Not Sex, Alcohol or Even Hurricanes Can Stop The GOPSarah Palin got a standing ovation among the Louisiana delegation at the Republican National Convention Monday — reflecting what many say is the “bounce” in enthusiasm John McCain’s vice presidential pick has brought to the campaign.
This despite what can only be seen as bad news for the campaign on Monday — the Republican National Convention being disrupted by Gustav slamming the Gulf Coast, the Palins announcing that her daughter Bristol is five months pregnant, and that husband Todd had gotten a DUI in 1986.
Wild Internet rumors were claiming that Palin's youngest child with down syndrome, Trig, was actually her daughter's baby. That would explained how even at seven months, the 44-year-old Alaska governor was able to conceal her pregnancy. It also provided a legitimate reason why her oldest girl Bristol, 17, had been out of school for months, allegedly for having a severe case of mono.
Still puzzling, however, is why Palin would get on a plane in Texas after her water broke, then travel eight hours to deliver a special needs child in Alaska. And should Governor Palin, who McCain just met once before, be more focus on raising her children and tending to her family's needs.
The Alaska governor’s star power nevertheless is still on the rise. “Overwhelming excitement” is how Ellen Davis, Louisiana delegate and former Republican state chairwoman, described the reaction to Palin at a breakfast featuring first lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain.
In the days proceeding the Republican event, headlines suggested that the enthusiasm for McCain and for the convention week were on the wane. But Davis said Palin has infused the campaign with what was missing — excitement for the top of the GOP ticket.
Bush and McCain drew warm applause at the breakfast reception hosted by the Louisiana delegates, but it wasn’t until Bush’s praise of Palin that the crowd rose to its feet.
“I’m so happy because I’m finally going to have a chance to vote for a Republican woman this time,” said the first lady to a standing ovation. “Every woman in this room knows she is truly a superwoman.”
Bush went on to suggest that Palin’s experience as the mayor of the small Alaska town of Wasilla was a plus for her vice presidential prospects, particularly in terms of emergency response and coordinating local, state and federal resources. “That’s experience that no one on either side of the ticket has — and that’s local experience.”
McCain was equally charged in her comments. “I am extremely proud of his pick for vice president,” McCain said of her husband. The room erupted with applause. Then she picked up on a familiar theme going into the conventions. “She’s a straight talker and a maverick just like my husband — she’s not afraid to say no.”
As news trickled trough the convention about Palin’s family issues, several delegates said the story should remain just that — personal and private. More so, it did not seem to quell their initial reactions to her.
“I think it makes her more human — we all experience those kinds of things,” said Lula Bridges, a delegate from Alabama. “It says to me that she can relate to the general population.”
“I don’t think they were looking for perfection in a candidate,” said Scott Glover, a Florida delegate. “I think we’re looking for a real person, that can relate to us and we can relate to them on some level, and we all have issues of some sort. I don’t want to be judged on what my children do — and I know we all do our best as parents.”
Stu Rothenberg, a Washington, DC pollster who publishes the Rothenberg Political Report tip sheet, said he talked to a number of delegates at the Xcel Center Monday who had heard the news and had rushed to defend her.
“It’s a full completion of the ticket,” said George Ackel, also from Louisiana.
“This was a clearly the deal closer with all the activist base of the Republican Party and the conservative movement,” said Chris Healy, chairman of the the Connecticut State Republican Party. “Those are the ones who we really do have to capture.”
A recent Gallup Poll taken of voters Aug. 28 through Aug. 30 — including at least two days after the Palin announcement — found that McCain got a 5-point jump from the news. Democratic challenger Barack Obama, fresh out of his own convention, was enjoying an 8 point bounce, leaving the poll at Obama ahead of McCain, 48 to 42 percent.
Aside from the family issues, more serious questions about her policy views are looming — like supporting the teaching of creationism, or intelligent design, alongside evolution in public schools, or her lack of public positions on the war in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Middle East.
And Rothenberg noted that not all independents — another group that McCain has been after — have necessarily reacted the same way as the base of the party.
“I also heard from people that it looks too political, that instead of picking someone with great political bloodlines and credentials, he went with a young woman to try and trump Obama, or do the Hillary thing, and it was just a political pick,” he said, “he put politics before the country — I have heard some of that — not from Republicans, but from some independents.” Source
This despite what can only be seen as bad news for the campaign on Monday — the Republican National Convention being disrupted by Gustav slamming the Gulf Coast, the Palins announcing that her daughter Bristol is five months pregnant, and that husband Todd had gotten a DUI in 1986.
Wild Internet rumors were claiming that Palin's youngest child with down syndrome, Trig, was actually her daughter's baby. That would explained how even at seven months, the 44-year-old Alaska governor was able to conceal her pregnancy. It also provided a legitimate reason why her oldest girl Bristol, 17, had been out of school for months, allegedly for having a severe case of mono.
Still puzzling, however, is why Palin would get on a plane in Texas after her water broke, then travel eight hours to deliver a special needs child in Alaska. And should Governor Palin, who McCain just met once before, be more focus on raising her children and tending to her family's needs.
The Alaska governor’s star power nevertheless is still on the rise. “Overwhelming excitement” is how Ellen Davis, Louisiana delegate and former Republican state chairwoman, described the reaction to Palin at a breakfast featuring first lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain.
In the days proceeding the Republican event, headlines suggested that the enthusiasm for McCain and for the convention week were on the wane. But Davis said Palin has infused the campaign with what was missing — excitement for the top of the GOP ticket.
Bush and McCain drew warm applause at the breakfast reception hosted by the Louisiana delegates, but it wasn’t until Bush’s praise of Palin that the crowd rose to its feet.
“I’m so happy because I’m finally going to have a chance to vote for a Republican woman this time,” said the first lady to a standing ovation. “Every woman in this room knows she is truly a superwoman.”
Bush went on to suggest that Palin’s experience as the mayor of the small Alaska town of Wasilla was a plus for her vice presidential prospects, particularly in terms of emergency response and coordinating local, state and federal resources. “That’s experience that no one on either side of the ticket has — and that’s local experience.”
McCain was equally charged in her comments. “I am extremely proud of his pick for vice president,” McCain said of her husband. The room erupted with applause. Then she picked up on a familiar theme going into the conventions. “She’s a straight talker and a maverick just like my husband — she’s not afraid to say no.”
As news trickled trough the convention about Palin’s family issues, several delegates said the story should remain just that — personal and private. More so, it did not seem to quell their initial reactions to her.
“I think it makes her more human — we all experience those kinds of things,” said Lula Bridges, a delegate from Alabama. “It says to me that she can relate to the general population.”
“I don’t think they were looking for perfection in a candidate,” said Scott Glover, a Florida delegate. “I think we’re looking for a real person, that can relate to us and we can relate to them on some level, and we all have issues of some sort. I don’t want to be judged on what my children do — and I know we all do our best as parents.”
Stu Rothenberg, a Washington, DC pollster who publishes the Rothenberg Political Report tip sheet, said he talked to a number of delegates at the Xcel Center Monday who had heard the news and had rushed to defend her.
“It’s a full completion of the ticket,” said George Ackel, also from Louisiana.
“This was a clearly the deal closer with all the activist base of the Republican Party and the conservative movement,” said Chris Healy, chairman of the the Connecticut State Republican Party. “Those are the ones who we really do have to capture.”
A recent Gallup Poll taken of voters Aug. 28 through Aug. 30 — including at least two days after the Palin announcement — found that McCain got a 5-point jump from the news. Democratic challenger Barack Obama, fresh out of his own convention, was enjoying an 8 point bounce, leaving the poll at Obama ahead of McCain, 48 to 42 percent.
Aside from the family issues, more serious questions about her policy views are looming — like supporting the teaching of creationism, or intelligent design, alongside evolution in public schools, or her lack of public positions on the war in Iraq, Afghanistan or the Middle East.
And Rothenberg noted that not all independents — another group that McCain has been after — have necessarily reacted the same way as the base of the party.
“I also heard from people that it looks too political, that instead of picking someone with great political bloodlines and credentials, he went with a young woman to try and trump Obama, or do the Hillary thing, and it was just a political pick,” he said, “he put politics before the country — I have heard some of that — not from Republicans, but from some independents.” Source