Delayed reaction

I realize that Palin's speech occurred a couple of days ago, but I've been so busy with work that this is my first chance to share my impressions. Remember that I had seen her interviewed a few months ago, and my first impression of her was very positive. However, I was well aware, particularly in light of the feeding frenzy in the press regarding her private life, that this speech was a "make it, or break it" situation. I was so thrilled when I heard her speak at the convention because my first impressions of her paled in comparison to my positive reaction to what she had to say in her speech to the RNC. As she spoke, I immediately felt like I was listening to an average American. She is a citizen politician, rather than a professional politician. She faces the same challenges that I do and she has no overblown sense of import that often results from becoming an elected official. But, these are just superficial observations.

While these surface impressions create a more receptive attitude, I was also pleased with the actual content of her speech. One of the biggest challenges to her nomination is her "lack of experience." In my view, this is actually a plus. I equate her lack of experience as being one of the uninitiated into Beltway politics. Her resume, however, demonstrates that she does have experience managing large budgets, dealing with complex issues associated with running a city and a state. The kind of experience that the other three candidates all lack. What impresses me most is her willingness to stand up to those within her own party and to stay true to conservative principles. I don't self identify as a Republican because I think the Republicans are as much at fault for the growth of our government as the Democrats are. That's why I identify myself as a conservative. I want my elected officials to place the people's business ahead of their personal desire to hold on to and to gain more power and influence. What I saw in Sarah Palin, as she spoke the other night, was a woman who understands that she is seeking the job of representing the people, not the advancement of herself or some special interest; she knows that the people are not gullible enough to fall for the elegantly framed simplistic campaign slogans. For example, the argument that drilling domestically isn't going to get us off foreign oil; most Americans are smart enough not to fall for this all or nothing kind of argument. Clearly we have the ability to do more than one thing at a time; let's use all available forms of energy. She has a deep understanding of the energy issues and I consider the energy issue to be very interconnected with our national security. For me, national security is number one and energy independence is number two on my list of priorities. All in all I was thrilled with her speech. She talked about the issues that I'm most concerned about and did so in a way that I can whole-heartedly support. The fact that John McCain chose her, gives me just a smidgen more confidence in his judgment. I'm still wary of him, because I think he still has some ideas that will grow government more, but when I look at what Obama has to offer; bigger and more intrusive government, I'll feel a little better about casting a vote for the McCain/Palin ticket. I wish it was a Palin/McCain ticket, but maybe in 2012 I'll have a chance to vote for her for President.