Day Three at the Convention

Last night marked the third day of the Republican National Convention. The atmosphere at the arena was much the same as it has been in the last two days but was marked by some great speeches. The notable speeches from the evening were Huckabee's, Guiliani's and Palin's. Huckabee looked markedly sad, and could not help himself from wishing out loud that he were the actual nominee for his party. He praised Obama and applauded the advancement made by Americans for having a man of color as the nominee of a major party. Noting the achievements of his party he lauded their candidate and praised the efforts of his party. In all, he gave a typical "Huckabee" speech.

Then came Guiliani. His speech lasted twice as long and cut into the time for Governor Sarah Palin's acceptance speech. Sure his speech was rousing and energetic and definitely full of Republican propaganda. He rambled on about Senator John McCain's service to country and spent the rest of his alloted slot criticizing Senator Barack Obama. He noted that Barack did not vote on major issues but merely noted his presence on the floor. He turned Obama into fodder for his incessant parody and got huge guffaws from the crowd. If words could break bones Guiliani may have caused a few fractures last night. I have to applaud Guiliani though. He is a great speaker and still has it going on in all respects. Humor, charm, great oratory, and boy did he look heavy.

And how about Palin? She gave the speech of her career last night. She introduced her husband and their five children and significantly failed to acknowledge her unborn grandchild and soon to be son-in-law. She lauded the men and women who serve this nation and mentioned that her son Track would be deployed on September 11 to serve in the war efforts. Like any normal family she noted that her family has their own challenges and are just about as regular as mine and yours. How interesting. I'll have to say that despite my disapproval of the McCain-Palin ticket, Palin did give a very powerful and unifying speech last night. She gave a speech that may have won the hearts of some undecided voters. Making a case about children with special needs she struck a chord with a women who have family member who are special needs individuals. She also resonated with feminists by showing that women could have it all- family and a career. Additionally, she recalled the achievements of McCain, noting once again his integrity and devotion to country. She covered her achievements as governor of Alaska and as mayor. I would have to say that Palin is quite a remarkable woman who has done well for herself.

Her achievements in Alaska in terms of cutting wasteful spending and passing legislature that truly serve the people are remarkable. Proving to be the actual maverick of the party Palin's speech last night reached some very high notes. Having only met Senator McCain a few times before joining the campaign, she seems to have more chemistry as part of his ticket than Obama and Biden have together. It can almost be predicted that if McCain wins the White House, he would have a better working relationship with Governor Palin than Obama will have with Biden. By choosing Palin as his running mate, McCain did what Obama should have considered. Perhaps he should have chosen Hillary Clinton as his running mate. For all Hillary's achievements, it's quite sad that Palin should have a shot at actually becoming a part of the Executive Branch of the government (a title that should have gone to Hillary Clinton). I'm not making the argument that it's Hillary's birthright but who would have thought that Palin an unknown governor from the state of Alaska might come this close.

What was interesting though is it seems as though Palin and Guiliani were comparing notes. They both took on Obama's credentials and heckled his work as an organizer. Guiliani speaking about Obama's work as an organizer sounded more like he was at a comedy show than at a political convention. Same goes for Palin who noted that her job as mayor was similar to Obama's as an organizer except that she had real responsibilities. I hate to admit this but they really stuck the knife in the ham this time. Their heckling was unfair and cold. Community organizers are very vital. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a community organizer. The Civil Rights movement was built around the strength of organizing communities to stand up to white oppression and Jim Crow laws. I know that the attacks on Obama's resume as an organizer was in defense to Palin's mayoral resume been criticized but they both went two far, Guiliani especially. From Palin's speech, I gather that these two are ready for a fight and the debates ahead will be interesting.