Standing ovation at convention

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republicans, even those in the nosebleed section, were on their feet for Sarah Palin before she’d even said a word during her acceptance speech at the tail end of Wednesday’s session of the Republican National Convention.

And then, when her speech ended, they stood again.

Palin’s speech ranged from topics as varied as her own biography — she described herself as a hockey mom and Washington outsider — to John McCain — in her view a strong, committed leader with the proper qualifications to be president — to Barack Obama, who she described as in need of more experience — to energy policy and her desire to eliminate the country’s need for foreign oil.

The speech was hailed with huge peals of applause, one of which came when she defended her experience as mayor of Wasilla while at the same time taking a swipe at Obama’s resumé.

“Being a small-town mayor is sort of like being a community organizer — except it’s got actual responsibilities,” Palin said.

And then there was the point when she called out the national media, which has lately been picking apart her personal life.

“I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this great country,” Palin said.

Palin also spoke about her record of reforming state politics, speaking in detail about things she changed when she took over the governorship.

“That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay,” she said.

The arena also roared when Palin explained what her infant son Trig’s Down syndrome will mean for parents of special needs children.

“If we’re elected you will have a friend and advocate in the White House,” Palin said.

The audience also cheered wildly when she cracked a joke about her life as a hockey mom.

“You know [what] they say the difference [is] between a hockey mom and a pitbull? Lipstick,” Palin quipped.

Palin was mentioned, sometimes briefly and sometimes more extensively, in nearly every other speech Wednesday night, speeches at times interrupted with chants of “U.S.A! U.S.A!” and “Sar-ah! Sar-ah!” Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle spent nearly her entire speech talking about Palin.

“She engenders trust in people and she lives up to that trust,” Lingle said.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani defended Palin’s experience as Wasilla’s mayor as relevant to the job of vice president.

“I’m sorry that Barack Obama doesn’t feel that her hometown is cosmopolitan enough,” Giuliani said, garnering huge applause.

But the most applause of the night came as the audience, already standing, watched John McCain walk out to congratulate her. Prior to his entrance, Palin’s family had joined her on stage.

“Don’t you think we made the right choice?” McCain said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.