by David L Pierce

Governor Sarah Palin accepted the 2008 Republican vice presidential nomination Wednesday night, September 3 2008, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Palin, a relatively unknown governor from Alaska, became the second woman to be nominated on a major party’s ticket in United States history, the first as a Republican.

Other notable speakers in this, the third night of the convention, included former 2008 Republican presidential hopefuls Governor Mitt Romney (R-Mass.), Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) and former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani.

Mitt Romney greeted the GOP by urging voters to make, what he called liberal Washington, a conservative town. He criticized Democrats on the economy and the war in Iraq. “Radical violent Islam,” said Romney about McCain, “is evil and he will defeat it.” The crowd immediately chanted “U.S.A.”

Mike Huckabee began his speech by criticizing the integrity of recent media reports. “The reporting of the past few days,” said Huckabee “has proven tackier than a costume change at a Madonna concert.” He stood up for Sarah Palin, claiming that Joe Biden, during his run in the national Democratic primaries, received fewer votes than Palin did in her mayoral run in Alaska.

Rudy Giuliani called McCain a proud foot soldier in the Reagan revolution, praised his role as a prisoner of war, and outlined his plan on improving the American economy. Giuliani then attacked Obama’s lack of experience. “He’s the least-experienced candidate for President of the United States in at least the last 100 years,” Giuliani said, and with reference to Obama’s flip-flopping, he even made a suggestion to Joe Biden: “I’d want to get that V.P. thing in writing.”

Standing ovations and applause shook the Xcel Energy Center as Governor Sarah Palin was introduced. Palin proudly accepted her party’s nomination and showed her support for John McCain.

After introducing her family, Palin quickly began her attack on Barack Obama. She likened her experience as mayor to Obama’s experience as a community organizer, except for the fact that she had responsibilities and, as she believes, he didn’t. She went on to echo the fact that she was a Washington outsider and that, unlike Obama, Palin would go to Washington to serve the country and not to appease the media.

Palin shifted her speech’s focus to her own experience. She claimed to cut costs to Alaskan taxpayers by suspending the state fuel tax, ending the oil lobbyist’s monopoly on state power & resources, and even stated that she sold the governor’s personal jet on eBay. She then continued her criticism of Obama, stating that he hasn’t created one reform or law in the Senate, and that the presidency isn’t supposed to be a journey of personal discovery.

Governor Palin emphasized that John McCain was not afraid to take on our enemies, and that he isn’t looking for a fight, but isn’t afraid of one either. “There’s only one man in this election that has ever really fought for you,” Palin explained, “In places where winning means survival, and defeat means death, and that man is John Mc Cain.”

John McCain appeared briefly at the end of Sarah Palin’s speech to a roaring crowd and thanked the night’s speakers, including patting the shoulder of Governor Palin’s nearly 4 month old son Trig, who has Down syndrome.

Posted on September 4th, 2008 by Noah Martin
Filed under: Mason Votes