On my way to my son’s soccer game on Saturday, I passed by an early voting site in the predominantly conservative Northeast Heights in the early afternoon and was pleased to see a line winding out the door. Then on Sunday, an estimated 10,000 attended a campaign rally in Roswell with Sarah Palin (subscription):
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin swooped into southeastern New Mexico on Sunday to aim a flurry of political shots at Democrat Barack Obama, coming within a ricochet of calling him a socialist during a campaign rally that drew an estimated 10,000-plus cheering fans.
After telling the huge crowd that the Democratic presidential contender intends to raise taxes on “Joe the Plumber” and “Ed the Dairyman,” the Alaska governor added:
“Barack Obama calls it ‘spreading wealth.’ Joe Biden calls higher taxes ‘patriotic.’ But Joe the Plumber and Ed the Dairyman, I believe that they think it sounds more like socialism. Now is no time to experiment with socialism. It will destroy jobs. It will hurt our economy. And it’s about time that we all call Barack Obama on it.”
In 2004, New Mexico was delivered for President Bush due to the incredible turnout efforts in the southern and eastern parts of the state. Attendance at the rally seems to indicate that the turnout for John McCain in this part of the state is on track to meet or exceed those 2004 numbers.