Posted by
beltway girl on Thursday, September 04, 2008 1:53:14 AM
So—people a thousand years from now—this is the way we were in the provinces north of New York at the beginning of the twentieth century.—This is the way we were: in our growing up and in our marrying and in our living and in our dying. --Stage Manager, Our Town, Thornton Wilder
Do barracudas go for the jugular?
This one did.
And tonight, she was so effective, she looked far more worthy of the nickname "Jaws."
The curtain went up on Sarah Palin and she came out swinging. She talked about life in a small town, noting that these are the people who make this nation, who work for this nation, who fight for this nation, and who die for this nation. She noted that she knew small town people well, and she quoted a writer on this topic. But her own words were far more eloquent. "They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America... who grow our food, run our factories, and fight our wars."
She stated that these are the people who are always proud of their country, a stinging rebuke of the celebrated Michelle Obama comment.
Then, Jaws entered Barack Obama's receding ocean. She said that, you know, being the mayor of a small town was a lot like being a community organizer.
Except with responsibility.
Ouch.
She bashed Obama on his bitter comments. She talked about cleaning up Juneau and auctioning off its luxury jet on eBay.
And she sang her own praises a tad, giving us an idea of the scope of her work as governor of Alaska.
Oil is a huge issue in our nation today, and Palin's speech, something of a tour of duty unto itself, stopped there next. Palin's state is vital to America's quest for oil independence.
She blasted the dependence on oil supplied by nations who hate our own. She mapped out the Mc-Palin road for our energy future, albeit vaguely. This is appropriate for a speech of this kind, and actually necessary by virtue of its breadth.
This woman made clear she is a champion for the cause of life, not so much by talking about it, but by showing it to us. A picture of her special needs baby in the cradling arms of Cindy McCain.
But the one thing throughout this speech, like a constant drumbeat, was her steady support for John McCain. Sarah Palin clearly admires this man. And it's genuine.
It was a big night for the party, and for the country. We had wonderful speeches from Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and (notably) Rudy Giuliani.
But at no time was this night bigger than when Sarah Palin forced it to become small. When Sarah Palin reminded America of little places that dot the map until they swallow it. Until she reminded us of the growing, the working, the drive, the sacrifice, the living, the wars, and the dying.
Conjuring up images of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," Sarah Palin was a strange reminder of Emily. A woman who, on the surface, appears no deeper. But, like Wilder's great work itself, she is far more complex than any simple mind would like to make her.
Tonight, Sarah Palin's town became our town, the United States of America. She made it so herself, tonight, with her words and her sincerity. And it cannot do this nation anything but good that she succeeded in doing it.