Palin delivers star-turning performance for GOP

[GaryC 7]

Palin delivers star-turning performance for GOP

By TOM RAUM and LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writers 1 hour, 28 minutes ago

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Sarah Palin delivered. An embattled vice presidential candidate, a novice on the national stage, the head of a family suffering its "ups and downs," the first-term Alaska governor rocked the GOP convention with a star-turning performance.

Wielding a stiletto and a smile, Palin belittled Democrat Barack Obama and praised her new boss, John McCain, jolting the crowd of GOP partisans.

"Don't you think we made the right choice for the next vice president of the United States!" McCain said, hinting the controversy surrounding his pick. "And what a beautiful family."

Indeed, the family was on display for the TV cameras — five children, including a 17-year-old unmarried daughter who is pregnant. Their mother lacked the soaring oratory skills of Obama — a man she attacked as a tax-raising, terrorist-coddling, self-indulgent liberal. But the former TV sportscaster spoke in calm, TV-friendly tones reminiscent of Ronald Reagan. Like the former GOP president, Palin warmed the crowd with quips and jokes.

"What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull," she said, pausing for a beat and a smirk. "Lipstick."

She left the crowd smiling.

"For too many times, we've brought knives to gun fights," said Chuck Gast, a delegate from Maryland,

When asked if Palin brought a gun to the fight, Gast said: "Yes, I think she brings a big gun, like a moose gun."

It was the crowning moment of a roller-coaster week in which the first woman ever on a Republican presidential ticket has faced questions about how closely the McCain campaign scrutinized her. She also has heard a wide range of inquiries about family issues, her policy positions and her record of public service.

"Our family," she said, "has the same ups and downs as any other."

Facing down her critics with smiling resolve, Palin took crowd-delighting swipes at Obama and what she called the Washington elite. "Here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country," she said.

A new celebrity herself, Palin cast Obama as a little more than a fancy speaker with a compelling biography.

"The American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of 'personal discovery.' This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer," Palin said, a clear reference to Obama's time as a community organizer in Chicago.

The Obama campaign had less than a warm greeting, saying Palin's speech was "written by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years." The speech was written by Matthew Scully, who met Palin for the first time last week.

Selected by McCain only last Friday, Palin addressed the convention amid questions about her qualifications and relative lack of experience.

The first-term governor had top billing at the convention on a night delegates also lined up for a noisy roll call of the states to deliver their presidential nomination to McCain.

Watching her speech were her husband Todd and their children, including daughter Bristol Palin, whom the Palins disclosed earlier in the week was five months pregnant. Bristol's 18-year-old boyfriend and apparent fiance, Levi Johnston, was seated with them.

McCain shook up the presidential race by picking Palin, a little-known governor less than two years in office. Since then, a bright spotlight has been trained on the life and record of the Republican governor who has bucked the state's political establishment.

Days after Palin made her debut on the national stage with McCain, the campaign announced her unmarried daughter's pregnancy. Other disclosures followed, including that a private attorney is authorized to spend $95,000 of state money to defend her against accusations of abuse of power and that Palin sought pork-barrel projects for her city and state, contrary to her reformist image.

"Our family has the same ups and downs as any other ... the same challenges and the same joys," she said.

Noting that the couple's oldest son, Track, 19, was shipping out to Iraq in eight days with the Army infantry, Palin praised McCain as "a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by."

"He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years, and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight. And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief," she said.

Largely unknown outside her home state, Palin told the convention: "I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better," she said, speaking of her home town of Wasilla, Alaska, with a population of about 6,500.

"When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too," she said.

Before becoming governor, Palin served as mayor of Wasilla, she recounted, adding: "And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."

Palin delivered her speech in a firm, cheerful voice. It was her first chance to introduce and define herself to the American public and to explain to fellow Republicans how her experiences as Alaska governor would help galvanize the GOP ticket.

She strongly endorsed more oil exploration and drilling. "Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems — as if we all didn't know that already. But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all," she said.

Palin has been an aggressive advocate for drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, while McCain opposes drilling there. That difference was not touched on in the speech.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_palin_76

[IAMX 3,055]

She's so star-studding.. look at those stars.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Wielding a stiletto and a smile...

OMG guess what I just imagined

[Fedup 0]

:rofl:

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Only one stilletto?

[GaryC 7]

You might notice that this was an AP story taken from Yahoo. It isn't some right wing blog's OpEd piece. This is a very good sign. The press has just fell in love with Palin. McCain has skunked the dems with this pick. Bravo!!!

[IAMX 3,055]

It would be nice if they didn't correlate hockey with Palin. Hockey fans are a bit more sensible.

[Fandango 1,439]

It would be nice if they didn't correlate hockey with Palin. Hockey fans are a bit more sensible.

Yeah who needs sense like less gov't, more money, energy independence, etc? You're so right.

[IAMX 3,055]

It would be nice if they didn't correlate hockey with Palin. Hockey fans are a bit more sensible.

Yeah who needs sense like less gov't, more money, energy independence, etc? You're so right.

Well, Republicans are no champion of less government. They have been for bigger, more intruding government. The money is for KBR/Halliburton, Lockheed Martin, and other companies associated with war (making bombs, cleaning up the mess the bombs made, feeding the soldiers bullet-laden food, charging tens of thousands of dollars to the taxpayers for toilets) -- did you mean more money for the people? Nope, Bush has spent (with help of 5 years rubber stamp Congress, and 2 more of a bend-over Congress) more of the people's money. Sure, you may be seeing less taxes now, and today and on are beginning to reap the rewards of reckless spending without a way to pay for it -- something Democrats were highly accused of doing. Not fiscal conservatives in the slightest, and being VP, Palin wouldn't/couldn't change a damn thing. Energy independence as in drilling here which wouldn't solve anything for over a decade? And by anything it certainly wouldn't meet the demand of Americans in driving alone, never mind other uses of oil.

The only thing that can be done by Republicans is dividing America further by class and ideology, pushing morals, pushing conflict, over bridging the gaps.

If you don't believe me, look at this country under the last 8 years of a Republican President, and an increasingly neo-conservative government that is not small government like moderate Republicans were (and are gone now).

[Dan J 277]

Most of the praise for Palin's speech is coming from the strong conservatives of the Republican party. This could very well backfire.

McCain's strength in the polls comes from independents who still feel that McCain is a maverick or independent. Although that image is no longer deserved. Palin's speech drew a line in the sand, and energized the very conservative base of the party.

This is going to bring back memories of the campaigns of Bush. Which will likely cause the independents who have been supporting McCain up to this point, to seriously reconsider thier commitment.

There is sort of an acknowlegment in the Republican party that Bush ###### up. It was a tactical move by the McCain and the convention orginizers to disassoicate themselves from Bush, without upsetting those who still support him. But there is no clear message going forward. Without a real change in rehtoric, a new face won't save a dying brand.

[GaryC 7]

If the dems were not worried before they are fools if they aren't worried now. It seems we have our own version of an Obama. She is very well spoken, young, good looking, sincere, very charismatic and has the ability to bring great enthusiasm to the party. And look out Obama, she can deliver a speech! She will unite this party in a way we haven't seen in a very long time.

Most of the praise for Palin's speech is coming from the strong conservatives of the Republican party. This could very well backfire.

McCain's strength in the polls comes from independents who still feel that McCain is a maverick or independent. Although that image is no longer deserved. Palin's speech drew a line in the sand, and energized the very conservative base of the party.

This is going to bring back memories of the campaigns of Bush. Which will likely cause the independents who have been supporting McCain up to this point, to seriously reconsider thier commitment.

There is sort of an acknowlegment in the Republican party that Bush ###### up. It was a tactical move by the McCain and the convention orginizers to disassoicate themselves from Bush, without upsetting those who still support him. But there is no clear message going forward. Without a real change in rehtoric, a new face won't save a dying brand.

Palin = Bush now?

I think that "McCain is Bush" horse is dead now. You can stop beating it.

E.T.A.

Most of the praise for Palin's speech is coming from the strong conservatives of the Republican party. This could very well backfire.

CNN, MSNBC and of course Fox have all been raving since the speech. The praise isn't just from the "strong conservatives". Ain't nothing going to backfire from this. You have just seen the first woman in the white house.

Edited September 4, 2008 by GaryC

[GaryC 7]

This should irritate the Obama supporters.

[Carlawarla 1]

I can't vote. I'm finding this whole race truly amusing, however it's gone on way too long. You call an election in Canada, voting occurs within 36 to 60 days. The minimum is 36 days, the average I think 52. That's ample enough time, if you do your own research as well, to know who to vote for. As well, probably 60% of people vote for the party which they've always voted for, and not for the person. Actually in Canada, you don't vote for your PM anyway.

So, I find this media frenzy totally exhausting. There is nothing that has gotten me more irritated however than to think anyone would be happy to see that Palin is compared to and praised for being "reminiscent of Reagan". That is a total turnoff. That is nothing to be proud of in my opinion.

That being said, I will continue after that brief interruption to sit back and enjoy the antics of the Republican party and to see their demise.

[almaty 19]

i thought, Palin did a very good job and made a fine speech..better than liberman ..thompson...etc..she was polished and articulate..not a fan of hers, but for a first timer on the national stage..it was a shining moment in politics

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

i thought, Palin did a very good job and made a fine speech..better than liberman ..thompson...etc..she was polished and articulate..not a fan of hers, but for a first timer on the national stage..it was a shining moment in politics

i think we know what's on your mind.