GOP delegates set to rally behind Palin
MINNEAPOLIS — Hours before the Republican Party’s embattled vice presidential nominee is scheduled to address the convention and the nation, delegates sharpened their knives for the media today and practiced their cheers for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
“Give her a big round of applause — she deserves it after what she has been through,” Patrick Brady, the new Republican National Committeeman for Illinois told delegates at a breakfast this morning.
(AP)
Former U.S. House Speaker Denny Hastert told delegates to expect some working-class wisdom from Palin that would continue to confound the pundits because it shatters the stereotypes they try to build about the Republican Party.
“The Sarah Palin part of the party — their kids weren’t going to go to ivy league schools; their sons leave school to go into the military; husbands and wives work two jobs to see their families are sustained,” the Plano Republican said.
Referring to younger Republican officials such as Palin, Hastert said said, “They start on the PTA, soccer moms, they start on the city council or become the mayor of a small town or county council, then become governor. The press and our friends on the other side of the aisle are trying to redefine her. Listen to her tonight and you will see the values of a real American family, a real American leader.”
Palin’s 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy, the investigation into Palin for allegations she fired a public safety commissioner for refusing to fire her ex-brother-in-law, her alleged former membership in the Alaska Independence Party which had members who advocated secession from the United States, have all made headlines in the five days since John McCain announced her as his surprise choice for running-mate.
But the unflattering press coverage seems only to have strengthened the resolve of delegates to back the 44-year-old strongly conservative, anti-abortion, pro-gun-owners rights governor most of them are just getting to know.
As for the presidential nominee himself, McCain landed in Minneapolis this morning and “will get around to saying hello‚ to a few people” but will have no public schedule, Mccain campaign manager Rick Davis said.
No one was saying whether McCain will make a surprise‚ appearance on-stage after Palin’s speech tonight as Democrat Barack Obama did on the Wednesday of his convention last week
Davis defended the vetting process that chose Palin as McCain’s running mate and insisted that in selecting the unknown first-term governor over the more talked-about finalists for vice-president, “gender didn’t come into any of the equations of selecting the candidate.”
The Washington Post reported that McCain’s campaign only seriously interviewed Palin in-person about her record a week ago — a day before McCain met with her to offer her the spot.
But Davis said, “All this stuff about the vetting process is just bunk. I think the press is really disappointed they couldn’t figure out who it was in advance. John McCain had all the information he needed to make an informed choice.”
And Davis revealed this morning that Vice-President Dick Cheney was in Europe and would not be making any appearance at the convention. That comes on top of President Bush appearing only via satellite and not in the keynote role.
Bush complimented McCain on being willing to stand up to him. Cheney had been scheduled to address delegates on Monday night but his and other appearances were cancelled that night because of Hurricane Gustav.