Waiting for Sarah, Part II

NASHVILLE — The 1,100 ticketholders for Sarah Palin’s speech have assembled in the ballroom after a lengthy wait outside. As promised, the dinner being served is steak and lobster, and from the view in the media risers there are few vegetarian substitutions.

“We put a lot of thought into the dinner, so it would be a tragedy if you did not eat it,” said Judson Phillips. “One warning: It is hazardous to your waistline.”

It’s never been clear whether Palin will stick around after the speech, but many attendees have grabbed copies of “Going Rogue” in the hope of getting it signed — at one table, copies of the book are sitting vertically, bookmarked by black pens. The convention schedule had a glossy photo of Palin on the inside cover, and copies of that schedule are sitting around, with the picture folded to the front.

The dinner’s opening prayer started with a plea for God to help America and ended with a prayer for “wisdom” for Palin, a “modern Deborah.”