Spectators packed the Target Center for President Obama’s rally on health care reform.
And many left “fired up and ready to go,” a phrase Obama used in his address.
“It was incredible. It was what we need. We need to hear his plan because there’s been a lot of confusion, and it’s time to stand up behind it,” said Angela Shannon, who has seen Obama speak during each of his visits to Minnesota and attended his inauguration in Washington.
“If nothing happens we’re in serious trouble as a country,” said Shannon, who attended the rally with daughters Adera, 12, and Aeisa, 6.
“I thought it was a strong message, especially the message about being fired up,” the elder daughter said.
Hitting many of the themes from his address earlier this week, Obama stressed the need for affordable, portable health care. He also stressed the need for a public option.
Before the 12:30 p.m. rally, lines snaked for several blocks through Minneapolis’ Warehouse District. Some camped overnight.
Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan said officers made no arrests by midday, despite protesters on both sides of the health care issue.
Dolan called in 50 officers on overtime and turned to neighboring police agencies and sheriff’s department to handle security for the event. He said he expects the department’s costs to top $20,000.
It’s a busy day for the city’s police force, with a midday Twins game at the nearby Metrodome and the first-ever game at the University of Minnesota’s new on-campus football stadium Saturday night.
Kenya McKnight was one of dozens of people chosen at random to sit on a riser behind the president as he spoke.
“Awesome. I’ve never been this close to a president,” McKnight said.
McKnight is running for a seat on the Minneapolis City Council, hoping to represent the 5th Ward on the city’s north side. She said Obama is one reason she became interested in politics.
“Obama sparked me to be more civically engaged in the (political) process, so coming here today meant that I was excersizing my civic duty,” McKnight said.
Rep. John Kline of Lakeville offered the Republican view on the president’s rally before it took place.
Kline told reporters on a Republican National Committee conference call that members of his party can’t work with “a plan without any details.”
Kline said Saturday, “We don’t know what it is he is selling.”
The fourth-term House member criticized Obama as rallying support for concepts rather than specifics.
Kline says many Republicans are willing to back health care changes that allow young people to stay on their parents insurance longer. He also spoke favorably about steps to keep people between jobs from losing insurance.
Critics spent the summer buffeting the president’s health care plan, which Obama has made his top priority during his first year in office.
“We believe in what Obama’s trying to do, and believe health care change is really necessary,” said Andy Gunn, 57, who had waited in line for two hours with his wife, Beth, 54.
Both are transplants to Minneapolis from Tennessee, and while Andy Gunn works as an analyst for United Health, Beth is still looking for a job.
“We change jobs about every five years and every time it’s always an issue getting insurance. We don’t mind paying but we just feel like there needs to be a plan that we can get that we can take with us and not have to worry about preexisting conditions and things like that,” Andy Gunn said.
Both were looking forward to hearing Obama.
“We’re really excited,” Beth Gunn said.
Terencio Safford, 26, a student from New Hope, got off work at midnight last night and had been waiting in line ever since.
He said he’s not really into politics, but friends convinced him to come out. He also hopes the president talks about more than health care.
“I agree with what he wants to do with health care, but I’d love to hear him talk about job creation and the economy,” Safford said.
John Eloranta, a 19-year-old student who wore a Bush-Cheney t-shirt (he almost wore a Sarah Palin shirt) was also attending the speech. He said he’d been getting grief from friends and strangers for his shirt, but said he wants to be at the speech.
“There’s all the Obama people here. I think there should be someone from the other side,” Eloranta said. He called the Obama speech before Congress “garbage.”
The scene outside the Target Center was lively, with both supporters and detractors using bullhorns to get their points across. But the lengthy line proceeded smoothly into the 20,500-seat arena.
Paul Wegner, 45, of Minneapolis, said he is an Obama supporter. He wants to hear more of what the president did Wednesday, when he called out what he said were misleading and incorrect assertions about what a health care bill making its way through the House of Representatives would do.
“He needs to hold Republicans accountable for their lies about health care,” Wegner said.
Dr. Orin Hall, who was waiting to be let into the arena and declined to say where he worked, said, “the current health care system is economically unsustainable and it’s a social imperative that Barack Obama passes health care reform.”
Joseph Lindberg contributed to this report.
This story contains information from the Associated Press.
