I am high in the sky flying home from New Hampshire after last night's Presidential debate.  What a wonderful experience it was for me personally and even more so for the tea party members.  

Last night we saw a renewed sense of love for America and the values we stand for.  Prior to the event starting at 8:00 we had a pre-program session where we learned how the evening would work with the production team.  We also were welcomed to the debate by the university President and heard one of their students sing the National Anthem.   

As we settled in and waited for the 8:00 hour to arrive, we talked amongst ourselves and visited with people we have met in the last few years.  Then suddenly a man yelled out, "say the pledge...say the pledge".  We all looked around and before you knew it 700 people stood up and started saying the pledge.  A flag waving on the large screen wad quickly put up by the CNN crew.  

The feeling of pride I felt as my hand pressed against my heart is hard to describe.  One man lifted the feeling of our national heritage by speaking out and reminding us how important the grand old flag really is.

We all clapped and smiled at each other when we finished and the feeling in the room had been elevated to one of hopeful anticipation.  We knew the stage would soon be filled with seven great Americans who love our country and do not want to transform it but instead want to reclaim it again.

I was interviewed by some reporters in the spin room afterwards and they all wanted to know who won the debate.  From my perspective no one person dominated the evening.  All had good moments and as I told one reporter, "It was a NICE debate". No one took swipes at the other and their focus was on Obama and his Liberty encroaching policies.  At the end of the debate, one of them even said any one of us could be President.

That may be well and good for last night but soon a lead horse will pull ahead and some will get out if the race.  We may even see a few more throw their hat in the ring.  The slate of contenders will change in the months ahead but eventually the leader will emerge and our man or woman will take center stage.

In the meantime mark you calendars now for Sept 12 in Tampa for the next CNN Presidential debate co-hosted by Tea Party Express and hundreds of tea parties across the nation.  The First Coast Tea Party will be there and we encourage all tea parties to sign up now as a sponsor.  If you are interested in being a co-sponsor, contact us at admin@firstcoastteaparty.com and we will let you know what to do.  

We promise the pledge will not be an after-thought because the tea party loves her sooooooo much!   And an FYI ... Did you know today is Flag Day?  

If you are out and about and see one flying around town, why not stop for a minute and get out of the car.  Stand and place your hand over your heart and say the pledge!  Wouldn't that stop traffic?  

Now some ending comments:

Thank you to CNN for hosting a great event and for treating us us in a respectful and supportive manner. 

Thank you to Tea Party Express for stepping up to the plate as an organization focused on issues and putting conservatives in office. ---  while still encouraging every tea party group to remain their own entity without regulating them into a big organizational structure.

Thank you to those I met who have been out here years in advance carrying the conservative torch and waiting for us to show up.  Your wisdom and insights ignited my fire again!

And my favorite things about New Hampshire:

Christmas trees are the natural foliage and they call them pine trees.  They are beautiful and I wanted to sing jingle bells every time I saw one

New Hampshire tags have Live Free or Die on them!

And a bumper sticker said it all --  Watch out for Moose

And my favorite one liners of the evening:

America is the engine not the caboose.
Repeal Obamacare and give waivers to every state in the nation.
Obamacare is a job killer.
Repeal Dodd-Frank 
It's all about JOBS
Reduce regulations --- they are killing jobs and moving companies out of the states
If China and Brazil can grow 5% a year why can't we?
It is not just about the White House, we MUST take the Senate and keep the House
All people should have a right to work and not told what group or organization they must work with.
Shut down the EPA
Defund National Labor Relations Board. --  they Are killing jobs in SC
Principle over Party
Sharia law cannot exist in our judicial system
Libya--who are the rebel forces we are helping?
I'm in

Just landed in Newark and waiting to head home. It's Flag day and our 36th wedding anniversary.   A lot as happened in those 36 years and the last few have been tough on our country.   But the best part is this...just when you think all is lost, a new batch of great Patriots come out on stage and give us hope again.

Catch you later and watch out for those Moose!