Singing in the Rain, Before 26,000

Barack Obama greeting supporters in the rain in Fredericksburg, Va. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

REMEMBER last month, when a conservative group prayed for rain to disrupt Senator Barack Obama’s stadium-style acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver? That night, it didn’t rain. And for months, at outdoor rallies across the country, Mr. Obama’s campaign events have escaped repeated bouts of rain and stormy weather – even if it was in the forecast. But the run of good luck with Mother Nature ended here on Saturday night, as a steady rain began to fall shortly after Mr. Obama began speaking at the University of Mary Washington. After keeping his supporters waiting for nearly an hour, Mr. Obama went forward with his speech as a crowd estimated by campus officials at 26,000 grew soggy. "I’m sorry for those of you who are wearing that special outfit," Mr. Obama said. "I’d like to cover everyone’s dry cleaning bill tonight, but I can’t because I’ve got to use it on the campaign. So consider it one more modest contribution to our efforts to change the country." [...] But the Obama supporters, who were already wet from a rain shower before Mr. Obama arrived, didn’t seem to mind the soaking. They cheered throughout the remarks, raising their voices even more as Mr. Obama unleashed a string of weather-related metaphors about the country’s current state. "The storm hasn’t quite passed yet. Sometimes the skies look cloudy. And it’s dark," Mr. Obama said. "You think the rains will never pass, but here’s what I understand: As long as all of us are together, as long as we are all committed, then there’s nothing we can’t do." New York Times

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