The applause of about 700 Republicans echoed as Lt. Col. Oliver North voiced his admiration for presidential candidate Sen. John McCain at an Alachua County Republican Party fundraiser in Newberry on Thursday night.
"I'm a personal friend of John McCain," North said before the speech. "His courage, integrity and sacrifice for this country are what inspire me to get up and speak on his behalf."
North was a guest speaker at the county Republicans' sixth annual Ronald Reagan Black Tie and Blue Jeans BBQ, an event held to rally party members to vote.
North, who served as the U.S. government's counter-terrorism coordinator from 1983 to 1986, played a major role in the capture of the Achille Lauro cruise ship hijackers in 1985, according to the event Web site.
He is a best-selling author and host of "War Stories" on the Fox News Channel.
Lisa Stoll, a Democrat from Alachua County who attended the event with her husband, said she had been swayed to vote for McCain by the qualities of common sense and self-reliance that North described.
"He did an excellent job," Stoll said of the speech. "He was very clear."
North spent much of his speech encouraging Republicans who are disgruntled by polls showing Obama about 13 points ahead of McCain.
"I don't let polls tell me what to believe," he said to the crowd. "They are usually wrong. The media has not given the Republican Party a fair shake."
North also commended the 35,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, calling them "the protectors of Muslim women."
He recalled the economic crash of 1987 and said it should give hope to those struggling today.
"You can't look at a crash like that and not think things are going to get better," he said.
North ended with hopeful last words for his party.
"My hope and prayer is that we haven't forgotten the values of our party," he said.
"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich."
