Sapwolf's Experiences in Cincinnati and Columbus

This is a reader submission by C4P reader and Commenter "Sapwolf". Sapwolf attended both the Cincinnati and Columbus Going Rogue book signings and has provided us with his first hand account of the two events.

Before Friday, I had already purchased “Going Rogue” over the phone from Joseph-Beth Bookstore along with a green ticket to get two books signed by Governor Palin. It was quite a day Friday. Around midnight Thursday, I cruised by the bookstore in Cincinnati to scout out the shopping center and parking lot layout. There was nobody there outside the bookstore. There was a sign on the door that they were opening up the bookstore at 8:00am to allow people to get food and drinks in the bistro next to the bookstore. The signings would begin at 12:00 noon.

I believe there were no overnighters because they used a good system where they had a letter on your ticket from A through O. My ticket was group “F”. I was later told that there were 50 tickets per group. This system allowed the event to be sold out beforehand and people did not have to be there early as they would call each group up. You didn’t even have to be there at 12:00 noon if you had say a letter “L” on your ticket.

I live only 12 miles from that bookstore which is just off I-71 at exit 6. I went home and got some sleep, waking back up at 6:00am. I arrived early at the bookstore around 7:00am and got a good spot for my car in the second slot in front of the entrance. I had my personal copy of her book and had already read through the first 50 pages or so. It had my yellow highlighting on certain parts. I also had another 11 extra copies in the trunk. I brought a basketball with “CUDA” on it in case we needed to kill time in the parking lot and have some fun. I also brought two new mounted/laminated posters with me each taped to poles to hold. They each had Governor Palin with Trigg. Originally, I was going to have these made for the March for Life in Washington, DC in January. I was going to again march with the TeamSarah group and we could hold them up in the march along with the TeamSarah banner. But, since Governor Palin was coming to Cincinnati near me, I felt I’d get them done early and have them available for the book signing.

Once I got there, there were around a dozen people in the area in front of the store. I made a lot of small talk with others including a gentleman from Alaska who had some dog sledding experience. I also talked to a very attractive lady reporter with a local channel about Governor Palin. I told her I supported Governor Palin because we are the same age, both a third child (me a middle son with oldest a girl, and Sarah a middle daughter with oldest a son), both played sports when young, both had fathers who taught in public school and coached school sports, and we both graduated from state universities. I graduated from a school in California with a bachelor’s degree in business/accounting. But the big thing I mentioned was that both Sarah and I came of age in high school and college in the Age of Reagan: a time of optimism, standing up to the Soviet Union, lowering of taxes and the start of a great period of economic growth. It was a time when we had a strong, fearless, and inspiring leader in the White House.

Before 8:00am, I noticed two other news trucks at the other end of the parking lot in front of a new deptment store opening event. I wandered over to talk to a couple of people in front under a tent. They had free coffee and of different types of pastries. (Those of you who were there know what I’m talking about. Yummy.) After eating, I drifted back to the bookstore and continued meeting people. After 8:00, I went inside the bookstore which was really filling up. They have a stairway going up towards the back where Sarah would sign the books. I linked up with a couple of lady supporters of Sarah and we got a table at the bistro and had breakfast. Since I already filled up on pastries, I ordered only a side of bacon and decaf coffee. One of the ladies took a phone picture of me with my posters and Tweeted it to a couple of friends:

After a nice breakfast with lots of chatting and meeting, we wandered back inside the bookstore. I picked up my coupon for the book and signing ticket at the main desk. I then went back outside and talked to all kinds of people and heard all their stories. There were NO anti-Palin people there the whole day except for a couple of media people I recognized but were behaved.

Before 12:00noon, I got out of my car a stack of one-page flyers with Doctor Zero’s recent Sarah Palin column from HotAir (front/back). I thought it would be a nice thing to read while waiting for Sarah to kill the time and enjoy the work of the master, Doctor Zero. I passed these out and then after a hundred or so outside the store and then inside, two policemen escorted me out. I think they were afraid I was soliciting something or they wanted to make sure I was not causing trouble. I was just helping people to enjoy the wait reading something nice about Governor Palin. I put the remaining flyers back in my car. The policemen concluded I was not causing trouble but I think they feared that anti-Palin people might start something by passing stuff out. They were nice guys though and didn’t mistreat me in any way.

Before 12:00, I was able to get a few more interviews with some of the press people including a polite gentleman from CNN. I have no idea if any of it made it to local news or not. I tried to make the point that Governor Palin was a lot like Reagan in her beliefs and charisma. It was fun joking around and meeting more people. I had my black hooded sweatshirt on and my C4P shirt over that on top, the one signed on the right sleeve by Governor Palin back in Auburn, NY earlier this year.

While waiting outside, one of the nice people I encountered was a mother with her daughter with downs syndrome in a stroller. She was real cute and looked just about the same age as Trigg, around a year and a half old. I was surprised that the mother did not have a ticket. I knew she would get so much more out of that ticket with her little girl, so I gave her my ticket. But I gave her a warning: “But beware, when Sarah meets your little girl, she’s gonna hold her and snuggle her and you’ll have a tough time getting her back.” Her and her sister and I believe her mom let out a big laugh and thanked me. I left my book with them so Sarah could sign it along with the mother’s book.

A little while later, I met a young couple from Washington State and another gentleman talking. I told them my story and the other local man told me he had an extra ticket. After I went to the back of the bookstore to scout out where Sarah’s bus would pull in, I went back to him and got the ticket.

Noon came and the crowd and I at the back of the bookstore got to see Governor Palin get off the bus. Before she got off, I noticed Andy Barr of Politico waiting with notepad watching the event. I introduced myself and shook his hand with a very firm +30% firmer handshake…for about 30 seconds with clenched jaw. He’s a junior reporter with Politico and an OK guy. PDS-sufferer Ben Smith he’s not. But to keep his job, I’m sure he has to tow the line.

I caught sight of Governor Palin with Trigg in her arms getting off the bus and she waved to the crowd as we all cheered. It was a really festive atmosphere.

I went back into the bookstore and we all talked and watched as they eventually announced group A to line up. My new ticket was in group C. However, before I went up the steps, the couple from Washington State caught up with me. They told me that my ticket was already promised to them and was accidentally given to me when in fact the other man miscounted his tickets and had already pledged it to them. I coughed it up, and asked him if he would take my C4P shirt, put it on over his shirt/coat and ask Governor Palin to sign the left sleeve for me. He agreed, and I told him how to do it and lean in so she can sign it quickly after his two books. I then stayed right in the area near the base of the stairs.

Eventually, they made it there and came down the stairs and found me with big smiles. He had the shirt off and announced he got the other sleeve signed. I was thrilled and thanked him and held the shirt aloft to the crowd announcing the ‘Cuda has now signed both sleeves and people got a big thrill from that. I said goodbye to them and continued watching the crowd.

I noticed a gentleman at the top of the stairs who I had met briefly in the Watertown, NY campaign office of Doug Hoffman during the last few days before the election of NY-23. I forgot his name, but I knew that he was with John Boehner’s people from DC. They were originally assisting Dede Scozzafava but switched to Doug Hoffman soon after Dede dropped out of the race.

After the “F” group was being completed I linked up with the mother of the girl with downs syndrome and she was all thrilled and thanked me again. Sure enough, Sarah went ‘rogue’ again and was excited to hold her daughter and spent time with her little girl while talking to her. One of the things they talked about was how she was having a little trouble getting Trigg to eat more solid foods and she asked her if she had any tips. It must have been a magic moment. She gave me my book signed by Sarah. Of course I was getting familiar with the looping “S” of Madame 45.

Eventually, I worked my way outside the store after 2:00pm. There was a nice old lady there who mentioned she wasn’t able to get a ticket. So of course the Sapwolf had to cough up his just-signed “Going Rogue” to her, my reward being her big smile and a hug. I got my basketball and dribbled over behind the bookstore to join a slowly building crowd that was preparing to wave goodbye as Governor Palin and Trigg got back on the bus. I met more people including a nice man who was John McCain’s bus driver during last year’s campaign. I also left a message with a young guy for a certain person the C4P’ers know.

After we gave Governor Palin a final cheer and waved, her bus pulled out. I quickly got back to my car, and grabbed my Sarah/Trigg poster of her at the convention, the one with “Mommabear” and “Littlebear” on it. I looped around the other side out of the shopping center, crossed Edward St. and got in position at the intersection where the bus would make the left turn to get on the road towards I-71. I got all the way out so as the bus was completing its turn, I was right there almost within touching range as I stepped out, held the poster high and gave them a thumbs up. I could see the driver and a man sitting near him in the front smiling.

It was a really fun event and I’m glad it was so close to where I live. There were no anti-Palin people that I saw and it was organized quite well. Governor Palin finished all the people who paid for a ticket from A to O, but they were only able to get to some of the A spillover group and not all of the spillover group from A to D. They did complete their planned commitment and some extras.

Now, coincidentally, I had plans already to meet on Saturday morning with a friend of mine I knew from TeamSarah named Lisa Woods and her family up in Medina, Ohio. Lisa and her husband Jim are in the MCFAN group (Medina County Friends and Neighbors). I first met Lisa face-to-face at the Ohio Sovereignty rally at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus earlier in the year. Lisa and her husband are members of the Buckeye Firearms Association. It is a state-level firearms rights group in Ohio. Lisa and I arranged for me to visit and we could break in two new .45 pistols of mine. Lisa and Jim are experienced firearms owners.

Since I was already traveling up to Medina, it made perfect sense to stop off in Columbus later on Friday to be at Sarah’s book signing in Columbus. I left Joseph-Beth Books in Cincinnati for my apartment, picked up my pistols, ammo and equipment (storing it all legally for travel in Ohio) and an extra set of clothing and hit the road. I didn’t get out fast enough to overtake Sarah’s bus on I-71 but did roll into the Borders Books shopping center off the north end of the I-270 loop right around 6:00pm. I lucked out and got a good parking spot when a lady leaving waved me into her spot. I got out and immediately noticed the huge line going from the storefront to the end of the parking lot, and that they were probably not using the same system as Cincinnati.

I talked to some people waiting out front and they told me they paid and then picked up their wristband. Only a certain number were given out, and if you did not have a wristband you could still stay until the end and possibly get a book signed if there was time. It was dark by 6:00pm. I talked to a policeman out front to ask him if it was OK if I got out my poster of Governor Palin and Trigg to stand with it outside the store. He said it was OK, but that he would have to ask me to put it away if it attracted too much attention or otherwise disturbed things.

So, I took my poster out of the car and set up on a parking lot island across the street from the bookstore curb but to the right more when looking at the bookstore. I got plenty of compliments and some people took a picture of the poster. However, unlike Cincinnati, there were one or two people that looked confused and thought I was an anti-Palin person. I couldn’t understand why. After all, what was negative about a big picture of Governor Palin holding Trigg with the words ‘Mommabear’ and ‘Littlebear’ on it?

Then I figured out. There was an bitter old lady with an orange anti-Palin sign near me. People thought that I was anti-Palin because I happened to be standing near her. So I moved to the island more to my left and right in front of the entrance and that fixed that problem. Before I moved to the new spot, while I missed her initially, Sally Heath (Governor Palin’s mother), her sister, and Trigg in a stroller came out of the front of the store and took a stroll along the line of people waiting. I bumped into her when she came back on the other side of the street and she stopped and looked at my sign and liked it and gave a quick complement. I quickly recognized her from when I saw her in Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago. I shook her hand and thanked her and noticed Trigg in his stroller next to me. I gave him a quick wink. It was a HUGE thrill to meet the ‘grandmommabear’.

A little later, after some more photos and talking to other people, a gentleman came up to me and asked if I was the guy in Cincinnati with the poster (intersection). I said yes and he shook my hand and said they really enjoyed seeing it. He was one of the workers on the bus. I also bumped into Andy Barr of Politico again. He took my name down and I asked his as he was mentioning the poster. In retrospect, it turned out that getting the posters made was a good idea after all rather than waiting until January for the March for Life. My next big poster will be focused on leadership and will have Governor Palin and with President Reagan with an Eagle flying above them with the words “birds of a feather” below it. It is just one idea I was floating.

I also was able to go in the bookstore and check the setup. There were smiles and chatter everywhere. Outside, I met C4P’er ‘DefendAmerica’. She was able to get a couple of books signed without a wristband. You can read her story here about her odyssey covering multiple book signings. She and I went to the back to see Governor Palin and family board the bus after talking to a few people. I went back out and around with DA and we waved to the bus as it went by us on the street. Then we beat it from the cold air and said our goodbyes. I then found a hotel south off I-270 for the night.

There is one more thing I want to mention. I watched Governor Palin walk out in front of the store to see how many people were left around 8:45-9:00 PM, invite them all in, and then continue signing books until around 9:22 PM. She ended up signing everyone’s books, even those who had NO wristbands. She really gave it her best, especially after the mix up in Noblesville. I suspect that really she was sincerely upset that she was not able to finish everybody there.

In closing about the events on Friday, Nov. 20th, I just want everybody to know how everybody was in happy and good spirits and it was a fun festive time for all.