I was very moved and impressed with Gov. Palin's speech at the Convention this evening. WoW! A mom of five, and wife to a hard working man she still refers to as "her guy". It was moving for the thousands in the Convention hall. She spent a good deal of her speech talking about her family being just a regular American family with its ups and downs. It was brilliant because it disarmed the mud being slung at her over her daughter's pregnancy and seeking office with a special needs child.
I did not hear a lot of plans or issues discussed, but, then it will be President McCain who will be setting that agenda, not her. So, that was appropriate. She did deliver what was expected in the way of using the Obama/Biden weaknesses in her address, demonstrating she can play hard ball with the best of them. Very impressive.
And her statement about rural towns like the one she was mayor of, and guns and religion brought the house down. She knows how to reach out to Republicans, and that she did. I am now convinced that Palin adds a great deal to Sen. McCain's bid for the presidency. She will reach American women and moms in a way that Giuiliani, Lieberman, and Romney could not.
I'd read that Obama's poll numbers had gone up since his speech. I think Gov. Palin will do the same for McCain's numbers this next week. I hope so. America needs regular folks with families to govern with American families in mind. Gov. Palin said she would be an advocate for families with special needs when she is in the White House. I don't think anyone can argue with that. She was impressive.
Published LA Hanna, She did give a rousing speech to her base. But, there was almost no substance to her speech. And no candor or truth about her own record which is now unfolding. She left her Mayor job and her small town with $20 million of debt, to become Gov. where she raised taxes on the oil and gas industry. Her record and who she says she is on the campaign trail, aren't lining up. If the investigation finds reverse nepotism in firing that government worker, even her words about fighting corruption will ring hollow. I think Palin possibly could turn out to be a liability, not an asset, outside the GOP base. McCain cannot win without that moderate independent vote outside the GOP base. We shall see.
LA Hanna,
The McCain campaign said today that Palin would be accessible to the press only as the Campaign deems it useful for McCain's campaign.
Watch this closely, because there is a lot you are not going to like about Palin's past coming out of Alaska, and the McCain is taking a defensive position in an attempt to keep her past from being exposed before the media before the election is held. This is absolutely characteristic of the Bush administration's tactics to hide bad news until the public can't do anything about it anymore.
A gaggle of investigative reporters are descending upon Alaska to dig up the history of Palin, and the only reason for the McCain camp to hide her from the press is to avoid her having to respond to embarassing questions, like the 20 million dollar debt she left as Mayor of her small town of less than 9000 people, her raising taxes on the oil and gas companies, and much more which is inconsistent with what Republicans and the general public expect of their candidate.
She has ties to Sen. Stevens and pork projects of her own, and possibly even Abramoff, now ordered to serving 4 years in prison.