I was at the McCain-Palin town hall meeting in Waukesha.
It took FOREVER to get into the Sports Complex. The line to get in serpentined endlessly -- like a Disney World experience in hell. It took nearly two hours to make it inside and get through security.
I spotted Paul Ryan working the line for a while.
James T. Harris, 620 WTMJ talk radio host, was in line a few hundred people behind me.
He wasn't there for long. James was picked out of the line and ushered to another entrance and given a great seat in the hall.
He even got the opportunity to ask a question at the town hall meeting.
Some guys have all the luck.
(Note: James explains how and why he was moved out of line here.)
After spending so much time slowly snaking our way closer to the entrance, barricades were removed and there was a totally disorganized rush to the door. The line dissolved. It wasn't a stampede, but it wasn't the best way to manage the crowd.
The barricades were rearranged to prepare for the motorcade to arrive.
Terrific.
Once inside and through security, we were directed back, far from the "town hall" area.
It was a huge crowd, so large I couldn't even get a clear view of the big screens that lined the back of a bank of bleachers.
I never actually saw John McCain or Sarah Palin.
This is what I saw.
What a view! Not good.
I have more crappy pics like this. They're certainly not worth posting. At least the video I have includes some very clear audio.
Although I couldn't see, I could hear. And I liked what I heard.
620 WTMJ reports:
Newsradio 620 WTMJ Talk Show Host James T. Harris, attending the event as a spectator, begged McCain to get tougher with Obama in their final debate.
"I am begging you sir, begging you, take it to him," he exclaimed.
"Yes, I'll do that," McCain replied after giving Harris a hug.
What James had to say drew a tremendous response from the crowd.
I think the hug was a sign of McCain's sincere appreciation for his support.
(I just saw the clip of James on Hannity and Colmes.)
This man took it up a notch. He expressed what many people there wanted to say.
I'm mad. I'm really mad. And what's going to surprise you, it isn't the economy. It's the socialists taking over our country. ...I think it's so important in today's country what we're really missing and what's going on. When you have an Obama, Pelosi and the rest of those hooligans up there gonna run this country -- we've got to have our head examined. It's time that you two are representing us, and we are mad! So go get 'em."
The most moving moment was when an Iraqi war vet, Scott Southworth, spoke of his adopted son, an Iraqi orphan. While he was serving in Iraq, Southworth volunteered at an orphanage. After McCain inquired, the man choked up but managed to tell the story of bringing his son home to America. The boy is now a citizen of the United States.
Read the story of the adoption of Ala'a.
McCain seemed genuinely moved.
To be sure, the event really did have the feel of a town hall meeting.
Citizens asked their questions and they voiced their concerns. I heard praise for the candidates as well as frustration. It was an honest meeting with the people, not like that fake town hall debate that Tom Brokaw moderated this past Tuesday night.
It was a long wait and I couldn't see, but I felt good about it. I liked that the turnout was so great and people were so energized. These were not people ready to surrender to Barack Obama and the Democrats.
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I didn't witness any violent or inappropriate behavior at the event. I didn't hear anyone shout, "Kill him!"
I didn't see anything remotely like what the mainstream media have been reporting.
Gov. Palin didn't whip the crowd into some racist frenzy. The people love her.
The event was very family-friendly. There were people of all ages, from infants to the elderly. The crowd was NOT an ugly mob ready to riot.
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Related post:
James T. Harris
13 comments:
Hmmm. Besides luck, why do you thing Harris was moved to the head of the class? I'm sure it had to do with his good looks, right?
It's what they call Affirmative Action. I think Harris is against it.
Actually, in the case of the McCain campaign it is not called Affirmative Action. It is called tokenism.
I just saw the Waukesha WI video clip on FOX. Too funny that that found the of THE black guy in the audience to speak and have McCain hug.
Naw, that did not look very set up. Is the guy have a SAG union card?
Why are you assuming it was about his race?
That wasn't my impression at all. He was talking to some guys. He seemed to know them or at least one of them.
I thought Harris didn't wait in line because of his media connection, but I certainly don't know.
He was there with a woman. My guess is his wife. She seemed to not want to get out of line.
I can't be sure what went on, but I didn't think it had anything to do with his skin. There were other black people waiting in line. They weren't chosen.
Interesting that you thought it was a racial thing.
it would be stupid to assume that a black conservative talk show host wasn't moved up in line. mccain is running a disgusting campaign and turning off all of us moderates.
It's a fallacy to believe that only McCain has been running negative, or that "he started it". It's a media-created misperception, carrying Obama's water for him whenever his campaign says, "McCain's running a dirty campaign and doesn't want to talk about the issues". Oh, I see: If Obama says it, it must be true.
Obama's been just as guilty, if not more so, of talking about things other than just "the issues". "McCain this, McCain that", "failed Bush policies", yadda yadda yadda. For the candidate of change and setting "a different tone in Washington", he's been anything but.
I sat not too far from Mr. Harris, and he had a reserved seat, as did many other people from the host county. As Mr. Harris explained, he had spoken at events for the county party, and they gave him some good seats.
Stop making everything about race. If they had wanted to make a big stink about a minority being there, they could have moved him to a place behind the stage where he would be more visible. They didn't.
Good points, WS.
And thank you, Wendy, for verfiying that the Left's assumptions about Harris and his race in this matter are, well, racist.
Talk show hosts aren't allowed freedom of speech who knew?
If Obama gets elected, that's the plan.
Blogger Mary said...
"If Obama gets elected, that's the plan."
Recent evidence definitely shows your statement to be 100% true.
I think it's interesting that you would speculate the left to be overly interested in censoring the press considering that Gov. Palin is being screened from all questions in which she would have to think on her feet. Heh...kind of similar to W, now that I think of it.
Also, to the Nantucket Wordsmith, if you are satisfied with any of the Bush policies, please let me know which ones. I must have missed something of value. Linking policy that has proven to be bad to Sen. McCain is simply good politics.
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