With the able assistance of my wife and son, last Saturday I distributed NRLC's accurate, attractive, and eye-opening comparison piece at a rally for pro-life Sen. John McCain. The location was our little town in Northern Virginia and, for the umpteenth time, I was reminded never to underestimate the troops or (not to be boastful) how well thought of NRLC is. Let me offer my impressions of a sun-shiny day and a pumped up audience,

1. The estimates I read ran ranged from 8,000 to 12,000. I've attended rallies all my life, and, moreover, this one took place two blocks from the baseball stadium where I have stood in line many a time for big games. The truth is there were at least half again as many people there to listen to Sen. McCain as we were told--15,000 to 18,000.

Pro-Life Sen. John McCain waves to a huge crowd of supporters last Saturday in Woodbridge, Virginia.

2. I understand that rallies by definition are built on people brimming with enthusiasm. But this crowd was really ready to rock. The doors opened at 1:00. We got there at 10:45 and there was already a long line. People were glad to be there, and hugely supportive of Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin.

3. I was amazed how many people had already seen the NRLC comparison piece. That gave me a great sense of assurance. Even more gratifying was that virtually everyone wanted additional copies to give out to their friends and family and to pass out at church. (The flyer is a straight forward recitation of the records of Sen. McCain and pro-abortion Sen. Barack Obama.) And more than a few pro-lifers remarked how beautifully the ad was put together, how easy it was to read, and how pleasing it was to the eye. Congratulations, Derrick Jones!

4. We were asked us who produced the flyer. When we said NRLC, typically we were told, "Oh, I know them," or "I'm a member."

5.My wife and son seconded the strong impression I had. The crowd was very, very knowledgeable about the race for President, including the local newspaper's counter-intuitive insistence that our county was going for Obama. Based on history, no one there, including me, believed that could be true. Judging by the massive turnout and the large number of people I saw signing up to volunteer for McCain/Palin, I am even more sure that the pundits are, as usual, wrong.

6. It's not news, but Saturday was a fresh reminder how powerful is the impact of Gov. Palin. In my 40 years of watching politics up close, I have never witnessed such instant solidarity established between a candidate and such a wide swath of people. Although she was not in Woodbridge Saturday, members of the crowd talked about her over and over as they waited in line. The utter conviction that she is "one of us" goes a long ways toward explaining her tremendous appeal. (See Part Two.)

7. Finally, it is hardly a state secret that every presidential election is different. But never has that been more the case than the 2008 election cycle. In modern times Sen. Obama remains the most inexperienced and unknown candidate ever to win a major party's presidential nomination. He is the beneficiary of so much money we are sure to find out after the election that many sources are, to be polite, dubious. As the election has entered its final phase, major media outlets have said and written virtually nothing critical of Obama. In fact, they have ignored legitimate questions.

By contrast, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are counting on grassroots Americans to make up in sweat equity the gigantic advantage the Obama campaign enjoys in dollars. In addition for no reason other than to hurt Sen. McCain, personal questions that have been explored many times in the past (and have no bearing on the election) have been recycled. On top of that, the Media Elite are desperate to dampen turnout among McCain/Palin supporters so they are running a non-stop series of stories that Obama is on cruise control. Not so. You know that, and I know that.

Again, PLEASE download the comparison piece that shows the difference between the pro-life team of McCain and Palin and the pro-abortion team of Obama and Sen. Joe Biden. It can be found at http://nrlc.org/Election2008/comparison0909084c.pdf.

You can also order multiple copies online at only a nickel each at http://www.nrlchapters.org/comparisonbuy.htm. They will be sent out the same day. I hope you distribute them widely.

Please do your part, starting today.

Send your comments to Daveandrusko@hotmail.com

Please read Part Two, "Palin and the Cause of Life."