The attempted media assassination of Governor Sarah Palin and her family, it seems now, served only one purpose: To assure that millions of Americans tuned in to see her speech at the Republican National Convention last night in Minnesota.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's address at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night is expected to draw a large audience, with viewers tuning in to see what kind of reception she receives after the revelation that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant.
As if having a 17-year-old pregrant daughter is something unheard of in American society.
But during her outstanding acceptance speech, she put the media on notice: She's not in politics to please them
Well, I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I've learned quickly these last 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 now here's a little news flash for 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 great country.
She told us that she started on her road in politics initially to be involved in her children's education and she's not going to stand by while other's denigrate her small-town roots.
I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom and signed up for the PTA.
So I signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education even better. And when I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters and I knew their families, too.
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 if sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.
I might add -- 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're listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening. No, we tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.
Yikes.
She recounted her own accomplishments in Government
This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau, when I stood up to the special interests and the lobbyists and the Big Oil companies and the good old boys. Suddenly, I realized that sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve. But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up and in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the 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 love to drive myself to work. And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef, although I got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her.
I came to office promising to control spending, by request if possible, but by veto if necessary. Senator McCain also, he promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest. And as a chief executive, I can assure you it works.
Our state budget is under control. We have a surplus. And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending, nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes.
We suspended the state fuel tax and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks" on that bridge to nowhere. If our state wanted to build a bridge, we were going to build it ourselves.
When oil and gas prices went up dramatically and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged: directly to the people of Alaska.
And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists who kind of liked things the way that they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources. As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people.
I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history. And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence. That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are open, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.
And she was not unwilling to perform her role as an attack dog. She deftly stripped the mask off the Democratic nominee and left him naked on the stage
Now, I've noticed a pattern with our opponent, and maybe you have too. 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 even a 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 when that happens, 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 -- the answer is to make government bigger and take more of your money and give you more orders from Washington and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world.
And most importantly, she told us how she believes a politician should act
No one expects us all to agree on everything, but we are expected to govern with integrity and good will and clear convictions and a servant's heart. And I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States.
The Media unwittingly drew in the audience like a hawker at a carnival show. And they succeeded in presenting to a larger audience than would have ordinarily been the case a woman who is confident, poised, personable, and tough.
Ordinary in an extraordinary way.
And America saw someone who is not going to take their crap
I was just your average hockey mom....You know, they say the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull: lipstick.
I'm thinking that this time, the Media bit off more than they can chew.
