Has Sarah Palin acquired a celebrity status?

In my own opinion, yes. As written by BRENDAN FARRINGTON - an Associated Press Writer - in her article here, she was welcomed like a star, with tens of thousands cramming into a plaza and nearby streets in this enormous retirement community about an hour north of Orlando. Some waited more than five hours in 92-degree heat to see her speak for 23 minutes. The visit drew a few contrasts between Palin and Obama running mate Joe Biden.

The largest was the crowd. Some people had to wait in line about 90 minutes just to park their cars. Biden's largest crowd during a visit earlier this month was about 2,000.

But Biden made four stops in his two days, and ventured into Republican strongholds like Fort Myers and Sarasota. He took questions from the audience at each stop and did interviews with local media.

Still, Palin had star power. One teenage girl held up a sign that read, "When I grow up, I want to be Sarah Palin." Another sign read, "This chick supports Sarah Palin." Many said they didn't even know who Palin was until last month.

"I knew absolutely nothing," said Tyler Deeds, 19, who made the drive from Auburndale 90 miles away and waited more than 5 hours to see Palin. "I couldn't even tell you who the governor of Alaska was."

But Deeds, who plans to enter the Navy soon, said he "tends to cling to my guns and religion" and he quickly grew excited about Palin's candidacy.

Joan Guay, 81, dabbed bottled water on her arms as she waited for Palin in the broiling heat. She said she previously supported Democrat Hillary Clinton.

"This country needs a woman up there," Guay said. "I like her background, I like her family. It's a family that does things together. And I like her work in the community."