‘I accept the challenge’

WASILLA — Gov. Sarah Palin touted what she called her shake-up of the “good ol’ boy” network and her reformists ways when she officially accepted the Republican vice presidential nomination in St. Paul, Minn., Wednesday night.

In accepting the position she made history as the second woman on a major party ticket (the first for the GOP), and she rose from relative political obscurity — at least on the national stage — to a household name.

Palin took the podium at the Republican National Convention to not only accept the vice presidential nomination, but to also drum up support for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.

All around, Alaska groups of Palin supporters gathered at local watering holes to watch Palin’s speech and cheer along with the crowd in St. Paul.

At Tailgaters in Wasilla, a standing-room-only crowd, many wearing McCain-Palin T-shirts, hooted and hollered when Palin came on stage. Media from around the world trained their cameras and tape recorders on locals as they watched the woman, who has become their hometown hero, make her speech.

Just before Palin emerged, the crowd at Tailgaters went wild when former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani told Alaskans to be proud of their governor.

“I’m sorry Barack Obama doesn’t feel her home town is cosmopolitan enough,” Giuliani said of Wasilla. “Alaska can be proud of having the best governor in the country.”

Palin began her speech by accepting her position as the Republican VP nominee, acknowledging the challenge that lies ahead.

“I accept the challenge for a tough fight in this election,” Palin said.

Palin went on to talk about her family and upbringing, including how her parents have influenced her, and how her own family is like many in America.

“Our family has the same ups and downs,” Palin said.

Throughout her speech, Palin made jabs at Obama’s candidacy, though she only mentioned his name once.

“He’s authored two memoirs but not a single amendment,” Palin said in reference to Obama’s time in the U.S. Senate.

Palin also took on the media, which, since she was announced as McCain’s running mate five days earlier, has left no rock unturned in investigating the former small-town mayor and, until Friday, relative national unknown.

“I’m not going to Washington to seek their approval,” Palin said of the media. “I’m going to Washington for the people of this country.”

The Obama campaign, however, was quick to respond to Palin’s speech.

“The speech that Governor Palin gave was well delivered, but it was written by George Bush’s speech writer and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we’ve heard from George Bush for the last eight years,” Obama spokesman Bill Burton says in a statement. “If Governor Palin and John McCain want to define ‘change’ as voting with George Bush 90 percent of the time, that’s their choice, but we don’t think the American people are ready to take a 10 percent chance on change.”

The crowd at Tailgaters, which was mostly Palin supporters, did include some not-so-enamored of the 49th state’s governor.

Holly Gittlein, who said she thinks Palin is an amazing woman, thought the governor’s speech was lacking.

“I don’t think she said much,” Gittlein said. “She talked a lot about minor issues that deal with family.”

Gittlein added she thought Palin threw low blows at the Obama campaign with some of her remarks. She also said she hope voters remember they are voting for a president, not a vice president.

Fans of Palin far outnumbered critics Wednesday night at Tailgaters, as was proven by the number of “Go Sarah” shirts in the audience.

Dean Messiner, who lives six months in Alaska and six in Arizona, said Palin’s position on the Republican ticket has made him want to move to Alaska permanently.

“She’s wonderful,” Messiner said. “I think she did fine.”

Just before Palin’s speech, Grant Stover sat at the bar waiting for Palin to come on. The Wasilla area resident said he has nothing but confidence in the local product Palin, going so far as saying she could fill McCain’s shoes if he’s elected president.

“She’s doing a great job,” Stover said.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.