News-Record.com

It was just a matter of timing: Joe Biden was going to arrive at downtown Greensboro's Price Bryan Performance Place for his rally this afternoon, or it was going to start raining.

In the case of the latter event, it would be questionable how many of the few hundred supporters actually would hang around rather than run for cover.

Folks already were cold and wary as the first drops began to fall. Two o'clock, when the outdoor event was supposed to begin, had come and gone. Kay Hagan had done a credible job of warming up her homeys before retreating to a tent set up behind the stage.

The invocation had been said, a pitch had been made for early voting and still no Biden, who spoke earlier today all the way down east in Greenville.

Finally, as the sky turned more gray, his motocade rolled up North Davie and the Delaware senator exited his SUV and strode into the tent as the national press corps filed from its bus to set up coverage.

The crowd waited some more, some shouting "We want Joe" with measured enthusiasm.

Biden took the stage at 3 on the dot and immediately asked the question on everyone's mind:

"Think we can beat the rain? I know we can beat the other team, I just want to beat the rain."

Without an overcoat or hat, he seemed pretty confident of the answer. Hey, everything's going right for this campaign.

Biden gave nice shoutouts to locals like former Congressman Robin Britt (knocked out of his seat by Howard Coble way back in 1984), Guilford party chairman Paul Mengert, Congressman Mel Watt, Mayor Yvonne Johnson and especially Hagan.

"We're holding on to her skirt tails to win here," he said, to laughs and applause.

Don't joke. She may lead North Carolina Democrats in votes come Election Night.

Then Biden launched into his familiar stump speech, with some punch lines, some jabs at John McCain, expressions of optimism about the country's future if the politics change and predictions that Barack Obama will be a great president.

By 3:15 he was off stage and shaking a few hands ... although most in the crowd departed quickly.

It still hadn't rained, but no point in pushing one's luck.