By Jonathan Allen CQ Staff
Published: 09-11-08
FAIRFAX Va. -- Republican presidential nominee John McCain always has been popular with Republicans in this wealthy well-educated suburb of the nation’s capital. But never this popular.
Thousands of Republicans from around the Washington metropolitan area poured into a local park for a McCain rally Wednesday morning after forming long lines reminiscent of those outside rallies for Democratic nominee Barack Obama .
But it was clear from the chants of “Sa-rah Sa-rah” that repeatedly arose from the crowd why they were there.
“I wasn’t a huge McCain fan” said Lisa DeSantis a 40-year-old property inspector. “She got me juiced up.”
The turnaround in enthusiasm for the once-moribund McCain campaign is remarkable.
When McCain landed in New Hampshire on the night of the Jan. 3 Iowa caucus with his campaign sputtering he couldn’t fill the small room booked for his press conference.
Even after he rebounded to win the Republican nomination McCain often spoke at partially vacant venues.
On Tuesday -- less than two weeks after naming Palin to his ticket -- McCain found himself surrounded by a sea of fellow Republicans waving signs and chanting his name her name and “U-S-A.”
“She’s a pro-life woman and that speaks to me” said Maura Butler 31 who is due to deliver her second child in six weeks.
“I think she’s just the right person to be a role model for girls because she’s strong and feminine at the same time and that’s not an oxymoron” said Butler who voted for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in Washington D.C.’s Republican primary and who works for an organization that raises money for women candidates who oppose abortion.
Voters listening for new policies from the pair at the top of their ticket were probably disappointed. Appearing on a square stage in front of a “Country First” banner McCain and Palin hardly deviated from scripts they used at the Republican National Convention last week and in other appearances on the stump since then.
Palin touted herself as an agent of reform by reiterating to the crowd that she tried to sell the state plane on e-Bay and repeating the controversial line that she told Congress “Thanks but no thanks” to a proposed bridge that was dubbed the “Bridge to Nowhere” because it would have connected the town of Ketchikan with an island that has a population of about 50.
Palin pronounced the project dead after Congress removed a requirement that Alaska spend federal funds on the bridge and instead gave the state the authority to build the bridge or spend it on other priorities. The Obama campaign and its allies have accused her of lying about her role. Politifact a joint fact-checking venture of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly rated her claim “half true.”
She knocked Obama for his past earmark requests promoted oil drilling and increasing the use of renewable energy resources and vouched for McCain by referring to his years as a Navy pilot.
“There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you” she said in an oft-repeated line.
McCain in turn portrayed himself as a reformer in familiar language and said Palin is now part of a “team of mavericks.”
“I’ve fought corruption and it didn’t matter whether it was Democrats or Republicans” he said. “And so has Sarah Palin .”
Not everyone in the crowd was there for Palin.
“This is the first campaign I have ever contributed to and I did just about a week ago” said Ted Cummings 46 a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve who attributed his support to McCain calling for the addition of troops in Iraq.
“I served in Iraq for about 14 months - I’m a reserve officer - and I just felt very strongly about his position on the surge and the guts he had politically in sticking it out” Cummings said.
But Palin is clearly brings star power to the ticket.
Catie Warren 17 wore a T-shirt reading “Future Mrs. Track Palin” to the event -- a reference to Sarah Palin ’s eldest son who is scheduled to go to Iraq soon.
“I think before Palin was named as McCain’s running mate it was definitely people voting against Obama rather than for McCain” said Warren who identified herself as president of the Young Republicans club at Woodson High School. “I think she’s brought an incredible energy incredible power to the McCain ticket which I don’t think he could have had choosing any other candidate.”
There was a bit of tension outside the rally as McCain supporters yelled at Angie Summar and her daughter who stood across the street with a sign calling McCain “McSame” to indicate her belief that he is similar to President Bush.
“Get a job” yelled one. Followed by “Obama hates women.”
“He has a wife and two daughters” Summar’s 12-year-old daughter Mary retorted.
