You all do realize that the speech in Oregon was preceeded by a 45 min free concert from local rock legends from Portland right?
"Unmentioned in national reporting was the fact that Obama was preceded by a rare, 45-minute free concert by actual rock stars The Decemberists. The Portland-based band has drawn rave reviews from Rolling Stone magazine, which gave their 2005 album Picaresque four and a half stars (out of five), and another four and a half stars for 2007's The Crane Wife."
A perfect day in the 80's and a free outdoor concert by local stars certainly helped to increase the crowd. Obama still brings in huge crowds, but he did get help for that crowd.
"UPDATE: Looks like the Decemberists can pack them in for free concerts. In a show in Millennium Park in Chicago, one review said 10,000; a diary by one of the band members speculates 20,000. Again, Obama has shown time and again that he can pack crowds into arenas, and he can take pride in the 75,000+ that showed up Sunday. But a free concert by local stars helps... "
http://campaignspot.nationalreview.c...Q4ZGQ1ZGI5MDc=