Jonah Goldberg at the National Review wrote a terrific article (“Palin Lights Fire Under GOP Backers”):
Last week, Obama’s running mate, Joe Biden, gave his speech about families huddled around their kitchen tables trying to make ends meet. The next day, McCain settled on Palin, who can claim to be part of such a family. Her husband is a member of the United Steelworkers. She got her start as a PTA activist and hockey mom who took on the corrupt Alaskan political machine. Unlike Obama, who played ball with the notorious Chicago machine, Palin took aim at the bosses of her own party.
The Obama campaign smugly and foolishly ridicules Palin’s work as a small-town mayor. But who can better empathize with working families: Biden, a trial-lawyer-friendly senator since the Jurassic era, or a woman with five kids and a blue-collar spouse? Obama performed badly with working-class rural voters in the primaries. “The Pride of Scranton” Biden is supposed to help on that front. Ridiculing small towns might not help the cause.
All Pro-Life advocates within the great Buckeye State take notice of Governor Palin, a devoted mother, executive and Pro-Life national leader!
September 4, 2008 at 4:51 pm |
After watching Gov. Palin address the Republican convention last night I am more convinced that John McCain made the right choice.
First, she was extremely poised and showed no signs of nervousness during her first appearance in the full national spotlight.
Second, she connected with her audience, in the arena and those watching on TV. As a member of the dwindling middle class, I really get the feeling she is more like me than any Presidential/Vice Presidential candidate in my lifetime (i’m in my 50’s so I’ve seen quite a few).
Third, her content was great! I don’t know how much of the speech she wrote, but it had continuity…and punch. We all know the VP’s job on the campiagn trail is to be the “attack-dog” and she certainly didn’t shy away from the role. Her line about the difference between a hockey mom and a pit-bull seemed to be an ad lib reaction to the audience chant of “hockey mom,” showing an ability to read and react.
Finally, she has charisma, something the McCain campaign has been lacking. Senator McCain has the respect and admiration of Americans based on his personal sacrifice and fortitude as a POW, but I can’t think of a time during his campaign when he’s fired up a crowd like Gov. Palin did last night.
A great start for the McCain/Palin ticket. Let’s hope they can get her up to speed on the issues as qucikly as possible because the liberal media is now on the defensive for the way they’ve treated her family. They are scrambling to find some traction in their effort to bring her down and won’t let up once they find something.