12,000 (est.)

This post, from "someone who votes predominantly Republican," is part of the reason Obama is shaking things up a bit. Apart from the estimate that there were 12,000 people lined up for a rally in DC, he writes:

We're both right of center, but there's something about the guy that even if he spent our money in all the wrong ways, we could at least respect him for the choices he'd make.

And it goes a long way that we'd be looking for that sort of thing instead of voting with people who share opinions on major issues.

The whole thing captures something about Obama's appeal, and helps explain why there were so many thousands waiting in the cold for a political rally.