Several people brought signs criticizing Sarah Palin and her endorsement of Republican 1st Congressional District candidate Vaughn Ward to the Qwest Arena in Boise before Palin’s speech Friday.
“I’m just not that happy with Sarah Palin choosing Vaughn Ward,” said Sarah Bendict of Kuna, who held a “Drill Baby Drill?” sign. “That’s the only reason anybody’s here, is to see Sarah Palin. If it was just Vaughn Ward speaking at Qwest Arena, there would be no one here. I think that it’s an attempt to save a struggling campaign.” Others held signs reading “lipstick to nowhere” and “tea parties are for little girls with imaginary friends.”
“I don’t think she can wrap her mind around some of the difficult issues that we face today, everything from oil drilling to the world economy,” said Jack VanValkenburgh of Boise. He lives in the 2nd Congressional District, though he said he wouldn’t vote for either Ward or Labrador in the May 25 GOP primary if he had the chance. “There’s a strong Republican element in Idaho. I just don’t want the media to think that it’s as strong in Boise.”
Not all the people holding signs were entirely opposed to Palin. Lucas Baumbach, a Republican candidate for the Idaho State Senate, carried signs criticizing her endorsement of Ward over state Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle. “We have mixed emotions,” he said. “We all like Sarah Palin.” Read IdahoReporter.com's story on Baumbach's protest here.
The protesters were outnumbered by the people coming to see Palin and Ward. Organizers estimated that more than 1,000 people were at the event when it began.
