A miracle happened in Orange, California last Friday night.

I flew down to Orange to see the premier of The Undefeated because I wasn’t convinced I would ever get to see it on the big screen in San Francisco. I figured the Bay Area is probably the last place in the country The Undefeated would be released. This would likely be my only chance to see it on the big screen.

I came down with a self-professed liberal Democrat named Keith. Of course I had to do a little bribing to get him to go. But to me it was worth it.

Over the last few years we have had our rows over Governor Palin and Barack Obama . With facts in hand and (mostly) gentle prodding, I have tried to chip away at the false narrative the left and the media had created for him about Sarah Palin. Although Keith has softened somewhat on his stance in regard to the Governor, there are days when I hear him repeat some spun liberal media story depicting her in an unfavorable light. It is then I feel even more determined to keep chipping away.

I know that Keith, in his mind, was prepared to come to Orange, CA to watch a two hour propaganda movie about Sarah Palin. I was, at the most , hopeful that an even greater softening would occur from viewing The Undefeated. What actually happened was something I was not prepared for.

Not a word or look was spoken between us during the movie. I, of course, choked back tears for most of the movie, only to have the dam burst during the convention speech segment. There were many reasons why I felt so emotional during the movie.

But what really struck me was how Stephen Bannon was able to capture the Sarah Palin I know through my own research, reading of her two books, following her speeches, TV appearances, and posts on Facebook and Twitter . I was seeing the woman and politician I felt like I already knew.

The goodness and truth of what I was seeing on the screen overwhelmed me. I cried for all the people who might not ever have the opportunity to experience the REAL Sarah Palin, and I cried for those who would be too immersed in their hate to ever see or feel anything different.

As the credits rolled and I prepared for the lights in the lobby by trying to dry my watery eyes, Keith still hadn’t said a word to me.

Even at the Organize4Palin after movie event I still was not sure what his reaction was to The Undefeated.

On the way back to the hotel Keith began to talk. He talked about his disappointment in Obama. He talked of Obama’s arrogance and his seeming to just not care about anything…except for himself and his own image. He was hoping for REAL hope and REAL change and got the same bought off and corrupt politician we seem to keep electing over and over again. Yes, I never had heard him say anything negative about Obama, and I was taken off guard by that, but what came next really and truly stunned me.

“ I see real hope and change in Sarah Palin…the kind I was hoping for in Barack Obama and did not get. This isn’t about Democrats and Republicans anymore…it’s about Americans coming together to take back the government from special interests and big corporations. And I think Sarah Palin is the only one who has the guts to try and to succeed. ”

I dropped one more tear right then and there that night. I had just witnessed an actual miracle.

Photo of Ray and Kevin with Tammy Bruce and Thomas Schmidt wearing their Essex & Orange “game on” shirts:

Mark Levin interviews Steve Bannon here.