Live from the McCain rally

Times-Union reporter Charlie Patton is at the John McCain rally:

6:58 a.m.: It's not quite 7 a.m. and already one side of the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena is beginning to fill for the John McCain rally.

 The program is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., with McCain appearing about 9 a.m. But a bluegrass band is playing on a side stage warming the crowd up.

 Quite a few people have done as rally organizers asked and worn red.

7:10 a.m. The challenge for the ushers is to get everyone to pack into the center sections, rather than to spread out  in the arena.

 They want the parts of the arena likely to be seen by the television cameras to look full.

7:30 a.m. The Andrew Jackson High School marching band has just arrived.

  Stacey Jones, president of the band's booster club, said they were invited to come and play about three songs.  Her son, Brandon Jones, is the and's head drum Major.

 "The kids are excited," Stacey Jones said. "They're glad to be out of school."

  Right now, they're playing "God Bless America."

7:38 a.m. Former Jacksonville Jaguar Jeff Lageman, now color analyst on the Jaguars radio network, is introduced as the master of ceremonies.

 He introduces Mayor John Peyton, who immediately thanks the Fraternal Order of Police for the pancake breakfast. That's a joke. Plans for breakfast were canceled when the event was moved to the arena.

7:44 a.m. McCain will carry Northeast Florida, Peyton promises to cheers. Then he introduces Sheriff John Rutherford.

7:48 a.m. The west side of the arena, where the general public is being seated, is close to being filled. The east side, where the VIPS sit, is not.  A guess would be that there are 3,000 to 4,000 people here.

7:52 a.m. Janet Adkins, who is running for the state House of Representatives in district 12, gets a big cheer by identifying herself as a "soccer mom." Her mentions of her alma maters, Trinity Christian Academy, and the University of North Florida, also get big cheers.

7:56 a.m. A strange sight. A bunch of shirtless guys with letters painted on their bodies have just entered the arena. It appears they may be part of the program. 

 When they reach their seats, the message becomes clear. They spell out McCain-Palin.

8:02 a.m. Lageman introduces the Jackson marching band. They perform the Stars and Stripes Forever and, God Bless America.

Meanwhile, people continue to arrive for the event.

8:15 a.m. A short biographical film about McCain plays on the arena scoreboard video screens.

Meanwhile ushers are urging some of those seated on the edges of the crowd to go down to the arena floor and surround the main stage.

8:23 a.m. Earlier, organizers had distributed sheets with phone numbers. Now people are being urged to call some of those numbers, thus forming the state's largest phone bank. 

8:29 a.m.  Former Gov. Jeb Bush is greeted with a standing ovation. His first comment: "I don't know about the Jaguars." It's greeted with groans.

8:32 a.m. Gov. Charlie Crist takes the stage. "Are you ready to elect a new president?" he asks to cheers.

 When Crist invokes the name of McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, he gets the same reaction and every other speaker who mentions her gets, a wild cheer.

8:35 a.m. Sen. Mel Martinez is introduced. He draws big cheers by speaking well of President George W. Bush, the first time the president has been mentioned this morning.

8:45 a.m. Richie Mullaney, a 7th grader at Episcopal High School, led the Pledge of Allegiance. Phil Stacey of American Idol sang the national anthem.

9:10 a.m. There's been a long delay and the crowd is growing restless. It's taken up various chants.

9:11 a.m. McCain and his wife, Cindy, arrive, played in with the song Eye of the Tiger.

9:14 a.m. The wildly enthusiastic crowd, which has continued to grow, takes up the chant USA.

9:15 a.m. Cindy McCain introduces her husband.

9:17 a.m. McCain takes the microphone and pledges to win the state of Florida.

9:37 a.m. McCain speaks for about 20 minutes. He criticizes his opponent, Barack Obama, as too inexperienced and too liberal. McCain pledges to clean up Washington and fix the economy while not raising taxes. He concludes by saying he wants to be president so he can inspire another generation to serve the country.

 When he finishes, he wades into the VIP crowd and begins shaking hands. Most of the crowd, many of whom have been there for more than two hours, head for the exits.