SPRINGFIELD, Ill. The weather forecast for Central Illinois on Saturday, Aug. 23, was hot with afternoon thunderstorms.

At 9:00 that morning, it was sunny outside the Old Statehouse in Springfield.

The uninformed may have thought the people lining the avenue block after block, up one street and down another all around the Capitol Complex, were there for a musicfest.

Although Springfield’s annual classic car show was taking place thereabouts, including music acts, that wasn’t what had brought these folks around..

People had come from all over the Midwest to see the “rock star” of American politics, Sen. Barack Obama.

The scene was most impressive. The assemblage was comprised of folks from a diverse range of ages and backgrounds, waiting to participate in history as Democratic candidate Obama named Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate. This was truly democracy in action.

People in the queue, already numbering thousands, were enjoying themselves talking and laughing with total strangers.

One conversation took place between a couple who were staunch fans of the St. Louis Cardinals and two diehard Chicago Cubs fans. Their common interest to restore American ideals transcended one of the oldest and most intense rivalries in Major League Baseball, or sports anywhere.

This singular microcosm within the aggregate throng became a prime example of what Barack Obama’s “audacity of hope” has brought to America’s table: Cardinal fans and Cub fans forgetting lifelong animosities to commiserate harmoniously as allies determined to restore sanity and dignity to our Nation.

Who knew a Cardinal fan would actually even consider backing a Democrat, anyway?

Even as the temperature climbed steadily toward 90 degrees, a festive atmosphere ensued.

Officially announcing opening at noon, with so many already present organizers began moving the crowd onto the Old Statehouse grounds more than two hours early.

Those carrying lawnchairs, umbrellas, and other sundry articles were required to place them onto a pile before entering. Bottled water was not allowed, either, resulting in hundreds being tossed into bins.

(Once inside water could be purchased for $2 a bottle, which would then be poured into a large paper cup.)

At 10:20 the venue was already a sea of humanity. Most of the early arrivals had crowded themselves at the corner of the stage with a podium and microphones.

Even with more than three-and-one-half hours before the onset of festivities, the best available vantage point was along the east side of the Old Statehouse, next to a runway that extended some 50 yards north of the podium. It was near a basement door through which the candidates would appear when announced.

This location was doubly excellent, also providing a direct view of the speakers’ dais.

As the venue filled, there was less and less elbowroom or personal space for each individual. People neither took umbrage with the tightening conditions nor complained.

The rising heat could not diminish an overall festive attitude, as folks went out of their way