The State of Sarah's Union

Sarah Palin's speech to the Tea Party convention in Nashville showcased all of the former Alaska governor's strengths. She was confident, funny, down-to-earth, at times emotional--and she took a scalpel to the Obama administration and congressional Democrats. Ignore the critics who will say Palin spent too much time looking at her notes; her off-the-cuff approach and decision not to use a TelePrompTer was clearly calculated to highlight President Obama's reliance on scripted events and canned speeches.

The timing of the speech was also significant. Palin used the talk, broadcast live on Fox News Channel and C-SPAN, to respond to the president's State of the Union address from last week. Palin's mention that today is Ronald Reagan's birthday positioned her squarely among his heiresses. More interesting, Palin started off with a concentrated attack on the Obama administration's national security policies--not an issue for which the Tea Partiers are known. Palin noted that the president spent hardly any time on foreign policy during his annual report to Congress--indeed, she spent more time on our Israeli and Japanese allies, our Iranian and jihadist adversaries, and our strategic competitors than he did. And when Palin said that America needs a commander in chief, not a law professor, the crowd went wild; one was momentarily transported back to her famous speech at the 2008 Republican National Convention

A leader - not a teleprompter reader!

Sarah Palin

Exclusively Represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau

Sarah Palin first made history on December 4, 2006 when she was sworn in as the first female governor of Alaska. In August 2008, Senator John McCain tapped Palin to serve as his vice-presidential running mate in his presidential campaign, making her the first woman to run on the Republican Party's presidential ticket.

In Alaska, her top priorities included fiscal restraint, limiting the size of government, resource development, education, equitable oil valuation as well as transportation and infrastructure development. Palin fought for ethics reform and transparency in government.

Palin has a long record of achievement and experience in public office. Prior to her election as Governor, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council and two terms as the mayor of Wasilla. During her tenure, she reduced property tax levels while increasing services and made Wasilla a business-friendly environment, drawing in new industry.

Under her leadership as Governor, Alaska invested $5 billion in state savings, overhauled education funding and protected Alaska's natural resources. She created Alaska's Petroleum Systems Integrity Office to provide oversight and maintenance of oil and gas equipment, facilities and infrastructure and the Climate Change Subcabinet to prepare a climate change strategy for Alaska.

During Governor Palin's first year in office, three of her administration's major proposed pieces of legislation passed—an overhaul of the state's ethics laws, a competitive process to construct a natural gas pipeline and a restructuring of Alaska's oil valuation formula.

Palin is past chair of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, a multistate government agency that promotes the conservation and efficient recovery of domestic oil and natural gas resources while protecting health, safety and the environment. She also served as chair of the National Governors Association (NGA) Natural Resources Committee, which was charged with pursuing legislation to ensure state needs are considered as federal policy is formulated in the areas of agriculture, energy, environmental protection and natural resource management.

Sarah Heath Palin arrived in Alaska with her family in 1964, when her parents came to teach school in Skagway. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications- Journalism from the University of Idaho in 1987.

She is married to Todd Palin, who is a lifelong Alaskan, worked as a production operator on the North Slope and a four-time champion of the Iron Dog, the world's longest snowmachine race. They have five children.

She is the author of Going Rogue: An American Life which is scheduled for release in November of 2009.

Re-elect President Palin in 2016!
Has a nice ring to it - doesn't it?

To the contrary — no troll IMO.

I watched Sarah’s speech tonight, and she clearly set a sharp contrast between herself and President Obama tonight. I don’t think her delivery was as smooth as her address to the Republican Convention in ‘08 — but part of that was that there was no teleprompter, and I think that ADDED to the sense of sincerity and honesty of the speech.

The People have tired of the canned, slick, TOTUS speeches, and they want REAL, authentic leaders who talk straight. Sarah is certainly that kind of leader. I think she’s wise to stay non-commital on 2012, especially as it’s only 2010 with the mid-terms ahead. And, she may not run. But she certainly set the table for a future run if she is so inclined — or to be a “Conservative king maker” should she conclude that is her intended role.

One thing is for sure — this opportunity to address such an activist forum as the Tea Party Convention has people like Huckabee, Romney, and Pawlenty eating their hearts out!

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