National Federation of Republican Women
Day 4 PALIN SPEECH ELECTRIFIES REPUBLICAN WOMEN
All eyes were on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin last night as she officially introduced herself to the nation and accepted her party's nomination as vice president.
Federation members watching from the NFRW skybox in the Xcel Energy Center were not disappointed by what they saw and heard. In fact, the Republican women reported that the addition of Palin to the Republican ticket has electrified the party and energized them to return home and campaign harder than ever this fall.
"She knocked it out of the ballpark tonight," said Tonya Stiel of Franklin Republican Women in Louisiana. "She was real. She was inspirational. She's tough, but she's passionate. And her family values will be treasured. It was a high moment for me."
"She's just what we need," said Jacque Stafford of Centennial Republican Women in Colorado. "She's not afraid to take on Washington."
The same sentiments were echoed by Republican women who gathered across the nation to watch the historic speech.
Joy Stewart of the Bakersfield Republican Women in California reported that 30 club members watched Palin from a downtown restaurant, where three local television stations were on hand to document the group's eaction."Everybody felt like Sarah Palin hit a grand slam homerun," Stewart said. "She's a real person who understands, she's not a politician. It really got us motivated to get out and work. It was the kick in the pants that everybody needed."
No doubt, Republican women are excited about the GOP's first female vice presidential candidate. NFRW membership director Frederika ver Hulst reports a marked increase in membership inquiries from across the nation since the Palin announcement last week. "American women are enthusiastic about supporting Palin, and they are turning to the NFRW to help them. It's a wonderful opportunity for our organization to do what it does best - to bring like-minded women together and to provide the resources and tools they need for their grassroots efforts."
Sporting a "Sisters for Sarah" T-shirt, NFRW President Shirley Sadler watched the Palin speech from the convention floor. "As this energy we're seeing at the convention ripples across the country, it's going to become a tidal wave that will carry John McCain and Sarah Palin to victory in November. The only way I know how describe the way Republican women feel about Sarah Palin is pure excitement. She is one of our own, and she has our full support."
MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM WEDNESDAY'S SESSION
FROM GOV. SARAH PALIN:
"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."
" here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country."
"I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for. That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay. I also drive myself to work. And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef - although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her."
"We Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas. And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we've got lots of both. Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems - as if we all didn't know that already. But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all. Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources."
"There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you ... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death ... and that man is John McCain. In our day, politicians have readily shared much lesser tales of adversity than the nightmare world in which this man, and others equally brave, served and suffered for their country."
FROM FORMER MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI:
"No one can look at John McCain and say that he is not ready to be Commander in Chief. So, our opponents want to reframe the debate. They would have you believe that this election is about 'change versus more of the same.' But that's really a false choice. Because 'change' is not a destination, just as 'hope' is not a strategy."
FROM FORMER GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE:
"I'm not a Republican because I grew up rich, but because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me."
REPUBLICAN WOMEN AT THE CONVENTION
Among those Federation members addressing the Wednesday session of the Republican convention were Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle and Renee Amoore, deputy chair of the Pennsylvanian Republican Party.
Cary Waterman, a 19-year-old college sophomore from Chesapeake Republican Women in Maryland, is enjoying her first GOP convention by serving as a page for the State of Maryland. The page program is an opportunity for young Republicans to experience the event first-hand, while also taking part in several educational activities. "We're here to help the convention run more smoothly," she says. Some of her duties have included handing out materials and signs to delegates, helping lead cheers and raising the excitement level of the crowd. Dressed in the required page uniform -- a white button-down shirt, khaki skirt, red scarf and "impossible to find" navy flats, Cary smiles as she recounts the Republican "celebrities" she has met or "run into" during the week - household names such as Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich. "This experience has been really amazing."
NFRW Second Vice President Jane Lane of New Hampshire was one of several Federation members who volunteered to help assemble toiletry care bags for victims of Hurricane Gustav on Wednesday afternoon at the convention center in downtown Minneapolis. Lane worked at a table with volunteers from other states. They assembled 1,500 bags within a few hours. "I think it's a great opportunity to show that we're here to do something other than party," Lane says. "This fits right along with the theme of the convention, which is 'Country First.'"
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