If anyone was in need of a home-stretch energy boost during the final days of this election season, Saturday night’s Rally the Right in Andover, Minnesota was it.

From rousing between-speech quips from nationally syndicated radio host Jason Lewis, to a fiery discourse by Father Frank Pavone, the North Metro Tea Party Patriots –led by Jack Rogers– event injected an already enthusiastic crowd with an incredible resolve.

My words pail in comparison to those of the great patriots who gave of their time and talents that evening…so let’s get on with it!

A few of the night’s most outstanding moments:

Father Frank Pavone of Priests of Life spoke to us about the importance of the abortion issue as a platform in this and any other election. His premise was simple- every other issue is irrelevant without LIFE. Nothing else can be addressed without addressing life. “Why do we worry about feeding the poor?” he asked the crowd, “We do so because they have a right to LIVE. Why do we care for the sick? Because they have a right to LIVE. Why do we worry about jobs and the economy? Because people need that income to survive, because they have a right to LIVE.”

Former Navy Seal Scott Taylor spoke to the crowd about the terrible dangers in which this administration has placed the country by being so cavalier with its intelligence, as we saw after the killing of Osama bin Laden. Taylor made himself available at the back of the room for those who wished to ask more questions- and it was incredible to see people crowded around this former Seal as though he was a rock star. I even saw a young boy, giddy with excitement, walk up and shake this man’s hand, thanking him for his service. Can you name another ten year old who would know what a Navy Seal is? How quickly such recognition of our nation’s patriots is fading in America’s youngest generation.

(Photo Courtesy of the Bachmann Campaign)

Another proud representative of our nation’s military, Dan “Doc” Severson, a former Top Gun pilot, spoke of his efforts to help elect the man who beat him in the primary, U.S. Senate hopeful Kurt Bills. He told a story that nearly brought tears to his own eyes, and I daresay many in the crowd. He was speaking with a Chinese doctor along the campaign trail, who saw Severson as a strange enigma; something around which he couldn’t seem to wrap his mind. You see, this man told Severson that in the Chinese military, you spend the first three months having it hammered into your head that you serve the government, and only the government, and you are to do whatever you can to protect the GOVERNMENT. The man simply couldn’t understand how Severson could boast such a proud military career while at the same time working in such opposition to the current administration. It was at this point that Severson’s emotions seemed to overtake him, as he told the man, “When we enlist in the military, and we raise our right hands, we vow to uphold the CONSTITUTION of the United States, and defend it from all enemies, both foreign and domestic. We swear to an ideal, not a government.”

(Photo Courtesy of the Bachmann Campaign)

When U.S. Senate hopeful Kurt Bills took the stage, you felt as though you’d just entered his classroom. As a matter of fact- he still teaches his Monday morning economics class despite his grueling campaign schedule. He spoke of how he teaches all economic theories as though each was his own personal belief. “When I teach Marxism, I teach it like I’m a Marxist,” said Bills, who said that as such when he makes the case for capitalism and its many merits, students don’t write him off from the onset simply because there’s an (R) by his name. He earns their respect. “I educate,” said Bills, “Not indoctrinate.” His best line of the night, however, came from his admonition to voters planning to sit this presidential election out because they didn’t get the candidate of their choice. Bills noted that in 2008, some people didn’t vote for Norm Coleman because he was ‘too moderate,’ and we got Al Franken. In 2010 some people didn’t vote for Tom Emmer because he was ‘too conservative,’ and we got Mark Dayton. If, as he put it- people would just quit trying to teach people lessons with their votes, and more time winning elections, we might actually get somewhere. He makes a VERY valid point.

The evening’s guest of honor took the stage despite feeling under the weather, and gave a speech a la what we’ve all come to know and love as quintessential Bachmann flair. She spoke of many things, but focused mainly on the horrible events in Benghazi and the disturbing cover up spewed by this administration. There came a point in which she directly called out the media–including those present that night– shaming them for their refusal to do their journalistic duty. The crowd had risen out of their seats many times throughout the night to welcome a speaker or cheer one on, but at this point the crowd stood up and applauded with such a fervor– the frustration in the air was absolutely palpable. Bachmann hit a nerve with that one.

And, like the proverbial “cherry on top” of the night’s event, Jason Lewis joined Bachmann and Bills on the stage as the rally was coming to an end to announce that the Des Moines Register– a publication “just to the left of the New York Times,” had just endorsed Mitt Romney for President, and that the Star-Tribune was set to announce polls showing Romney within the margin of error in Minnesota.

(Photo Courtesy of the Bachmann Campaign)

What a way to end WHAT a night!

Congratulations to the North Metro Tea Party Patriots for a stellar event featuring some of conservatism’s finest- it is thanks to grassroots efforts like these that our nation has a HOPE. If you’re in the Twin Cities area and you’d like to see how to get involved, please click here.