By PEGGY MOEN
ST. PAUL — Gov. Sarah Palin didn’t directly deal with life issues in her long- awaited September 3 speech to the Republican National Convention. But she did tell her ebullient audience about her “ perfectly beautiful baby boy named
Trig,” her fifth child, born to her last April with Down syndrome. “ Children with special needs inspire a special love,” she declared.
Palin stated: “ To the families of special- needs children all across
this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.”
Many pro- lifers have stressed that the Alaska governor’s willing acceptance of child with a Down syndrome proves that her convictions are heartfelt, and not merely political.
At the end of her RNC talk, Palin’s entire family came on stage, and she held Trig in her arms.
“What a beautiful family!” said Sen. John McCain, who joined the family in front of the massive, spirited throng in the Xcel Energy Center. “Don’t you think we made the right choice for vice-president?”
All in the audience cheered. It was amazing they still could after the yells, whistles, and shouts of “We love, you Sarah!” they kept up throughout her address.
Palin used her talk to defend herself from the media- launched attacks during the previous week; to lampoon Barack Obama; and to make the case for John McCain to be president.
Earlier speakers had already begun the defense of Palin. One day earlier, former presidential candidate Fred Thompson said, “ Some Washington pundits and media big
shots are in a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has actually governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit. Well, give me a tough Alaskan governor who has taken on the political establishment in the largest state in the Union — and won — over the beltway business- as- usual crowd any day of the week. . . .
“And I can say without fear of contradiction that she is the only nominee in the history of either party who knows how to properly field dress a moose . . . with the possible exception of Teddy Roosevelt.”
Shortly before Palin spoke, Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, delivered perhaps the best line of the entire convention when he said that the past few days’ media coverage of Palin was “ tackier than a costume change at a Madonna concert.”
Anytime a speaker made a reference to establishment media, a
chorus of boos would rise up from the audience.
A Surplus
The heart of Palin’s self-defense was detailing the demands of her previous work.
A self- described “ hockey mom,” Palin asked her listeners: “You know they what they say the
difference is between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.”
As to her role as mayor of Wasilla, she 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.”
She stated that “ with the support of the citizens of Alaska,” as governor she and her administration “ shook things up.”
“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.
“And I thought we could muddle through without the governor’s personal chef — although I’ve got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending — by request if possible and by veto if necessary.”
Now, “ our state budget is under control” and “ we have a surplus.”
“And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes. . . . I told Congress, ‘ thanks, but no thanks,’ for that Bridge to Nowhere.”
She delighted convention- goers with her jabs at Obama, especially: “ 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.”
And: “ The American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of self- discovery.”
In contrast, she said, McCain is “ a true profile in courage” and “ as a mother of one of [ the] troops, that is exactly the man I want as commander in chief.”
Paralleling her own record as governor, “ Sen. McCain also promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest — and as a chief executive, I can assure you it works.”
And, as she as governor fought to initiate a “ nearly $ 40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence,” so will a McCain- Palin administration immediately begin “ to lay more pipelines . . . build more nuclear plants . . . create jobs with clean coal . . . and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.”
Overcoming Evil
In her conclusion, she described McCain’s life as “ the journey of an upright and honorable man — the kind of fellow whose name you will find on war memorials in small towns across this country, only he was among those who came home.
“ To the most powerful office on earth, he would bring the compassion that comes from having once been powerless . . . the wisdom that comes even to the captives, by the grace of God . . . the special confidence of those who have seen evil, and seen how evil is overcome.”
After she finished speaking, she walked to the far edges of the stage to wave to those sitting behind its huge screen structure.
