Palinized!

So, Sarah Palin is coming to town Sunday. I was the first one in the newsroom to volunteer to work that day, even though I usually have it off.

Everyone who knows me knows I'm an Obama supporter. I've been a liberal all through the time it was a bad word.

But this is history. I jumped at the chance to cover Obama's visit a couple weeks ago and I jumped at the chance to cover this.

North Carolina is a swing state for the first time in a long time -- it's been a reliable Republican state for more than 30 years. So, candidates didn't come here. But this election, we're important and everyone except John McCain himself has come here to Asheville, although he has paid attention to the state.

I have a lot of differences with Sarah Palin, but she is the candidate for vice president.

I would love to sit her down and ask her one-on-one what she will try to do about health care. It's my issue since Mike died.

I'd like to hear her say everyone deserves quality health care and a living wage and a decent, safe place to live and nutritious food to eat.

I'd like to see her tell people who holler rude things about Obama to shut up. I'd like to see her rise above the nastiness. She could give it her best Mom voice, accompanied by a withering look, a wag of the finger and a "Shame all over you!"

C'mon Sarah, you can do it.