Palin Energizes Republican Delegates

I don't agree with everything she said -- especially when Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) implied we can drill our way (partially) out of our energy hole by sticking more straws into the ground in Alaska -- but, wow, I respect how well she said it. And, based on the hootin', hollerin', and cheerin' in St. Paul, the delegates at the Republican National Convention loved every minute of it, too.

It may have been her first "big" speech, but Palin delivered that debut prime-time speech with aplomb, with humor, and with pacing that almost made you think that she wrote it herself. No teleprompter here; at least one AP photo shows her with printed speech in hand at the podium. [added: I didn't see a teleprompter in any of the photos -- and there were w-i-d-e shots -- and so I deduced that from the fact that she clearly had notes. Two readers tell me that they saw the teleprompter.]

Also on Wednesday, academics and former Clinton campaign staff "endorsed the Republican charge that John McCain’s running mate has been subject to a sexist double standard by the news media and Democrats." The closest allusion to this in her speech was her explanation of what it means to be a mayor.

For example, Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden (D-DE), known for foot-in-mouth disease, said this: "There's a gigantic difference between John McCain and Barack Obama and between me and I suspect my vice presidential opponent. ... She's good looking."

Then there's the assumption that only women have childcare responsibilities. Here's CNN’s John Roberts: "Children with Down’s syndrome require an awful lot of attention. The role of vice president, it seems to me, would take up an awful lot of her time, and it raises the issue of how much time will she have to dedicate to her newborn child?" This line of thought is the same one that kept women from being hired and promoted for decades; it's 2008 and men are still not only thinking this but saying it on the air to millions?

The speech was a "rally 'round the flag" kinda speech, where the "flag" is the Republican party faithful. Lots of reference to patriotism (directly and indirectly). Direct hits at the Democratic nominee (did she ever call him by name? I don't think so) -- on background (community organizer versus mayor), on campaign gaffes (Scranton v San Francisco), on policies (taxes, etc.), on legislative record (bills authored compared with two memoirs).

Even though I disagreed with much of it, I still felt energized by it. That's a gift.

But one allusion in the speech gave me pause: the one referencing Harry Truman. I thought, at first, that she was comparing herself, although obliquely, to Democrat Harry Truman, a compromise vice president who ascended to the presidency less than three months after taking the oath of office. But I think, upon re-reading that section, that she's talking about people who live small towns, not specifically about Truman.

Thinking About Palin
When I heard that Palin opposed having polar bears listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, I gritted my teeth. Then I read her January 2008 op-ed on the subject that ran in the New York Times:

The possible listing of a healthy species like the polar bear would be based on uncertain modeling of possible effects. This is simply not justified.

What is justified is worldwide concern over the proven effects of climate change...

But the Endangered Species Act is not the correct tool to address climate change ....Americans should become involved in the issue of climate change by offering suggestions for constructive action to their state governments. But listing the polar bear as threatened is the wrong way to get to the right answer.

That has a little more nuance, doesn't it? And, frankly, she's right: the ESA is not the way we should be addressing climate change. Unfortunately, with this Administration's record on environmental issues -- domestic and global -- her solution has not been a viable option. You have to play the hand you're dealt, and consequently the courts have ruled twice that the Bush Administration had to respond to climate change effects under existing law (ESA and Clean Air Act).

Palin has also been criticized for being successful in getting Congressional earmarks. I think earmarks are a bad way to develop budgets and are prone to abuse. But I'll not criticize a governor (or mayor) for doing what she could to get a bit of that pie for her constituents. I'd argue that so long as Congress is tossing out money, it's her job to make sure that her citizens are getting some of their tax dollars back.

The task of fixing federal problems isn't the job of a governor. It is the task of a federal official. The better question: how would she handle earmarks as Veep?

Selected quotes from Palin's speech:

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'm not a member of the permanent political establishment.

And I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone.

But 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. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people.

I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law.

While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.

That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.

I also drive myself to work.

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?

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.

For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words.

For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.

Learn more about Sarah Palin:

• Visual Analysis Of Palin's Acceptance Speech
• Read Sarah Palin's acceptance speech
• Both Sides Rally as Charges of Media Sexism Against Palin Surface - Women's Issues
• Palin A Financial Hit
• McCain Picks Palin
• Sarah Palin: The Power of the Pit Bull - US Conservative Politics
• Sarah Palin On The Issues - US Conservative Politics
• Sarah Palin Prepares For Republican Convention Address - Women's Issues
• In Palin Pick, McCain Uses Identity Politics to Insult All Women - US Liberal Politics

Press and Web Reaction:

• If Speech Is Guage, She's The Real Deal - Seattle Times
• Palin Aces Her Screen Test - Chicago Tribune
• Palin Fires Back - Baltimore Sun
• Palin Plays Up Small Town Roots - Dallas Morning News
• Welcome to the Palindome - London Guardian