Text of Sarah Palin's RNC Address 9/3/08

Reading the speech is a treat....you'll find it here! Here is the youtube video of it. A few great excerpts:

I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better.

When I ran for city council, I didn't need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and 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 is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. 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 are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening.

We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.


We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers. I've noticed a pattern with our opponent.

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 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 - 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.

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit.

Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions.

Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it.

Congress spends too much ... he promises more.

Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific.

The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars.

Another Great Speech!

Sarah Palin, in addition to all the qualities she has demonstrated as both person and politician, gave a great speech tonight! She showed marvelous humor and indicting wit. She promoted good ideas—ideas American needs to implement.

The immediate post-speech commentary by Brian Williams and the NBC crowd was contemptible! Clearly showing disdain (could it be perhaps that they, of all people, don't like criticism?) for her person, they immediately blathered about whatever negative things—real or perceived—came to mind. Then I come back here to the computer, turn the radio on (public radio this time), and some even more contemptible liberal is giving snide criticism of her and her speech.

How is it that these same media, when covering Hillary Clinton, fawn; and when they cover Barack Obama, worship? Objectivity is dead!

Kudos for Hoogendyk!

The Republicans assembled in St. Paul this week (and boy, would I love to be there) have taken a forced break from their festivities...so how are they spending their time? Jack Hoogendyk, the awesome Senate candidate from our area, responded in this manner. His press release is copied below.

Hoogendyk Calls for Blood Drive at Republican Convention Michigan Delegates Pledge to Give Blood for Hurricane Victims

Minneapolis, MN - Michigan State Representative Jack Hoogendyk announced that the Michigan delegation to the Republican National Convention would be participating in a blood drive on Tuesday, which he initiated to provide relief for potential victims of Hurricane Gustav. Hoogendyk, the Republican Party's candidate to unseat US Senator Carl Levin, made the announcement at the Michigan delegation's breakfast and then circulated the room with a clipboard collecting pledges for blood donations. The local Red Cross has named the effort the "Michigan Republican Party Gulf Relief Blood Drive." The Red Cross plans to send a blood drive bus to the Northland Inn, where the Michigan delegation is staying. Hoogendyk is calling for blood donations from residents across the state of Michigan, as well as from other delegates to the Convention. "Everyone here in Minnesota at the Convention is watching the events in the Gulf closely. We see it as an opportunity to mobilize Republicans from all around the country to help their fellow citizens who are suffering from the effects of Hurricane Gustav," says Hoogendyk. "We're all going to roll up our sleeves and give blood to send to those in need in the Gulf Coast area." The blood drive will be taking place at the Northland Inn Hotel on Tuesday, September 2 from 10 am to 4 pm. A large turnout is expected.

It is great to see that the Republicans are not merely partying and having a good time—they are making a positive impact! (And if I were there, Jack, I'd give a pint!)

OK, Michigan—Which Would You Rather Have?

I find it puzzling that here in Michigan, the campaign higher-ups who control the dispersing of monies keep spending much of it on the same thing: Phone calls to voters (and possible voters).

Every voter I know in Michigan is, at the very best, ambivalent about such phone calls; and the ambivalent ones are probably the least likely to either change their vote...or to vote at all, based on one or more phone calls.

On the other hand, many Michigan voters I know want one thing more than anything else before an election: Yard signs. They may take bumper stickers, but don't want to put them on their vehicle; they may buy buttons, but rarely wear them. But give those voters yard signs, and they'll be on proud display ASAP!

Had I not gone to the state GOP convention last week, I—a county party official—still wouldn't have a McCain sign in my yard. While I was there, I observed people descending on the piles of McCain signs like vultures on road kill (analogy not intended to describe the people or the signs). People want yard signs—Campaigns, take note!!

The Michigan GOP State Convention: Part 2

A couple of great photos from a great day...

Here we have Jack Hoogendyk, who has already won the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat now held by the liberal Carl Levin. As always, he did a great job today.


And here we have four very happy children with some of their plunder, including the free hats (promoting a candidate for Wayne State University Board of Governors):

The Michigan GOP State Convention: Part 1

Today was the day of the Michigan state GOP Convention, held in Novi, near Detroit. My wife and I were both delegates, so we took along the four kids—and had a great time!

The primary business of the day (besides choosing electors to the electoral college, should McCain win our state; this was pretty much pro forma) was nominating people to the following positions to appear on the November ballot:

• Justice of the Supreme Court. Clifford Taylor, the current chief justice, is up for election this year and will be viciously attacked by the other party; conservative justices hold a 4-3 majority on this bench and he is the majority's leader. Michigan Republicans adore him. Every state should have supreme court justices like this man.
• Two positions on the state board of education. Three folks were running.
• Two positions on the MSU Board of Trustees. Scott Romney, elder brother of Mitt, is an incumbent; he and one other woman were the only ones in the running.
• Two positions on the Wayne State University Board of Governors. Only two folks were actively seeking this position.
• Two positions on the University of Michigan Board of Regents. There were three people actively running hard for these two spots.

The observant will notice that only two of these five listed positions were truly contested. But in every case (not to mention candidates for other offices that have already been chosen in primaries two weeks ago, such as soon-to-be-senator Jack Hoogendyk), stickers, signs, leaflets, and other goodies—including free doughnuts courtesy of Lisa Bouchard, who was the other candidate for MSU Trustee—were being handed out in a manner that even "generously" cannot properly describe. If you like the game-day-face-to-face-meet-and-greet nobody-knows-the-outcome-until-it's-over version of politics, you'd have loved to observe this! My children haven't gotten so much free stuff since Christmas.

As delegates, my wife and I were among those voting for the contested nominations. It is also a great time to meet folks, especially from your own district, who share your political views. I was especially proud of our county's largest delegation to a state convention in some time.

It was also a great opportunity to pick up materials to promote John McCain and others who are running for various offices; to purchase buttons, neckties, and other "stuff" that promotes the GOP; and to get a lot of talking points to share with your friends about "why you should vote for so-and-so for a board of governors on the other side of the state."

But I still left with one question on my mind: Why do we have three colleges with boards of trustees, governors, and regents? Why are they all differently named, yet chosen in the same manner?

What Is a County Republican Convention?

Here in Michigan, every voting precinct elects one or more (depending on population) precinct delegates for each party, to two-year terms. For the second time in a row, I have been elected a precinct delegate [Truth in publishing note: Number of delegate candidates in my precinct did not exceed number of available positions].

As I am already the secretary of the county Republican Party, I am active in Republican politics. So why bother to become a precinct delegate? What do they do?

The first order of business, at our first post-election meeting of this two-year cycle, was to elect nominees to the state convention (to be held in Novi, near Detroit, tomorrow). Because we are on the opposite side of the state from Novi, there was no difficulty getting myself and my wife elected among the fifteen eligible delegates from our county.

Precinct delegates are often among the first tapped for volunteering responsibilities, but are also among the first to get invites to political events, too!

So what does a State Republican Convention do? More on that this weekend, after I get back...