Just a quick study of how McCain pulled off one of the biggest VP surprises in modern history.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0808/How_McCain_picked_Palin_.html?showall
John McCain first met Governor Sarah Palin at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington in February of 2008 and came away extraordinarily impressed. John McCain followed her career and admired her tenacity and her many accomplishments. She was scheduled for a high profile speaking role at our convention and included in the VP selection process because of his admiration for her strong reform credentials. Last Sunday, Governor Palin and John McCain had a conversation over the phone. Governor Palin was at the Alaska State Fair, and John McCain was at his home at Phoenix. Previously, Rick Davis, John McCain’s campaign manager, had also been in regular contact with the Governor as part of the on-going selection process. This past week, Governor Palin arrived with Kris Perry in Flagstaff, Arizona, on Wednesday evening. that would have been the first legs of this flight and Itinerary:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N387HA
ok, this flight took off Anchorage on the 27th. It stopped up in Seattle to refuel before continuing on to Flagstaff, Arizona. In Flagstaff, it stayed on the ground overnight before going the next day to Ohio, with a 30 minute stop in Amarillo.
Flagstaff is just up the road from where McCain was at the time.
The same airplane is on its way back to Boeing Field in Seattle Wash as we speak.
28-Aug-2008 LJ35/W Amarillo Intl (KAMA) Hook Field Muni (KMWO) 04:02PM CDT 07:09PM EDT 2:07
28-Aug-2008 LJ35/W Flagstaff Pulliam (KFLG) Amarillo Intl (KAMA) 12:16PM MST 03:31PM CDT 1:15
27-Aug-2008 LJ35/W Boeing Field Intl (KBFI) Flagstaff Pulliam (KFLG) 06:51PM PDT 08:59PM MST 2:08
27-Aug-2008 LJ35/Q Anchorage Intl (PANC) Boeing Field Intl (KBFI) 02:15PM YDT 06:13PM PDT 2:58
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Upon arrival, Governor Palin and her longtime aide Kris Perry met with Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter of the McCain campaign at Mr. Bob Delgado’s home in Flagstaff. Mr. Delgado is the CEO of the Hensley corporation, which is Mrs. Cindy McCain’s family business. On Thursday morning, Governor Palin and staff were joined by Mrs. Cindy McCain and later joined by John McCain at the McCain family home in Sedona, Arizona. At approximately 11:00 a.m. Thursday August 28, 2008, John McCain formally invited Governor Sarah Palin to join the Republican ticket as the vice presidential nominee on the deck of the McCain family home.
Later that morning, John McCain departed for Phoenix and Governor Palin departed with staff to Flagstaff, Arizona. Governor Palin, Kris Perry, Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter proceeded to the Manchester Inn and Conference Center in Middleton, Ohio.
and that would have been the last two legs of the same flight and Itinerary :
28-Aug-2008 LJ35/W Amarillo Intl (KAMA) Hook Field Muni (KMWO) 04:02PM CDT 07:09PM EDT 2:07
28-Aug-2008 LJ35/W Flagstaff Pulliam (KFLG) Amarillo Intl (KAMA) 12:16PM MST 03:31PM CDT 1:15 27-Aug-2008 LJ35/W Boeing Field Intl (KBFI) Flagstaff Pulliam (KFLG) 06:51PM PDT 08:59PM MST 2:08
27-Aug-2008 LJ35/Q Anchorage Intl (PANC) Boeing Field Intl (KBFI) 02:15PM YDT 06:13PM PDT 2:58
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They were checked into the hotel as the Upton Family. While there, Governor Palin’s children, who had been told they were going to Ohio to celebrate their parents’ wedding anniversary
and that would have been the second more direct flight involving the 2nd plane:
the previous flight could have been Palin's advanced team, this one looks like it could have been Palin herself (and her family)
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N222GY
28-Aug-2008 GLF4/Q Anchorage Intl (PANC) Hook Field Muni (KMWO) 12:14PM YDT 10:07PM EDT 5:53
28-Aug-2008 GLF4/Q Anchorage Intl (PANC) Hook Field Muni (KMWO) 12:00PM YDT 10:14PM EDT n/a
28-Aug-2008 GLF4/Q Boeing Field Intl (KBFI) Anchorage Intl (PANC) 09:04AM PDT 11:19AM YDT 3:15
27-Aug-2008 GLF4/Q Anchorage Intl (PANC) Boeing Field Intl (KBFI) 06:16PM YDT 09:58PM PDT 2:42
25-Aug-2008 GLF4/Q Boeing Field Intl (KBFI) Anchorage Intl (PANC) 07:48AM PDT 09:50AM YDT 3:02
This was a gulfstream4 (much like a learjet)
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, were told for the first time that their mother would be a nominee for Vice President of the United States of America.
Today, John McCain was proud to announce that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a proven-reformer, will share a partnership with him to shake things up in Washington and to make government more effective for American families.
ah...what a touching story
