Protesters gather outside Obama venue

Posted by Mike Kaszuba

Sue Mogan stood on a corner near the University of Minnesota campus, had a look of disgust and held up an anti-Obama sign: "Unemployment up, national debt up, terror attacks up".

Mogan, from Minnetonka, lost her medical data entry job two months ago. "He hasn't brought the country together, that's for sure," she said. "I think two years from now, we'll have better choices."

Near the long lines of President Obama supporters that weaved through the campus, a man stood holding a sign that read: "???Nobel Prize???" He declined to talk, saying simply that the sign spoke for itself.

As a security guard told the weaving line of people that no umbrellas would be allowed into the Obama rally, many shrugged and simply hung their umbrellas on a small tree. Soon the tree, looking like it was decked out for Christmas, had more than 40 different-colored umbrellas on it. More than a few posed for pictures in front of the tree.

Two young men -- one wore maroon-and-gold striped bib overalls -- passed the crowd still standing in line to see Obama. In unison, they lifted their shirts to show the words "No Obama" scribbled on their stomachs.

"NoObama-NoObama-NoObama," one of them yelled rapidly. The two men, each carrying their own large pizza in a box, disappeared down the street, eating. "They're all idiots," one said to the other, referring to the crowd.

Wearing a cap and listening to the radio, Robert Gratz of Minneapolis had waited in line to see Obama for nearly two and a half hours, and was still a block or two away. He said he had "easily" walked six blocks already.

Sue and Wayne Lakso of Minneapolis began standing in line to see Obama at 1 p.m., back by a bridge over the Mississippi River, and guessed that over the past 90 minutes they had walked at least a mile and a half. The chances for Democrats on Nov. 2?

"They're probably a lot better than the media is reporting," said Wayne Lakso. Sue Lakso said she had voted for just one Republican in her life -- Gov. Arne Carlson. "You voted for Arne?" a surprised Wayne Lakso replied, as he looked at her.

A man with an accordian serenaded the crowd with the Roll Out The Barrel polka. "I'm guardeldy optimistic," Gratz said of the Democrats chances on election day. "I think many are cowed by the right-wing noise machine not to speak their minds."

As four young men in shorts played football on the lawn of a fraternity house on University Ave., an unmarked black van idled nearby. Uniformed soldiers in full camoflauge hopped out, adjusting their helmets and goggles. As they did, Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie walked by, shaking hands and smiling.

In front of a fraternity house on University Ave., a small gaggle of Emmer supporters held campaign signs, one read, "Read my teleprompter, no new taxes."

Frank Maddox Jr. of Minnetonka, as he stood in line, pondered the question of how he would rate President Obama's job performance so far. "I would say, better than average," he replied. "Given the (condition) the country was in when he came into office. We were almost bankrupt as a country."

As a young blonde woman held up a sign that read, "Dayton Equals Debt", Jane Graupman of St. Paul walked by, turned to her and asked, "Why do you think Dayton equals debt?" Graupman continued walking, barely waiting for an answer.

"It's so easy to hold a sign," she said.

James Milavetz, who was with Graupman, also shook his head at the young Emmer protesters, and added, "if you're not liberal when you're young, it's sad."

Milavetz added that President Obama "spent money on the stimulus package, he saved GM. That's going to help them get a job."

He said he looked forward to his next project: Opposing plans to build a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. "I'm working on that" now, he said.

One protester held a sign with a picture of a toilet, and the words, "Democrats flush away prosperity.". Dave Rosene of Brooklyn Park, wearing an Obama baseball cap, shook his head in dismay as he walked by. "I don't think they understand the concept of taxes," he said. "They've been fed a bunch of baloney."

A sea of disappointed Gopher fans walked silently through a small gathering of anti-Obama protesters, who began to pack up their signs. One man wearing maroon-and-gold, lamented that Penn State was mauling the Gophers in the nearby stadium. "Why do you think we're" leaving the game early, he said, smiling.

At 3:13 p..m., as a few drops of rain fell for the first time, Sara Schmitt of Duluth and her mom, Lynn, were the last ones in what had been a massive line and liked their chances of getting in. "It was kind of spur of the moment," said Sara Schmitt, who said she and her mom had just left the Gophers game and decided to try and see Obama. "We're trying to do it all," said her mom, with a laugh.