Posted on 09/10/2008 11:52:50 AM PDT by NewMediaFan
FAIRFAX, Va. - It was Republican John McCain’s turn on Wednesday to relish the kind rock-star treatment usually associated with his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, in the tightening race for the White House.
Under burning sunshine at a park in a suburb outside Washington, D.C., McCain and his newly minted running-mate Sarah Palin drew a crowd of approximately 23,000, which his campaign said was his biggest on the presidential trail.
Campaigns are notorious for inflating crowd estimates. But a McCain’s aide stressed the number was the real thing — provided by a fire marshal no less.
It could very well be accurate. Supporters by the thousands poured onto the grassy slopes of Fairfax’s Van Dyke Park waving blue and yellow McCain-Palin placards and chanting slogans (“Sarah, Sarah, Sarah” ranks among the loudest). Some chastised the media for “picking on” Palin.
The pair did not diverge from speeches they’ve delivered all week, almost to a word, threading a folksy narrative of their lives with the bread-and-butter assertions of their campaign: the Iraq war can be won, drilling for oil in the United States to secure energy independence and that their ticket would bring reform to Washington.
Much of the crowd was a sea of red shirts, courtesy of the Virginia Republican Party, which exhorted on its Web site for supporters to wear red, the party’s color, to keep the battleground state Republican.
After backing President George W, Bush in the 2000 and 2004 elections, Virginia is now a swing state, according to an average of statewide polls by Real Clear Politics which has McCain up a slender 0.7 percent in the state.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.reuters.com ...
I would say she and FDT filled the place.
Hard choice. Have either Mrs Fraud or Mrs Biden ever lifted a finger for anyone but themselves and the things they are married to?
My six year old niece saw that and wondered "Why is she playing the carrot in the play?"
I was there..very very very very long lines to get in.
“”””I still wonder, when will the campaign staff wack McCain on his head and remind him that he can’t just give the same speech over and over again. It’s boring to watch... yawning...””””
As a political junkie I empathize. Most people are not like those of us who follow politics closely.
I think it is a good plan for McCain to stay with his talking points. McCain is on the offensive.
Force Obama to adlib his speeches to energize his base.
The crowds who go to the McCain rallies are energized by the size of the crowd alone.
Can someone put VigilantAmerican on the DC Chapter ping list?
He is new to FR, and may not know who to ask. But, I think he would be a great addition. (That’s because I am his mom, and think very highly of him.)
The Richmond Times Dispatch (DNC organ) Called the 10,000 GOP Colorado rally as “more than 1,000 “last week and is calling today’s Fairfax rally “estimated 10,000”.
If you were at the rally call the newsroom 804-649-6990 and report the crowd size as “breaking news”. Just so they know we dont buy their spin.
The CO crowd was limited because of safety issues or it would have been larger.
Wow. A positive headline for a Mccain story.
I just went to www.tucson.com to read the headlines. There are four or five negative stories towards McCain out of 10/11 total news stories listed. No negative Obama stories. Well, the lipstick on a pig story is a negative, but the headline reads as if McCain/Palin are just whiners.
The media is really trying to throw everything negative toward McCain/Palin that they can in order to get Obama’s numbers back up. Good luck with that!
Yes, in my younger days !!
Fred was excellent as usual. Sara gave an excellent speech as usual.
I felt that the speech that John McCain gave was the best I have ever heard him give. He was antimated and had an excellent delivery.
Finally, something about Sarah Palin I don’t like. I can’t stand Kid Rock, and anyone who likes him is somewhat questionable in my book.
Flame away!
Sarah is an AMERICAN STAR, in my eyes. She is testament to the fact that strong conservative beliefs, lived with conviction and honesty, are still the most powerful story on the planet.
Seems you are excited about that....
Ha!!
Ha is right. Actually, we all need to be careful to not elevate Sarah Palin to the messianic qualities ascribed to Obama. Now, I’ve finally found a chink in the armor so to me, she’s no longer the perfect candidate.
Don't let Ted Nugent hear you say that. And, it was a metaphor.
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