Where everyone is a journalist.

Giving full credit to BB, who took these photos. We're actually sitting further back in the first tier of seats, behind the media and off to the right. I took some photos with my camera phone but have no free way to upload them onto my computer.

The moment, the time

Attending an Obama rally is like attending a rock concert. Not for nothing is U2’s “City of Blinding Lights” and “Beautiful Day” blared as a prelude. Like U2's music, Obama's rallies make you understand that there are problems in the world, but nothing we can't understand and face. I attended Obama’s rally in Baltimore for the Chesapeake Bay primaries, but last night’s rally in St. Paul completely eclipsed my expectations. I stood in line next to my dad, who couldn’t get over the mixture of old and young, black and white and Hispanic. As the line encircle Rice Park, the Landmark Center, and all the way to the NPR building, people celebrated. Everyone had these excited looks, knowing that they could say for future generations that they were there to see this. In line, we updated each other on the superdelegate count, laughing if someone offered information that was an hour old, only to be gently corrected by someone with more recent information. As we edged closer, we saw umbrellas and strollers, discarded before entering the arena. CNN estimated a crowd of 17,000 indoors with another 15,000 standing outside. I felt lucky to be in the arena at all.

What was amazing was the tone of Obama's thundering speech. As he spoke, I heard someone who was not just running for the presidency, but also now running the party as its de facto leader.

But what you don't deserve is another election that's governed by fear, and innuendo, and division. What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge and patriotism as a bludgeon...

(APPLAUSE)

What you won't see from this campaign or this party is a politics that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to polarize, because we may call ourselves Democrats and Republicans, but we are Americans first. We are always Americans first.

Above all, Obama sounded gracious last night. Gracious toward Sen. Hilary Rodham Clinton and her noble, but technically still-continuing campaign. Gracious toward Sen. John McCain and his years of public service while subtly highlighting the differences. Above all, and what I appreciated the most, was Obama's graciousness toward the American people. Unlike Clinton's speech, whose points began with what "I feel," "I met," "I see," or "I want," Obama's speech carried what we must do. He spoke to the people of Minnesota and citizens of America without patronizing our intelligence that surprise! we need a politician who has been paying attention. We have a politician who is looking ahead to long-term solutions.

I sent a text message to a number of my friends who are Obama supporters, letting them know I was at the rally. One friend wished me a good time. Another assured me that had I missed this opportunity, there would be hell to pay. My favorite?

“That’s awesome. History my dear."