Palin Accepts Historic GOP Nomination

By Broadside Correspondent David Pierce

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin accepted the 2008 Republican vice presidential nomination last Wednesday night at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn. 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 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.
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 is evil and he will defeat it,” Romney said about McCain. The crowd immediately chanted “U.S.A.”

Huckabee began his speech by criticizing the integrity of recent media reports. “The reporting of the past few days,” Huckabee said “has proven tackier than a costume change at a Madonna concert.” He stood up for 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.

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 Biden: “I’d want to get that V.P. thing in writing.”

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

After introducing her family, Palin quickly began her attack on Obama. She likened her experience as mayor to Obama’s experience as a community organizer, except for 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 and 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.

Palin emphasized that 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 is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you...in places where winning means survival and defeat means death. And that man is John McCain," Palin said.

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