Sarah Palin: "A Lady Who is a Leader!"

No other VP pick could have generated such enthusiasm!

I've been following the discussion on Sarah Palin's pick to be the GOP vice presidential nominee at National Review's "The Corner." The overwhelming view is that Palin is the right pick for conservatives, the right pick for McCain and above all, the right pick for America.

Another gem was found at the Times of London:

“We may be seeing the first woman president. As a Democrat, I am reeling,” said Camille Paglia, the cultural critic. “That was the best political speech I have ever seen delivered by an American woman politician. Palin is as tough as nails.”

On today's Fox News Sunday, anchor Brit Hume reminded viewers why Palin is the perfect choice for McCain: "economic conservatives are excited, 2nd amendment conservatives are excited, pro-life conservatives are excited and reform conservatives are excited" (paraphrased).

McCain would never have achieved this level of excitement and enthusiasm had he chosen just another old Washington Senate warhorse to be his running mate.

Sarah Palin is the fresh new conservative leadership that we have been craving.

Since McCain made the announcement on Friday, millions of dollars have been contributed to the McCain-Palin campaign. Many filled in the box at the bottom of the online contribution form where it asks "Indicate Who Referred You" with the name: SARAH PALIN!

Let Palin Be Palin
Why the left is scared to death of McCain's running mate.
by William Kristol
The Weekly Standard
09/08/2008

A spectre is haunting the liberal elites of New York and Washington--the spectre of a young, attractive, unapologetic conservatism, rising out of the American countryside, free of the taint (fair or unfair) of the Bush administration and the recent Republican Congress, able to invigorate a McCain administration and to govern beyond it.
That spectre has a name--Sarah Palin, the 44-year-old governor of Alaska chosen by John McCain on Friday to be his running mate. There she is: a working woman who's a proud wife and mother; a traditionalist in important matters who's broken through all kinds of barriers; a reformer who's a Republican; a challenger of a corrupt good-old-boy establishment who's a conservative; a successful woman whose life is unapologetic ally grounded in religious belief; a lady who's a leader.

So what we will see in the next days and weeks--what we have already seen in the hours after her nomination--is an effort by all the powers of the old liberalism, both in the Democratic party and the mainstream media, to exorcise this spectre. They will ridicule her and patronize her. They will distort her words and caricature her biography. They will appeal, sometimes explicitly, to anti-small town and anti-religious prejudice. All of this will be in the cause of trying to prevent the American people from arriving at their own judgment of Sarah Palin.
...
[S]he'll be swimming in political waters infested with sharks. Her nickname when she was the starting point guard on an Alaska high school championship basketball team was "Sarah Barracuda." I suspect she'll take care of herself better than many expect.
...
There will be rocky moments. But they will fade if the McCain campaign lets Palin's journey take its natural course over the next two months. Millions of Americans--mostly but not only women, mostly but not only Republicans and conservatives--seemed to get a sense of energy and enjoyment and pride, not just from her nomination, but especially from her smashing opening performance. Palin will be a compelling and mold-breaking example for lots of Americans who are told every day that to be even a bit conservative or Christian or old-fashioned is bad form. In this respect, Palin can become an inspirational figure and powerful symbol. The left senses this, which is why they want to discredit her quickly.

The only hint of scandal in Palin's past is the concern that she and her family had in protecting Palin's sister and family from an abusive and violent husband who also happened to be a State Trooper. Mata Harley at Flopping Aces has covered the story like asphalt on the highway so you can be informed.

Expect Democrats to follow their usual routine by sowing confusing story lines, then asking loaded questions which then need to be answered. One wonders how women will view Democrat's attempts to defend an abusive husband and father who also carried a badge and a gun?

A behind the scenes look at the Palin Pick

For those of you who enjoy the inside baseball angle on how the Palin pick was made Stephen Hayes also writing at the The Weekly Standard has the story. In his report Haye's describes how McCain initially had wanted to pick Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and had the strong backing of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham (not for the first time: on behalf of SC conservatives I apologize).

It was McCain who realized that such a move would be totally unacceptable to the GOP base. He heard alot about that subject in the Town Hall meetings he held leading up to his decision as he has throughout this campaign. Readers may recall I personally voiced my conservative concerns to the Senator last November when the candidate visited Mike's America.

Say "Thank YOU" to John McCain and Support the GOP Ticket!

John McCain heard our collective voices. He promised he would always listen to us, and in this case he not only listened, he acted in accordance with our fondest wishes.

For that, conservatives owe him and the McCain-Palin ticket our full support.

If you have not yet done so, please consider making a donation to the campaign.