Johnson takes part in GOP rally

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

Jordan Johnson, 23, daughter of Carl and Cindy Johnson, a second-year law student at Southern Methodist University, got to meet Lynn Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, during a campaign appearance. Cheney was on hand to give a speech and his wife accompanied him to the rally at Billy Goat Industries, a lawn equipment manufacturing plant in Lee's Summit.

Johnson was a volunteer who took microphones to members of the audience who wished to ask questions and she held the chair for Mrs. Cheney while she was being seated.

"We didn't really talk, I thanked her for coming and she replied but that's about it," Johnson said.

Johnson's parents got involved in working the event at the last minute. They had to get her to the plant early and the organizers needed some extra hands.

"We took Jordan up there about 9:30 a.m. for the 11 a.m. meeting and they needed someone to help out so Carl and I got to check in the media people," her mother said.

Her mother estimated that there were about 300 to 350 people at the meeting in the warehouse of the facility.

"There were all kinds of people there," Cindy Johnson said "But there were only two speakers. The president of the company introduced the Vice President and that's about all he said. After that the Vice President gave a talk and answered questions."

This isn't the first time Johnson has volunteered for Republican candidates. In fact, she's worked at the local and state level before.

"I love working in a campaign," Johnson said. "I've been helping out with campaigns for years and years. I've helped register people to vote, I've done phone banking when they needed people to make calls, and I've taken stuff door-to-door."

Johnson has even participated in debating the Iraq war with a Green Party person in Columbia. One reason this campaign season means so much to Johnson is the importance of Missouri in the presidential race.

"Missouri is the second most important state right now," Johnson said. "It's great to be involved in something that important."

Johnson won't have much time for campaigning from now on, this weekend, since she's going back to school.

"Once I go back to school I'm going to be busy studying and worrying about my grades," Johnson said.