A Weekend in Iowa and an Imminent 2012 Announcement

Governor Palin speaking on Labor Day weekend the "Restoring America" rally in Indianola, IA

Governor Sarah Palin spent this past weekend energizing her support base and laying out her plan to restore America back to true greatness.

She kicked off the weekend by a surprise visit to our Organize4Palin/Conservatives4Palin private dinner on Friday night at the Machine Shed restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa. The event wasn’t the least bit private - media flocked the restaurant around 7:00pm.

Everywhere I turned there was media. One asked - begging like a puppy dog - "Is she coming? Do you think she's coming? I replied, "I do not know." They continued to pry, "Do you know and just won't tell us?" I replied, "I really don't know." I regrettably smiled when they continued, "You're smiling so you must know." At that point I just walked away.

Time slowly passed as the crowd of Palinista's roamed the restaurant gift shop - sharing the room with the salivating "Lamestream Media".

Suddenly, there was commotion at the main entrance. I turned around to find continuous flashing lights and a mob of media rushing towards me. The "Is Sarah coming to dinner?" rumor was true.

As Governor Palin entered, a chant broke out in the words of, "RUN SARAH RUN! RUN SARAH RUN!"

Governor Palin greets supporters as she enters "The Machine Shed" restaurant in Urbandale, IA

I had the privilege to greet the Governor as she arrived. She grabbed my hand and I explained, "We have a bus load of 40 who came in all the way from Texas to see you!" She replied, "Oh wow! Thank you so much, what part?!" I continued, "Dallas/Fort Worth area!" She said, "Wow! Thank you!"

The chaos continued as Palin made her way into the event room. She was so gracious to everyone who approached her. She took the time to ask names, compliment folks, give out hugs, sign books, shirts, and even forearms (one of whom, later that evening, had the signature permanently inked on), and she even took the time to read a supporters outline for a speech the fan will be giving about the Governor.

The energy in the room continued to grow and the "RUN SARAH RUN!" chants continued to break out from time to time during the short visit. It was the perfect beginning to a wonderful weekend in Iowa.

Bright and early the next morning we headed to the Indianola Balloon Grounds. Fresh morning dew gathered on our shoes as we walked to find the perfect seat at the outdoor amphitheater style event.

Mid-morning arrived and the first drop of rain had fallen on the fresh-cut Iowan green grass - yes, even the freshly mowed "PALIN" grass cut-out - the clouds continued rolling in and a familiar Midwestern summer storm had arrived.

Palin's "One Nation" Tour Bus in front of the "PALIN" grass cut-out

Many folks came prepared with umbrellas and continued to sit in their lawn chairs with smiles on their faces enjoying the company of many other like-minded patriots. Others searched for shelter in various event tents and under large, lush Iowan oak trees.

Regardless of weather conditions, the Palin Patriots were here to stay and crowds continued to enter the event grounds during the rainstorm.

A Patriot stands in the pouring rain holding an American flag

The rain continued throughout the opening of the event but was curiously put on hold just minutes before Governor Palin took the stage. 

Palin approached the podium with more chants of "RUN SARAH RUN!" Once the chants settled, the Governor opened with, "Thank you, Iowa. Thank you so much. The sign that says, “Thank you, Sarah,” no, I thank you. You are what keeps me going, keeps so many of us going. Your love of country keeps us going. Thank you so much. Iowa, you are good people. You are all good people who are here. Thank you."

Palin explained what brought us all together that day was a love for country. She continued with, "America is hurting. We’re not willing to just sit back and watch her demise through some “fundamental transformation” of the greatest country on earth. We’re here to stop that transformation and to begin the restoration of the country that we love... We’re going to speak truth today. It may be hard-hitting, but we’re going to speak truth today because we need to start talking about what hasn’t worked, and we’re going to start talking about what will work for America."

She reminded the crowd of her words from the 2008 RNC speech - which this day happened to be the 3rd year anniversary of - when she warned America, “When the cloud of rhetoric has passed, when the roar of the crowd fades away….what exactly is [Barack Obama’s] plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger, and take more of your money, and give you more orders from Washington, and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world.”

She was right. And she's been the only politician to stand by us every painful step of the way via Facebook posts, tweets, interviews and speeches - all of which she forcefully and unapologetically fought against Obama's big government, leftist, liberal, bureaucratic, government-overreach, reckless agenda – all of which America is now suffering severely from.

Palin stated facts about the current conditions of our US economy, "Today, one in five working-age men are out of work. One in seven Americans are on food stamps. Thirty percent of our mortgages are underwater. In parts of Michigan and California, they’re suffering from unemployment numbers that are greater than during the depths of the Great Depression. Barack Obama promised to cut the deficit in half, and instead he turned around and he tripled it. And now our national debt is growing at $3 million a minute. That’s $4.25 billion a day." She continued with hard-hitting facts that touched on "crony capitalism", government spending, the recent AAA downgrade, Obama's infrastructure projects (AKA: government spending projects) and special interest monies.

Governor Palin speaking at the "Restoring America" rally

Palin went on the say, "I want to tell you what my plan is. My plan is a bona-fide pro-working man’s plan, and it deals in reality. It deals in the way that the world really works because we must talk about what really works in order to get America back to work." 

Her 5 point plan is as follows via direct quotes from Saturday's speech:

1) "All power not specifically delegated to the federal government by our Constitution is reserved for the states and for we the people. So, let’s enforce the 10th Amendment and devolve powers back locally where the Founders intended them to be."

2) "We must repeal Obamacare! And rein in burdensome regulations that are a boot on our neck. Get government out of the way."

3) "No more run away debt. We must prioritize and cut. Cancel unused stimulus funds, and have that come to Jesus moment where we own up to the debt challenge that is entitlement reform."

4) "It is time for America to become the energy superpower. The real stimulus that we’ve been waiting for is robust and responsible domestic energy production. We have the resources. Affordable and secure energy is the key to any thriving economy, and it must be our foundation."

5) “I propose to eliminate all federal corporate income tax. And hear me out on this. This is how we create millions of high-paying jobs. This is how we increase opportunity and prosperity for all. But here’s the best part: To balance out any loss of federal revenue from this tax cut, we eliminate corporate welfare and all the loopholes and we eliminate bailouts. This is how we break the back of crony capitalism because it feeds off corporate welfare, which is just socialism for the very rich. We can change all of that. The message then to job-creating corporations is: We’ll unshackle you from the world’s highest federal corporate income tax rate, but you will stand or fall on your own, just like all the rest of us out on Main Street."

Governor Palin encouraged all Americans to unite and stand together, "We can confront the problem and we can achieve lasting reform... the road ahead is not easy. You will be demonized. They’ll mock you. They’ll make things up. They’ll tell you to “go to hell.” But we’ll bite our tongue, we’ll keep it classy... we have time-tested truth and logic on our side, we win. And when we refuse to retreat because we know that our children’s future is at stake, we win... the road isn’t easy, but it’s nothing compared to the suffering and sacrifice of those who came before us."

The closing of Palin's speech was reminiscent of a recent trip taken to the World War I Liberty Memorial where she was accompanied by her young daughter and niece. She stated, "...standing in the rain, reading the inscriptions on the Memorial about the honor in one’s dedication to God and country, I thought of all those young patriots who suffered and died so far from home. And revering our vets there with the next generation by my side, there was such clarity – clarity in our calling, patriotic Constitutionalists. We have a duty not just to the living, but also to those who came and died before us and to the generations yet to be born. Our freedom was purchased by millions of men now long-forgotten throughout history who charged the bayonets, and they charged the cannons; they knew they were going to die, but it was worth it for them sacrificing for future generations’ freedom. They’re the ones who prayed in the trenches and suffered in the P.O.W. camps. They gave their lives so that we could be here today. You and I are blessed to be born the heirs of freedom.”

She then concluded, "America, we will always endure. We will always come through. We will never give up. We shall endure because we live by that moral strength that we call grace. Because though we’ve often skirted a precipice, a Providential Hand has always guided us to a better future. So, let us seek that Hand once more. Our Ronald Reagan said, “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, we will be a nation gone under.” Yes, He shed his grace on thee, America! We will not squander what we have been given! We will fight for freedom. We will fight for America!" At the closing of her speech Palin took the time to greet more Patriots. One of my favorite pictures of the day can been seen below.

4 year-old Etta Nichols later had her sign autographed by Governor Palin

Some expected the big announcement to be on this day. Yes, even I contemplated the fact and admittedly, during the speech, it felt like that may be the moment we had all been waiting for.

When she concluded, and the announcement had not been declared, I wasn't sad or disappointed - I was energized and convinced more than ever that Governor Palin will take matters into her own hands and offer herself up in the name of service.

Sarah always gives her base some sort of clue to keep us energized, hopeful and working hard - the next morning Governor Palin registered as " Sarah Heath" in a local 1/2 marathon called, "Just Jump Right in and Run."

"Sarah Heath" running in the "Just Jump Right In and Run" 1/2 Marathon in Storm Lake, IA

You can view the entire transcript and watch the video from Governor Palin's "Restoring America" speech here.