Mike Pence Rally: A Personal Account

As I approached the Mesa Convention Center on Wednesday, November 2nd, I began to grow nervous of what I was going to see. It has been said that Arizona is a battleground state and I have also heard of the horrors that occur at Trump-Pence rallies such as protesters attacking supporters.

Thankfully I was misinformed. Not a single person was seen protesting outside the convention center and the line was wrapped around the building. I had arrived about an hour and a half before the rally because I knew that the lines for Trump/Pence rallies were long, however, I was definitely surprised to see such a large line to for a Vice Presidential candidate. Finally after a 30 minute wait I had made my way into the building and I was preparing myself to hear Mike Pence speak.

As I stood in the crowd awaiting Mr. Pence, I was minding my own business listening to the music and the chatter of the other people when I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned around to see who had tapped me. I turned out to be an old man wearing a baseball cap and wearing a Trump button on his shirt. The man went on to ask about me. He asked how old I was, What I did for a living etc. He had come to see Mr. Pence speak and was very excited at the thought of even being in the same room as him.

The man and I had been talking for about 20 minutes when we finally reached the topic of politics. He was worried. He explained to me that Obamacare was becoming way to expensive for him and his wife. He was extremely worried that he would not be able to afford it now that he knew premiums would increase 116% in Arizona. He looked at me and asked me sincerely how I planned on paying for this increase and I said to him:

"I don't know good question"

The next question I asked him was what his greatest concern for this country's future was. He explained that illegal immigration and our nations safety against terrorism were most important to him. He also explained to me how his son was a Marine and that he believes Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence will take care of the veterans the way they should be taken care of. Not only was he angry about how Veterans had been treated in this country, he was extremely worried for his sons future after the military because he feared he would become one of those statistics we hear. You know, the statistics that say 22 veterans a day commit suicide.

Shortly after our discussion ended, Pence began to speak. He was an excellent speaker, he made you feel as if he was speaking directly to you. He spoke sincerely and clearly. He used emotion and empathy to show how deeply he cared about this country. I became a big fan of Mr. Pence after hearing him speak.

The crowd loved Mr. Pence. There were cheers and chants, laughs and boo's. The crowd was electric and they fed off of Mr. Pence as if he were an essential life source. I know that there is an enthusiasm and excitement around this campaign, but I had no idea of how prominent it was, and neither will you until you see it in person. It was truly an amazing experience.

As the rally concluded I said goodbye to my new found friend. He wished me good luck and he urged me to go to the polls several times. I left that day with a new found sense of hope not only in this country, but in the people of this country. People such as the man I had met, have real and serious fears about the future of this country. It was good to see people engaging in dialogue and fighting for their beliefs.

Jeff if your reading this, thank you for all that you did for me, God bless your son, and go cubbies.

If you didn't catch Mike Pence's speech in Mesa, Arizona check it out below: