Palin continues to draw large enthusiastic crowds

Washington Post:

GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin continued attacking Democratic nominee Barack Obama before a crowd of roughly 20,000 outside the Richmond International Raceway, while also promising that she and John McCain would help revive the U.S. economy.

Suggesting that Obama would undermine a possible American victory in Iraq -- "Just once I would like to hear Barack Obama say he'd like America to win" -- Palin said the Democrat would jeopardize the economy further by raising taxes and expanding the federal government.

"America, we cannot just afford another big spender in the White House," Palin said before the enthusiastic audience. "Our country is facing tough times, and needs a tough man as president."

While McCain unveiled a new campaign speech today, Palin stuck largely to her traditional script this afternoon -- devoting nearly as much time to discussing the special needs of her son Trig, the need for expanded drilling and her plans to reform Washington as to McCain's economic plan.

Saying she planned to spend time focused on disabled children if elected this fall, Palin argued that all children deserved to be "in the circle of protection" even if they had disabilities.

"There's the world's standard of perfection, and then there are God's," Palin said, to cheers. "And these are the final measure, and every child is beautiful before God, and precious for their own sake."

The crowd was made up almost entirely of committed partisans: many attendees waited for hours in the blistering heat for Palin to arrive and chanted "No-bama!" and "We want FOX!" in the run-up to her speech. The crowd was so large, in fact, that some supporters standing far back from the stage began chanting 'Louder, louder!' midway through Palin's speech after she had paid homage to military veterans in the crowd.

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Hank Williams Jr. took up the same theme when he sang a tune of the "McCain-Palin tradition." He mocked the "left-wing media" for writing negative stories about Republicans but quickly added, "The American people don't believe them anyway, you see."

I think the media fails to understand why they are held in such low regard by Republican audiences. It is just another example of how out of touch they are with the none Democrats in this country.

One of the other media themes at this big rallies for Palin is that those attending are most Republicans. Duh. What the crowds reflect is the enthusiasm Palin has brought to the ticket. It is something they have been trying desperately to suppress lately with their guilt by association smears of McCain and Palin for remarks by some attending that are more like Howard Dean.