I was THIS close!
Whoo! Hoo! I attended the Sarah Palin Rally in Laconia, NH!!! It was a really long day but worth it since I got in the front, baby! My body was flush with the bike barrier and no one was in my line of sight. It was a two hour drive from Leominster and I was able to find a parking spot quite easily. The day was glorious with the spectacular New Hampshire foliage at peak. Arriving early, I chatted with folks from Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
The crowd talk was about the uneven media playing field, ACORN, and Obama’s “Spread the Wealth” discussion with the Ohio plumber. Hanging over all was the theme, “How did we (the country) come to this?” The event was suppose to start at 1 p.m. but didn’t begin until 2:20 p.m. The hours of waiting melted away when at least 1,500 (2,000?) cheered Jeb Bradley and John Sunnunu but really it was for Sarah Palin.
Some of her talking points I’ve heard in other stump speeches but there were some parts I hadn’t heard. Of course, I can’t think of anything at this point but I do remember her saying we are NOT to be ashamed of being American. I can’t ever remember Obama saying that.
After her 15-20 minute speech Sarah signed autographs. A down syndrome man came up to the front to meet her. I got to know the couple next to me and knew they were Christians. The wife gave Sarah a Psalm verse to read. Sarah wrote the verse on her palm using a Sharpie pen. They mentioned that many people are praying for her. And with unfeigned sincerity, Sarah thanked them. Cool. At close range, I noticed that Sarah is skinny…actually trim. No Trig baby fat on her. When she got to me, Sarah looked me in the eye, thanked me for coming and I thanked her for being in NH.
After that I moved out of the way so others could get the chance that I got. There were a handful of Obama supporters but they were outside the gathering area and kept it clean. It was my first campaign rally with a national candidate. I loved shouting, “USA! USA! USA!” and “SARAH! SARAH! SARAH!” (Don’t get to do that in Massachusetts.) Unfettered exuberance is a good thing.
Check out the Rally pics at Flickr.com. Update: Official estimate for attendance: 3,500-4,000
My Rally Souvenir
The Recovering Protestant 