on may 18, 2008, barack obama addressed a rally in tom mccall waterfront park in portland, with a crowd estimated at 72,000 (60,000 inside the gates and another 12,000 outside). this crowd was the largest ever to greet obama, surpassing his previous record of 35,000 people in pennsylvania. it was also likely the largest-ever political rally in oregon, surpassing the john kerry rally in 2004, which drew 50,000. large, media-attracting rallies and meetings such as this were noted to make a substantial difference in electorate enthusiasm and volunteer sign-ups for both democratic party potential candidates.