God help me, but every time I see a picture of the outstanding Governor of Louisiana, I expect to see Patricia Heaton standing next to him.

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hat tip Allahpundit

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Every mention of Sarah Palin produced a banner-waving roar from the crowd of over 20,000 in T. R. Hughes Stadium in O’Fallon, Missouri, on blistering hot Sunday afternoon.  While McCain is on top of the ticket, Palin is the draw.

A woman from Dent County–about 3 hours from O’Fallon–made the drive to see McCain and Palin in person.  She was thrilled to get hold of a “McCain-Palin” banner after several stacks of the banners didn’t make it to her.  “I work at the Republican Headquarters in Dent county,” she told me.  “I guess I can get one there if I don’t get one here.”

The crowd was raucous at first, but the 90+ degree temperatures combined with high humidity and a 4 hour wait left many of the partisans fatigued by the time McCain, Palin, Mitt Romney, and Mike Huckabee arrived.  Nonetheless, the delegation received a wild, celebratory reception when the Straight Talk Express pulled into the ball park.

Before McCain arrived, Bill Reich, a fellow POW at the Hanoi Hilton and now a resident of the St. Louis area, told the crowd why he’s voting for John McCain.

“I was a newbie, arriving after 1970,” the giant of a man told the crowd.  “John had been there for five years already.  I was taken into an interrogation room, which wasn’t really an interrogation.  This just after a large number of POWs had been released.  ‘Wouldn’t you like to follow them?’ they asked me.  ‘All you need is the right attitude about this and you can go home with them.’”

Reich paused and cleared his throat.  Speaking in trembling voice, wiping a tear from his heroic cheek, he continued, “I feel ashamed to stand here and admit to you how inviting that offer sounded.  But I said, ‘No.’”

Continuing the story, “They made John McCain the same offer.  I had been there only six months, and I can’t tell you how hard it was for me to turn them down.  John had been for five years and conditions got a lot better before I arrived than they were most of the time John and the others had been there.  John did the right thing.  When the time came, he made it.  And he taught us newbies about courage and honor.”

A large delegation of Chicago Area Democrats for McCain received proud ovations from the crowd.  Seated directly behind the main stage the Chicago Dems were louder, prouder, and more animated their Republican brethren.  They were joined by a former Hillary supporter and life-long Democrat activist from the St. Charles, Missouri, area, who is voting for McCain because of his heroic principles and service to the country.  His selection of Palin for Veep didn’t hurt, either, she told us.

Mike Huckabee’s short speech was powerful.  I have never seen a man connect so perfectly and immediately with a crowd.  He was magic.  Despite my massive opposition to many of his views, I see why he experienced that surge in the early primaries.   Combine Huckabee’s charisma with Thompson’s positions and you’d have something more powerful than Reagan.

McCain emphasized Gustav preparedness. He announced that the RNC convention would conduct required party business, but all of the pomp and celebration was canceled.  Instead, he will marshal the delegates’ energies to help the victims of the storm.  John McCain really means it when he says “Country First.”  Refreshing.

The highlight, of course, and longest speech of the day was Governor Sarah Palin.  The hot, tired crowd returned to full-throated life when McCain introduced his running mate.

Palin also concentrated on the need for relief efforts over politics, but she reminded the crowd that Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas all have powerful, brilliant Republican governors this time around.  Preparations in Louisiana, thanks to Bobby Jindal and President Bush are miles ahead of Katrina preps.  And just as Haley Barbour’s Mississippi handled Katrina more deftly than Louisiana, the Republican governors will overcome whatever Gustav throws their way.  We the people won’t have it any other way.

I hope anyone who was at the rally will leave their impressions in the comments.    Here’s a short, crappy clip of Palin.

video0061

STLToday.com Story

*UPDATE*  More bloggers blogging this event:  Gateway Pundit with media links; Bob McCarty with photos and more.  Politico’s Jonathan Martin (h/t Gateway Pundit) says this was McCain’s largest crowd of the campaign:

As one veteran of Missouri politics said, that’s the sort of crowd usually seen in October for a president — not in August for a candidate.

It’s also a record-best for McCain.

Yes, yes, it’s just about a routine crowd for Obama. But there is perhaps no better indicator of how Palin is helping McCain close the enthusiasm gap than the number of people showing up the past two days in Pennsylvania and Missouri.

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Technorati Tags: Sarah Palin

We’re getting ready to head out to the McCain Rally in O’Fallon, Missouri.  I just checked with the campaign and the rally is still on.  John McCain is stopping in New Orleans to check on hurricane preparations before the rally, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it starts late.

I’ll have photos and a report on the events this evening.

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Technorati Tags: John McCain, Sarah Palin

Volunteer To Help Gustav Victims |  Donate To Help Gustav Victims  | McCain’s Gustav Site

**UPDATE** Don Fowler, former DNC Chairman, apologizes for praying that Gustav destroys New Orleans.  The story is buried deep in the bowels of ABCNews.com 

“If this offended anybody, I personally apologize,” Fowler told ABC News. “It was a mistake, and it was a satirical statement made in jest. And one that I clearly don’t believe.”

**End Update**

Chris Dodd can barely contain himself.  Shaving is almost impossible because he can’t subdue his smile long enough to get around his lips.  But he struggles through, the old trooper.

Dodd’s happiness comes from the Caribbean where Hurricane Gustav threatens to swamp New Orleans.  For the Democrats, this the game changer.  They have armies of talk show guests ready to blame Katrina and Gustav on John McCain.  They are thrilled that the RNC won’t get a convention.

While John McCain and Sarah Palin speak of “Country First,” Barack Obama nods, and whispers, “right after a hurricane gives me a bounce in the polls.”

Michael Moore:  “Gustav is proof that there is a God in Heaven.”

Don Fowler, former chairman of the DNC and a Democrat Congressman from South Carolina giggle and laugh because of Gustav (via Michelle Malkin):

The hurricane’s going to hit New Orleans about the time they start. [Chuckle] The timing is — at least it appears now that it’ll be there Monday. That just demonstrates that God’s on our side. [Laughter] … Everything’s cool. [Link to Video]

Republicans may occasionally be guilty of indifference to problems that don’t directly affect them.   We all lack appropriate compassion from time to time.  But John McCain and Sarah Palin are not praying for death and disaster in order to benefit politically.  That’s solely the territory of Democrats–evil bastards that they are.

Were this Newt Gingrich and Fred Thompson giggling about 9/11 and its Republic vote windfall, the video would open every news program on television and ready.  The transcript would be the NY Times front page headline.  But it’s okay, in America, for Democrats to hope and pray that Louisianans and Mississippians lose income, property, and life so long as it helps Obama.

“Country First.”  Obama can mouth these words all he wants, but they mean nothing coming from him.  His party is cheering against New Orleans just as they cheered against our troops in Iraq.  These people hate America and hope to see it punished.  These people have a psychological pathology more frightening and dangerous than untreated paranoid schizophrenia.

Delenda Obama est.

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