A Rousing, Tightly-Controlled, Poorly Reported Palin Rally in Indiana

As Sarah Palin spoke in Jeffersonville, Indiana, during the last week of the 2008 election, she made a rousing speech, cheered by the crowd at almost every line, but tight campaign control and poor reporting are making a potentially dangerous situation worse.

To a degree remarkable even in these times, everything in the rally had been scripted. Rally officials told folks who brought hand-lettered signs to leave their colorful creations at the entrance. The campaign instead passed out blue and white McCain-Palin signs and red pom-poms to wave. Then it gave what only appeared to be hand-lettered signs to people in the bleachers behind Sarah Palin, the backdrop that TV cameras saw. On a riser, a technician babysat the teleprompter that told Palin what to say, keeping her on message. Reporters were welcomed then boxed. All big campaigns furnish a press box, an enclosure with electricity for our laptops and risers for our cameras Press credentials should be sufficient to get us in and out of that area, yet if we even had to go to the bathroom, minders went with us. We were allowed to interview only those people who lined--or whom we could coax to--the edge of our press pen, and even that was iffy A red-jacketed woman official for example stopped wheelchair racer Jack Johnson from talking to me, pushing between us then ordering him away.

Johnson had been saying, "I'm pro-life, pro-guns, and believe that we need to work for what we've got. Our jobs have gone overseas; there's inflation and that big bad bailout. I do not support the war in Iraq; we are fighting there for corporate interests. It's not just Haliburton cozying up with Bush; it's both parties, for decades. I'm here to decide who to vote for..So far, I think that Palin actually gives a crap about the American public...."

Shooed off, Johnson was allowed to finish his thoughts only when another official intervened. The second official while defending the right of a small portion of the crowd to talk to the media however ordered the rally volunteers not to talk to us. For eight hours as they stood in the chill wind and then indoors, taking notes with pen and paper technology. I nonetheless listened to both supporters and volunteers--all friendly, courteous people-- who wanted to explain how they felt, Like voters across the political spectrum, they called for an end to 1) political corruption and corporate control of government, 2) dependence on foreign energy sources, 4) handouts rather than opportunities, 5) treaties that penalize U.S, workers, 6) heavy taxation of the middle class, 6) ineffective, costly education, 8) policies that weaken the US economy and 9) the Iraq War.

Ethan Crouch, New Middletown, Indiana, said though, "I'm here because I'm pro-life and pro-free enterprise. Obama's an obvious Marxist, a socialist. I'm willing to see change within America, but am not willing to see America changed."

Wearing an "I Vote the Bible" button, Jeff Summitt explained that "Sarah Palin is the Queen Esther of our time." [In the biblical Queen Esther story, a Persian king gets rid of his wife because she has on one occasion refused to sleep with him--he and his counselors fear that her disobedience could trigger a women's revolt. He then examines all his kingdom's virgins, choosing Esther as his favorite. Made queen, Esther deceives the king, not telling him that she is Jewish, but keeps her "place," appearing only and always when bidden. When the king authorizes a man to slaughter all the Jews however, she intervenes, getting his permission instead for the Jews to slaughter their enemies and enemy's children.] Many Palin supporters see her as a traditional woman, bold in a time of crisis. Katherine Harris, who oversaw the 2000 election in Florida, also got her inspiration from Esther.]

Unwilling to be quoted, several people whispered to me that Obama was the Anti-Christ.

While polls showed that Sarah Palin had lost women as an overall group, women in the hall strongly supported her, and many were from nearby more cosmopolitan Louisville.

Jan Searcy, seated with her husband Will in matching red sweaters in the V. I. P. section said,."Palin is much more conservative than McCain, smart on energy. Here is at last a woman candidate, and she is pro-life; believes that the U.S. is doing a good job in the war in Iraq; and wants this economy turned around. We see Joe Biden as liberal establishment and don't believe what Obama says."

From the area, Bobbie Hawkins, 76, said, "It's women's rights. Sarah's a woman gun carrier. So am I. We can do anything men can do."

Nothing drew stronger applause than even passing references to handguns, rifles, shotguns, assault weapons, all seen by supporters as a source of self-sufficiency (hunting), the freedom stemming from that self-reliance and the ability to defend themselves from crime and government interference. They said that they feared dictatorship if Obama won.

Governor Mitch Daniels [R] of Indiana had for the third time in two weeks avoided sharing a stage with Governor Palin, which was noted in Indiana press stories. Most media reports though concentrated exclusively on smiles and based their crowd-counts on the 20,000 tickets that Palin organizers said they had distributed, rather than on the people visibly there.(The center though built to contain 20,000 was at the rally's peak only 1/4 to 1/3 full.) The surrounding neighborhoods were more diverse than the overwhelmingly white audience, reflecting a shift many have noted in the Republican party No reports that I saw noted this or that singer Hank Williams who has been campaigning with Palin got thunderous applause not only by mentioning the often extraordinary self-reliance of country people, and guns, but also when he denounced liberals, Democrats, city people and other groups.

These are times of profound change. That kind of campaigning rubs already raw wounds.

My Indiana brother-in-law that day painted on his car''s back windshield "NO-BAMA: PRO-CHOICE, PRO-GAY, ANTI-AMERICAN." Shocked by the reaction he got, he said that when he drove through nearby Louisville, "a gay guy" shot him the finger and black men "all bigots"-- raised their fists and followed me almost all the way home for expressing my beliefs When I agreed that following someone while making threatening gestures was wrong, but said that painting signs that called people who disagreed with him "anti-American" was wrong too, he hung up on me. Those are all expressions of free speech. No one was physically attacked, but after this election bad blood could spill blood if reporters do not shake off their handlers and get deeper into their surroundings.

Comments

[trinity]

And from the northern part of the state...Halloween night, 40,000 Hoosiers packed into Wicker Park in Highland (4 miles from the IN/IL state line) to hear Obama. It was pretty much a free for all, anyone could join in the festivities (even a few anti-Obama pro-life protesters)...

Keep in mind this is the part of Indiana will the big population numbers, NOT Jeffersonville...

[Just Joe]

sheez.
I don't trust a politician that plays on your fears.
This type of politics creates deep divisions.
As Lincoln admonished, we need to appeal to the angels of our better nature.

[Just Joe]

sheez.
I don't trust a politician that plays on your fears.
This type of politics creates deep divisins.
As Lincoln admonished, we need to appeal to the angels of our better nature.

[nervousexpat]

I'm an expat living in Canada, and religion doesn't even enter into the political scene here. Canada just had a federal election, and I couldn't even tell you what religion the party leaders espouse, if ANY. It's soooo refreshing. I actually believe that if a leader tried to make religion an issue here, s/he would be laughed out of office.

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

Remember that these "ignorant" McCain-Palin like Obama-Biden supporters call for an end to 1) political corruption and corporate control of government, 2) dependence on foreign energy sources, 4) handouts rather than opportunities, 5) treaties that penalize U.S, workers, 6) heavy taxation of the middle class, 6) ineffective, costly education, 8) policies that weaken the US economy and 9) the Iraq War. Sure, as my writing showed, I was repulsed when their thunderous applause greeted denunciations of Democrats, liberals, city people etc. But isn't this thread often the same thing in reverse--wholesale denunciations of Republicans, conservatives, rural people, etc?

These people do not want assault weapons in order to come get you, but in order to defend themselves and their families from what they see as already invasive, dictatorial federal power [are you sure that you disagree?] and crime You see them as violent; they see city people as violent--pointing out that the Chicago murder rate is higher per year that the death among soldiers in Iraq. In most rural areas, no one even locks doors.

In my view anyway, the problem is politicians playing on fear in a time of crisis.

[onenvrnos]

Before this election, I honestly thought Republicans were generally well-educated and wealthier (overall) than the general population. I had never even looked at the Republicans in terms of ethnicity. But, all of these perceptions have changed--so much so that I do not believe I can ever support a Republican candidate again. Here is what I see now:

**Primarily white, racist or involved in race baiting
**Manipulative
**Uneducated and/or Ignorant--even the wealthy and educated have their head in a box
**Pro-life and willing to push that agenda at the expense of any thing else that matters
**Pro-war--"Every one else is the enemy"
**Pro-gun (including assault weapons) I am all for citizens having the right to bear arms or for hunting. But, to have guns for any other purpose (excluding job requirements) is obviously errant.
**Promotion of fear on every front
**Deceitful and bearers of false truths; untrustworthy
**Unwilling to address the future, bogged down in the past
**Oil and gas companies as bed fellows for the rich and powerful; self-serving agendas
**Very myopic, self-centered
**Divisive
**Promoting a veil of secrecy
**Being above the law
**Winning at any cost

Although I think our government is suppose to have checks and balances and hence a two-party system at the least, something has gone terribly awry, particularly when Republicans are in office. Palin is just a symptom of the problem, but she is certainly an iconic reminder of the fallacies of the party.

[Gail McGowan Mellor - Huffpost Blogger]

Higher levels of self education or effective institutional education tend to tilt people toward Obama arguably because educated people have taught themselves or were taught to read a balanced source list--and they like his pragmatism. Those who have only one source are more vulnerable to being whipped up into decisions based on ideology, fear or anger. Aren't we conflating though the way that the candidates are (manipulative, divisive, etc.) with the way that the people supporting them are? I think that a large portion of a good but frightened nation is being stampeded by politically concocted fear of the Other. We need to be careful not to demonize the Other, either.

[cherylm1937]

But Ms. Mellor.....we Black Americans HAVE been demonized-----We've been generally dismissed----and as a result, these people have tried to dismiss Obama as just another Black candidate---just because many of us are choosing to support him. You seem a well-read person---surely you have seen some of the things many of these folks have said about us--and heard the myths many of these folks choose to believe about us. I have voted for White candidates all my voting career; never thought a thing a about it. By that same token, I DID not vote for either Rev. Sharpton or Rev. Jackson. So you can imagine my resentment when I hear that 'oh, the blacks are only voting for Obama becuase he's black'. And this is a common refrain from a lot of these people. In my opinion, these folks choose to be afraid; they choose to indulge in the simmering hate that the McCain-Palin people have tapped into and continue to foment. Quite frankly, my understanding has worn a little thin at this point.

[ParaplegicNomad]

I'm sorry, what? We have to be careful not to demonize racism? We have to be careful not to demonize homophobia? We can't demonize the idea that "Pro-Gay" is "Anti-American?" That's ridiculous.

Are you saying we should feign compassion and understanding and sympathy for their hatred in order to reach out to the other side on some emotional level? Because I think society has a responsibility to show zero tolerance to bigotry. Certainly, we can be less vitriolic about it, but I'm not a big fan of having to coddle the feelings of bigots. In my humble opinion, they need to grow up, get educated, take responsibility for their prejudices, and face up to the consequences of their decision to spread fear and hatred.

[nobozos]

~
They have to limit press access to the Palin base, because so many of them come off as uneducated, hate spewing bigots. I was shocked at what I was hearing before the handlers clamped down on freedom of the press at her ralllies.
~

[kayatarms]

I see one of the commenters mentioned they are like "Joe the Plumber", this really really disturbs me. This Joe is NOT a plumber, name is not Joe, tax evader but yet he is on the campaign trail saying O believes "Death to Israel". He is a campaign mascot!! Now he has a publicist, cutting a CD, had people pay off his taxes! This stuff you can't make this up! Unreal! And the worst part, he gives interviews and MSVP doesn't okkkkk!

[Warthog]

Want some fun? Plot the curves of 1. tendency to evangelize, 2. psychoanalysis insecurity profile and level of education.
As 1 and 2, which usually run hand in hand, go up, 3 goes down.

[Scorpioqueen]

Unfortunately, some of my fellow Hoosiers are very far right. They also live on the white is right philosophy. I just wish they would go back to their hills and hollars and stay there. The rest of us are going to continue making Indiana bleed blue.


Vote Obama/Biden 08

[jacqmac]

McCain/Palin rallies are as tightly controlled as ANY 'protest' of ANY kind has been since 9/11. There is also a vast DIFFERENCE between IGNORANCE and STUPIDITY. The types of people that go to these rallies are generally IGNORANT. They are the people who are VERY AFRAID of their 'wealth' being 'stolen' and 'redistributed' to people who don't have any. What they don't realize is this: THEY don't have any wealth either. They don't have ANY RIGHTS, other than those that the controllers 'choose' to 'give' them at any time and generally, these are the 'rights' that will do the CONTROLLERS the most good and NOT these people. They CAN be helped and they CAN be 'rehabilitated', but they need to be really EDUCATED! They need to realize that once this is all over---THEY will be sent back to whereever they live and NEVER asked for another appearance until the NEXT ELECTION.

Obama/Biden '08

[neesy08]

I live right across the river in Louisville, and I cannot begin to tell you how abig a deal Palin's arrival was here. I completely ignored everything and went about my business

[Willow712]

I used to have a neighbor that was a survivalist. He had food and guns and ammo stockpiled in his house. He was a fairly nice guy, I was friends with his wife. He was just like these right wing people. the CIA had a complete list of all the radical survivalists. They were keeping an eye on them because the government was afraid they would do something stupid. He doesn't sound so crazy like he used to. he sounds like the people going to a Palin rally. I firmly believe that a radical fundamentalist Christian is just as dangerous as a radical fundamentalist Muslim. They are both dangerous.

[hardworker12]

Our founding fathers kept religion out of politics for a reason. The right wing of the republican party has destroyed what our founding fathers put down on paper. Once they lose power then we can see real change.

[jjjuice]

I agree.

[Wigelah]

This sort of rally doesn't sound a whole lot like Freedom to me.