Only days before the country would become entangled in the most controversial election ever, Charlton Heston and the National Rifle Association visited Beckley, WV in October 2000 to rally gun owners to vote for then Republican nominee George W. Bush. 

I covered that event for the evening news on WSAZ that night.  It was in some ways a very surreal night.

The whole election was amazing.  West Virginia had so much attention because the Republican party saw a chance to move it back into their column.  Republicans knew it would be a tight race and you couldn't ignore a potential swing state like West Virginia.

There were many memorable moments for me in that election.  I got to interview Tipper Gore at a fundraiser for then Democratic nominee Al Gore.  I also got to interview Al Gore inside the House of Delegates.  (Three questions only.  It was like a conveyor belt and as Gore moved by you asked him your questions and moved on.  Very weird.)  I saw Bill Cosby warm up the crowd for a Gore rally on the capitol steps.  I also saw Ted Koppel from ABC covering the Democrats and carrying his photographer's tripod -- the ultimate respect to pay your photographer by the way.

But it was that warm night in Beckley that I won't forget.  There were so many people packed into the armory for this event that they set up an area outside to watch Heston and the NRA folks hold their rally.  There was some tension in the crowd too.  The NRA was not happy with media coverage (mostly national at that point) but I was representing the profession and heard the opinions from some.

Then Heston came out.  He was electric.  The crowd went hysterical and he rewarded them with his deep voice and perfect delivery.  It's a trite phrase these days -- but he WAS the rock star in the crowd.

Toward the end of the event some of the media snuck back into the back room of the armory with the hopes of throwing some questions at Heston.  I remember him seeming shorter than I imagined (that seems to happen a lot with movie stars).  He was a skinny man but had a huge prescence along the rope line of fans.  I remember one of the reporters there even asked him for an autograph.  That was the first time I ever witnessed that.

I got to ask him why West Virginia was so important and he said it was easily a swing state and could make the difference. 

More prophetic words may have never been spoken.  Bush went on to win West Virginia and the rest is history...