... and not just because the city is lit up for tonight's Obama event.
Indeed, several of the buildings in Chicago's skyline are decorated for the occasion. One skyscraper has U.S.A. lit by coordinating lights on floors and windows along its structure. Patriotism abounds in the Windy City, as Chicago is known.
But the real electricity of this place is generated by the enthusiasm of the supporters who have gathered here to witness what they all hope will be a moment in history.
It's a chance for many, including my friends Seth, Casey, and Mark, to say that they had a front row seat to one of the pivotal moments in American politics, perhaps American history. They have been waiting in line for almost six hours to get as close as they can to history in the making. They share a common bond with most everyone who has gathered here, to actively participate in that history in the making.
Needless to say, it takes some kind of electricity (translate dedication) to wait it out and live in the moment.
My friends are just three of the hundreds of thousands who have amassed in Grant Park in Chicago tonight. Those who were lucky enough to get tickets to get up close to the event made a dash for the front of the field once they were let in just a few minutes ago.
But no matter where people are, the weight of this moment is already clear. Today, in Chicago, in Arizona, in Pittsburgh and Paducah, from Los Angeles to Richmond , Maine to Miami, the long lines and record turnout of voters across America proves that democracy works.
The best way to actively participate in history isn't joining a celebration. it's voting to make that celebration possible. And Americans by the hundreds of millions today did just that
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