Posted on 10/25/2008 1:29:16 PM PDT by john in springfield
Yesterday my daughter and I attended a massive Sarah Palin rally in Springfield, Missouri.
Springfield is Missouri's third-largest city. Officially, it has a population of 150,000. When you include outlying communities, it's probably more like 200,000 people in the area.
Local news has estimated the crowd that turned out at 20,000! This is good news in this battleground state. Every election, it seems to be basically us in Springfield and the entire rest of the state against the big-city liberals in Kansas City and St. Louis. And in St. Louis, they bring out the dead.
Heck, they've even been known to ELECT a dead guy!
People didn't just come from Springfield, of course. We stood in line for an hour and a half with a family of 7 who got up at 5 o'clock in the morning to drive up from Little Rock, Arkansas. Someone else mentioned having spoken to somebody who came from Kansas.
It was clear that the organizers were not well prepared for the size of the crowd that turned up. The event was originally planned for McDonald Arena on the Missouri State Campus, which was capable of holding around 4,000 people. Several days ago, when 4,000 tickets vanished in the first 90 minutes of ticket distribution at the local Republican headquarters (my daughter arrived 30 minutes after the doors opened and were unable to get a ticket), it was decided to move the rally to a larger venue - the parking lot of the headquarters Bass Pro Shop.
Even though we got there three hours before Sarah Palin was to speak, there were so many people it was very unclear whether everyone was going to be able to get in. After standing in line for an hour and a half, I estimated the progress that was being made and realized that if it continued at this rate, it would be late afternoon at least before we ever reached the security checkpoint. And there were a lot more people behind us than in front of us.
At around 1030, I made a long hike up to the security checkpoint and spoke to the TSA people who were processing entrants through 4 or 5 security gates. Did the organizers have any idea what they were dealing with in terms of logistics? I asked.
From where I was standing, it was looking like 10,000 people were going to be turned away. The TSA man that I spoke to was not sympathetic. We might very well turn 10,000 people away, he said. Happens all the time. It was like, so what? He seemed to want to treat me as a nuisance, a rabble-rouser. I asked him to get a message through to whoever was in charge that things were not looking good for about 10,000 people out here.
Whether coincidence or not, five minutes later the line began to move forward FAR more quickly.
I'd like to take credit for that, but it looks possible that what *may* have happened was that they filled up the area that they had intended to fully secure. If that was the case, the TSA man I'd talked to must not have had a clue what the actual plan was.
Tight security was maintained in an area of the parking lot close to the podium, but in the end the majority of the crowd was allowed to simply flood around in the further reaches of the parking lot. The outer area was still a semi-secured area, as it was blockaded with 18-wheel trailers from the local Prime Trucking company.
In any event, the security was adequate as there were Secret Service, spotters on the roof, and who knows what else. And the crowd in the outer circle (which was probably 80% of those who showed up) was so far away from the podium that it was hard for most of us to actually see Sarah Palin. One had to keep jockeying for position in order to keep her somewhat in view, a speck in the distance. Hearing was difficult in the outer reaches as well. Behind us, several people climbed up onto the bumper of a news van to try and get a better view.
The crowd, generally, was friendly and enthusiastic. Although the great majority of the crowd that turned up would have had difficulties seeing or hearing, I didn't hear anyone complain about being so far away - everyone simply seemed to be glad that such a large crowd had turned out, and that they had gotten to be there.
After we left the rally, I turned on the radio and the first words I heard were something like, "...Sarah Palin's speech here in Springfield, and everybody that we've talked to so far seems to agree: Sarah Palin hit a massive home run."
Thanks to those who encouraged me to post this thread. I have some photos to follow!
Thank you!! I can’t wait to see the pics!
Excellent! My friend lives near Cape Girardeau, and he is a life long Democrat who will be voting for McCain.
Bookmark for pics & BTTT !!
bttt
Any question McCain made the right choice. No way Romney etc could do this. We are on a winning track.
Pray for W, Saracuda and Our Troops
Ah, now you’re getting responses!
I also attended this event. I found it very intresting that so many young people were there...high schoolers, college kids and 20-somethings. I’d say more than half the crowd was under 35. Very encouraging.
There were many young women there. I took one of my employees, a 25 year old who is just getting into politics. She loved Sarah.
I believe Biden attracted about 2,000 when he “rallied” in Springfield.
Southwest Missouri is critical to Missouri going for McCain. Bush carried 59 and 55 percent in Greene County. McCain needs 60 plus in Greene and Christian counties together for a win in Missouri.
BTW...”you’re welcome.”
Obama will not win. He’s getting only 80% of the Dem base, while Gore got 92% and Kerry got 89%, and both lost. People crossing party lines to vote are Dems voting McCain, not the other way around (with the exception of Powell and David Brooks). Obama is done. McCain wins 54-46. Don’t let your friends and family go wobbly.
> I believe Biden attracted about 2,000 when he “rallied” in Springfield.
Yes, I believe that’s correct. So Sarah Palin drew a crowd ten times the size of Biden’s.
> Southwest Missouri is critical to Missouri going for McCain.
Absolutely.
BTW, loved your post and am happy you got to see Sarah. I saw her after the debate at Wash U . . .she is something else!!
Thanks again! :-)
Yes, sorry - I don’t mean to paint all near St. Louis with the same brush!
Thanks for the great report. looking forward to the pictures.
20,000 people is a lot of people, espceially when it doesnt involve busing in out of state unemployed, homeless and ex-prisoners for free cigarettes.
Every PUMA voter means Obummer needs to find 2 others. Not happening. We will find these are the worst polls ever thanks to press intimidation. We’ve been called numerous times by pollsters but don’t answer. Caller ID works.
Pray for W, McCuda and Our Troops
Keep up the good work all of you downstate and out-state Conservatives!! Your brothers and sisters in KC and StL are with you!
Welcome to FR...and thanks for sharing the story; I’ve got a great Springfield story I’ll put in FReepmail momentarily.
WOW! Figure one in ten people in the area came to her rally. That is very impressive. GO SARAH!
You did a fantastic job with your post and with getting so many people through security! ;o)
I saw Governor Palin in Loveland, Colorado on Monday, and sadly even though there was still some seats available, several thousand were turned away because of slow security!
Looking forward to seeing your pictures!
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