Thursday, October 09, 2008

McCain and Palin Visit Waukesha

This morning I had the opportunity to go see McCain and Palin in Waukesha.  Chairman Jim picked me up bright and early and we arrived in Waukesha at about 8:00.  There was already a long line of ticketholders waiting to get in, and about 20 protesters yelling and chanting.  I think I saw Lance Burri in line[Update: It was not Lance Burri, it was some other 8 foot man with dimples.].  At 9:30, they opened the doors and people flooded in.  Chairman Jim and I were directed to sit behind on the bleachers six rows behind the stage.  So we sat.  And waited.  And chatted with people around us.

Paul Ryan MCed the first part of the event, during which he spoke and introduced Scott Walker, Tommy Thompson, and a lady from Wisconsin who lives in Alaska.  Or something like that.  There was an invocation, a song, the pledge, the anthem, and then we sat some more.  There was also a funny restroom incident, but I’ll share that another time.  Tommy did the whole soaring, roaring, scoring thing…twice.  I think he failed to watch the last Packer game.  I got the impression from the crowd that at about 1/3 of them are over Tommy.  Seriously.  Bring Paul Ryan back on stage.  There’s no rhyming, but plenty of sense.

Then McCain and Palin came on stage.  Cindy McCain was there, too.  There were several questions, including one by a certain James T. Harris, who got an ovation for tellin’ it like it is.  Someone should give that man a talk show…Senator McCain was impressed and hugged Mr. James T., and Chairman Jim got a good picture of that.  The theme of at least three of the questions/comments was, “Get your butt in gear and try to win, dang it!”

The last question was by Scott Southworth, who told the story of how he adopted his son from Iraq.  Cindy McCain seemed moved by the story, as she shot out of her seat.  I could only see the side of her face, but she seemed affected by it, and really, you’d have to have a heart of stone not to be.

Then there was lots of hand kissing and baby shaking and we got out of there.  By chance, Owen was just driving through Milwaukee on his way back from a business trip this week, and he met Chairman Jim and me for lunch. 

I really like how McCain functions in this format.  He really does well talking to people and hearing what they have to say.

Good times, good times.

UPDATE:  The Journal-Sentinel took my picture with John McCain.  How thoughtful.  Here it is.

image

(14) Comments
Posted by Wendy at 1546 hrs
Politics + Politics - General

  1. Okay, so that was you I saw at Thunder Bay after the event!

    Posted by Dave Casper on October 09, 2008 at 1637 hrs


  2. Really?  Why didn’t you say hi?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 09, 2008 at 1652 hrs


  3. This was the first time I’ve ever heard Thompson; I was thinking he should be giving stump speeches every day between now and then.  Certainly he had me more enthusiastic about voting for McCain than McCain himself…

    I can see how the rhyming gets old fast.

    Posted by HeatherRadish on October 09, 2008 at 1717 hrs


  4. That’s a lot of white people…

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 09, 2008 at 1719 hrs


  5. I saw video of that rally. Ranting about socialism and whining about media coverage… these are desperate days for Team McCain.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 09, 2008 at 1726 hrs


  6. Wendy - I couldn’t get off work, so my wife took a neighbor in my place (what’s the emoticon for crying?).  It get’s worse, her seat was next to the Secret Service agent sitting behind Cindy, pretty much directly in front of you.  I’ll post her pictures tomorrow.

    HB

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 09, 2008 at 2118 hrs


  7. That’s a lot of white people…


    Good lord!  Do you people EVER stop obsessing about race?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 09, 2008 at 2318 hrs


  8. That’s a lot of white people…

    It’s Wisconsin…

    Cheers,
    Victoria

    Posted by Victoria on October 10, 2008 at 0346 hrs


  9. Good lord!  Do you people EVER stop obsessing about race?

    What do YOU mean YOU people. wink

    Hey, be careful. Seriously. You meant “liberals” but they think “black people”. The Truth Squads are out there…

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 10, 2008 at 0347 hrs


  10. Nope, sorry, wasn’t me.  I was in Appleton lit dropping for Jo Egelhoff.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 10, 2008 at 0855 hrs


  11. RE: #5 - Ranting about socialism

    I would certainly think socialism IS something to rant about despite the fact liberals endorse it.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 10, 2008 at 1152 hrs


  12. My report is up.  My wife took some awesome pictures.

    http://headlessblogger.blogspot.com/2008/10/october-9-political-rally-theyre-not.html

    Posted by Headless Blogger on October 10, 2008 at 2302 hrs


  13. That’s a lot of white people…

    So it’s McCain’s fault that the black community is 99% behind the guy that looks like them???

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on October 10, 2008 at 2305 hrs


  14. You meant “liberals” but they think “black people”. The Truth Squads are out there…

    Posted by crib bedding on November 07, 2008 at 2323 hrs


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