UPDATE BELOW
Calling all Mainiac Kossaks: Sarah Palin will rally at the Bangor Airport, Thursday, October 16. Whaddya say we give her a big welcome?
Tickets are required. You can RSVP to our beloved opposition here, and also find out the closest ticket pick-up location.
GoP organ Bangor Daily News has a very brief announcement. I expect that tomorrow's paper will feature a piece more in keeping with their glee. I also expect that "Our Senator" Susan Collins will make an appearance. It will be a dazzling duo of competing speech tics.
Following McCain's coitus interruptus (and in keeping with the vulgar tone announced in the headline to this diary) in Michigan, the babyRoves have targeted Maine's second congressional district for the split EV it may represent. Notwithstanding the excellent Obamican effort in the region, and the protestations of at least one 2CD Kossak, eastern Maine is McCain's best chance outside of New Hampshire to pick up a vote or two in New England.
I said in the opening 'graph that Susie may show her face, but the fact is that would be a bad idea. She's succeeding right now because people in Maine can distinguish her from Bush. Sharing the stage with the least popular candidate in recent Presidential political history might not be the best way for her to secure her image as a "moderate" in otherwise reliably Democratic Maine.
It would be fitting if the pine tree state could turn out a sea of blue and burnt orange to "welcome" Sarah to our humble maintenance hangar. Coming on the heels of the first Meathead Toddy (he of the truck stops, motorsports dealers and sporting goods stores--way to campaign Toddy!), I suppose that the biggest room in Bangor not intended for human occupancy is a step up. (Was the Bangor auditorium booked? It's all of 15 minutes from the airport--if you drive slow.)
I encourage everyone with a contact in the area and the ability to get there: Get a ticket, take the ride.
And bring a friend. Let's do Maine proud.
UPDATE: The rally has been moved:
"Responding to a huge demand for tickets, the Maine Republican Party announced Tuesday that it was moving Palin’s rally from the maintenance hangar at Bangor International Airport to the larger Hangar 11.
"We want to make sure that everyone who wishes to attend the rally and see Gov. Palin has the opportunity to do so," Maine GOP Chairman Mark Ellis said.
Tickets are available at any of the five Republican headquarters located in Bangor, Caribou, Machias, Lewiston and Portland, or by contacting the Maine Republican Party at 622-6247. Tickets also may be printed online.
These folks believe that not only can they win the EVs from the 2nd CD, but that they can put the whole state in play:
"While Sen. Barack Obama has held at least a four-point advantage over McCain in recent state polls, the Republicans believe the state is in play. Maine is one of only two states that splits its electoral votes by congressional district. The 2nd Congressional District, which includes all of eastern and northern Maine, is more rural, more conservative and likely to be friendlier to Palin than perhaps southern Maine.
"'A lot has been said that our strategy is winning the 2nd District, but we believe that if we can win the 2nd District big enough, we’ll win the state,' Ellis said."
Make sure you're one of the Mainers who has "snapped up" a ticket (to use the giddy prose of the BDN). Let's pack this rally with rational folks. Oh, and don't read the comments section of this story: lowest common denominator stuff, as per usual.
An Obama counter-demonstration is apparently planned at the Airport Mall, beginning at 7:30AM. Be seen and heard, of course. But grab a ticket if you can--and bring a video phone! At the very least, remind yourself of the venal and ignorant nature of your neighbors: we have a lot of work to do in this state.