Posted on 09/18/2008 4:18:18 PM PDT by freepersup
After Action Report
PS Air is located between the FED EX hanger and Eastern Iowa Avionics.
I drove over from Illinois, last night, traveling 222 miles, to attend the rally. I stopped off in Davenport, Iowa, at the John McCain headqurters, and secured a ticket about fifteen minutes before their doors closed for the night. One of the staff planned to leave for Cedar Rapids, at 4AM. I drove on for about another 60 miles, spending the night in a motel just north of Iowa City.
I rolled out at 5AM, arriving at the bus shuttle loading area 40 minutes later. The loading area was 2 miles east of the airport, and adjacent to it, was a large field earmarked for parking. I was one of only a handfull of early risers to board the day's first shuttle. Coincidentally, and much to my surprise, the McCain staffer that handed me a rally ticket in Davenport, just 10 hours previously, was on the first bus too. There being no other passengers ready to ride, the bus departed with 8-10 souls on board. Once at the airport, the bus stopped and everyone got off, not knowing where to go next. One man walked towards the satelite trucks, and about 6 young ladies took off for the FED EX hanger. I stopped about half way between the two groups, long enough to see people up the road beyond the satelite trucks, entering a hanger that turned out to be PS Air. Once inside this hanger, I milled about, looking for a place to stand for the next 4 hours. What I didn't know at the time was that I had walked into the rendevous point for all of the McCain volunteers and staff. Moments later a McCain staffer ordered everyone out of the hanger, as Uniformed Secret Service Agents began to use sniffer dogs, checking the building for explosives.
Everyone that had been in the hanger was then directed to walk out past the Uniformed Secret Service Agents, that were busy assembling metal detectors. Our final destination was outside a perimeter fence, near the FED EX hanger. At that moment, small bus loads of people began trickling in, lining up with the rest of us. For the next two hours, practically everyone in my immediate area began conversations with each other, asking where someone had come from, or what time someone had gotten to the site, etc..
Before the gates opened, volunteers snaked their way through the crowd, carrying clipboards looking for signatures for various coalitions. I signed the Veterans for McCain clipboard, and a crowd neighbor, signed the Sportsmen for McCain clipboard. Some of the women in the crowd, for obvious reasons, signed the Women for McCain clipboard. A young man with a clipboard shouted out "Who loves guns"? Another young man shouted, "Any Farmers for McCain"?
Another surprise came when I met some Christian college kids in the waiting crowd, standing right next to me, that were from my hometown. They too had driven the 222 miles one way the night before, staying with a local Kirkwood community college student-friend of theirs.
The gates opened promptly at 8AM and small groups of people were summoned from the crowd, in order to submit to searches by the Uniformed Secret Service Agents. All personal belongings were inspected by Uniformed TSA Agents. The augmented force of TSA agents wore bright blue shirts, unlike the white shirts that their counterparts wear, at all major US airports.
All of the undercover Secret Service Agents sported dark blue lapel pins, with the customary USSS gold star in the center.
Once through the metal detectors, the foot race (walking pace) for seating position in the hanger commenced.
Once at the hanger, a bottleneck ensued, as a few folks in wheel chairs, seized the moment and entered the human stream on their own terms. Of note: the assigned location for wheel chairs was lousy. Placing the occupants to the right rear of the hanger, and at the mercy of the crowd that stood in front of them, blocking their view of the stage.
I made my way to the crowd line (barricades) located directly to the side of the stage. Directly in front of me, was a slightly raised walkway that John McCain and Sarah Palin would use, to access the stage, less than an hour from the time I took my position. I had done well, securing a position in the hanger, that all but guaranteed me a personal greeting with the two expectant candidates. But alas, it wasn't to be...
No sooner had I arrived in my key position, than other folks in wheel chairs arrived immediately to my rear. In time, the occupants asked the 3 of us standing directly in their way, if they could get us to somehow trade places with them so that they could see the stage. In a gesture of magnanimous sacrifice, I elected to move behind the wheel chair occupant, knowing that I was taking myself out of position for the handshaking that was sure to come. It's all good (see the happy ending)!
Two other fellows sharing my barricade position and about my size (NFL linebacker types) agreed to move to the rear of the wheel chairs, once the action started. Also, an Iowa candidate for the US Senate, (?) came over from the stage and asked us if his 3 kids could stand in front of us. Naturally, we agreed (see the happy ending)!
An Iowan by the name of Chris Miller, played the acoustic guitar, entertaining the crowd prior to the start of the rally. He was a most excellent guitar player and an accomplished singer too.
As the time drew near for the candidates to appear, several things happened in succession. The Boy Scouts in conjuction with the local VFW, presented the colors. One female soldier in fatigues accompanied the colors. A retired Major General led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. A likeable emcee announced a few of the Iowa candidates that were running for local, state or federal office. Two female singers forming a duet, sang Lee Greenwood's; God Bless the USA. Miss Iowa 2004, sang the Star Spangled Banner. Returning to the emcee; he got the crowd chanting We Want John! We Want Sarah! etc.
The crowd may have been 3,000-5,000 strong. The hanger was large, but I've been to rallies that have been held in bigger hangers. None were larger on the airfield, and there was plenty of overflow on the tarmac outside. The crowds weren't too deep outside...
A very large American flag billowed gently in the breeze, hung from a truss across the tarmac and directly in line with the center of the hanger.
At the site of the press and photographers entering the hanger, the crowd buzzed with anticipation. Many of the photographers had what I would call a 'Rolling Stones' look. The press arrival was followed by the entrance of a phalanx of well dressed and groomed USSS agents.
Another sign that the big show was about to start was when two female McCain aids went up onstage and placed speeches one on top of the other, on the lecturn. The crowd's anticipation grew by magnitudes, with every significant, recognized, orchestrated, traditional campaign rally act, methodically unfolding before our very eyes.
The outdoor crowd caught sight of the arrival of the McCain-Palin jet, which was parked on the tarmac just east of the hanger. When the crowd saw the campaign jet, a sustained roar went out in every direction. The electric buzz of the crowd's anticipation, now unleashed, was palpable. It continued for a number of minutes, climaxing with the entrance of MCCain and Palin. As foretold, the candidates worked the crowd line as they made their entrance, sticking entirely to our side of the walkway. The 2 big bruisers standing in front of the wheel chairs, got a thrill of a lifetime when they shook the hands of Sarah and John. (That could've been me Alice)! Of course the place is going absolutely wild the whole time! From the crowd line on our side of the hanger, both candidates headed to the stage. Todd Palin made his entry onto the stage next. Cindy McCain wasn't present.
The chanting began and went on for some time. Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! We Want John! We Want John! We Want John!
Sarah was wearing form fitting brown slacks, with a white fleece sweater, and John was wearing a tasteful blue grey suit. I missed his tie...
Many in the crowd were disruptive in their unbridled display of enthusiasm, as they chanted over Sarah's voice. They didn't have the sense to match the tempo of Sarah's speech, with their cheering. I couldn't hear half of what she said. Then, a female Obama disruptor, sitting on the shoulders of her coconspirator, began to drown Sarah out. The crowd would have none of that, and thus began a deafening chant of USA! USA! USA! Sarah took it all in stride. The disruptor was escorted out, and no more interruptions followed.
I would like to tell the reader everything that Sarah said, but between the ill timed friendly chants lacking any sense of tempo, the disruptor, the people behind me talking on their cell phones and to each other, and the shifting of the big bruisers from the crowd line, to a position behind the people in the wheel chairs, the shifting of little kids up to the front of the crowd line, and me having a fitful night of sleep, I don't have a clue. Perhaps someone reading this field report, will be kind enough to add the transcript, and some images.
John spoke next, and the same kind of things going on during Sarah's speech, went on during John's speech. The truth is, that I am at Kirkwood Community College, about 3 miles from the airport, and I am running out of gas... and I have to drive 222 miles yet tonight, so I am getting the signal from my brain to wrap it up.
OK- the big show ends, and John leaves the stage on the right and works the crowd in front of the stage, ending up back where we were standing. John transitions to a set of risers directly east of the stage, then shifts to our section. This is the best part! John sees the people in the wheel chairs and takes a little more time with them, than he has with others in the crowd, bending down respectfully, reaching out over the barricade to make a great personable connection to both of the people. I was so jazzed! Until the 2 bruisers moved, which wasn't until well into Sarah's speech, the people in the wheel chairs couldn't see past them at all. The 2 bruisers were really good guys; they just got caught up in the moment, and forgot to move. Once it dawned on them that they were blocking other people's views, they did get out of the folks way. It's all good!
John also bent down and let someone take a picture with him and one of the little girls. Then... Todd Palin made the same rounds as John, and he too got his picture taken with the same little girl. She hit the jackpot! I think Todd greeted the folks in the wheel chairs too, but my memory isn't clear on this possiblity.
OK- the crowd is still going wild while all this is happening. Seeing the way things went down, I didn't mind giving my position up for the kids or the folks in the wheel chairs. (there's a happy ending still to come)!
Sarah stayed on stage and met with all of the dignitaries. Then she came off the stage on our side and met with just a few people on the left front of the stage. Then she turned to leave, and before going back stage, she signed a few autographs, and shook a few hands with some of the people in the riser to the east of the stage.
After the rally was over, I found the kids from my home town, and got my picture taken with them! I then made my way outside and gawked at the campaign plane, noting the FAA tail number as N802TJ. There was another barricade set up keeping the crowd at bay. I had no schedule to keep, so I decided to sit it out, and wait for the candidates to return, and watch them board their plane. Now there is an ulterior motive here, as I wondered if the candidates would make one last appearance by working this impromptu crowd line? And could I be lucky enough to make the connection with one or both of them?
My answer wasn't too long in coming.
Sarah and John left the airport after the rally, in a convoy in order to view some of the flood damage that took place earlier this summer, in and around Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
It wasn't too long while waiting around on the tarmac, that I began to notice that the USSS agents were again lining up along the crowd line. Sure enough, out from behind a row of hangers, a convoy of vehicles laden with LEOs and USSS agents appeared. From inside one of the vehicles I could see Sarah Palin waving at the crowd. In that instant John McCain exited from the right and headed to a group of airport LEOs standing off to the side and in a group. John shook each of their hands and spoke briefly as he did so. Then he turned to the waiting crowd and began to shake the hand of each person in the line. Sarah bounded from the vehicle she had been in, and she commenced to pressing the flesh in earnest too. Sure enough, yours truly shook John McCain's hand and thanked him for coming, and yours truly shook the hand of that little petite hockey mom from Alaska. Earlier I saw a sign that read, the Thrilla from Wasilla!
By the way, for the fashion conscious reader, Sarah had changed her oufit in the time that she was gone from the rally. She was now sporting a pair of black slacks and a beautiful bright blue blouse. That woman is petite, petite, petite, petite. Did I mention she's petite?
John had removed his tie and doffed his suit jacket, cuffing his sleeves, appearing quite relaxed.
John and Sarah, rode over to their aircraft in the USSS's armored Suburban, exiting the vehicle and shaking the hands of a number of LEOs lined up along the underside of the plane's fuselage. Many if not all of these LEOs had stood watch today over Sarah and John's safety.
Once at the top of the stairs leading into the aircraft, John and Sarah turned to the crowd and offered a very enthusiastic wave goodbye. Although diminished considerably in size by now, the crowd responded in kind, offering their own enthusiastic goodbye. I got in some huge jumping jack like waves with my arms raised skyward, and topped my salute to the candidates with some 'sport style' fist pumping. It's all good!
I would be especially interested in seeing the text of today's rally, as what I have offered the reader in my report, cannot be considered the meat and potatos of the event. I would like to have the stump speeches posted for balance.
Thank you
(Now that I've filed a proper after action report, like every good freeper is commanded to do, I'm leaving the scene, and the Kirkwood CC library, and heading for home).
OK- Your thoughts, flames, and alms for the poor.
WOW, thanks for your very detailed after action report!
Bloody hell. I saw a clip from CNN.
The woman is a NATURAL.
The audience LOVES HER.
This is a phenomenon for the ages.
Absolutely wonderful report. I felt like I was there sharing those great moments with you.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Very nice report!
You may not have gotten the text but you certainly captured the excitement.
Thanks!
Thank you for that report. What a wonderful experience it must have been...treasure your memories.
Thank you. My heart beat a little faster just reading your report.
Thanks so much for the writeup—I really enjoy Freepers’ experiences at these rallies.
Loved reading your report. Wish I could have been there, but I’m stuck in Juneau, AK... We absolutely love Sarah Palin up here.
Thank you, freepersup!! Great report!
I really enjoy reading these after action reports. Thanks for sharing!
I stole the thrilla part for my tagline
What a fabulous report...so happy for you! Thanks for sharing. And I was wondering why Sarah had on two different outfits...we gals notice these things. ;)
APPEARING together is a campaigning natural ...
unless you throw rock concerts as your opener.
But isn’t it surprising that they should TRAVEL together?
Ah, well.
Perhaps illustrating that ol’ contrarian wisdom,
“Keep all your eggs in one basket ...
and guard that basket like a Doberman!”
I’ve read that McCain is running poorly in Iowa. Is that true?
Excellent summary!! Congrats on the hand shakes! How exciting.
Btw, this was shown live on FNC.
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