When I moved to Charlotte a year ago, I had no idea that the city would play a key role in the 2016 presidential elections. North Carolina turned blue in 2008 in support of Obama, but the votes went to Mitt Romney in 2012. Because it is unclear which direction the state will go for the 2016 election, North Carolina will be a political battleground until November. While Donald Trump was campaigning in the state on July 5^th at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, President Obama and Hillary Clinton held a rally at the Charlotte Convention Center.

When the event in Charlotte was announced, I knew that I had to attend. It was my last chance to hear Obama speak in person while still the President of the United States. I arrived downtown at 11:00am, two hours before the doors to the center were supposed to open and four hours before the President was scheduled to speak. Despite my early arrival, there were already hundreds of people in the general admission line; most were from the Charlotte area, but many had driven across the state for the event. Virtually everyone had taken off work to come downtown on a Tuesday, knowing that the wait would take all day. Volunteers from the Hillary campaign were running up and down through the VIP and general admission lines, registering voters, recruiting volunteers, and collecting contact information. I’ve already received multiple texts after giving up my phone number for a coveted green admission sticker which I later found out was completely irrelevant.

Luckily, my two new politically-savvy friends and I were able to stand in the shade for most of the two hour wait outside; the line extended through several blocks and across two major streets. Vendors set up tables on the sidewalks selling everything from Hillary buttons and T-shirts to commemorative Obama tote bags. The chaos was exciting and the enthusiasm built as news stations interviewed voters in line and protestors began showing up with megaphones. Some protestors were respectful, walking through the streets with signs about corruption and bribery in the Democratic Party, but others were not quite as sensitive. One preacher stood on the street across the convention center with a microphone and two loud speakers, yelling that the Democratic Party was filled with evil fornicators and that terrorist attacks on U.S. soil are God’s punishment for our transgressions. Regardless, the positive attitude of the people in line and anticipation of seeing the President blocked out the negative hate-speech as I entered the convention center and gave my purse to several Secret Service agents.

The blast of cold air in the foyer of the convention center was a striking contrast to the heat outside, and the stuffy air in the event room. People crowded around the stage and podium as a live jazz band played in the background. Giant American flags and “Stronger Together” banners decorated the area. People were standing, taking pictures, and some were sitting in circles on the cold cement floor. I joined a group of strangers on the floor who quickly became friends as we talked about the upcoming speeches. I was an independent, undecided voter in disguise, surrounded by avid Hillary supporters, but their friendliness and excitement was contagious.

The event started one hour early, and we heard speeches from a local congresswoman, a senatorial candidate (Deborah Ross), and the Democratic candidate for North Carolina governor (Roy Cooper). After these speeches, more live music played until Fight Song by Rachel Platten began basting through the convention center. It was Hillary’s cue, and she came in walking with President Obama by her side. Phones and tablets flew in the air as everyone tried to take pictures and videos. It seemed almost surreal, like I was watching it happen on television; in reality, they were only fifty feet away from me. When Hillary stood in front of the podium, she couldn’t even begin speaking because the crowd was so loud. After they calmed down, she gave a short speech on her background with the President, explaining her willingness to endorse him in 2008 and how her respect for him grew throughout his presidency. She emphasized the importance of continuing the work that he had started in the past eight years, telling the crowd that Donald Trump would reverse the progress the United States has accomplished under the Obama administration.

As she ended her speech with a call-to-action for North Carolinians to get out the vote and volunteer for her campaign, she shared a short hug with the President, who then took the podium. I could not hear the first few words of greeting he gave because of the noise from the crowd, but I was able to hear his first joke. He explained that he was looking forward to getting some good food in North Carolina, and that although he knew we had great recommendations, “no, I cannot come to your house.”

Obama’s speech was relaxed and conversational. It lasted about twice as long as Hillary’s and focused on his experience working with her. He explained how she “gracefully” worked for his campaign when he won the nomination in 2008, and that despite their differences, they have the same progressive vision for the United States, one that is the opposite of Trump’s falsely nostalgic desire to resurrect the past. This mention of Trump, of course, resulted in some booing from the crowd, to which the President responded by saying that “I’ve been waiting for this---don’t boo! Vote!”

I was surprised by the positive and hopeful outlook that these two speeches embraced; instead of focusing on Hillary’s opponent, the two politicians chose to emphasize the benefits that another Clinton presidency would hold for the United States. President Obama closed by explaining that he was “fired up” and ready to work for the Clinton campaign, encouraging the audience to do the same.

While I still don't think that my loyalty could lie with Hillary Clinton, visiting her campaign event and listening to the President speak was an event that I will remember for the rest of my life. Unlike reports that have circulated on the hostility and anger of other political rallies, this event was characterized by positivity and the crowd’s enthusiasm and support was not polarizing or violent. Even though I may be choosing to vote for a third party candidate this election, attending this rally gave me hope that not all aspects of the American two-party political system have to be as polarizing as they appear on CNN or Fox News.