Taking the "Express" Lane

The reason business people still get on airplanes to fly half way around the world to talk face to face with customers or suppliers is because no email, phone call, or video conference, can replace the gut human instinct you get when you look someone in the eye, shake their hand, observe their body language, and as Morning Call columnist Bill White said to me, "take the measure of the man"...

...Which is exactly what Bill, Scott Kraus, and I had a chance to do, while riding on the "Straight Talk Express" yesterday. My conclusion is that John McCain is a sincere, caring man who can be trusted with the country's future. I found no hubris or phoniness. He didn't try to "work us" or to finesse his answers. In fact, some of his answers were so blunt, they surprised me.

What didn't surprise me were all the passionate volunteers at McCain Headquarters, and the crowd that turned out to see him,
including many families and young people like Lehigh County Republican Chairman, Bill Platt Jr. and his beautiful family.

A group of teenagers carrying signs caught my attention. Thinking they were protesters, I went to speak with them. Turns out they were supporters; home schoolers who can't participate in outside activities because they can't afford the cost of gasoline. You can see them in this photo holding signs saying "Drill Here...Drill Now".

One of the most touching moments came when a young Marine walked up to a volunteer, took off his hat, and said he would be honored if Senator McCain would sign it. The hat was given to a staffer who brought it back signed with a message from the Senator thanking the young man for his service.

You can learn a lot standing around in a crowd if you're willing to make small talk and know how to listen. One thing I learned is that there's a big push by the big money in the Republican Party to promote gasification in Pennsylvania. Gasification is a manufacturing process that converts any material containing carbon—such as coal, petroleum coke (petcoke), or biomass—into synthesis gas (syngas). The syngas can be burned to produce electricity or further processed to manufacture chemicals, fertilizers, liquid fuels, substitute natural gas (SNG), or hydrogen. With all the coal we have in Pennsylvania and as badly as we need new manufacturing jobs, the announcement of a few new gasification facilities might be helpful in delivering PA's 21 electoral votes.

And that's the other thing I learned; the McCain camp thinks they have a good shot at winning Pennsylvania. Looking at the polls, you might conclude that's wishful thinking, but I've got some anecdotal evidence indicating Team McCain's optimism may not be misplaced: Two weeks ago, I spent a couple of days working out in the north central part of the state, the heart of the "Red T". The support for McCain was much stronger than that for Obama. If those sentiments hold, the Keystone State may play a key role in November.

The ride ended too soon. The bus stopped next to its airborne counterpart, the "Straight Talk Express" with jet engines. Ushered into a waiting van, we sat along the tarmac as the plane with it's blue and gold campaign logos taxied to the runway. As it streaked by on takeoff, the words "He's up" came over the Secret Service radio.

Heading back to the mall, I asked the van driver if he was a McCain staffer, “No”, he said. “I’m a volunteer”. My wife isn’t too happy about me being away, but I’ve got to support what I believe in”. We'll know on November 4, how many other Americans feel that way about John McCain.