I wonder how many of you, like me, stayed up to watch Sarah Palin's speech last night. Those who did will have been impressed. She had to give the speech of her life and she did. Even Adam Boulton was in raptures over it, and he doesn't hand out praise without it being deserved.
Palin used the opportunity to introduce herself properly to the American people. She talked about her family, her life and achievements in Alaska, energy policy, and what a McCain presidency would mean for America. She wasn't afraid to confront Obama and his record but dished out her barbs with a smile on her face. It was a bravura performance, which will have struck terror into the hearts of Democratic strategists - and Joe Biden. Here are a few excerpts from the speech...
Her best joke was unscripted. She saw banners in the audience which read HOCKEY MOMS FOR PALIN. She smiled and said...
Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. 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. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening. We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco...
We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers. And there is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate. This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.
Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit. Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions. Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it. Congress spends too much ... he promises more. Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.
The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars...
In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.
You know, they say there is only one difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull.
Lipstick.
It brought the house down and she delivered the line perfectly. Sarah Palin socked it to her critics in the liberal media, both in the US and around the world. She showed guts, determination and an ability to come out fighting. She'll need all those qualities in spades over the next sixty or so days. Last night she caused people to hesitate, to wonder if they had misjudged her. Now she has two months to prove her worth.
The full text of the speech is HERE. Or you can watch the whole thing...
Sarah Palin provokes hot reactions from her opponents. If you haven't seen the speech, watch the video before you comment on it. It might give you pause for thought.
