Puppet show & Spinal Tap? Crowds chant "Sarah, Sarah" for "adorable" Palin, leave before McCain's up

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Among Republicans, Palin overshadows McCain
AFP
Published: Monday September 22, 2008

Republican White House hopeful John McCain often seems relegated to the background at campaign rallies, where his running mate Sarah Palin generates an electric reception from party faithful.

Unlike the Arizona senator, 72, who has to devote much of his campaign speech to the economy due to the country's deepening financial crisis, Palin, 44, as the newcomer to the campaign has a much easier task.

Greeted with cries of "We love you, Sarah," the Alaska governor keeps her stump speech simple, starting by talking about her five children and her husband -- "Alaska's first dude, my husband Todd Palin."

Then there are references to her much-publicized love of hunting, fishing and hockey. In Wisconsin on Thursday, she delighted the crowd by praising their state as a place "where people appreciate good hockey, good hunting, good fishing and great football."

Palin moved her audience when speaking about her four-month-old son Trig, who has Down syndrome, calling for "an America where every child is cherished and given an opportunity."

And she won yet more applause with a vow to back offshore oil drilling as a cure to rising gasoline prices. "Drill baby drill!" the crowd answers back.

Sporting designer glasses and dressed smartly in vivid colors, the former beauty queen presents a contrast to McCain's somber suits and pale complexion.

On the trail McCain sometimes almost apologizes for discussing policy details on the troubled economy, saying: "I know that the events unfolding can be difficult to understand for many Americans."

Facing a relentless schedule of rallies, interviews and speeches, the candidate seems to operate almost in an automatic mode at times. In the space of a single week, McCain visited Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Florida and New Hampshire as well as his campaign headquarters near Washington.

But when discussing national security and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, McCain lights up with energy and the crowd responds.

At the Wisconsin rally on Thursday night, there is a hushed silence as McCain recounted receiving an envelope from the mother of a fallen soldier in Afghanistan with her son's dog tags.

The Vietnam veteran promised that her son's "sacrifice was not in vain because I will always put my country first."

But there is little doubt that Palin is the main attraction. Before each rally, crowds chant "Sarah, Sarah," and Republicans come away gushing, calling her "adorable." Some even leave after Palin's speech without hearing McCain.

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Among_Republicans_Palin_overshadows_09222008.html

[Goblinmonger]

1. Now she has said an even more stupid thing

Wisconsin and good hockey do not go hand in hand. OK, the Badgers are OK, but high school hockey in Wisconsin is nowhere near Minnesota/North Dakota. Give me a break.

[gateley]

2. Bwha! Exactly!

And McCain comes out on stage hollering to a sparsely peopled audience "HELLOOOO WISCONSIN!" :rofl:

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Such a pathetic appeal to the lowest level of our thought processes..no issues, no intelligence,

no insight, no experience. I find her being up there to be an insult to the whole election process.
They could have easily nominated one of those porno blow-up dolls. It would have provided the exact same
reaction in these people..

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Lots of internet burping lately..

[FSogol]

5. She'll have to start standing there while McBush drones on in his squeaky voice and

flaps his little arms. It'll get the point where she'll have to inject some hockey-mom/lipstick nonsense during his bloviating speeches to keep the crowd awake and excite the morons low info voters.