It’s not unusual for President Obama to stop by The Ohio State University: he’s been here twice within the past 40 days. But Obama’s May 5th rally at the Schottenstein Center marked a new chapter in his campaign. With First Lady Michelle by his side, the First Couple officially launched its general election rally with over 14,000 of its biggest supporters. The rally’s huge attendance was an inspiration to those of us promoting Obama’s reelection.

Volunteers across the state worked vigorously for two weeks prior to the event, personally making thousands of phone calls to invite Obama advocates to attend the gathering. Hopes were high the turnout would be monumental, and the President’s advocates met that challenge. The first fans arrived at the arena around 1:00 am, and by the time the doors at 10:30 am, it was clear this event would be memorable.

The Obama campaign went all out to get notable speakers to open up for the President. From John Glenn to Senator Brown and, finally, Michelle Obama, this was one of the most remarkable political events Columbus has ever seen. When Michelle stepped on stage, the arena erupted with chants of “Four More Years!” and “Fired Up! Ready To Go!” This excitement peaked when the President stepped up to the microphone. As I looked at the thousands of Ohioans that had come together for this event, I couldn’t help but get sentimental by this movement’s power. This was history in the making.

Obama’s thirty-seven minute speech included a discussion about his top accomplishments, the importance of the 2012 election, and criticism of Romney’s proposed policies. The President closed his speech, saying, “We will finish what we started. We are still fired up. We are still ready to go. And we are going to remind the world once more why it is that the United States of America is the greatest nation on Earth.” And the crowd’s enthusiasm spoke for itself: O-H-I-O is “Fired Up” and “Ready To Go.”

Written by Matt Brigstock’13