremism, while not recognizing the self-same extremism and twisted logic in their own behavior?!
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wow…..to much…..Idaho politics controlling the people once again…..thank you and to everyone for waiting….things have to change everywhere and it seems that young people will have to move on it soon………….why are we putting up with it all? It is not politics as usual people….times, they are a changing….is Idaho going to ?
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Doubtful about Idaho. A state so focused on state control, to the very detriment of it’s resources and peoples. But it is refreshing to be surrounded by people with similar values. There were lots of folks in line that had been to the Add the Words rally the day before. The more MLK rally participants probably got to the party too late to get tickets, and that is unfortunate.
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Linda, good post. I hope it went well and was worth the wait. I love the picture of the girl bundled in the blankets, with her nose and eyes peaking out. That captured the cold wait. Take care, BTG
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There will be yet another cold wait tomorrow, when he actually arrives. Lots of standing, as there is no seating in the venue, and we can’t bring stadium chairs because we have to go through security. But with 6 hours invested, I will forge on.
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Take some Advil and don’t be afraid to sit on the floor. We waited for Senator Kay Hagan and Hillary Clinton for about 75 minutes and I was a hurting puppy standing for so long.
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I think the hardest part will be, again, the preliminary wait. Simply holding a ticket isn’t enough to guarantee entry, plus, no one wants to be shoved into a back corner by the crowd. I heard people talking of lining up around mid morning again tomorrow. He’s not due till 2:45….if he’s on time, and you know how that goes! It’s so cold and foggy in the mornings. I can’t imagine standing outside for 2 hours with nothing to do and nothing but cold concrete to sit on. Sigh. Maybe I’ll bring a chair and just leave it outside. If it disappears, that’s the price of admission, eh?
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I was heartened to see this response! When I first heard that President Obama was coming to Idaho, I laughed and said, “Why in the world here?” But to see youth and this diverse array of people responding this way makes me feel that there may be a bit of hope for us all. Still, I’m not anxious for this upcoming Idaho legislative season.
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The common question throughout that long line of folks waiting for their tickets was, why Idaho? Not that anyone was complaining, but it almost feels as if this were a way for Obama to reach out to his most disenfranchised supporters, those of us who know we have little impact on the national electoral process. There is no particular Democratic politician for whom this visit might boost votes or donations. There is a high level of pure hatred for him here. This seems like a visit from the heart.
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Glad your six hour wait resulted in a ticket! Look forward to your follow up post…no pressure! 🙂
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I’ll give it my best shot. Speaking of shots, cameras are allowed, but I don’t have much hope of getting anything decent crammed into a small space with 5,000 other people….all standing! Wish I were taller!
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I really would have loved to go, however I’ve been working night shift so I don’t think I’d be able to keep myself awake. I saw him speak in Pennsylvania when he was campaigning for his first election and I loved every minute of it, but it’d be especially cool to see him as President! Enjoy!
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Thanks! It was REALLY special! And I understand completely about the work thing. I could never have hung in there for this event if I were still working. I heard a lot of students in the crowd around me who’d cut classes to attend. Hope their professors are sensitive!
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