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"Fight!…Fight!…Fight!" The word punctuated John McCain's peroration to thousands of Pennsylvanians who turned out in Hershey on a cold, drizzly morning to cheer him and running mate Sarah Palin.Please read the whole thing. One of the things I enjoy most about covering a campaign is the chance to talk to the people who attend these rallies -- some of the nicest people in the world. All that chatter a couple weeks ago about episodes of ugliness at McCain rallies was a complete misrepresentation of the overwhelming majority of people I've talked to at events this year -- and that's true of Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians.
"Fight for the ideals and character of a free people," McCain urged, as he neared the end of his speech. "Fight for our children's future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all."
The crowd inside the Giant Center at Hershey Park was cheering so loudly as to drown out most of the Republican candidate's words, so that all they heard was "fight!" That was enough, however, for Republicans like Joe the Recording Engineer. Joe Trojcak owns a sound studio near Hershey and says he's been a Republican activist since 1992. "I got tired of yelling at my TV," explains Trojcak, 44, who worked as a volunteer at yesterday's "Road to Victory" rally.
Small businessmen like Trojcak have become Republican heroes ever since the Oct. 12 chance encounter between Barack Obama and "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher in Ohio.
Attending a campaign event is an act of civic engagement, and civic engagement tends to correlate with good personal qualities. So the delegates at the Democratic convention in Denver were nice people, and so were the people who attended the Hillary rallies and McCain rallies I've covered.
BTW, here's video of McCain's peroration:
The crowd, every crowd, goes nuts every time McCain does his "Fight!" routine.
ReplyDeleteIt WORKS.
Americans are FIGHTERS.
It works because this is the true John McCain. He is a fighter and he believes in fighting for America. That's why it resonates with crowds every time. It's genuine.
That's why the crowds love Palin. McCain and Palin love America and Americanism. They -- like all of us "Joes" -- are PROUD of being the best nation in the world and of being a nation that has pride in Liberty. We are PROUD of our success as individuals and as Americans. McCain and Palin appeal to those of us who get misty when we hear the National Anthem, see our heroic men and women debarking after fighting for Liberty in parts dangerous, or hear the Gettysburg Address.
We love America and the ideal of individual Liberty and Freedom Americanism represents, and we see that in McCain and Palin -- and we see that and feel that when McCain speaks about standing up and fighting for America.
That's why he is rarely able to be heard at the finish of those speeches.