I heard the the counter-rally in support of Romney had over 300 attendees, and 3/4 of cars driving by gave thumbs up and approval honks to them!

Here's a first hand account to counter your second hand story:

My photos show at most 75 protesters - and I'm being really generous. Not a single one of them was rallying for Romney. They were trolls who shouted simplistic, negative slogans against Pres. Obama and insulted the people in line to attend the Obama rally. They yelled "sheep", "socialists" and "liers" at us. One scary looking guy was yelling something about "the birth certificate". One especially spastic woman carrying an "Obama hates children" abortion poster (apparently keying on people in line carrying water bottles) yelled "don't trash my high school with your garbage like typical Democrats". They even harassed my 14 yo son (wearing an Obama shirt) as he walked to the rally. He was pretty disillusioned when he arrived.

Luckily, they were all gone after the rally. Not a single one of them stuck it out. So much for dedication. And civility.

Come on. There were not very many anti Obama people there. Media, you are really hyping it. Someone said a bus drove by. Had to get a bust to pretend that the right has a lot of supporters. So wish the media would talk about the steady job growth since Obama took over from Bush, the outrageous rich corporations, who do not hire people but give money to Pacs, etc And anti abortion people, the next time you protest show up with a foster child that you have adopted and nurtured. Spend your money on food for that child rather leaving him wanting for a home and love.

I wonder why in 2008 when McCain/Palin came to Fairfax, they were not allowed to campaign in a Fairfax County high school (Fairfax HS), but today, Obama was allowed to campaign at Centreville HS? The McCain/Palin rally was supposed to be at Fairfax HS, and it was disallowed. They moved it to a park in Fairfax instead. Why was it ok for Obama to campaign at a Fairfax County high school? Just wondering if the rules changed? Or is it a Republican/Democrat issue?

I actually participated in the rally and Romney/Tea Party supporters covered the entire block on one side of the street and spilled over onto the other side where the line was convening to get inside the school (the Obama folks). At the beginning a few people were carrying Obama signs, but soon the Romney supporters dwarfed them. We had more sound, more props, and more fun- the Obama people looked pissed the entire time rather than trying to enjoy themselves.

The liberals really do have a problem with TRUTH.
Glad there was a very encouraging turnout for the anti-Obama policy.

I was at the rally; there were at least two thousand Obama supporters; possibly more. They greatly exceeded the number of Romney demonstraters, possibly 100 or more. Everybody seemed civil and having fun, despite a long time in the sun and humidity!!!

P. Scott, There were only 150 tickets available for the event. So where did the other 1,850 people sit? Just wondering.

More information about the president's appearance and the protests outside is available in our main article: http://patch.com/A-vZRY. My rough estimate is that a couple hundred protestors were spread out along Union Mill Road around 2 p.m. Fairfax Co. fire officials estimated that there were about 2,100 supporters inside.

Look, I like Barack Obama … what is not to like. But seriously folks!

Interesting …. A public high school hosts a fund raising event for a political party. This is a company town, Washington DC that is, and I get sick of seeing “kiss up” politics. I am interesting in representing the average American, not the anxious political party hang-er-on-ers. When I travel throughout the 10th Congressional District, most people are sick of politics as usual and want to see reduction of waste in Washington (and throughout the Federal system). You will not get that by continuing support the very representatives who are primarily interested in seeing “their team” win. That is what got us in trouble – not preventing a housing crash even though it came at us with horns blowing and going into one war based on lies. The political parties are more interested in staying in “control” or something they believe to be like control, than in solving are big problems (1) debt and deficit and (2) excessive use of carbon for energy. A lower carbon economy means more jobs and less risk of future war with the other oil-hungry nations.

Kevin Chisholm
Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (Virginia’s 10th Congressional)
www.chisholmforcongress.com

Get your facts straight! There were many tickets available for the rally, not 150. The audience waited in line on Thursday to get those tickets. Also, a friend has a picture of a senior citizen holding a sign up that said "honk for Obama" so not quite sure all that honking was for Romney. I certainly did not see 300 protesters there. I guess Romney didn't need the bus yesterday as he was taking the weekend off at his lake estate, @ Virginia - learn how to spell the word 'goodbye'. Your spelling error says a lot! Fired up and ready to go!

I'm happy for the Romney supporters, tea partiers, and the various other conspiracy theorists, that protested out in front of Centreville High School yesterday during President Obama's appearance there. They looked like they were having fun. I want people to have fun, and to be happy - even if they are rooting against my team.

They remind me of Chicago Cubs fans.

In the back of their minds Cubs fans know how it is gonna end - that nagging feeling that they are most assuredly, inevitably, going lose yet again. But, they keep coming back for more, and every once in a while their heroes hit a home run, or even win a game. And so, for one, brief shining moment they can revel in the illusion that maybe this time the ending will be different...but it won't be.

So like those Cubs fans who this October will again be slinking back to the north side of Chicago to watch some other team win the World Series all the while thinking to themselves "wait til next year", this November, after President Obama wins reelection that will include the electoral votes of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Romney supporters can head home, watch the President give his victory speech from that very same Chicago, all the while saying to themselves - "wait til 2016."

Thank you,Mary C. Stachyra, for your accurate reporting. Interesting that one commentator basically doesn't believe the Fairfax County Fire Department estimate. From the little that one can see by the photos posted by readers it appears there might have been a few hundred Romney supporters demonstrating. I would hope that Patch commentators would refrain from calling each other and reporters "liars" when they disagree with each other. Also, making accusations of "smoking dope" and challenging the mental health of those that disagree with you is a bit uncivil. I must say that being in "advanced youth" the tenor of the extreme Right reminds me way too much of those of the extreme Left during the Vietnam War Era. One of the things I was taught in history class was that the political world isn't flat; it is a sphere and the radical ideologues of the left and the right are so far apart from each other that they are next to each other in behavior.

I'm 68 years old I haven't seen as much hate as the anti-Obama crowd constantly demonstrates since the anti-civil rights bigotry in the sixties. Nothing he has done or hasn't done merits the vitriol and nothing he could do would change the attitude of Tea Party members. If the economy was growing at 10% a year they would still rankle at having a black guy in the White House.

Is Obama with his Billion dollar campaign fund paying for this or are the taxpayers footing the bill?

"National Debt, Unemployment, Taxes (including Obamacare), class and race warfare, non-support of small business, more people on food stamps than ever in our history, poverty-level, and so on and so on ........"

All worse under or caused by the economic philosophy of the last President...whose example Mitt Romney looks too...fortunately for this state and country he will not get the opportunity...

What you will NOT read in the liberal press about Romney: In 1984 he co-founded Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm. Bain Capital, starting with one small office supply store in Massachusetts, turned it into Staples; now over 2,000 stores employing 90,000 people. Bain Capital also worked to perform the same kinds of business miracles again and again, with companies like Domino's, Sealy, Brookstone, Weather Channel, Burger King, Warner Music Group, Dollarama, Home Depot Supply, and many others.

He was an unpaid volunteer campaign worker for his dad's gubernatorial campaign 1 year. He was an unpaid intern in his dad's governor's office for eight years. He was an unpaid bishop and state president of his church for ten years. He was an unpaid President of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee for three years. He took no salary and was the unpaid Governor of Massachusetts for four years. He gave his entire inheritance from his father to charity.

Mitt Romney is one of the wealthiest self-made men in our country but has given more back to its citizens in terms of money, service and time than most men.

And in 2011 Mitt Romney gave over $4 million to charity, almost 19% of his income. And you guys gave us a Community Organizer.

Just wanted to indicate that there were over two thousand tickets available. Everyone had to have a ticket to enter except people who volunteered. People who volunteered received volunteer ids which allow them to enter after all ticket holders entered. The Centerville gym was completely full. I don't know if there were any people in the designated overflow area in the cafeteria. People obtained tickets by going Thursday or Friday to an Obama office (and waiting in line for that!!) There were very small number of people who had arranged to pick up tickets at the rally.

Jim, you are the one insulting people here, I feel sorry for you that to make your point, you attack, typical leftist tactic. Have you read Rules for Radicals from Saul Alinsky? I bet you have.

Folks, I'm moving on. We don't agree on the numbers. Okay, I doubt if we agree on very much at all. I will leave you with this, my most heart-felt opinion, we can't afford four more years of this administration. I will give this campaign everything I have to give politically and financially to help get that man out of the White House. And if what happened in 2010 is any indication, and given the fact that this Obama Care Tax has slipped into possible implementation, you guys "ain't seen nothing yet" till you see what we do to your party at the poll come this November. Goodby.

Bye Virginia! Bye Marta! ~waves hand~ See you at the book burning!

I tried, but was unable to get tickets as the lines at the Fairfax OFA office exceeded the number available at that location, which was reported by a staff worker THERE at 750. There were tickets also available, possibly the same number, at the Falls Church OFA office. No doubt, a number had already been dispersed to dignitaries and other community members. Trying to inflate the number of rude protesters over the full-capacity diverse Obama crowd is really unnecessary and obviously a ridiculous exaggeration. It was Obama's gathering, and a successful one it was. The protesters were just the typical self-righteous, and not surprisingly non-diverse, whiners and complainers. I don't believe the "other side" did any such thing to Romney, but then that is not the nature of the President's supporters, who tend to be more respectful in general.

While everyone argues over ticket numbers, which is about as useful as counting angels dancing on the heads of pins, I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what Romney will do that will be helpful to our country. Waiting all day.....

Look, it doesn't matter how many people were at Obama's rally and how many were protesting at Centerville HS. If you really have your ear to the ground, you can hear the far off thunder that's growing and growing. Virginians for Romney. Virginians for George Allen. Virginians for offshore drilling. Virginians for religious freedom. Virginians against ObamaCare. Virginians against new regulations for any-and-everything -you- can - name. Virginians laughing at the smug superiority of the East Coast Urban Elite. Virginians who just can't wait til Nov. 6! Capice? Entiendo? Can you hear it now?

You know what! Who cares, vote for whoever you want for goodness sake. Bottom line the candidate with the most votes WIN...

My neighbor is a liberal. He doesn't make any sense either. These people seem incapable of understanding what's really happening in our dear, suffering country. If we continue down the path of 'good intentions' that these bleeding hearts would have us travel, we're all doomed to slow/no growth economy, higher unemployment and more governmental control. Of course, we conservatives battle for liberty and freedom from tyranny....and they call us the knuckleheads. Wrong is right and right is wrong. Things are getting loony and when we stick to our principles (i.e. Constitutional conservativism)....the Lefties get angry. Their mob mentality and unin thuggery shall not carry the day. I can't wait for November.

You all should read your comments and see how crazy both sides sound. Maybe if both "sides" stopped yelling at each other long enough and had an actual conversation, something might actually get accomplished. For the most part, all of you sound just exactly like the democrats AND the republicans in congress and the senate, neither of whom have been able to accomplish much of anything because they are too busy trying to get into shouting matches and pissing contests, instead of actually earning their paychecks. And lest we all forget, the president isn't actually the one with all the power. Grow up, neighbors, and start acting like the adults that you want your elected officials to be. Some of you Ought to be ashamed of yourselves. I hope you aren't teaching your children these values or behaviors. When I grew up my parents taught me the value of civil discourse, not to act like I was a participant on fox or CNN. this will now be the first and last time I attempt to get connected to my neighborhood online. And for the record, it is kind of ironic how this neighborhood is supposed to be filled with such "nice" people....I am not seeing it on this link....

Actually Vicki, I think everyone here is writing crazy stuff, just trying to out-funny the next guy. That's certainly the case for me. I mean this is an internet comments section - nobody takes this serious. So how about it everyone else: you don't really mean all the batsh*t crazy stuff you're writing, do you? God, I hope not.

I agree with Vicki. There is an alarming tendency to start name calling when bloggers don't agree with each other. I vote independent of party because I believe in voting for the person that I think will do the best job, regardless of the party line. I also agree with Carol, that I have yet to see what Romney and the GOP will do to improve things. So far, all that I have seen from GOP supporters on this blog is a lot of nasty name-calling (and personally, just because I like Obama more than Romney doesn't mean I'm a facist, socialist, parasite on society). Please, let's show more respect for each others' opinions. If you don't like what someone says, then respond politely and respect the fact that one of the greatest things about our country is the fact that you can express your opinions freely. As Vicki said, part of the reason that nothing has gotten accomplished is that both parties refuse to work together to craft the best legislation possible. Everyone is so busy worrying about losing ground if they compromise that absolutely nothing gets done. I would love to see a 3rd party created, one for those of us that prefer the middle. I don't want extremes, I want someone who is willing to look at all of the sides to come up with a workable solution. I'm sick of political rhetoric.

It always amuses me when the right talks about individual liberties and government overreach...all the while restricting rights to privacy, speech and voting rights because they personally don't agree with the choices those exercising those rights are making...makes their protestations of government overreach ring all the more hollow!

I also find it amusing they decry Obamacare as socialism, when a mere twelve years ago the right wing Heritage Foundation, and Republicans in Congress and in the states (including of course Mitt Romney who successfully implemented this very plan in Massachusetts...where it has worked quite well btw), were pimping it as the conservative alternative to the Clinton health care plan. It emphasized personal responsibility they said, punishing those who were freeloading off others for their medical care...it left health care in the hands of private insurance companies, padding their bottom line (the true reason for the high cost of health care), by adding millions of new customers to their rolls...they loved it!

It just shows you how far off the rails the modern Republican Party has gone when this Heritage Foundation plan is now considered socialism. If people weren't dying because of their effort to gut it, it would be funny!

I respect your angle on the abortion issue. However, there's a large difference, Sandra, between what one state might choose to do within its borders and what the whole country would be like if proposed laws like the one you reference were to be passed in Congress and signed into law by a President. Yikes, right? But that's what I fear is being done by the Left at the Federal level now. I don't want Obamacare. But I've got it. Romney argues that Romneycare was just for Mass. and he will move to repeal Obamacare if he is elected. I see that as a very clear and valid reason (for those who accuse him of flip-flopping....it's just a weak attack). Liberals love to claim that they are 'fighting for the little guy' and whatnot.....but are they really? The Democrat agenda is a tax & spend-centric, government-growing behemoth that would destroy the individual's ability to create personal wealth, own personal property (including our financial investments like 401Ks which they have their eye on) and dramatically increase dependence on government (high unemployment, record numbers of folks on Food Stamps). To select ONE issue and make that the decision point for whether one may support one party over the other is rather short-sighted, IMHO. Watch out for the trap you seem to be in. To pick abortion as that single issue...well, again, that's probably intentionally divisive and serves to heighten the emotions of voters. Once they have you there, they demonize their opponents.

As quoted by this study from the New York University of Law:

"These new restrictions fall most heavily on young, minority, elderly, and low-income voters, as well as on voters with disabilities. This wave of changes may sharply tilt the political terrain for the 2012 election and beyond."

http://www.brennancenter.org/content/section/category/voting_rights_elections/

Regarding the new law in Pennsylvania - Mike Turzai, Majority Leader Pennsylvania House:

“We are focused on making sure that we meet our obligations that we’ve talked about for years,” said Turzai in a speech to committee members Saturday. He mentioned the law among a laundry list of accomplishments made by the GOP-run legislature.
“Pro-Second Amendment? The Castle Doctrine, it’s done. First pro-life legislation – abortion facility regulations – in 22 years, done. Voter ID, which is gonna allow Governor Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania, done.”

Voter ID laws, a classic case of Republicans trying to game the system because they know a true airing of their governing philosophy will lose them election after election. If they can't convince the voters...just dump enough of them to allow a victory! There is virtually no evidence of voter fraud, voting by illegals etc. These laws will restrict far more people from voting than any supposed voter fraud they are supposedly designed to prevent...

Kool Aid drinker alert! This is laughable, Jim. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
This country is going nowhere fast under this Administrations leadership from behind.
You know it and I know it. You can spout off your talking points all you want and some of them may even be factually correct. But the "credit" for these accomplishments should go mostly to the AMERICAN PEOPLE who will achieve some level of success in spite of what Obama has done (or not done). There is no hope for you if you believe what you write. Either that, or your job depends on an Obama victory. IF that's the case, then I'd freshen up the resume'. :o)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/09/17/us-usa-healthcare-deaths-idUSTRE58G6W520090917

Nearly 45,000 people die in the United States each year -- one every 12 minutes -- in large part because they lack health insurance and can not get good care, Harvard Medical School researchers found in an analysis released on Thursday.

Many of these people are now covered because of Obamacare...and more will be covered by 2014 when the law is fully implemented.

Imagine my surprise when a right winger, provided the facts he asked for, then accuses the person of delivering them of being a kool-aid drinker. I suppose someone will come along now and explain how we are both equally to blame for the low level of discourse here...

Reuters....there's a good source. Still, I'd like to see some drill-down to the specifics, not the 50,000-foot level statistic of "1 person dies every 12 minutes becuase they don't have health insurance"...poppycock. You know that's bogus, Jim.
You seem to be a political hack hell-bent on taking the Democrat position on every issue rather than seeking solutions that will benefit OUR COUNTRY. WIth the influx of so many millions of illegal aliens and persons over-staying their student visas, etc, the voter ID initiative is certainly valid. You need an ID to do just about anything in this country these days and VOTING IS ONE OF OUR MOST PRECIOUS AVENUES TO PRESERVING FREEDOM in this country. And you're being dishones when you say there are "virtually" no examples of voter fraud. Ahhhh, my home state of Minnesota fraudulently elected a comedic-Senator last election. Al Franken won by just 500 or 600 votes...and they've counted way more than that number of votes cast illegally by convicted felons....and they've only just begun to get into the specifics from each county. Not a problem??? Obamacare wouldn't have passed without Franken's Democrat party-line vote. You're response is robotic and it tells me you have no soul, my fellow citizen.

Jim, I just don't know how you can possibly believe what you write. That's all. It just doesn't add up. I'm not a right-winger. I'm an American. I served my country in the military. I love my country. I cry when I see it going down the tubes under poor leadership. To hell with the politics, I don't care who wins what. But I expect my kids to live in a free, economically prosperous nation and have all the opportunities I enjoyed throughout my life; enjoyed not from good luck or a silver spoon; but enjoyed because I earned what I made and am proud of my path. A country full of folks that blame America for the world's problems and who want to fundamentally transform this country into something (still yet to be defined) conjured in a liberal's mind as some state of Utopia....is a country whose people will suffer and whose fate will be in the hands of the few elite in government. That is a bleak forecast for a once powerful, prosperous and proud nation. We're on the wrong path and folks like you are steering. It's time to turn this thing around. Respectfully, you're on the wrong side of history. Again.

Jim, So EVERY VOTE in the Franken eleciton was valid? Really.
If the Voter ID thing is no big deal ....why do the Dems resist so vehemently? Especially that liberal Dem from SC. Pelosi's #3 guy. He's a piece of work. He's an embarrassment for America. You should be embarrassed to have him in your Party. Then again, Mr. Byrd was a proud Dem, too. Harry Reid, don't get me started. And the rest. What a bunch of loons. Even President Obama says that Republicans want dirtier air and dirtier water. HE ACTUALLY SAID THAT. He's a disgrace to the office. And he can't pronounce "CORPSMAN" correctly. What were his college grades again? Oh yeah....not yet disclosed for the vetting process.

Go ahead libs....change the subject and ATTACK. You're very good at that.

Jim, You are so, so wrong. I don't think I'll EVER cast a vote for a Democrat. I try, I really try to listen to them with an open mind. No, really I do. But they hardly ever make any sense.
I believe in the idea of America. Constitutional conservatism. Capitalism. Apple pie. Freedom. Liberty. The civil society. The way this county was intended to be.

Wait...I almost forgot about the GREAT ECONOMY we experienced during the CARTER PRESIDENCY. That was a disaster. And the Clinton years benefitted from 12 years of Reagan-Bush policies that grew our economy tremendously. Then, Clinton did well for two huge reasons: NEWT GINGRICH's CONTRACT WITH AMERICA and the INTERNET BOOM. The Republican Congress forced Clinton's hand to improve the Welfare programs and, more importantly, DEFEAT HILLARYCARE.
I'm not buying your snake oil, Jim.

Ok...so let me see if I got this straight...because you have clearly given this a lot of thought. Jimmy Carter was a bad President because the economy sucked while he was in the White House. President Reagan was a great President because the economy was good while he was in the White House. President Bush (the 1st) was great even though the economy sucked while he was in the White House because of the economy sucking under Jimmy Carter (despite the fact that the economy was great under President Reagan). President Clinton was bad even though the economy was great while he was in the White House not because the economy sucked under President Bush (the 1st) which sucked because of President Carter, but because of the economy being great under President Reagan. And then President Bush (the 2nd) was great even though the economy sucked while he was in the White House because it was the fault of the economy under President Bush (the 1st), who in turn was not to blame because it was the fault of President Carter (even though the economy under President Reagan was great). And now President Obama sucks, because even though the economy is getting better, it is only because of President Reagan, because the economy was great under President Clinton only because of President Reagan, not having anything to do with the economy under President Bush (the 1st), which sucked because of President Carter (even though the economy was great under President Reagan) ....did I get that straight?

Rick - I am making the point that there is way too much boorish behavior in these discussions, as you state "this is an online forum to express, share and debate ideas" - I agree - and the point that I was making about picnics etc. is that one would be embarassed - I hope - to talk to another person in the manner that some do here if they were in a normal social setting...such as a picnic. As for your comment about "you and your ilk" ["kind"] Do you really know what my kind is? I know that you are definitely part of that ilk - you are a Veteran aren't you? You love your country, right? You are not a right winger or leftist are you? Do you consider that "ilk" those who live normal lives off the Internet and socialize off line civily without ranting at each other.? You state "I have better things to do in my real world life. What a weird post. " So, you have better things to do than converse in normal settings.. You also say "Welcome to 2012"....I happen to have served my country, learned manners, and been taught citizenship starting about 40 years prior to 2012...and in the America that I grew up in and served, Americans didn't anonymously call each other names in newspaper columns (we didn't have the web); didn't get into yelling matches over politics; and generally could engage in a political discussion without having to put the other guy down. I hope that concept isn't really "weird" to you.

I invite the conservatives on this forum to join me at the Monument Precinct Republican facebook page. Our precinct is a largely liberal voting block, but we are fighting hard to change that this November. http://www.facebook.com/MonumentPrecinctRepublicans

@Rick - Thanks for your gracious comment. I was a bit perplexed that you took me for a pompous Leftie.

Whew -- all these rants, name-calling and finger-pointing posts are making my head spin.
A couple of comments:
1. I was present at the rally too. There were some “protesters” on the outside and the gym was packed on the inside. Who knows that the exact numbers were. Does it really matter? Any reader who is interested in that can get an idea of the crowd sizes by looking at the pictures accompanying this article.
2. Centreville H.S. was available for this rally because school is out and the building was empty and available.
3. I hope you all consider sending some of your well thought out recommendations to either President Obama or Governor Romney for them to consider, for the good of the country.
4. Isn’t it great that in our country we can all express our varying Republican or Democratic opinions on a blog or at a rally and not get shot or disappear in an imprisoned or re-education camp as a result?

@Barbara Glakas

+1 on all points.

And about the inane competitive discussion about attendance numbers inside and outside (belabored by the outsiders): it seems completely natural that there were far more people inside than outside. I would fully expect the same for a Romney rally. Matter of fact, I expect an infinite ratio at a Romney rally: 100% inside and nobody outside.