The McConnell - Lee Greenwood Show

I attended Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's rallies in Somerset and Liberty to see not just McConnell but Lee Greenwood, best known for singing "Proud To Be An American." McConnell and Greenwood hit 14 cities in two days. I don't know how they have the stamina.

At 72, Greenwood's voice is still clear and powerful. He had the entire audience singing by the end, many moved to tears. That song has always given me chills, ever since I first heard it on the Reagan '84 campaign trail.

As McConnell pointed out, Greenwood's composition encapsulates conservative American values, beyond the lyrics. That song conveys American exceptionalism, pure and simple, in a way that no book or speech or think tank ever could.

Greenwood singing "Proud To Be An American" was a fitting epilogue to McConnell's speech.  Although McConnell hit hard on the damage that the Obama-Reid Democrats have done to the country, McConnell encouraged the audience not to give up hope.  It is not too late:  we can turn this around, save our country.  The only concrete action we can take this year, however, is to make Mitch McConnell Senate Majority Leader.

Greenwood and McConnell stayed and met with every person in the audience who wanted a photo or an autograph.  Both seemed to enjoy interacting with the crowd.

A note about the crowds at these rallies and the liberal narrative that McConnell's support was astro-turf.  Many people, like me, had taken the day off of work to hear McConnell and Greenwood.  Despite the rumors that McConnell was paying people to attend, I certainly have yet to receive a check!

I would expect and hope that the campaign staff who set up the microphones and the like were paid; they appeared to be working hard. When liberal media refer to McConnell campaign staff attending every rally, this is to whom they are referring.  It is no different than any other campaign I have seen.  Indeed, I would expect that Alison Lundergan-Grimes has paid campaign staff to set up her podium at every stop.  We wouldn't want her to chip a nail.