A heart warming story which reflects grandly on the Governor-her heart and her spirit , the journalist (who doesn't even have his name on his own column !), small town America, the endlessly tirelessly dedicated Peter Singleton and the O4P team. Here is the report from a columnists for the Creston News Advertiser in Iowa-exactly the heartland publication the east/west coast bastions would look down on as from "fly over country' but which can propel Palin into the White House.
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Meeting Sarah Palin (link)
As some of you might recall, my first column featured Sarah Palin. I wrote a piece featuring her resumé and highlighting a few of her accomplishments. That column attracted the attention of Myrna Beeber a regional manager for Organize4Palin, a grassroots database of volunteers building connections and ready to campaign if Palin runs for president. Myrna contacted the Organize4Palin Iowa Coordinator Peter Singleton and set up lunch between the three of us.
We dined at A&G Steakhouse and had a compelling conversation regarding the former governor and the organization they represented. Only a few weeks after our lunch did I receive an email from Peter inviting me and a guest of my choice to the world premiere of “The Undefeated,” a film featuring Palin’s rise to the national stage.
The debut screened Tuesday at the Pella Opera House, a true historical landmark that has been apart of the Dutch town since 1900. I was honored to receive tickets to the exclusive event and was looking forward to being one of the 340 fortunate individuals to see the movie 17 days before it is released nationwide. After the film, a cookout was held in the downtown courtyard.
Little did I know when I first received the invitation that Palin herself would be attending the premiere. Reading the email confirming that she would not only make an appearance but watch the movie and dine with the guests present was a dream come true. The opportunity not only would benefit me, but the Creston News Advertiser, as well. While many reporters from television and print media covered the event, only a select few were allowed to watch the movie, myself included.
After the movie, we had dinner outside in the courtyard under sunny skies. The crowd waited anxiously for her to finish her meal and begin greeting her fans. With the help of Myrna, I squirmed my way through to the front where Palin was being bombarded left and right with requests for her autograph, handshake and or photo.
Palin was signing buttons, books and other memorabilia left and right, at which point I was able to hand her my column that I had written about her. Confused, she looked up for an explanation, a request I was more than happy to oblige. I introduced myself and shook her hand, explaining that I wrote the opinion column for the Creston News Advertiser where I worked at as a staff reporter.
“I wrote about your resume and your accomplishments,” I said. “I tried to set the truth straight, just like your video.”
She looked me in the eyes and thanked me. Palin signed her autograph and wrote “keep the faith” and “thank you” beneath it. I gave her a copy of the column to take with her should she find time to read it.
