Posted on 09/18/2008 4:56:29 PM PDT by TalonDJ
Here is my after action photo 'blog' of the Palin-McCain rally that went down this morning in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Enjoy! (If you get bored of the pictures the hippy zot is toward the end)
So we got there just before 8. It was a beatiful day here in Iowa.
They directed us to park in this huge field and had a line of busses waiting for us. 
The Busses hauled us around to the other side of the airport to a hanger near the FedEx facility. 
There we got to wait in another line: 
Waiting to go through security (almost like we were at an airport or something...) 
From there it was across a short field and into the hanger they had all set up. 
It was just starting to fill up when we got there. 
We were there pretty early so we staked out a spot on the front left in front of the press tables. 
The press was right there so some people near us got interviewed. A hispanic homeschooling mother of 9 was got interviewed next to us by I think channel 9 (it was 9 or 7). My wife JenB got interviewed by the Wallstreet Journal. He seemed a little confused that she did not like the sound of an Obama tax plan. The local (state?) party chair was MCing and introduced a number of local and state officals (and hopefuls). Since I can't tell most of them apart looking at these pictures I will not bother with posting them unless someone is interested.
A fellow was introduced and sang some songs. I forget his name. 
Before long, (It was a heck of a wait) the Boy Scouts teamed up with the VFW to bring in the Colors. 
A retired general I think led us in the pledge. 
A couple ladies sang God bless the USA. 
Miss Iowa '04 sang the Star Spangled Banner. 
After that was some more warm up speaches from local reps and a canidate for the US House. Here is Marionette Miller-Meeks who is running for the US House 
They had a lady from Wasilla AL who had just happened to mroe to Iowa recently speak a little 
Then there was a lot of waiting
... and more waiting
Oh wait what is that? 
A plane! Finally! 
Took them long enough. 
Cheering and sign waving! Gah! Can't see... 
Is that? 
Can't tell... 
Is it? 
It is!!! 
Yaa! Sarah! 
Oh and that guy too... 
It was a great little speech. She is even better in person than on the media. 
She introduced "Alaska's First Dude". 
He was standing over by McCain. Sharp looking guy. 
More Sarah speaking. 
More... 
Still more. 
Some of that guy she is running with. 
More of him. 
Now he gets to speak. 
He gave a decent speech.
If you want to know what he said look it up somewhere. 
So twice during all this some halfwits from the oposition tried to make a nusense of themselves. First, in the middle of Sarah's speech it was a group of 4 lesbians (unshaved legs with skirts and all)(not that there is anything wrong with that [ew, yes there is, shave already]). The unfurrled a banner and started chanting something. They got the banner about 90% on rolled when some lady jumped them. About 5 seconds later three of them were bing hauled off toward the cops by some ladies and the other one vanished. I was right behind them when this went down. I only had a brief instant to wonder if I would be in trouble for acosting them when the squad of Sarah fan women took them the heck out. It was sweet. My wife JenB snapped a shot of them after the cops had hauled them out to a safe distance. 
Then in the middle of John McCain's speech some guy starts shouting something about how he lost Vietnam. Here he is getting led away by a cop while doing the 'I am not a crook' pose (huh?). 
After that the show was over. 
Here is Sarah and John's caravan off to tour the flood damaged parts of Cedar Rapids. 
Out be the road was the forlorn little group of protesters with nothing better to do. 
Estimates were something lik 6 or 7 thousand people. Looking at this parking 'lot' I believe it. 
They musta been hockey moms.
Go get 'em, ladies!
Lee county, the SE corner of the state. Keokuk and Ft. Madison are the two main towns.
I know the two fellows standing on either side of the blond gal with the short pageboy haircut. She is NOT the wife of State Representative Patrick Grassley (yes, THAT Grassley). The other fellow is State Senator Hartsuch, currently running for Congress. It ‘might’ be his wife.
http://www3.legis.state.ia.us/ga/member.do;jsessionid=CE118E28226AC17A8AFEC1248A40B0B3?id=6451&ga=82
Excellent reporting - great pics! Thank you so much for taking the time to do all this for us to share in your experience.
thanks for sharing... I wish I could have gone. I saw president Bush in C.R. in 04.
She almost looks like a plant.
Carolyn Nicholas Haugland graduated from law school in 2006. She worked for the Fred Thompson campaign 2007-8. I would be happy to see her run for office.
AWESOME job on the visuals.
Loved the protesters
hehehehehe
Heres a Campaign Song for McCain Palin I wrote with friend of mine LisaMei she is singing it.
“Change You Won’t Regret”
Please feel free to share it with anyone you think would enjoy it.
Thank you
Liberals on the left, conservatives on the right Independents on the fence, the media startin’ fights... Bloggers posting rumors in place of the facts Wasting our time with their personal attacks.
Well, here’s a little something we can promise you, We won’t sit around and “yak” the way the others do. We put our country first, the way it ought to be Protect our way of life in the Land of the Free.
*Change is only good if it makes things better We can make a difference sooner than later If it’s change you want, real change you’ll get McCain and Palin for change you won’t regret.
They say that we are lacking the experience to lead Ignoring all the times we managed to succeed. Serving with integrity and with a servant’s heart We’ve shown where we stand on the issues from the start.
We’re gonna shake up Washington, make changes from within Roll up our sleeves, get to work the day they swear us in. Oh, there will be times when we don’t all agree... But some things are worth fighting for ‘cause freedom isn’t free.
*Change is only good if it makes things better We can make a difference sooner than later If it’s change you want, real change you’ll get McCain and Palin for change you won’t regret.
They don’t call us mavericks for nothing We’ve both been elected to positions of trust. Challenge the status quo and serve the common good ‘Cause that’s what’s expected of us...
Oh, change is only good if it makes things better We can make a difference sooner than later If it’s change you want, real change you’ll get McCain and Palin for change you won’t regret.
*Change is only good if it makes our country better You can make a difference by voting in November If it’s change you want, real change you’ll get McCain and Palin for change you won’t regret.
*Change is only good if it makes our country better You can make a difference by voting in November If it’s change you want, real change you’ll get McCain and Palin for change you won’t regret...
Copyright 2008, Lisa Mei Norton (cowritten by “BigDawg”)
You can listen to it at the link below.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2087093/posts
I can’t do close ups, but that looks like contempt to me.
I wonder why she was there?
Thanks so much for this.
I thought Iowa was a lost cause this year...is there reason to hope after all?
>>It was the most inspired VP pick perhaps in all of US history.
I completely agree...
Fantastic thread, Talon! In the picture where she’s introducing Alaskas First Guy, it looks like Mr. Palin is looking right at you!
Thank you so much for posting!
I enjoyed the pictures!!!!
Hey long time no talk!
How you been?
Check it out...
www.raymondwickson.com
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