Palin keeps hectic schedule on campaign trail

During my trip back to Alaska, I've been looking back on my day on the campaign trail with Gov. Sarah Palin.

I did get an interview with her, Todd and Piper (look for it in Sunday's edition) and she said it was good to see someone else from Alaska.

The conversation we had while sitting in the back of the Straight Talk Express went just like it would have if I'd run into her at Walmart. Palin didn't push politics, and she seemed as comfortable as she would be in her living room in Wasilla.

I'm not quite sure how Palin keeps up with the schedule of campaigning. Like her politics or not, stumping on the trail appears extremely stressful and nerve racking.

Not only does she have a gaggle of advisers throwing suggestions at her, a traveling press corp watching and scrutinizing her every move, but she also has to keep up her energetic speeches at rallies day after day.

In the 15 hours I spent with Palin on the campaign trail, we stoped in five small Pennsylvania towns, visited a tool and dye shop and an apple orchard, and drove down long, windy country roads to the every destination.

The Secret Service keeps a close eye on everything, and the campaign's press handlers make sure to always set up the best possible shot.

Seeing the candidates on television, no matter who you're rooting for, doesn't do justice to the insane schedule they keep while trying to earn votes.

Watching Palin talk to locals of the small towns we stopped in it's easy to see why people like her. Politics aside, people seemed genuinley smitten with her personality.

Even though most everyone in the country knows who she is now, she still humbly introduces herself like this: "HI, I'm Sarah Palin."

The last I saw of the Palin family they were sitting in their campaign plane on the tarmac of the Harrisburg (Penn.) International Airport, ready to fly to Florida for yet another set of rallies.

The governor will be back in Alaska early Tuesday morning to cast her vote at Wasilla City Hall. Then it's a waiting game, for her and everyone else in the country, to see who our next leader is.

Make sure to go out and vote, for whoever you want, Nov. 4.

Michael Rovito, reporter