Freedom Fest brings Palin to Norfolk with George Allen and other conservative all-stars...

This weekend Sarah Palin, George Allen and a handful of conservative all-stars are coming to Norfolk for an event to salute the troops, police officers and firefighters at Old Dominion University.  

The event is sponsored by Hampton Roads radio host Steve Batton who does conservative talk on 1650 am. Palin and Allen are obviously the big fish for local Republicans, and both of them are rumored to be considering future runs for public office. But the rest of the ticket is stacked with folks like Oliver North and even Lee Greenwood - the performer who penned "God Bless the U.S.A."

Further down the list you'll find folks like Scott Rigell - the Republican nominee for Congress who is pushing for U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye's seat. The program also includes Ben Loyola, who ran unsuccessfully against Rigell for the nomination and picked up the endorsement of the leaders of the Hampton Roads Tea Party.

The curious - but kind of obvious - omission is Kenny Golden the former chairmen of the Virginia Beach Republican Party who is mounting an independent challenge against Nye and Rigell. Clearly folks don't want Golden to get the kind of publicity that could pull voters from Rigell - and plunking him on a stage with this cast of bigwigs would probably legitimize the outsiders shot and grabbing voters. It's pure partisan strategy.

But let's get back to the main stage, where Palin is easily the tour stud. The former Alaska governor and vice presidential nominee has taken her downhome populism to facebook since her 2008 election loss to Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The Hampton Roads stop over is the second of Palin's three-stop swing through the south this week.

On Saturday , Palin will speak at the Oil Palace in Tyler, Texas. The tourist attraction and entertainment venue's is holding an event called "Conservative Voices in America." On Tuesday, Palin will head to Atlanta Georgia for an event with Zachariah's Way - a special needs organization. Palin's youngest son has Down syndrome.

Palin has become a big voice in the Republican Party since Sen. John McCain plucked her out of political obscurity in the summer of 2008 to join the GOP ticket. An instant lightening rod - Palin still inspires love and hate even within the GOP - depending on who you talk to.

Palin is likely to find herself in friendly territory Sunday in an event that is co-sponsored by Regent University - the Pat Robertson founded Virginia Beach college that has produced folks including Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (a Republican candidate who conspicuously avoided events with Palin last year during his run to the governor's mansion.)

Palin is reportedly mulling a run for president in 2012- and many evangelical voters and conservatives are wooing her openly slapping Palin 2012 bumper stickers on their cars and even building websites to encourage her to make a run at Obama.  Here's the bumper sticker - Google it and you'll find some.

Palin came to Hampton Roads once during the presidential campaign and she brought a huge crowd to the Virginia Beach Convention Center.  

Meanwhile, Allen has just put out a new book called "What Washington can learn from the world of sports" - touting his background as the son of the famed Redskins coach. Allen has a freshly redesigned website that looks a heap like recent candidates internet headquarters. Allen even has set up a twitter account - where he hands out weekly NASCAR picks, recommends Father's Day gifts and laments the loss of Jimmy Dean. (Did anyone else just blackout?)

Word on the street says that Allen wants a rematch against Democratic U.S. Sen. Jim Webb in 2012 and Allen's new book has offered him plenty of opportunities to get his name and face out there again. Allen headlined this year's Shad Planking in Wakefield - where he sounded very much like a budding candidate.

Allen of course famously imploded on the campaign trail in 2006. His campaign disintegrated in such spectacular fashion that political insiders even named a new term after him called the "Macaca moment" - a shorthand for a disastrous verbal mistake on the campaign trail.

With the Republican tide rising, Allen and Palin are certainly people to watch for the next couple of years and political hopefuls tend to return to the places where they get warm receptions - so look for Palin and Allen to be sowing the seeds of a pair of re-matches on Sunday on Norfolk.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and is expected to run until about 9 p.m. and tickets cost between $25 and $125.   

Comments

[ymchoo]

Snow White leads The Seven Dwarfs

The GOP will soon be known as the Party of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs with Sarah "Snow White" Palin leading such GOP Dwarfs as Huckabee, Gingrich, Pawlenty, Thune, DeMint, Romney and Ron Paul. When Snow White leads, The Seven Dwarfs follow.

[Dean]

What now ODU is part of the republican Tea Party......
OMG-WTF
Posted by: timtennis5@hotmail.com | Friday, June 25, 2010 at 01:35 PM

Nah, ODU isn't part of the tea party, just sell out for money... Let's not forget Phil Hamilton.

[Dean]

Dumb as a box of rocks.

[barbara goddard]

what a joke she is!yes sarah palin.she has no clue about the real world,she mostly talks about palistine,oil,obama.nothing about plans to help the world we live.why is everyone so taken with her?it's gotta be her looks,because nobody's home.

[joe]

Sarah Palin defiles the services she salutes. The woman is entertaining because she caricatures absurdity. She is still trash. Inviting Sara Palin to salute men and womam who know their service and devotion to this country may end in their death, is no different than inviting a whore home to meet your mother.Everybody servives the experiance, but all were diminished.

[Donald Fulton]

Get over it people. It's not about who is going to be there. It's about WHY,"event to salute the troops, police officers and firefighters".

[kitty]

Didn't ODU host Beck and O'Reilly recently? I think they're all a bunch of hot air but I respect their right to speak their nonsense. I just wish we could have a little variety and have the opportunity to go hear some more moderate or even some progressive voices.

[To Tell The Truth]

If she were 50 lbs heavier and had grey hair no one would give a damn what she had to say.

[James logan]

I didn't know ODU will stoop this low!!!!!

[timtennis5@hotmail.com]

What now ODU is part of the republican Tea Party......

OMG-WTF