[Nevada Lieutenant Governor] Krolicki: Palin speech touched 'the soul of regular America'

The calm and sometimes sarcastic-filled speech by the 44-year-old Alaska governor unleashed against Sen. Barack Obama and the American press may have put to rest those who had reservations Palin couldn’t hold her own among the Republican rank and file.

Less than an hour after officially signing off on the state’s 34 delegates into Sen. John McCain’s camp, Nevada’s lieutenant governor Brian Krolicki, who is the state’s chairman of the Republican candidate for the presidency, said Palin’s message Wednesday night is the kind that resonates across middle America.

“I think she touches the soul of regular Americans,” Krolicki said from the floor of the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., on the third night of the Republican National Convention. “She spoke to the people who go to work every day; the people who work hard, who make ends meet and speaks to their challenges that families like hers sometimes have.”

He described Palin’s speech Wednesday as the “crescendo” following speeches by McCain’s Republican rivals from earlier this year — Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

For the most part Palin carried a cheerful theme of America First, Krolicki said, where hard work and love of country go hand-in-hand. She paid homage to John McCain, the man who picked her, as being the candidate of patriotism and experience.

The mother of five described her ascension into politics, from becoming a member of the PTA in her home town of Wasilla, Alaska, to city council member, mayor and then governor.

“She comes from an America where her husband races snowmobiles, her family members belong to the steel unions, and she’s one to take her kids to hockey practice before going into the office,” Krolicki said.

Though Palin’s been “tough to get a handle on” among GOP fence-sitters, the enigma is exactly what makes her endearing, Krolicki said.

“You could see this woman driving the minivan full of kids to practice and then go to her next appointment or event and not think anything of it,” Krolicki said.

Whether it was against the media or Barack Obama, there was no doubt that Palin was on the attack. The Alaska governor went after Obama, taking a swipes for his work with the impoverished in the predominately black south side of Chicago. She also questioned his judgment and experience.

Krolicki believes Palin’s attacks on the press were aimed primarily at partisan bloggers who’ve opined on a family matter involving the out-of-wedlock pregnancy of Palin’s 17-year-old daughter.

“There’s been a long tradition with the press in keeping underage children of candidates and presidents out of bounds. It was true with Chelsea Clinton. It was true with the Bush twins,” Krolicki said. “Bloggers have become a part of the mainstream media and have decided to make children fair game. She was responding to that.”

Apparently some of the media — which fueled the fire for some of her acerbic attacks, submitted with a kind, if not opinionated, gesture. An Associated Press analysis piece said Palin’s speech Wednesday “delivered” with a “star-turning performance.”

A memorable line for Krolicki was when Palin quipped “what’s the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull?” She followed it with a one-word reply: “Lipstick.”

I sure hope it isn’t all too good to be true.

We need to keep expectations real.

No matter what else happens, if she becomes the VP we’ll be dealing with McCain, illegals getting citizenship and man made global warming BS along with basic constitutional issues like McCain/Feingold.

2ndDivisionVet you are posting these great articles before I even have chance to bookmark. You must have been a fine addition to your division :-). Can't wait to see how the Palin effect has impacted people in the swings states as well as getting John McCain's message to more people and thus pulling in some swing states and tightening up the leaners.

Sarah clearly has a gift and John McCain saw this. Off to bed. Thanks for all the great articles and input!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.