Back in 2004 , when I first moved to Green Bay Wisconsin , I participated in my first large protest rally at the Resch Center. The candidate was George W. Bush. The so called "Free Speech" zone where we were allowed to hold signs and oppose the warmonger , was on the opposite side of where all the action would take place , but the Republicans who were attending the rally , had to walk a long way from the parking lot at Lambeau Field to get to the Resch Center. So, we had an opportunity to make sure they heard from us.
There was something unusual about that rally though. It was unexpected and abnormal. And , now , having attended several Obama Rallies , I can confirm that this is not typical. What I saw that sunny day in May of 2004 , was about 20 buses filled with people from out of state. There were jokes that George Bush bussed them in himself. I don't know. But it says a lot when the majority of the people attending your rally are not even locals.
In any event, flash forward to 2008. Same Resch Center. Same Republican Rally and pretty much the same candidate if ya know what I mean , and I notice the exact same thing that happened in 2004. This time , I have more insight. See, I work in the Lodging Hospitality Industry and when doing call arounds, we all noticed something strange that was taking place at our Hotel properties city wide.
We were all sold out for today . That only happens on Packer Home Game Nights and there's no game today. The general consensus is that they are all here for John Mc Cain and Sarah Palin. And they are all out of state. Many of them are from Indiana. That seems to be a common theme. It stands out because we are used to seeing a lot of guests from Michigan , Minnesota , Missouri and Illinois on a daily basis, but the influx of folks from Indiana , well. That's just not the norm.
So, I suspect that given the fact that there are no other major city wide events going on today other than the Mc Cain/Palin Rally, I guess these folks from Indiana are here for them. That's fine. We will take their money. But, I just think it's a little misleading to have a rally in Green Bay Wisconsin filled with people from Indiana. Ya know ?
I am thinking about scoping out the place as an undercover Mc Cain supporter and take pictures of all the empty space inside so that if they lie about the turnout, I have proof. Not sure if I can though because my car is covered with Obama stickers and I'm Black so I would totally blow my own cover. LOL. But, I'll drive by anyway. I suspect that if there are protesters, I'll see more Green Bay Residents there than in the Resch Center.
If there's anyone in Green Bay , that could visibly pass as a Mc Cain supporter , I encourage you to attend the Rally and take pictures of the empty sections and maybe even check out the parking lot that will most likely be flooded with Indiana plates. There's still tickets. That's also very unusual because Obama Rallies run out of tickets a day or two after they announce they are coming. But the Mc Cain rally STILL has tickets available. Oh, and watch the place as it empties after Palin gives her speech before Mc Cain. LOL