And an eyewitness from Atlanta too

Quisp thought we wouldn’t care about one person’s views, because Sean Hannity broadcast from Atlanta, but I care a lot. The view from the podium (so to speak) is always going to be different from the view from the ground. Quisp observations are also a reminder that, contrary to the way in which the media is trying to play this (more later), this is a genuine grass roots effort:

You probably don’t need a report from Atlanta since Hannity’s broadcast showed everyone what a crowd there was, but here it is anyway.

If you saw Hannity, you already know there were at least 15,000 – 20,000 people at the Atlanta Tea Party. A stage was set up in front of the capitol and video screens were placed about a block on either side so the people who filled the side streets could see and hear the speakers. A band entertained the crowd for at least 30 minutes before the official start (that’s when we got there). At 7:00 the video screens showed a short (maybe a minute) presentation about the original tea party, then “Paul Revere” rode up onto the stage on a horse. He dismounted with a flourish and gave a short speech about preserving our liberties, then led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance and a singer stepped up to lead the crowd in The Star Spangled Banner.

There were a number of speakers, several of whom were state representatives.. Organizers did a great job of keeping speeches to 3-5 minutes and varying style and delivery. Every four or five speakers they’d break things up with music or a related video on the big screens. We had to leave before Hannity started his broadcast (we had kids in tow) but people were still pouring in – the Marta train we took to head home pulled in completely packed with people in red shirts trying not to let their signs get crumpled in the crush.

There were sign up tables at the entrance and a couple of times organizers on stage gave instructions on where to text your info to sign up for notification of future events, so there was a definite emphasis on maintaining momentum. There was a group hanging out pocket copies of the Constitution and they ran out after giving out 12,000. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Journal Constitution is reporting 7,000 attendees. (Libs doing math, what do you expect?)