Palinmania: 60,000 turn out for event in Florida?
posted at 9:08 pm on September 21, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Exhibit A in the case of why even I can’t get too depressed about that anti-Palin focus group in Florida the ’sphere was buzzing about yesterday. Granted, the event was held in a GOP stronghold; granted, Team Maverick’s crowd estimates have been “problematic” in the past, although this one comes from a fire chief on the scene, not the campaign; granted, 60,000 is probably a high-end figure, with another fire official and several reporters who were there pegging it as closer to 25,000. Even so, per the last link, consider this: As a sitting president, Dubya only managed to pull 15,000 when he showed up four years ago.
The Villages, a vast, upscale planned community north of Orlando, has about 70,000 mostly adult residents — many of them military retirees — who vote reliably Republican in statewide races. Tens of thousands inched along roads into the picturesque town square of the complex, where they stood in sweltering heat for about four hours as local GOP officials and a country band revved up the crowd.
“Sa-Rah! Sa-Rah!” they chanted at every mention of her name, applauding loudly and waiving tiny American flags that were distributed — along with free water bottles — by local volunteers. The fire chief estimated the crowd at 60,000.
Admiring throngs mobbed the Palin family’s arrival and departure, snapping souvenir pictures. Autograph seekers thrust campaign signs, caps with the McCain-Palin logo and copies of magazines with her face on their covers, and the Palins responded warmly.
Biden’s largest crowd among four stops in Florida earlier this month? 2,000. The excitement’s not over yet, either. Next up to be stricken with a scorching case of Palinmania? Bono. Click the image to watch.
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Our “history making candidate” is so much cooler than their “history making candidate.”
Elizabetty on September 21, 2008 at 9:10 PM
So that’s where all those commercials on Fox are always talking about. “Florida’s friendliest hometown”
D0WNT0WN on September 21, 2008 at 9:10 PM
Go girl, crush him!!!!
bucko36 on September 21, 2008 at 9:12 PM
If you’re going to make up a high number why not go with 10 million. Let’s go all the way baby.
e-pirate on September 21, 2008 at 9:13 PM
So good! Love the giant lipstick!
JellyToast on September 21, 2008 at 9:13 PM
they have the guiness book of world record golf cart parade with over 3300 people participating. These people have nothing to do. They have a good time and my parents always love going down there, but it’s not surprising. There are over 100,000 people there with nothing to do except talk about what’s going on in the Villages.
ThackerAgency on September 21, 2008 at 9:14 PM
These were not numbers put out by the campaign but rather by the Fire Marshall.
Elizabetty on September 21, 2008 at 9:15 PM
A link in the Gateway Pundit comments on the story quotes the fire marshal saying 70,000, so there seems to be some squishiness to the numbers, but I would venture to guess that your guess of 25k is probably low-balling it. The Villages are within a ninety-minute drive of anywhere in Central Florida, including Orlando, Tampa and Tallahassee.
Immolate on September 21, 2008 at 9:15 PM
And AP thinks she’s the -anchor- on this ticket?
Puhleeeze.
lorien1973 on September 21, 2008 at 9:15 PM
Victory, here we come!
t.ferg on September 21, 2008 at 9:16 PM
They need to start renting out sports stadiums, convention centers, and concert halls near military bases and they need to put Todd Palin on lots of women’s daytime programming.
D0WNT0WN on September 21, 2008 at 9:16 PM
I’m waiting for the day I can buy a lipstick named “Sarah Palin.”
socalconservative on September 21, 2008 at 9:16 PM
(In best Hulk Hogan voice) Whatcha gonna do when Palinmania runs wild over you?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on September 21, 2008 at 9:16 PM
Then why is it Biden only attracted 2000 people?
Elizabetty on September 21, 2008 at 9:16 PM
“e-pirate on September 21, 2008 at 9:13 PM”
um, the fire chief made the estimate; that’s part of his JOB …
/don’t you have emmy “stars” to be drooling over?
Buckaroo on September 21, 2008 at 9:16 PM
They are growing like CRAZY. They put up houses like nothing. They are taking the water from many Florida residents and it will be a problem eventually. But for now, the old people love it there.
But 4 years ago it was probably 1/4 of the population that is there now.
ThackerAgency on September 21, 2008 at 9:17 PM
Only 2000 people hate themselves?
lorien1973 on September 21, 2008 at 9:17 PM
Who is Biden?
ThackerAgency on September 21, 2008 at 9:17 PM
What rock band gave a free concert before she spoke?
Tommy_G on September 21, 2008 at 9:18 PM
Bono? Give me a break!
conservnut on September 21, 2008 at 9:18 PM
oh, here’s that 70k link.
Immolate on September 21, 2008 at 9:19 PM
She is the lifeblood of this campaign. She’s not popular because of what she’s done (and she has done more than Obambi). She’s popular because of WHO SHE IS. Let those who were never going to vote for McCain anyway screech about how unprepared she is. They’re irrelevant. The base is fired up about Sarah and is bringing others on board.
Sugar Land on September 21, 2008 at 9:19 PM
Check out the Palin factor on Drudge tonight; She’s all over it. (making all our lefty friends gnash their teeth, and tear their hair out) (which, I love)
anniekc on September 21, 2008 at 9:20 PM
He lives in Tampa. He’s a republican too. That’d be awesome.
lorien1973 on September 21, 2008 at 9:20 PM
Interesting. Earlier, they were saying the Obama campaign said Obama drew 20,000 in Charlotte today. Now, no mention of numbers. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm….
SouthernGent on September 21, 2008 at 9:20 PM
I love it……….. after all the talking head pundits interviewing NOW, and that horrific comment by the D-List comedian (no I will not justify her by name)
She brings out the family…………………. IN – YOUR – FACE.
Now, all she has to do is brush up on the individuals who have kept the United States from being energy independent, and listening to Mark Levin’s timeline…………… and start to name names.
Seven Percent Solution on September 21, 2008 at 9:20 PM
“Then why is it Biden only attracted 2000 people?”
Because he was having a good day?
Godzilla on September 21, 2008 at 9:21 PM
Sweltering heat is was. I was watching on the link someone provided in a previous comment section, and saw some dude pass out right in front of the camera. Everyone was fanning him, and he eventually had to be helped out of the area.
Abby Adams on September 21, 2008 at 9:23 PM
I do love the picture of the giant Lipstick Mascot,
it speaks for itself,that was very smart,no words
are neccessary,its now a symbol,of the besmirchment
of women,and the war paint of armed hockey stick
weilding Hockey Moms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!haha.:)
canopfor on September 21, 2008 at 9:23 PM
This ought to cause Old Bar’ to lose a little sleep tonight.
anniekc on September 21, 2008 at 9:24 PM
Biden who is this Biden you people talk about? I thought I heard about him sometime before the real VP was announced,but since then not so much.
tee866 on September 21, 2008 at 9:25 PM
Hey, Allah, you do photoshop, right? Since Obama “is all women”, can you do up in a beehive?
Godzilla on September 21, 2008 at 9:25 PM
Palimania,SarahCuda baby,ya!!!EH!
canopfor on September 21, 2008 at 9:25 PM
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080921/BREAKINGNEWS/80921011 heh, sorry.
Immolate on September 21, 2008 at 9:26 PM
Awesome! Sarah Palin is freaking awesome!
4shoes on September 21, 2008 at 9:26 PM
From the headline comments:
I was there. I drove up from Orlando. Got there around 1:30 for her speech at around 5. People lined up easily thousands deep to get into a fenced off corral near the stage with room for just a few hundred. Everyone else had to stay back in the common areas. It was blistering hot — “Sweatin’ for Sarah!” — and the EMS folks were taking people away on stretchers at the rate of about 1 every 20-30 minutes.
You couldn’t move. I never even saw her in the flesh. I could only see her stump speech on one of the 4 or 5 giant TVs they had setup above the stage. Todd, Willow, and Trig were there. I thought her speech was actually pretty good.
I don’t know if was 60k, but it was a pile ‘o folks, that’s for damn sure.
The overall impression I had was that if the polls show her losing her lustre, you sure couldn’t tell from this crowd. They LOVED her. It was like the Beatles or something.
Purple Fury on September 21, 2008 at 9:26 PM
Even if these numbers are in a conservative stronghold it helps two ways: counters Obama’s celeb exclusivity, and she gets in his head more.
Spirit of 1776 on September 21, 2008 at 9:26 PM
Florida is a red herring. No way its going to Obama. The real fights will be in New Mexico and Colorado.
Speedwagon82 on September 21, 2008 at 9:27 PM
Now all of you who’ve been obsessing on poll noise – would you rather have this and a 4-point deficit in Gallup’s RV polls, or Gallup tied but just an average Veep crowd for Sarah?
Back in ‘92, Clinton was said to be able to move the real polls (the massive expensive internal ones) a couple of points just by showing up in a state during the home stretch. Think about that when you look at how close the battleground states are.
CK MacLeod on September 21, 2008 at 9:27 PM
God, I have never felt this much optimism in the political realm in my life!
m064404 on September 21, 2008 at 9:28 PM
This.
Spirit of 1776 on September 21, 2008 at 9:29 PM
This is history.
Terrye on September 21, 2008 at 9:29 PM
McCain to within 7 in Iowa, per a new poll. Send Huckabee and Sarah there (assuming Huckabee will go).
Minnesota within 1 point.
Linkyloo
SouthernGent on September 21, 2008 at 9:30 PM
Now let’s be fair Bono has always been kind towards Bush and other Republicans and I’m betting he’ll also be friendly to Palin…he sure doesn’t follow the lead of Damon,Lohan or Bernhard.
mlong on September 21, 2008 at 9:30 PM
Thank-you for letting us be here!
Such a class act!!!:)
canopfor on September 21, 2008 at 9:30 PM
I haven’t since 1980, my first time to vote.
conservnut on September 21, 2008 at 9:30 PM
gallup seems to traditionally favor the Dems…
I like where we sit.
I just hope McCain takes it to BO on Friday.
joepub on September 21, 2008 at 9:32 PM
Tomorrow’s headline will be that McCain is a liar because it was only 59,752.
Jim Treacher on September 21, 2008 at 9:32 PM
What I want to know is how did she do this without marble columns? Don’t seem right. You have to have the columns.
Engrpat on September 21, 2008 at 9:33 PM
I realize that Boner isnt a hack or anything, but why the hell is she meeting with the singer of that crappy band or any singer of any crappy band? Who elected Boner??
Wierd, wacky, wacky, wacky, wild stuff.
Roger Waters on September 21, 2008 at 9:33 PM
It’s not Bono I have the problem with. It’s the article. She is meeting all these world leaders and ……..Bono!
Like he is more important…..
conservnut on September 21, 2008 at 9:33 PM
Hey libs, for all your community organizer’s bravado about “getting in their faces” I notice your VP candidate in hiding.
Embarrassed? Of course you are. Your community organizer failed the VP test.
Fact.
jeff_from_mpls on September 21, 2008 at 9:33 PM
Hell yeah. I’ll pit our Hockey Moms against the dems Soccer Moms any day.
thekingtut on September 21, 2008 at 9:34 PM
Yeah, right, like there are any rock bands in the tank for mcCain/Palin!
BTW – according to Ryan Seacrest, presenters are forbidden to speak the name of Sarah Palin. I guess they just can’t win by denigrating her, so they are going to try and freeze her out – good luck with that!
Queen0fCups on September 21, 2008 at 9:34 PM
Good forecast Jim, ‘cept McCain didn’t say it. It came from a new source quoting a fire marshal.
Immolate on September 21, 2008 at 9:34 PM
“Biden who is this Biden you people talk about? I thought I heard about him sometime before the real VP was announced,but since then not so much.
tee866 on September 21, 2008 at 9:25 PM”
Come on, you’ve never heard tell of Joe “Xerox” Biden.
Don’t make me repeat myself. Or repeat someone else!
hawkdriver on September 21, 2008 at 9:36 PM
There you go letting facts get in the way of real news agian.
sarc/off
conservnut on September 21, 2008 at 9:37 PM
I gotta get me one of them giant lipsticks. That is SO cool.
JustTruth101 on September 21, 2008 at 9:37 PM
And how cute is that little Piper?
Queen0fCups on September 21, 2008 at 9:37 PM
You were trying to say these high numbers for Sarah Palin had nothing to do with her, just that the folks at the Villages are stimulus starved. I want to know why, if that is the case, Biden could only attract 2,000 people.
Elizabetty on September 21, 2008 at 9:38 PM
I attended, people were there from all over Cen. Fla, was crazy….the organizers underplanned so logigistics sucked, we ended up walking 3 miles from parking to the event…even had to climb a fence with barbed wire…and one had to be constantly on the lookout for golfcarts whizzing crazily by…saw peolple walking along waving $20 at the carts hoping to be picked up…
Was hot as hell, surprised we didn’t see more people overcome by the heat…more than a few grumpy people…the line to get into the secured area where tickets were needed was too long to endure..
All that said, it was AWESOME, history in the making, young and old there, a huge party once you got to where she was speaking…lots of energy, well worth all the hassle! She is the future of our party.
CinnamongirlUF on September 21, 2008 at 9:39 PM
My daughter lives in D.C. and recently received an interesting blanket evite. The religious professional group she works for were all invited to attend a political session with Michelle Obama. Seems that so far only 13 women had committed to hang out with Obama’s bitter half. My daughter declined.
marybel on September 21, 2008 at 9:39 PM
But McCain lied because McCain tells lies because McCain is a liar. It’s simple logic.
Jim Treacher on September 21, 2008 at 9:39 PM
CNN was reporting the number was 16,000.
Best sign I saw on the CNN report: “I kissed a pitbull with lipstick, and I liked it”
Kini on September 21, 2008 at 9:40 PM
Out of how many?
Spirit of 1776 on September 21, 2008 at 9:40 PM
Bono? Cool! And between Pakistan, Georgia, the Ukraine, and others, by the end of the week Sarah will have met more foreign leaders than Barry. Nyah Nyah Nyah Nyah Nyah.
Riiight. That’s why all those people move there! Because there’s absolutely nothing to do!
Buy Danish on September 21, 2008 at 9:42 PM
I guess the GOP has a learning curve to get over here. They are not used to having a candidate that is acually popular.
conservnut on September 21, 2008 at 9:42 PM
Roger:
Probably for the same reason Bush met with Bono. A lot of people meet with Bono.
Terrye on September 21, 2008 at 9:42 PM
I was just being sarcastic about the rock band. As for the emmy’s it’s interesting to see the libs forgetting that whole free speech thing.
Tommy_G on September 21, 2008 at 9:43 PM
This is real,this isn’t hype,and its not manufactured,
it dosen’t need a football stadium!
It doesn’t need to be supported by Roman Pillars,its
all natural,its not controlled,scripted,or choreographed,
its small town,patriotic,apple pie,any girl,any women,
can do it,and make it!
Its not a phrase or slogan,its real,they are there to see,
and believe in McCain,and SarahCuda,Govennor Sarah Palin!
And not manufactured Hope and Change,but a Hope and Change,
that is possible and will happen,by Team McCain/Palin!!!!!
canopfor on September 21, 2008 at 9:43 PM
conservnut:
And in spite of that they have a pretty good record of beating Democrats. What does that say about the Democrats?
Terrye on September 21, 2008 at 9:44 PM
Obama campaign refuses to hand out yard signs. I wonder why.
SouthernGent on September 21, 2008 at 9:45 PM
That’s because thankfully, just enough voters understand that this is not a popularity contest. And that elections acually mean something.
conservnut on September 21, 2008 at 9:46 PM
Their server must be getting hammered…I’ve got a pretty good broad band connection and the video is totally getting chopped up. Can hear about every other word. I would love to see it, but I’m pretty happy that so many people are tuning in…Go Sarah!
AUINSC on September 21, 2008 at 9:47 PM
Slightly OT: Obama’s staff leaves North Dakota
Dusty on September 21, 2008 at 9:48 PM
Aaron Tippin.
SnarkVader on September 21, 2008 at 9:48 PM
“…a shortage of courage in Congress…” I like that line, Sarah, keep using that one.
Spirit of 1776 on September 21, 2008 at 9:49 PM
All those left turn blinkers left on in one place is as inspiring as the cell phone tributes at rock concerts!
Seriously, there is no question that Palin adds the excitement to the ticket that crusty old bastard simply can’t generate. I was up in Grand Rapids last week when that town hall happened and the crowds there were clearly energized by Palin’s appearance- and this was a crowd likely to vote for McCain in the first place (even though they don’t like him).
highhopes on September 21, 2008 at 9:49 PM
Slublog should do a Pshop of Obama “sitting” on that big lipstick. Yeah, “sitting.”
Bugler on September 21, 2008 at 9:52 PM
Every time I see that Governor Palin has drawn a big crowd, or see someone write a positive editorial about her,(yes, there are many if you look on the right blogs), I can’t help but think that she is driving the elitist media and ivy league crowd absolutely crazy. Maybe they will finally realize that there is a normal America out here, and it sure as hell is not them.
We just might have to put Maureen Dowd on suicide watch.
kam582 on September 21, 2008 at 9:52 PM
Obama, today, confirmed he has an amazing grasp to conceptualize large numbers.
Captain Obvious to the rescue!
lorien1973 on September 21, 2008 at 9:53 PM
Too bad. That’s when you attend and ask the hard questions. I saw Michelle Obama supposedly meeting with military spouses a few weeks ago. Clearly it was nothing more than some subset of Obama supporters because not one of the military wives bothered asking Michelle about her hubby’s anti-military voting record and all the ways he slandered their service in his zeal to legislate defeat.
highhopes on September 21, 2008 at 9:54 PM
Google right now shows that, except for CNN, the MSM has left the story of Palin’s rally and the crowd she attracted to the FL news outlets.
And CNN’s report is heavily weighted towards Obama, including providing links to the individual stories wherein Obama gets a big panorama photo and story and Palin gets a link to vid of her speech. Obama hacks, all.
Dusty on September 21, 2008 at 9:56 PM
Piper Palin: not-so-stealth weapon.
Pasalubong on September 21, 2008 at 9:57 PM
Some times the comments on HuffPo are amusing. When a post asked “Is it true Palin drew 60,000 people in Florida like Drudge says?” another reassured, “Well, MSNBC said she drew ‘tens of thousands’, and that’s a lot less than 60,000.”
Hee.
Marcus on September 21, 2008 at 9:57 PM
Aww… Piper is so cute. It’s nice that everyone got to go to Disney. ;)
Illinidiva on September 21, 2008 at 9:58 PM
highhopes:
I don’t think any of the men running in the primaries could generate the same kind of excitement Palin has. And crusty old bastard {as you call him} was probably the only one of them with the nerve to actually put her on the ticket.
Terrye on September 21, 2008 at 9:58 PM
If she comes my way, I’m going to show up with a giant stuffed Barracuda and/or a sign with a drawing of a barracuda biting Obama’s/Biden’s ass.
Blake on September 21, 2008 at 9:58 PM
Anyone who attended, did they play barracuda?
lorien1973 on September 21, 2008 at 10:00 PM
Marcus:
Sheesh. Oh yeah tens of thousands is a lot less than 60,000. Math challenged liberals. That explains the mortgage crises.
Terrye on September 21, 2008 at 10:00 PM
hawkdriver on September 21, 2008 at 9:36 PM
Naww that focker can go for a long walk on a short pier for thinking his UD blue hens could take my OHIO state buckeye’s.Had the nerve to say it in Ohio for the love of god.
tee866 on September 21, 2008 at 10:00 PM
Not necessarily since it has yet to be demonstrated that more regulation is the answer here. In fact, I would suggest the opposite. The heart of this crisis is the mortgage meltdown caused in large part by the government’s insistence in putting people in homes they couldn’t afford in the name of diversity and equal opportunity. Lenders were essentially forced to loosen the criteria for loans to those who were bad credit risks.
Equal opportunity does not mean equal outcome. Far too many were extended more credit than was reasonable in the name of diversity and fairness. This is a broad statement not intended to suggest that everybody who “qualified” for $500K homes actually were stupid enough to finance up to the max. Nevertheless, the mortgage crisis wouldn’t have happened if Fannie Mae’s Democrat backers hadn’t made it so easy to get unrealistic financing. It all worked well when the real estate market was on the rise but it proved to be nothing but a house of cards in a downturn.
Put another way, I think Barney Frank and Chris Dodd should be in jail for their actions over the past decade.
highhopes on September 21, 2008 at 10:04 PM
[lorien1973 on September 21, 2008 at 10:00 PM]
It’s too bad we’ve passed through the boom-box era and into the Ipod era or everyone would be playing it at the rallies.
Dusty on September 21, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Leave it to the Dems and MSM to question the numbers in attendence.
Funny how there has never been any doubt about Obama’s rally numbers in Philly or Portland or Germany. Hmmmmm? Nor any mention of the rock bands opening up for him.
dugan on September 21, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Pictures from the event
Lorien1973:
No Barracuda. They played Van Halen’s “Right Now”, and afterwards, “Celebration” and the theme from “Rocky”.
Purple Fury on September 21, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Dude, you have to go there to understand. If something big happens there, you HAVE to attend. It’s a mob mentality. There are tons of restaurants open all hours, but everybody eats dinner at 5:00 – just know it in advance.
And Elizabetty, I don’t know why Biden didn’t draw that many. I’m sure there are Biden supporters there. I was really just joking. But if there is ONE place in this country where they would be uber angry at the thought that McCain is ‘old’ at 72, the Villages would be it.
ThackerAgency on September 21, 2008 at 10:07 PM
I agree with you; I was just making the point that Obama said “nothing” – he’s just continuing to snark and not really have a clue what to do here.
Read the QOTD first link, to newt’s piece. It’s a good one.
lorien1973 on September 21, 2008 at 10:08 PM
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