Wonder what it was like being at a campaign rally this past week?
Chances are, admitting that I attended a Sarah Palin rally isn't going to make me popular amongst fellow Democrats. But truth be told, I voted for John McCain.
Am I serious? You betcha.
Though this probably makes me a traitor, I have said for years that if McCain were the Republican nominee, I'd look past his party affiliation and vote for him.
Driving 90 miles to see Sarah Palin in Erie, Pa. takes it to a whole other level, doesn't it?
I have to admit I felt out of place - Palin is pretty far right. This was only magnified by the fact that pro-lifers stood outside the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie passing out anti-abortion propaganda. Right off the bat, this made me uncomfortable.
Still, I stood in a crowd of sweaty people for three hours waiting for the vice presidential nominee to take the stage.
When I say it was hot and I couldn't move, this is an understatement. Conditions were so grim, that a young girl fainted inches from me and was carried out by security.
I toughed it out despite threats from rowdy Republicans. Prior to the start of the program, local volunteers passed out what looked like homemade signs.
However, this was not the case. When one watches television and sees masses of people holding signs to show their support, one would think they made them. But the reality is that they're pre-constructed for those who will actually appear on camera.
It was a sad day when I found out that a sign like "Read my lipstick, no new taxes," wasn't actually made by the person holding it.
To make matters worse, those of us who were not special enough (for whatever reason) to actually have a seat found themselves fighting over red pom-poms and "Country First" signs. Despite extremely limited quantities for us peasants, I was lucky enough to grab one as they were passed back. However, the man behind me suggested that a woman "grab it" from me.
If someone would have told me four years ago that I'd be fighting for a Republican sign at a rally and literally afraid for my safety, I would have laughed. However, it was reality.
Despite all this, I have to say that Palin was worth the wait. Love her or hate her, it's undeniable that she's a spectacle. She's a great speaker and her daughter Piper and husband "The First Dude" are charming, to say the least.
Though I only agreed with half of what she had to say, mantras like "drill, baby, drill" moved even this Democrat to wave their coveted "Country First" sign.
So for all the "Joe Six-packs" and hockey moms, hopefully things turned out the way you wanted.
