With just eight days left to go before the election, Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin swung through Leesburg in the must-win state of Virginia. It was a very brisk fall morning, but that didn’t damper the enthusiasm of the GOP base, which showed up in force. Lest you wait for the media to give you the impression that this McCain-Palin rally was just another hate-fest, NRO was there to show you what it was really like.

Mark the Patriot was parked outside. (And no, this is not my car.) Not sure what to make of the license plate, but if that’s also a McCain reference — that’s commitment.

It was a big crowd, and even with a press pass it was hard to get close enough to Palin. She’s in this photo, but finding her is the political geek’s equivalent of Where’s Waldo?

Finally, close enough but she has her back turned the whole time. However, Todd’s learning to smile at the camera just fine.

More unrestrained GOP vitriol. (You laugh, but right now someone from DailyKos or AmericaBlog is Googling to see whether or not pumpkins are racist. Meanwhile, for Halloween in West Hollywood, they lynch an effigy of Sarah Palin.)

Whatever you think of Palin, you’d have to be amazingly indifferent to not appreciate her commitment to special-needs children. She has struck a chord. When she got to the part of her stump speech where she talks about special-needs advocacy, the crowd started chanting, “Bless your heart! Bless your heart!” Even though the governor is no stranger to these rallies at this point, that really took her aback.

A woman at a Palin rally flashing a peace sign! Start checking Craigslist for a good price on a bloodstained computer monitor because no doubt liberal heads are exploding over the fact that this woman is friendly, fun, and non-confrontational — and Republican. Her hat says “Average Joe” in tribute to the GOP’s favorite plumber, but not sure average is the ever best adjective for someone wearing a red feather boa.

Tito the builder everybody — born in Colombia, but made in America. When he’s not schooling The Nation’s David Corn on how economic incentives work, he’s now working the mic at McCain rallies. Right after this photo was taken, Tito ran up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, raised his arms triumphantly and began jumping up and down.

Tito isn’t as big an attraction as Sarah Palin — yet.

America is such a land of opportunity that even rednecks can afford a decent sportcoat.

Aww, it’s a little heart within a bigger heart.

The lone, peaceful Obama protester. He’s making a difference.

Finis. After Palin, the crowd heads to their cars, admiring the foliage along the way.

– Mark Hemingway is an NRO staff reporter.