Saturday, October 25, 2008

Another MFP Report from the Road:  Virginia Beach

by Charles W. Fairbanks

Another of our MFP associates has filed a report from the road.  Jerry Weston is an enthusiastic and talented true believer, who has been involved in local, state and national elections.  Mr. Weston actively supported Fred Thompson in the primaries.  He warmed to Big Mac after the selection of Sarah Palin.  He has volunteered to go out on the road with the campaign.  Thank you for this report, Jerry.  We look forward to more.

“Tired of screaming at the nitwit liberal media pundits, and equally distressed at the polls; I decided that I needed an “Election Pick Me Up.” Having heard Governor Palin speak at the RNC Convention in Minneapolis while there as a volunteer, I needed to connect with her folksy way again & cast away the media gloom. So, after checking out the McCain-Palin website I concluded that the nearest fix for what was ailing my election spirit was a joint McCain Palin Victory Rally in Virginia Beach.

Sure, it was some 6 hours away not including the time at the rally & the return trip; but I needed to recapture that warm fuzzy feeling I had when I first heard that Gov. Palin had been chosen as I was stepping off the plane in Minneapolis. As the doors opened early in the morning I needed to do an overnight drive down to Virginia from New Jersey. But, I rationalized that with the thought of being THE first in line. Was I surprised when I got there, because even at 5 am; there must have been 50 people ahead of me already! Thankfully though, being there that early still qualified me for a seat as shortly the line stretched clearly around the building.

After getting inside we had a couple of hours to wait as the rally didn’t kick off till 10am. However, we sat and watched as the hall began to fill to nearly overflow capacity. By comparing the amount of seats to those standing; we estimated that there ended up being of nearly 13,000 to 15,000 people, MOST willing to stand some 75 yards away behind the media bleachers. We also heard the roads into the area were jammed with people still trying to get in. What kept us energized were the myriads of signs and the veterans coming in. I had the good fortune to sit next to a WWII vet who had lost 104’ of the bow on his destroyer blown off by a Kamikaze attack. That made me even more proud to be an American, unlike others on the opposing side.

Again, another surprise was in store as Hank Williams Jr. walked out to warm up the crowd shortly before the rally was to start. However, the real “red meat” was about to be thrown as Governor & Todd Palin took the stage along with John & Cindy McCain, walking not more than 30 feet in front of our seats. Though behind the stage, we had a great view. The crowd went wild with “Sarah, Sarah.” Sarah Palin was as warm and friendly as one could imagine, electrifying the crowd at almost every moment. This rally was just after “Joe The Plumber” threw Obama off of his high pedestal and already Sarah was picking up on this and was talking to us about our concerns about “spreading the wealth.”

What impresses me (and worries our opponents) is Governor Palin’s ability to the speak to the common person in words we understand. The mannerisms that the press makes fun of is simply an uncanny ability to get right to the point about the problems we face and the dangerous solutions that our opponents offer. Sarah Palin is as genuine as one can get. The crowd was with her from the first moment and they stayed with her as long as they could; waiting to shake her hand or get an autograph at the rope line afterwards well after the rally had ended.

Now, here’s a few final thoughts that you should consider. This battle MUST be won. We can not let our Country take a dramatic slide towards socialistic values, huge spending increases and job busting taxation. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, YOU MUST FIND A WAY TO VOLUNTEER. Call your state McCain- Palin campaign headquarters and put in what time that you can. If you really want to step up to the table, volunteer for deployment into a swing state. Money is always a consideration, especially in our household. But, I feel the task is so important; that I will be heading to Pennsylvania this weekend to help out there.”