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Republican presidential candidate
Sen. John McCain and his vice presidential running mate,
Sarah Palin, greet a large crowd on Washington Avenue during
a campaign rally in Cedarburg in September. The campaign
visit was voted as the most significant News Graphic news
story of 2008 by the newspaper’s staff.
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CEDARBURG -
With 2008 being a presidential election year, the chances were good
that the race for the White House would have an impact on Ozaukee
County.
And, boy, did it ever! When
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain and vice
presidential running mate Sarah Palin came to Cedarburg for a
September campaign rally, they jammed downtown Cedarburg with
thousands of supporters.
This event has been voted the most
significant News Graphic news story of 2008 by the newspaper’s
staff.
Here’s a look at the top 10 news
stories of the year, as voted by the News Graphic staff:
1. McCain-Palin visit
Sure, we know how the 2008
presidential election turned out. Still, the Sept. 5 visit by McCain
and Palin – who lost the November election to the Democrats –
was the biggest event to happen in Cedarburg this year.
The visit was big news on many
levels.
On a national scale, Cedarburg was
recognized for being the first stop for McCain after accepting his
party’s nomination for president at the Republican National
Convention in Minneapolis the night before. For just a few hours on
that overcast autumn day, the city’s streets were filled with
journalists from around the globe, Secret Service agents and
Wisconsin politicians proud to be associated with McCain’s
campaign. Cedarburg was featured in publications around the world,
including Newsweek and The Economist.
The event was also Palin’s first
campaign rally after introducing herself to the nation with an
energizing speech two days earlier.
Locally, the McCain-Palin ticket drew
some 12,000 people from across the state, packing the quaint streets
of downtown Cedarburg unlike any festival ever has.
"We appreciate that warm
Wisconsin welcome to one of the most beautiful towns of all of
America," Palin said of Cedarburg.
Four months after the visit,
Cedarburg Mayor Greg Myers still marvels at how fortunate his city
was to land the visit by the political dignitaries.
"For one day, Cedarburg was the
center of the national political universe," Myers said this
week. "By choosing to make Cedarburg their first stop after the
Republican convention, the campaign brought invaluable national
exposure and attention to our city."
For
full story, please pick up a copy of today's News Graphic. Click here to
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