'Broadway' Palin guarantees PA victory
Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008 8:50 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Sarah Palin
From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger
BEAVER, Pa. -- Palin took one from Joe Namath's playbook Thursday night, guaranteeing a win in Pennsylvania.
Augmenting her normal ode to “Joe the Plumber,” Palin used the rally on the Beaver High School football field to acknowledge Namath, one of the area’s most famous football players, who she dubbed “Joe the Quarterback.”
“Now Joe Namath is probably a little bit before your time,” Palin said. “But do you remember though in the biggest game of his life, all the experts had Joe Namath and the Jets written off to defeat?”
Making an analogy between the New York Jets' appearance in Super Bowl III to her view of the Obama campaign, Palin noted Namath was “up against the elite team that had all the money and they were held in awe by the media.”
“And Broadway Joe replied, ‘We’re gonna win the game, I guarantee it,’” she said. “And they won. And I hope Joe won’t mind if I paraphrase him some in this state, his home state. Pennsylvania, with your help, we’re going to win this state. I guarantee it.”
Namath grew up in nearby Beaver Falls, part of the same county as Beaver High School.
In what was dubbed a “pep rally,” Palin and her family walked out behind the Beaver Bobcats football team, and alongside coach Jeff Beltz, who gave the GOP ticket his personal endorsement.
“While allowing the Beaver football team to be a part of the national campaign this evening, the Republican Party is placing the understanding and value of local traditions,” Beltz said. “To me, the Republican committee has demonstrated that they understand the importance of the individual, the importance of tradition and the importance of consistency.”
Like the other candidates, Palin often campaigns at public schools, and with local pep bands and cheerleaders providing entertainment. But Beltz’s comments suggested the school district’s support.
“The Beaver Area School District is honored to celebrate our own gridiron accomplishments alongside this historical political race,” Beltz said. “As our Bobcats prepare for a playoff run, the … Republican Party gains momentum too.”
