Politics

An All-In-One Post for the “All of the Above” Policy: Obama in Oklahoma

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The morning sun peeked through the horizon and low-hanging clouds sent a mixed message for the weather outlook.  It was chilly and a gentle breeze blew as cars, trucks and vans headed from all directions to Cushing, Oklahoma, full of people with an agenda.  Some wanted to witness a presidential motorcade, others wanted to hold signs in support of his visit, and some wanted to hold signs in protest of his energy policies.  Regardless of the agenda, however, everyone who arrived at their various rally spots seemed to be in an upbeat and anticipatory mood.

The roads were cordoned off by 8:30 a.m., and shortly after that various groups began to get organized.  A group comprised of several energy industry supporters, a few local politicians and a generally Republican crowd convened for a rally hosted by the “Americans for Prosperity” (AFP) at Fechner Oil and Supply.  I captured three of the speakers at that particular event and I think this six minute video gives a fairly good perspective of the platform held by this group:

Approximately two-thirds through their slate of speakers, Obama arrived south of Cushing in a helicopter then was motorcaded to a location north of the city.  His speech, held in a pipefield in Ripley, is included in its entirety here, thanks to the NewsOK team and their coverage of the event.

Can you guess which black SUV was actually carrying our president?  We may never know…

My best guess is the first because it had the most antennas on the roof.

It was quite an interesting morning.  As I walked between one group to another, each seemed to have their own personality and reasons for attending.  I especially appreciated Andrew Griffin’s dispatch for the Red Dirt Report and have linked to his detailed interviews and report here.

I think what I appreciated about the day most, however, is that most everyone in attendance seemed to know why they were there and be willing to talk about the issues surrounding the Keystone XL project, the pipeline problems in general, and energy policy and what it means for Oklahoma.

I have several photographs taken throughout the day.  I hope you enjoy looking through them if you’ve not gotten a chance to see a bit of the action from Cushing today.

And, as the owner of Fechner Oil said in his speech, “thank you, and may God Bless America.”

[kelly]

Rally attendees listen to the speakers make their case.
Local and state law enforcement were at every corner and intersection.

 

This "Main Street" is a long way from "Wall Street."
I'm not sure, but I THINK this guy is popping a wheelie on his scooter.

A woman steps gingerly through the muddy areas to get to her destination.
This group stood in-between the two "sides" and held no campaign signs. They weren't really excited about the camera, and after I took this shot, one whipped out his cell phone and said, "Can I take your picture? Huh?" Of course I said yes. Turnabout is fair play.

 

Construction workers took in the scene from a pretty good vantage point.

 

"This way?" "No, this way." "Are you sure?" "Yep. I just radioed in." "Okay, that way." "Yep."

Although I have many more shots, I think this is a good enough sample to provide an idea of the day.  As I drove out of town, I noticed the Cushing pipeline sign.  I wonder if those who built that sign ever thought it would be the centerpiece for a presidential campaign stop in 2012?

P.S.  If you want to have some GRAND fun, check out Pam Nelson’s Twitter feed…she got to drive in the presidential motorcade today! Wow!

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7 thoughts on “An All-In-One Post for the “All of the Above” Policy: Obama in Oklahoma”

  1. Pingback: I got to see President Obama in Cushing and I took pictures! | The Lost Ogle

  2. First time visitor to your blog. Great post. I love the objectivity. And am glad you chronicled the days events! Honestly this was a better read than anything the major news channels had to offer. Keep it up!

    1. Thanks for your comments, Spencer. When covering an event like this, we do our best to remain objective, and true to our personal perspective as well. Glad you stopped by – we appreciate it! ~ RDK

  3. What a neat experience. Thank you for sharing this *independent* view. 🙂 I’m still betting it was the 4th just because it sounds cool. (Were there at least 4?)

    1. (smile) – Yes, there were four, I think. I have a couple more shots of the others…one was a shorter-to-the-ground type like a Milano or other kind of hatch-backy SUV. What was most interesting to me was the van at the very rear of the motorcade. It drove with the doors open, and soldiers in the back, positioned so they could jump out at a moment’s notice. Crazy and exciting!

  4. I know which car he was in as I was fortunate enough to be in the presidential motorcade today! Check out my blog and twitter! I’ll have more blogs & pics from my experience posted very soon!

    1. Pam – can’t WAIT to read about it. What a special gift to have ridden in the motorcade. I will check out your Twitter feed and your blog. Take care, Red Dirt Kelly

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