Snap! One Nation Working Together Draws 800,000 (PS: Obama Blows Rally Off)

by William Teach | October 2, 2010 10:01 am

Oh, sorry, I must have been imagining the headlines at CNN, MSNBC, and CBS later this afternoon once the rally is in full swing. It runs from 12-4, a time picked to apparently allow all the astroturfed buses to make it to the rally[1]

Union organizers, environmentalists, educators, anti-war protesters and civil-rights and gay-rights groups say they’ve got 2,000 registered buses heading to Washington to re-invigorate a liberal base that has been apathetic at best and in some cases downright critical of President Barack Obama’s agenda.

Astroturf. Also, it’s probably difficult to get liberals up so early on a Saturday, what with the cocktail parties and the drinking themselves blind after a typical week of rage.

Progressive groups hope to draw tens of thousands of supporters to the Mall on Saturday and create a show of force that will rival the conservative tea party movement.

The One Nation Working Together[2] march is the culmination of months of planning begun by civil rights organizations and labor unions. In recent weeks, more than 400 supporting groups[3] have signed on to the rally, which is to span four hours and feature speeches, poetry and musical entertainment.

Astroturf. And, I was at Glen Beck’s rally: there were at least 500,000 people there. Getting a hotel room was a nightmare. I waited too long, and, two weeks prior, the best I could get was either a cheapo in a bad neighborhood way out from DC, or $130 close in. I stayed at the expensive for just Friday night. Even Saturday nights were booked. Take a look at the hotel availability in the DC area, using Orbitz or Travelocity: rooms to be had for Saturday night! When I had checked Orbitz for hotels in Arlington, they were mostly booked for the Saturday of the Glen Beck rally. Now? They all have rooms.

But, don’t worry, no astroturf

That screen capture is from the traffic camera[4] at 23rd and Constitution, right near the Lincoln Memorial, at about 9am.

More: Obama could apparently care less about the rally. He’s spending the weekend[5] at Camp David (last paragraph).

Switching between Fox, CNN, and MSNBC, the video shows that barely anyone is there. I bet we do not see any overhead shots of the rally.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove[6]. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach[7]. Re-Change 2010[8]!