A front seat at history in the making

By Pat Rogers

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL — The reviews have been consistent and strong: “Fired-up Palin rocks arena, rips her foes: Under political fire and a media microscope, Sarah Palin served notice in her acceptance speech that she is ready and able to take on critics,”

concluded the Minneapolis StarTribune. My favorite was the National Journal: “Sarah Barracuda Takes a Bite.” Good portions of the national media are not pleased. The first female vice president is going to be a Republican woman who believes in the Second Amendment and real reform.

Morton Blackwell, the conservative legend responsible for mentoring many young Republicans, was sitting in the front row of the Virginia delegation at the Republican convention, right behind the front-row New Mexico delegation. He thought the “hockey mom’s money line” was her question to the crowd: “What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? The lipstick.”

The New Mexico Republican delegation cheered first and loudest when “Sarah Barracuda” talked about her reform accomplishments. She fired the governor’s personal chef (remember this is a mom with five kids), fired the governor’s drivers, put the state jet up for sale on EBay and pursued corruption in her own state and her own party, without regard to the short-term political consequences. On the infamous “bridge to nowhere,” Gov. Palin said to the federal government, “thanks, but no thanks.”

The eastern media elites took a beating all night long. The New Mexico delegation tried mightily to get the crowd to adopt its chant, “Down with MSNBC.” That was too long, so we tried “Down with CNN,” and “Down with the Times.” Jon Barela objected to chants about the Times. He insisted, disingenuously, that it might be confused as a slam at the Washington Times. We all saw through that, immediately. Jon has had a New York Times reporter following him around in New Mexico for the last month and at the convention.

To redeem himself, Jon did lead a contingent of the New Mexico delegation to assist the short-handed U.S. Virgin Islands when it was their turn to stand up and cheer for John McCain. They seemed happy but confused to have our support.

Rosie Tripp, the national committeewoman from New Mexico, is also the RNC assistant secretary, and as such was on the stage for the official count. Repeated attempts by her New Mexico “friends” to embarrass Rosie Rosie got nowhere. With the exception of a couple of slight smiles, she kept the vote despite the attempts by the New Mexico delegation to distract. Rosie’s night on the stage allowed her to meet Sarah Palin and her family. Rosie said she was most impressed by the offstage calm and collected demeanor of Sarah Barracuda, and her concern about her young family that was about to go onto the national stage.

Sarah Palin was prepared. Her family was prepared. I am not sure Joe Biden is prepared for this hockey mom, a governor with real accomplishments.

I disagree with some of the commentators. It wasn’t a “home run” of a speech. This, after all, is a hockey mom (with lipstick). She has a record of reform, not just a fine speech about reform. It was a certified hat trick of a speech at the home of the Minnesota Wild. She achieved all three goals: She proved she is ready for the national stage; she proved she is capable and experienced; and she proved she is not going to back down from the liberal media and the partisan critics. A front seat at some history in the making was something to remember.

Lastly, to all of my “friends” who rediscovered my phone number or e-mail address during Sarah Palin’s speech to ask me to buy some Sarah Palin gear: The cost has just gone up.

Rogers is the RNC’s national committeeman from New Mexico. He is blogging from this week’s convention.