John Feehery: Speaking Engagements

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Reform Takes Center Stage

Posted on August 29, 2008

 


 


            John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin puts reform on center stage for the Republican Party, for the election and for the nation.


 


            Palin is a comrade-in-arms with McCain in his efforts to change how Washington works.  She is a citizen-mom who took on the increasingly corrupt Alaskan power elite, and won.


 


            Much will be made about her being a woman, and the historic nature of her candidacy.  For those women who put abortion as their number one issue, Palin will be like Clarence Thomas.  They will hate her.


 


            But abortion is not the top issue for many women.  The economy, security, health care rank far higher on the list of things they care most about.  And a sizeable percentage of women voters are pro-life.   The more the pro-abortion factions attack Sarah Palin, the more they will seem out of touch with the concerns with most Americans.


 


            Palin’s story about how she became involved in politics is refreshing and important for John McCain.  She is a normal person.   She doesn’t come from American royalty.  She saw that the government wasn’t working.  It was wasting her family’s hard-earned money and increasing her tactics.   And she saw it was time to change the system.


 


            And that is what she did.  She put reform on the agenda.  And there it will stay.


 


            Some have wondered about a debate between Palin and Biden.


 


            Biden has been in the Senate for more than three decades.  He has much more Senatorial experience.  He will likely talk about HR this and SR that, and talk legislative mumbo-jumbo that nobody outside the beltway cares about.


 


            And Biden is not only old-school, he is condescendingly old-school.  He makes the kinds ofjokes on a regular basis that went out of style years ago.  He is gaffe-prone. 


 


            There is no doubt that Biden will be overwhelmingly favored in a debate with Palin, but don’t be surprised if she does very well, especially with those Americans who reside outside the beltway.


 


            Palin’s inexperience is a problem.  But it is not as big of a problem as Obama’s inexperience.  Palin at least has run something.  She is an executive who has run a state.  Obama is a best-selling author and a wily campaign strategist, and of course a great speech-maker, but his executive experience is a big zero.


 


            As someone who has been quoted time and time again that the likely pick would be Mitt Romney, I am glad I was wrong.  Palin will put reform front and center in this debate, right where it belongs.




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