Palin big hit in Omaha
OMAHA — Thousands of Nebraska Republicans showered Sarah Palin with affection Sunday as the party’s newest star brought her vice presidential campaign to the state.
They gathered on short notice, lining up for hours to fill the 2,500-seat Music Hall in the downtown Civic Auditorium with several thousand more spilling into overflow arena space.
Palin quickly dismissed media pundits who, she said, were suggesting “the only reason she would go to Nebraska is because (Republicans) are scared.”
“I’m going to Nebraska because I want to go to Nebraska,” Palin told her boisterous supporters.
The Alaska governor, John McCain’s surprise choice for running mate, added a stop in Omaha to her Sunday schedule with barely 24 hours notice.
But she has become such a political phenomenon since her appearance at the Republican national convention in September that scant preparation time didn’t matter.
People were waiting in line Sunday morning 10 hours before her evening appearance. A line snaked through downtown Omaha for blocks Sunday afternoon waiting for the auditorium doors to open.
Standing on a stage filled with campaign workers and supporters at 7:30 p.m., Palin joyfully accepted a couple of University of Nebraska at Omaha hockey shirts with a team name that she said “has a nice ring to it.”
The self-styled political maverick and hockey mom liked the message: “UNO Maverick.”
Palin delivered her standard campaign pitch of lower taxes, job creation, energy independence and determination to achieve victory in Iraq.
McCain, she said, “isn’t afraid to use the word victory” when he talks about the war in Iraq.
“It sure would be nice if just once (Obama) would say he wants America to win.”
U.S. military personnel are “fighting terrorism and protecting us and our democratic values,” Palin said.
“They’re fighting for the freedoms of those who were protesting when we drove up today.”
A small band of Obama supporters stood across the street from the auditorium all day, carrying signs and shouting Obama slogans.
The “phoniest claim” in this year’s presidential campaign is that Obama is “gonna cut your taxes,” Palin said.
McCain would provide “tax relief for all Americans,” she said.
Palin’s signature argument for energy independence, what she describes as “the all-of-the-above approach,” triggered chants of “Drill, Baby, Drill.”
Nebraska farmers “can tell you fuel costs can make the difference between turning a profit and losing a farm,” she said.
Palin somewhat altered her Saturday attack on Obama for “palling around with terrorists,” having cited his association with William Ayers, a former member of the Vietnam-era Weather Underground.
In Sunday’s remarks, she did not repeat those words, but referred to the Ayers association and continued to suggest Obama is “not a man who sees America as you and I do.”
Three hours before she spoke, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson told a downtown news conference that Palin’s Saturday attack had moved the campaign “from the silly season to Swift Boat season.”
Look for more Republican efforts to “change the subject” from the economy and other challenges facing the country, Nelson said, including a likely revival of Pastor Jeremiah Wright’s controversial sermons in Obama’s former Chicago church.
Four years ago, Democratic nominee John Kerry was plagued by TV ads disparaging his performance as a Swift Boat commander in Vietnam.
Nelson said he believes Palin’s sudden trip to Omaha may have been prompted by concerns that Obama could win an electoral vote in red-state Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
“It tells me they know something,” he said.
Most of Nebraska’s Republican heavyweights, with the exception of Sen. Chuck Hagel, shared the stage with Palin.
Gov. Dave Heineman introduced her. Reps. Jeff Fortenberry, Lee Terry and Adrian Smith joined Senate nominee Mike Johanns in addressing the crowd.
Signs popped up everywhere.
“Joe Six Pack,” shouted one man’s sign, celebrating Palin’s appeal to working class voters.
“A Breath of Fresh Air,” another sign stated.
The crowd cheered Palin’s applause lines and booed references to Obama, Sen. Joe Biden and “the mainstream media.”
Palin joked that she purposely avoided answering some of Katie Couric’s questions during her much-discussed CBS interview “to give Tina Fey more material” for Saturday Night Live.
Fey’s latest imitation of Palin on NBC centered on her performance in last week’s vice presidential debate.
Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.
They gathered on short notice, lining up for hours to fill the 2,500-seat Music Hall in the downtown Civic Auditorium with several thousand more spilling into overflow arena space.
Palin quickly dismissed media pundits who, she said, were suggesting “the only reason she would go to Nebraska is because (Republicans) are scared.”
“I’m going to Nebraska because I want to go to Nebraska,” Palin told her boisterous supporters.
The Alaska governor, John McCain’s surprise choice for running mate, added a stop in Omaha to her Sunday schedule with barely 24 hours notice.
But she has become such a political phenomenon since her appearance at the Republican national convention in September that scant preparation time didn’t matter.
People were waiting in line Sunday morning 10 hours before her evening appearance. A line snaked through downtown Omaha for blocks Sunday afternoon waiting for the auditorium doors to open.
Standing on a stage filled with campaign workers and supporters at 7:30 p.m., Palin joyfully accepted a couple of University of Nebraska at Omaha hockey shirts with a team name that she said “has a nice ring to it.”
The self-styled political maverick and hockey mom liked the message: “UNO Maverick.”
Palin delivered her standard campaign pitch of lower taxes, job creation, energy independence and determination to achieve victory in Iraq.
McCain, she said, “isn’t afraid to use the word victory” when he talks about the war in Iraq.
“It sure would be nice if just once (Obama) would say he wants America to win.”
U.S. military personnel are “fighting terrorism and protecting us and our democratic values,” Palin said.
“They’re fighting for the freedoms of those who were protesting when we drove up today.”
A small band of Obama supporters stood across the street from the auditorium all day, carrying signs and shouting Obama slogans.
The “phoniest claim” in this year’s presidential campaign is that Obama is “gonna cut your taxes,” Palin said.
McCain would provide “tax relief for all Americans,” she said.
Palin’s signature argument for energy independence, what she describes as “the all-of-the-above approach,” triggered chants of “Drill, Baby, Drill.”
Nebraska farmers “can tell you fuel costs can make the difference between turning a profit and losing a farm,” she said.
Palin somewhat altered her Saturday attack on Obama for “palling around with terrorists,” having cited his association with William Ayers, a former member of the Vietnam-era Weather Underground.
In Sunday’s remarks, she did not repeat those words, but referred to the Ayers association and continued to suggest Obama is “not a man who sees America as you and I do.”
Three hours before she spoke, Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson told a downtown news conference that Palin’s Saturday attack had moved the campaign “from the silly season to Swift Boat season.”
Look for more Republican efforts to “change the subject” from the economy and other challenges facing the country, Nelson said, including a likely revival of Pastor Jeremiah Wright’s controversial sermons in Obama’s former Chicago church.
Four years ago, Democratic nominee John Kerry was plagued by TV ads disparaging his performance as a Swift Boat commander in Vietnam.
Nelson said he believes Palin’s sudden trip to Omaha may have been prompted by concerns that Obama could win an electoral vote in red-state Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
“It tells me they know something,” he said.
Most of Nebraska’s Republican heavyweights, with the exception of Sen. Chuck Hagel, shared the stage with Palin.
Gov. Dave Heineman introduced her. Reps. Jeff Fortenberry, Lee Terry and Adrian Smith joined Senate nominee Mike Johanns in addressing the crowd.
Signs popped up everywhere.
“Joe Six Pack,” shouted one man’s sign, celebrating Palin’s appeal to working class voters.
“A Breath of Fresh Air,” another sign stated.
The crowd cheered Palin’s applause lines and booed references to Obama, Sen. Joe Biden and “the mainstream media.”
Palin joked that she purposely avoided answering some of Katie Couric’s questions during her much-discussed CBS interview “to give Tina Fey more material” for Saturday Night Live.
Fey’s latest imitation of Palin on NBC centered on her performance in last week’s vice presidential debate.
Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.
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