North Carolina Welcomes Sarah Palin on Road to Victory Rally

Elon, North Carolina -- As early as 1 p.m. on Thursday, there was a large crowd forming at Latham Park, the baseball field at Elon University. The draw was vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's visit, along with country music star, Hank Williams, Jr. Shuttles carried eager attendees from designated parking areas to the college every 20 minutes. The October day felt more like a summer day with temperatures reaching the mid 80s.

Supporters of the McCain-Palin ticket sported t-shirts to convey their support. Some of their messages read simply "McCain-Palin" on shirts of various colors; a few had a message of a different sort that read "Elect Any Democrat '08." One young man had designed the text on his own shirt: "I'm a Friend of Joe the Plumber," referring to a man who has questioned Sen. Barack Obama's tax policy and was mentioned several times in Wednesday night's presidential debate.

Walking across Elon's campus, around the lake and to the field, those who came to attend the Palin rally heard a familiar voice blaring from one of the dormitory windows. An avid supporter of the opposing side was blasting a speech Obama had given, a reminder to all of the enthusiasm on both sides of this presidential race.

The atmosphere was one of positive energy. Despite the heat, the security clearances and the crowds, everyone seemed to be excited about the event. Outside the ball field's fence, several local politicians campaigned while Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson greeted attendees.

Inside the fence, the bleachers were filled and others were either standing or sitting on blankets in the field. For the benefit of the people in the outfield, a large screen had been set up to better view the goings-on onstage. A group of five bare-chested male students in matching red shorts had painted a white letter with a blue background on each of their chests that read, when they were lined up correctly, P-A-L-I-N. Another one joined them later exhibiting an exclamation mark on his chest. Several attendees snapped their picture much to their delight.

Music played before Palin arrived set the stage. The Well's Family Band, a local North Carolina group, pleased the audience with several country music selections. Later, Hank Williams, Jr. took the stage, opening with his popular "All My Rowdy Friends." Sporting a #75 Carolina Panthers jersey with his nickname 'Bocephus' emblazoned across the back, Williams changed a few words of the song for the occasion and sang, "All my Sarah friends are coming to Carolina tonight."

After a few words from North Carolina Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr, and an acapella rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Williams, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin took the stage. She began by saying, "Hank Williams, Jr. you are awesome!" Then, amid cheers from the crowd, she said, "It's so good to be here, the home of the Elon Phoenix!"

Palin reiterated some of the key points she and her running mate, Sen. John McCain, have been talking about on the campaign. In referencing the differences between Obama and McCain, she said, "The choice is between a politician who wants to raise your taxes and a true reformer who will get this economy back on track." She spoke of the economy and the McCain-Palin plan to "help students pay for their college education." She also promised, if elected, she and John McCain would "balance the federal budget by the end of our first term."

After a 30-minute speech, Palin, along with her colleagues and Williams left the stage and greeted the crowd, shaking hands and signing autographs.