Now this was a shrewd move by Maverick:

When McCain made his way to the stage, he was accompanied by U.S. Sen. John Thune and Gov. Mike Rounds (who wore a black leather vest). The motorcyclists revved their engines in approval and cheered wildly for the Arizona senator.

“Thank you, I thank you all very much for that unique Sturgis welcome,” McCain yelled. “As you may know, not long ago a couple a hundred thousand Berliners made a lot of noise for my opponent. I’ll take the roar of 50,000 Harleys any day! Any day, my friend!” The rowdy crowd went wild, cheering their support for the candidate. McCain spoke briefly and then left the stage, making way for musicians Kid Rock and Kellie Pickler.

What? No Steppenwolf?

Last year's Sturgis attendence topped half a million — a annual pilgramage for bikers around the country and the world. While South Dakota should already be a lock for the Republicans, the real audience was the riders. Now these guys and gals will thunder back to their home states with a great McCain story to tell.