Sarah Palin challenged North Carolina voters Thursday to choose Republican Sen. John McCain's promise to balance the federal budget in four years, bring tax relief to every American and drill for offshore oil.
Before an energetic crowd that nearly filled an Elon University baseball field, the vice-presidential candidate on McCain's ticket urged voters to reject what she described as Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's plan to redistribute wealth and raise taxes, Josh Shaffer reports.
"It's the choice between a politician who puts his faith in government," Palin said, "and a true leader who puts his faith in you."
Thousands packed the sun-blazed field in support of Palin, including five students who painted her name on their bare chests, along with a sixth who painted an exclamation point.
The Palin trumpeted McCain's performance in Wednesday night's presidential debate, saying her running-mate will reform the waste that led to the nation's financial crisis.
"John McCain is going to Washington to work for Joe the Plumber," said Palin, referring to the everyman voter who unintentionally became the star of Wednesday's debate.
Palin drew cheers, but the loudest reception came for country music legend Hank Williams Jr., who performed a song he wrote for the campaign to the tune of his hit "Family Tradition."
He wore a Carolina Panthers jersey with his nickname "Bocephus" stenciled on the back.
Comments
When is terrorism ok?
October 17, 2008 - 2:17pm — RonBWhen it is Republican Terrorism! Or as they like to call it, America First freedom fighters.
Be it John McCain's financial terrorist pals Keating and Grahamm, convicted terrorist G. Gordon Libby, or Mr. Big Beard, McCain embraces all kinds of terrorism.
Of course Palin and McCain think they are going to Washington to fight for "Joe" the "Plumber" -- an "undecided" voter who cast a ballot in the Republica primary, isn't named Joe, who doesn't have an apprentice's plumber's licence, and owes back taxes. He may think he shouldn't have to pay taxes since the government "owes" him a plumbing business despite having yet to prove any formal training.
Though he has as much plumbing experience that Palin has in fields other than beauty padgentry and tv sportscasting, so maybe he is on to something...
Re: Palin greets crowd of a few at Elon
October 17, 2008 - 1:29pm — riverrdThis just does to show that the repoblicans have many "Brown Shirts" that do the dirty work of their "leaders".
Re: The assault on a reporter by the big bearded Palin supporter
October 17, 2008 - 9:52am — domewatcherWell Isaac, you just cannot hit a home run every time. The important point is to just keep swinging.
Your comments have sent me "sprawling to the ground."
Re: The assault on a reporter by the big bearded Palin supporter
October 17, 2008 - 9:36am — Isaac136Domewatcher,
I've always counted on you to do this sort of thing WELL. But oh geeeeez, buddy, this just won't work. This effort was lamer than that reporter felt hobbling away from the scene of the crime.
Maybe if you'd have given it some time and allowed other poor stabs at a response to provide you some material to riff off of (couldn't wait for poor ole Terrell, could ya?), then perhaps your contribution wouldn't sound like someone talking too fast and anxiously.
Something tells me that this item will be percolating through the news for a while yet, but noooooooo, you couldn't wait to let your own thoughts cohere, and ya wind up blurting out something that sounds strained and jeopardizes the reputation you were hoping to buttress.
It seems like you conservative types are just falling apart in these last few days.
Pitiful!
The assault on a reporter by the big bearded Palin supporter
October 17, 2008 - 9:27am — domewatcherI hope that my reputation as a hammerhead has been well established. You have thrown down the gauntlet and I needed an extra glove anyway........so I picked it up.
It is certainly an unfortunate incident……being kicked in the back of the leg by a bearded Palin supporter.
But how much should we make of it. After all, the Obama campaign is telling us that we should forgive Bill Ayers for bombing the Pentagon. I know that a bearded Palin supporter kicking you in the back of the leg is bad…….but somehow bombing Federal buildings seems almost as bad.
And getting kicked in the back of the leg in Greensboro would not seem all that uncommon. (I dated some girls at the Woman’s College back in the ‘60s.) Around here they kick reporters in the back of the leg in the break room…..just trying to get them to consider all the good points of the buyout.
The account says some of the crowd turned when an Obama rap song started playing. Could this bearded Palin supporter have broken into a spontaneous and uncontrolled dance to the tune of the rap song? Was this all there was to it? Music and dance? Can reporters dance?
Hope the leg gets better and hope they give you “embedded pay” in the future. Being a reporter is not all roses and sometimes you got to face those bearded Palin supporters……….or was this guy actually Big Foot? I believe Big Foot lives in Alaska in the summer and he may be a big time Palin supporter.
This could be an even bigger story than getting kicked in the back of the leg by a bearded Palin supporter. A Greensboro sighting of Big Foot might not be big news in Greensboro but it would play well in Zebulon.
I do hope the reporter gets well soon and excuse me for making light of the injury.......but it's just what I do. They have tried several types of medications but so far...no luck.
Re: Reporter assaulted at Palin rally
October 17, 2008 - 9:10am — Isaac136I'm waiting for that, too, Scharrison. I've got money on Tangoz saying something very Tangoz-like in weight and applicability.
Reporter assaulted at Palin rally
October 17, 2008 - 8:29am — scharrisonI'm curious to see how many regulars here will make excuses for the hammerhead that pulled this stunt:
http://joekillian.wordpress.com/2008/10/17/how-i-became-joe-sixpack/
“Oh, you think that’s funny?!” the large bearded man said. His face was turning red. “Yeah, that’s real funny…” he said.
And then he kicked the back of my leg, buckling my right knee and sending me sprawling onto the ground.
From my position there I saw the bottoms of a number of feet almost accidentally stomping me to death as the two political camps screamed back and forth, the music continued to blare and some of the Obama crowd moved the large bearded man and his friends away. When I was helped to my feet the bearded man was walking away quickly."