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Thurs: Catching up -- Palin
posted at 2008-10-09 23:45 | Last modified 2008-10-10 09:21
Sorry – I was hoping to have this up last night, but I was too sleep-deprived to be coherent. Hey, better late than never, right?
In case you missed my story on Palin’s first NC rally, it’s here. I also did a pre-rally on-scene interview with our afternoon host Catherine Brand - that’s here.
God's will?
You might have heard about the rather strange invocation offered by Reverend Walter Leake. You can hear the whole thing here. Right after he asks the Lord to shut the mouths of those who “tell lies” about the GOP ticket, he calls Palin a new “Esther.” (An odd choice for a woman executive, to say the least. Maybe he meant Judith?) Listen for yourself:
Listen Now!
If the name Walter Leake sounds familiar, there’s a good reason – the N&O’s Rob Christensen wrote about him in 2006 as head of the Craven-Pamlico Christian Coalition. Pitt County judge and former State Supreme court candidate Rusty Duke was a big fan.
Rubbing elbows
The line-up of GOP luminaries who showed up to introduce Sarah Palin included Gov candidate Pat McCrory, who said Palin’s a “perfect” choice for VP, and praised McCain for having had the wisdom to pick a mayor for the job. His full comments are here.
Listen Now!
Listen Now!
US Sen Elizabeth Dole also took a turn at the podium, where she spent less time praising Sarah Palin than slamming NY Dem Chuck Schumer. Dole says Schumer is using NY money to buy NC votes. He’s the head of the DSCC, the group behind the “rocking chair” attack ads that’ve been so effective for her Dem challenger Kay Hagan. Dole's remarks are here.
Listen Now!
The playlist:
- Pat McCrory took the stage to the Elvis standard “A Little Less Conversation.”
- Dole entered to Brooks & Dunn’s “Only In America.”
- And Palin? Shania Twain’s “She’s Not Just a Pretty Face.”
The crowd:
Mostly female, largely older, and overwhelmingly white – remarkably non-diverse, given that Greenville’s population is one-third African American. Many of the folks working the event were black, but as far as attendees, you’d have had a hard time finding more than a dozen or two non-white folks among the 8000 or so in the Minges Coliseum audience.
The souvenirs:
- Most sought-after: A pink “Drill, Baby, Drill!” button.
- Most popular: brown and pink “Read My Lipstick” t-shirt, complete with pink lipstick imprint.
- Most original: Homemade “Sarahcuda 2008” sports jerseys (two sighted).
Comments? Drop me a line.
