Posted on 08/03/2008 7:00:03 PM PDT by TornadoAlley3
(dpa) - Senator John McCain, 71, heads to the unlikely town of Sturgis, South Dakota, on Monday to rub elbows with the rowdy tattooed rebels of the American roads at a campground rock concert.
With a population of 780,000, South Dakota on the Great Plains is hardly an election-day prize for either McCain's Republican Party or rival Democrats.
But the state doubles in population during the annual August motorcycle rally in Sturgis, at the foot of the Black Hills, that draws an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 out-of-state "wild hogs" who roar cross country to celebrate their bike culture.
McCain plans to maximize on the crowds by providing the opening act at an annual concert that honours American military veterans at the Buffalo Chip campground, his campaign said Sunday.
McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, will warm up the crowd for performances by American Idol country music singer Kelly Pickler and the mercurial Kid Rock, according to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader newspaper online.
The annual motorcycle rally - from August 4-10 this year - is one of the country's largest, with a reputation for notorious and outrageous behaviour.
A novelty draw to the Buffalo Chip campground this year will be a firing range for cyclists to try out automatic rifles, including vintage World War I machine guns, camp owner Rod Woodruff told the Argus Leader.
It was not known if McCain would take a turn at the firing range - or if he would draw a crowd as large as the 200,000 who flocked to hear Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama in Berlin recently.
Freeper Hooligan bump.
McCAin at Sturgis!
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Many, if not most, of the post World War II bikers were ex-fighter pilots, so how is this an unusual meeting for Senator McCain?
I think this will be a good thing. McCain has seemed fairly at ease in these settings in public, even when he has gone into a lion’s den.
Most of those bikers bleed red, white, and blue. There are even lots of veterans in that group. Not to mention, these folks are from all over and all walks of life. If he does well they will go back and talk about it.
Bikers (not ricers) are quintessential Americans. They will show McCain the love he deserves.
500,000 to 600,000 out-of-state “wild hogs”
Good move by McCain. Some of that biker energy will do his campaign good. Kid Rock’ll jack the place up too. First time McCain has ever done anything I’d like to be there for.
Go Johnny, go, go, go.
This is really a brillian campaign move! I’m impressed, and McCain has worked overtime at being unimpressive up to now.
Note to Barack:
Berliners can’t vote.
The MSM will be horrified try to cast it in a bad light. Oh how I hope the Obamapansies have something to say.
note to Obambi: 600,000 real AMERICANS are infinitely more important to this US ELECTION than any number of furriners who don’t vote here (unless you’ve found a way to extend Democrat electoral fraud to opening polling stations in Berlin!!!!)
Yeah, thought so.
Did the article misrepresent those who ride to Sturgis?
I thought is was an event for all those who enjoy riding.
Vets included.
The article makes it out to be a Motorcycle gang event.
>It was not known if McCain would take a turn at the firing range - or if he would draw a crowd as large as the 200,000 who flocked to hear Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama in Berlin recently.<
This from a Euro newspaper. Obviously, the metrosexual Euroweenies dont like it when true blooded Americans celebrate their culture in the open.
Points for McCain on this one. And yeah, he’ll go past the “200,000” puffed-up MSM figures for sure...
Nope they can’t but most bikers can! :D I did meet a few Canadians and a few other nationalities in Sturgis but I’d say 98% can vote in America. :)
Hmmm. Politically odd choice. Perhaps a meeting with possible VP John Thune?
I’ll guarantee that most club members are not the “wild hogs” variety. The wild hogs scare the members of my club ... we never burned down a bar ...
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