Today is Sarah Palin Day - August 29 - the anniversary of the day John McCain announced his running mate.
This is what happened to me that day.
Up to that point I was very disappointed in the election season. After McCain won the nomination I pretty much gave up all hope. Obama winning his nomination and then picking Joe Biden as his running mate just made me want to turn off the TV forever. Needless to say I had a barely nominal interest in who McCain picked as running mate. After watching Obama's DNC speech I almost didn't want to know who McCain picked for fear of feeling kicked in the stomach again.
Then on August 29 around 11am came an email from my cube-mate who sits next to me. He didn't want to say anything out loud given the hostile work environment we're in. The email said "check CNN." I went to CNN and saw Palin's face. I was SHOCKED!! I had no idea who Palin was, but I was at once extremely excited! In an instant, I was shaken out of my election doldrums and intensely riveted and engrossed in it. I looked up everything I could find on Palin. I called my husband with the news. After work I called my dad and mom.
I watched her speech when I got home. I was in tears listening to the words coming out of her mouth - limited government, lower taxes, individual liberty - I couldn't believe someone like her existed and she was the governor of Alaska! All I could think was that I was just so happy and so proud that McCain picked her. McCain talked about her start in politics, how she joined the PTA, and I still was in a state of shock that someone like her, and everyday woman just like me, was picked as the VP candidate. I watched the wall-to-wall coverage on the cable news networks that evening. Conservatives were so happy with her. She sparked new life into the election and our beliefs.
It was definitely one of the best days ever and it changed my life. For me it sparked a desire to really get behind the conservative movement, and try to elect the most conservative, everyday Americans we can. It changed my views on the Republican party. But most of all as a woman, that day definitely inspired me that I could have it all - the career, family, everything - just like Palin. And she is someone who I agree with politically on nearly everything. I could relate to her and I was supremely impressed by her servant's heart.
Sarah is a shining star and she's just starting the journey of her political career. We'll be here with you each step of the way!
Here is the video coverage McCain's announcement speech, and Palin's introduction speech. It's well worth it to watch again. It'll send chills down your spine.
From CSPAN on youtube: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) announces Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate.
6 comments:
The biggest unwritten story of 2008: How Sarah Palin destroyed Bob Barr's Libertarian run for President.
I was a passionate Barr supporter, thoroughly dissapointed with McCain, until Sarah was picked.
Barr had been polling 5 to 6% nationally, even as high as 11% in one Rasmussen in New Hampshire, and 10% in Nevada.
Then Palin - the libertarian Republican - was picked, and he immediately tanked.
He ended up with 525,000 votes, which could have been 5 to 6 million.
She was a revelation for me, too. 'Love your post! and have Twittered it. For your reading pleasure, here's my post from that day:
It's a girl?
I am a Christian. Palin's twisted version of my faith sickens me.
" I went to CNN and saw Palin's face. I was SHOCKED!! I had no idea who Palin was, but I was at once extremely excited!"
And in those three sentences, you've illustrated exactly what's wrong with electoral politics today. You knew NOTHING about her, except what she LOOKED LIKE, and you were extremely excited. Wonderful. Let's pick all of our leaders that way.
This comment is true for all. Right/Left/Center. We're all way too image oriented.
We can all remember how all the wingnuts fell in immediate love with Sarah Palin. Thank God the country has a smart collective brain and correctly rejected her based on her strange positions on issues and total lack of understanding. Let us all hope the GOP puts her on the top of the ticket in 2012 to insure a landslide for the Democrats.
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