This Morning's Palin Rally in Bangor, Maine

At a rally which had been made public only 3 days before, in a town of 26k, we arrived 40 minutes before speech time to find an astonishing crowd of 3-4 thousand OUTSIDE the large maintenance hangar which had been open for admittance for half an hour. Eventually the crowd grew SO LARGE that they gave up completely on security, and opened a huge access door to allow everyone in about 5 minutes before the plane carrying the well liked Sen Olympia Snowe, Lee Greenwood, and Sarah Palin arrived. I am going to guess the size of the crowd at 5-7k, but I have no bona fides in that regard. Any way you want to look at it though, by the size and volume, and ebullience of the crowd, John McCain may well get 1 elector for the 2nd District of Maine which is roughly from Augusta to the border north and east.

As the plane taxied to the door, whoever was warming up the crowd was totally drowned out by chants of SA-RAH SA-RAH....it was impossible to think. The last crowd I was in that loud was in 1969 for the NY Mets.

About every 10th sign was Mrs. Palin as Rosie the riveter

Lee Greenwood came out and sang the Star Spangled Banner, and then "Proud to be an American". Then Sarah Palin came forward in the Red Dress. She smiled like she was ready to dance on the grave of some poor bastard. The women went apeshit. Something to learn there.

Mrs. Palin remarked as how she felt at home among the Carhartt's, Stihl Chain Saw and NRA clothing which set off the crowd, a theme she returned to later as she mentioned the 2nd amendment. The volume and length of the response to that alerts one to the fact that Mainers know the constitution.

They also responded wildly to the identification of Obama's plans with big government, socialism, and confiscatory wealth redistribution. There were not so many in the crowd I think who qualified for the $250k tax increase limit as well.
Out near the entrance to the airport there were 50-100 Obama protestors with vairous signs MOSTLY related to Mrs. Palin as a warmonger, anti abortion person, MOSTLY of college age (U Maine is 8 miles away in Orono) or younger.
When I flashed them THIS sign as we walked by amazingly,....they shut up
Maybe one or two will figure out who said that. One women, middle aged said, "Yes but I am a pro choice woman". Valid criticism for sure, but that is not the only issue, is it. Later as the press riser smack dead center in the hangar scanned the crowd Mrs. Epa kept shoving the sign in fron of the cameras

A well spent morning full of vigorous spirit. Sarah Palin is a zinger on the stump and fills in just what Sen McCain cannot easily convey, the depth and passion over what Sen Obama represents, and what he REALLY believes. While John McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden all comment warily lest they offend one kind of constituency or another, Mrs. Palin just let's it all hang out there, and then you have to make up your mind. It is just that which powers the more disgusting insults she has endured. She's not afraid to find out you just don't like her for what she believes. That's your problem.

She's the girl in high school ..the cheerleader, choir soloist, gymnast, best looker, who wouldn't go out with you, not because she was too good for you, but because she really WAS too busy with the meeting for National Honor Society. Nerds sense this and hate her beneath the level of words and policy.