VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — I arrived moments ago at the McCain-Palin rally at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. The section designated for the national traveling press is nearly empty, since most of the press has not yet arrived.
Soon after I sat down, a McCain campaign volunteer handed me this note from an audience member:
“„Please Read + Circulate
- Is there anyway possible for you all to exert pressure on the Obama camp to allow Barack’s College Thesis to be released for review by the public…??
- Why is the media not up in arms about the 500 million a year that is going to ACORN??
- Why is there not blanket coverage of the Bailout..which the Democrates [sic] allocated 20% of the money for ACORN when the Govm’t eventually gets the Bailout money back?
- Why not more coverage on Dodd, Frank and the others responsible for the Financial meltdown.
Some notes about the rally:
The crowd is very large — I would estimate more than 15,000 — not bad for a Monday morning. And in the enclosed convention hall, it is very, very loud.
A string of Republican Virginia politicians is warming up the crowd, including Rep. Thelma Drake, Rep. Randy Forbes, and Atty. Gen. Bob McDonnell, a gubernatorial candidate. Hank Williams Jr. is scheduled to play shortly. During those opening speeches, any mention of Sen. Barack Obama has drawn ground-shaking boos — though so far there has not been any of the vitriolic remarks from the crowd that have drawn so much attention lately.
A little while ago, an older woman passed out in the crowd and was brought into the press section — where she initially appeared not to be breathing — for emergency treatment, before being carried out on a stretcher.
Williams is taking the stage now to begin his set. I will have more when Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin take the stage.