This morning I watched on TV Sarah Palin deliver a speech before a crowd of 5,000 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I must say it was electrifying, flawless and she connects with people like no politician I've ever seen. Joe Biden, fasten your seatbelt - you're about to experience some turbulence.
The Republican ticket has found a resonant issue in "reform," and Palin has the track record to make it credible. Before being Governor, while chairing the Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission, she learned of several instances of unethical conduct of another Commission member. She brought the matter to the attention of the Governor's office and the offending member was eventually forced to pay a $12,000 fine. What makes this story relevant is the fact that the perp was Chairman of the State Republican Party. That is putting principle before personal ambition, something rarely observed in the political cesspool.
Last night someone near and dear to me was advancing the argument that we should be concerned about what people in other countries think about our elected leaders. This I take is meant to favor Obama, since he was the favorite in all 22 countries surveyed, a total of 23,531 people, per the BBC. This might be relevant if he were running for Secretary General of the UN.
But, consider also, as Bret Stephens points out in a Friday WSJ piece, that in another poll, by WorldPublicOpinion.org., in 8 of the 19 countries surveyed a majority did not believe that al-Qaeda was responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Even in Britain only 56% blamed al-Qaeda and 23% of Germans actually blame the US government.
Now that they think the Cold War is over (it's not) and that, therefore, they don't need us to defend them while they're on their 6 week holidays, many Europeans and others feel free to give vent to the envy that animates their anti-Americanism.
We'll choose our own leaders, thank you.
2 comments:
I would hope she can read a teleprompter well. A former sports announcer (or weather) and beauty queen. If she can't get you excited about the speech she is reading and make it look professional, who could?
She probably has more teleprompter time than any other candidate.
As for "reform"? Am I going to trust the people who screwed it up to reform it?
As for "Reforming Regulating Systems" just last March, McCain has characterized himself as an deregulator and in his 26 years in Congress he has proved it , never once tighten standards on investment firms.
I guess the way they should phrase it is "McCain broke it, he's the guy to fix it!"
At least John McCain has a record for you to pick apart. As for Barack Obama, it remains to be seen what this guy can or will do. As for teleprompter experience, don't sell your guy short. He's a hell of a speaker until you get him off the teleprompter. Then we have to listen to a lot of "uh, uh...well...now....here's the point" and then he never get's to one.
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