By Jenna Lieungh
In the past few months, Wisconsin has been in the national spotlight. Governor Scott Walker’s historic victory in the recall election demonstrated that courage cannot be defeated. And now Congressman Paul Ryan’s nomination for the vice presidency has furthered Wisconsin’s influence to the rest of the United States.
My campaigning “career” began with Governor Walker’s reelection campaign, and I recently began campaigning for Mitt Romney. The day I learned Governor Romney selected Paul Ryan for his running mate, I, like many Wisconsinites, was ecstatic. The first time I met
Congressman Ryan, I could tell he was a genuine and respectable man who truly cares about our country’s future, so his being vice president seemed extremely suitable.
My excitement from the day of Governor Romney’s selection carried over to the next day, as I went to the Romney-Ryan Homecoming Rally.
Attending the rally was exciting in itself, but I would have never imagined that I would be able to stand on stage directly behind the next president and vice president of our country.
When two friends and I were asked to stand in the backdrop, I could not believe it. Once seated in the first row of seats, I began truly to understand what I was about to experience. I could see everyone in the crowd, the many cameras, and the very podium from which Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would speak in a short while. But even the excitement I felt while waiting for the rally to begin was trivial compared to that which I experienced when our not-too-distant future president and vice president walked through the crowd to the stage.
To commence the rally, various Wisconsin leaders, including Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, Reince Priebus, Senator Ron Johnson, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and Governor Scott Walker, spoke briefly about Paul Ryan’s character, emphasizing his honesty, his integrity, and his genuine concern for America. The crowd’s energy resonated with me, as those who spoke prompted our enthusiasm and excitement.
After the introduction, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan made their way through the crowd and onto the stage. It was amazing to see them together, in person, right in front of us. Through their powerful speeches, both Romney and Ryan conveyed the message to Wisconsin and to America that we are ready to fight for our freedom, for our prosperity, and for our country.
Seeing all of Wisconsin’s finest leaders all on one stage and, furthermore, being right behind them, was the most rewarding and memorable experience of my life. I still am in awe that I was able to be a part of such an amazing rally.
The crowd reached an estimated 13,000 people; only 5,000 were anticipated to attend. These numbers alone indicate the enthusiasm for and desire to win this race.
We are ready to take back America. As Paul Ryan said in his address, “Courage was on the ballot June 5th. And Courage won. We in Wisconsin saved Wisconsin on that day, and on November 6th, we will help save America.” So let’s do just that.
Jenna Lieungh is a junior at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School
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By Kira Welcenbach
I couldn’t believe I was onstage at the August 12th Romney-Ryan rally. It was such a cool experience being able to see a combination of both Wisconsin’s finest and the nation’s finest politicians. I don’t think I will ever get to see such an eclectic and passionate group of people speak.
My friend Jenna and I arrived to the rally quite early and were just hanging around when a Romney staff member asked if we wanted to stand onstage behind Governor Romney. We said yes, of course, and were ecstatic about this unpredicted turn of events.
Before the rally began, we were also interviewed for both Fox 6 news and WISN. Getting to share our political beliefs and excitement for the campaign was incredible.
Soon enough the program started and we found ourselves front and center on stage while Jim Sensenbrenner gave the opening remarks. The Lieutenant Governor, various representatives for Wisconsin in the national assembly, and our current national Republican Party chairman all spoke, along with the Governor, Scott Walker, and our Wisconsin US Senator, Ron Johnson. They all gave passionate speeches about what it means to be a conservative and the direction of the Republican Party, especially in Wisconsin.
Finally, the awaited moment came; Governor Romney and Congressman Paul Ryan came on stage to speak. Governor Romney was literally standing two feet in front of me; it was the coolest feeling ever being that close to the future president of America. Congressman Ryan spoke first and gave a fantastic speech about his thankfulness for the support of Wisconsin and Governor Romney’s capabilities to be the President. Mitt Romney then spoke, and to my delight, finally spoke of what he plans to do to improve the economy, should he be elected. He gave five easy to understand steps which many Americans will both understand and support.
After all of the speakers were done, I got a chance to shake both Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan’s hands, along with getting pictures with many of the other speakers.
It was an unbelievable experience and a great day to be a Republican in Wisconsin.
Kira Welcenbach is a junior at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School