For Kerry, Election Day begins early

Published November 2, 2004 1:32PM (EST)

John Kerry kicked off Election Day before he went to bed on election eve. At about 12:30 Tuesday morning, Kerry spoke to several hundred screaming supporters in an airport hangar in Toledo. More than a thousand people who couldn't get in listened to Kerry from outside.

With his 757 idling on the tarmac behind him, an exuberant Kerry blazed through his stump speech before flying to LaCrosse, Wisc., for a few hours of sleep and an early morning get-out-the vote rally there.

They played Bruce Springsteen's "No Surrender" five times before Kerry left Toledo. Just outside the hangar, Kerry's staffers seemed joyous. Spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter danced in the rain and sang along to Springsteen. Mike McCurry clowned around with a camera crew. David Wade, the candidate's fiercely loyal spokesman, just smiled a big cat-got-the-bird smile.

It's going to be a long day. The Kerry campaign can't wait.


By Tim Grieve

Tim Grieve is a senior writer and the author of Salon's War Room blog.

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