On Tuesday, Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin made a campaign stop in Henderson, Nevada, a short 20 minute drive from Vegas. This was the Governor's first time in Southern Nevada since she was chosen by John McCain to be his running mate. She was welcomed by about 7,000 supporters proudly showcasing their McCain-Palin gear. As I walked the line to get into the event, held at the Henderson Pavilion, I overheard chanting, shouting, and a few minor obscenities near the curb of the main street.
As I continued on, the shouting was louder and much clearer. "Obama is a socialist!" yelled one woman, decorated heavily with McCain-Palin accessories, including cap, shirt, and stickers. She was addressing the few Obama supporters who were waving Obama-Biden signs at the Palin event. The entrance line snaked behind the Obama protestors who continually yelled in rhythm, "O-ba-ma, O-ba-ma, O-ba-ma," at the busy street in front of the Pavilion. The Palin supporters continued to taunt, "No-ba-ma, No-ba-ma", but honestly was hard to differentiate between the two opposing sides as they blended together. I decided to stay near the demonstrators, about 15 in all, to see if this was going anywhere.
"Baby killers!" shouted several supporters at a protestor who was wearing what appeared to be a prom dress and held a sign that read "Rape victims deserve choice". One man stepped out of the line and attempted to hand a protestor a dollar and laughed, "If it's welfare you want, here you go." One Obama supporter shouted back, "We will all be on welfare under John McCain's non-existent economic plan!" As the line continued to move, the continuous attacks from eager Palin observers ranged from "McCain, not Hussein", to the usual "Look at the idiots and freaks!" No matter what was shouted at the Obama supporters, they kept chanting the same messages. "O-ba-ma! War breeds hate!" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSHsM9OzHGE)
One sign in particular was getting extra attention from the line. As I read it, it was clear why. "If Obama=Socialist, then Palin=Nazi", swastikas on either side of the word "Nazi" for emphasis. As I pushed my way through the brigade of angry Palin voters, I asked him what his sign meant. He prefers to be anynomous as he was ditching school to attend the protest. He said, "I am not calling Palin a Nazi, despite popular belief here at the rally. I am simply saying that it is ridiculous to call Barack Obama a socialist, as Sarah Palin has done so in many of her stump campaign speeches. Therefore, if her supporters truly believe that he is a socialist, which can clearly be seen as true by all the chants from the Republican supporters, then it is just as absurd to call Sarah Palin a Nazi." When I asked if he was scared by the screaming from his oppostition, he laughed and said, "Not at all. No matter what you say about Republicans, they will always get upset. But I guess it's okay to call Obama a socialist."
As I left the protest, the rally was getting underway. Palin made it very clear that she came to Henderson for one thing - the women's vote. She reached for Hillary Clinton supporters to come on board with the McCain-Palin ticket. This stop was much needed as Barack Obama gained 5% over John McCain in the latest Nevada polls.