One man's view of the world, from the top of this great big rock somewhere in the middle of God's Country, with an eye toward freedom....or at least some way to get back down without goin' over the edge.

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Location: West Virginia, United States

Former U.S. Army, SPC E-4, Veteran of Operation Desert Storm. If you are or have ever been a soldier, you have friends in my house.

Friday, September 05, 2008

...And To Think We've Been Neighbors All This Time: Meet John and Sarah

As is painfully obvious by now, I haven't had much time in my life for blogging lately. Hell, I haven't even really had much time for politics either. I basically have caught little glimpses of current events in between sleeping, eating, working and taking the kids to and from school.

I was not interested in watching the news concerning the Democratic convention. I didn't have to. It was plastered everywhere. The anointing of the Democratic chosen one. (You know, that guy ...Be-JAY-sus H. O-Bummer, or whatever his name is.)

I'm sure it must've been nice to be present at the walking of the waters. Whatever. I'm too busy trying to keep up my own paygrade to be too worried about his.

Didn't even notice his partner...I don't know, some fat cat.

But I had the good fortune to have a couple of days off just in the right places this week, to be able to watch Sarah Palin and John McCain introduce themselves to me.

And that is exactly what this amounted to. As I said, I haven't had much chance to get to know these players very well. Oh, I knew the names well enough, from glances at newspapers in the local Sheetz as I stopped in for gas, or when my wife has some of her websites up in the morning while she gets ready to do her job. (She works at home, dontcha know. Must be nice.)

It's just as well in the case of Sarah Palin, as she's rather new on the national market in any case. But I like what I saw and heard from her this past week.

A tough broad from Nowheresville, rising up through the ranks to become the governor of an American state, raising five good kids along the way, who doesn't give a damn who you are if she thinks you're trying to pull something over on the people who depend on her.

There's something undeniably American about a beauty queen that drives herself to work every day, at the helm of the biggest state in the Union, and (if necessary) can plug that night's dinner between the eyes from out the car window on the way home.

Go ahead...browse around. Learn who this chick is. Meet Sarah Palin.

Personally, I look forward to watching her eat her Democratic counterpart's lunch for him.

But, of course, the big-ticket show happened last night.

Up until this week or so, I have only really known him as a Senator with a war record from Vietnam and a pretty lady on his arm. (Hey, some guys just got it, y'know?)

Tonight...John McCain did not rise up from behind a movie set like the runner-up in the local Moose Lodge "Moses" lip-sync competition.

He did not float down from the heavens as if the collective face of "We-Who-Are-Not-He" was not worthy of being ground beneath his shoe leather.

Tonight...John McCain walked up, shook my hand, and showed me who he was.

As usual, far more able souls than I have already sounded off on what an occasion that was.

I will just say this.

If you did not watch John McCain's RCN presidential nomination acceptance speech last night, find someone with a link to it. (Ah, what the hell. Here ya go.)

Watch it. All of it. I don't care what your political beliefs are. That doesn't matter to what I am about to say next.

Meet John McCain...if only to learn what the word "service" really means.

There's far too many people out here these days that don't know the burden of service that thousands of their fellow citizens have taken upon themselves, to help bring America to the level of greatness it has attained...and to keep it from being brought down from that level, by those who only see America as something standing in their way.

UPDATE - 09/07: Folks like this gentleman here. Watch the whole thing. It's not long, and you'll see what I'm talkin' about here. (Thanks, Don.)