Tampabay.com
SEPTEMBER 21, 2008

2 million turn out for Palin

Aleqm5js5b5mr82sztjojoa6uzwgi7mbyg Okay, that's a serious exaggeration. Credible crowd estimates are elusive, but by all accounts Sarah Palin will outdo the 15,000 people that turned out for George Bush in The Villages four years ago. A Fire-Rescue captain put the crowd at more than 25,000, which seemed accurate. The McCain campaign, citing the local fire marshall, puts the crowd at 60,000.

Traffic has been clogged for hours. Barracuda Sarah is doing soon, and right now Aaron Tippin is warming up the sweaty crowd. He hailed "the chance to get some real live Americans up in Washington" with McCain-Palin, and drew big cheers for his new ditty, "Drill Here, Drill Now!"

A plane is flying overhead with a banner declaring, "The South is Palin Country. (AP photo)

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