Posted on 02/05/2010 8:10:31 PM PST by Bigtigermike
SALINA — Before a crowd of 6,000 cheering fans, Sarah Palin received rock star treatment Friday night in Salina.
The former vice presidential candidate and former Alaska governor, drew a sell-out crowd to the Bicentennial Center for the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce annual meeting — an event that routinely draws big names to Salina. Past speakers have included Colin Powell, George H.W. Bush, Bob Costas, Margaret Thatcher and Cal Ripkin Jr.
"We've had great speakers in the past," said Todd Davidson, of the Chamber. "No one has generated this amount of interest — even President George H.W. Bush, who came here when he was a sitting president, did not drive this kind of a response."
Even Palin couldn't ignore the excitement her appearance generated. Back stage, she said, a chamber member told her, " 'Man, this is like a Van Halen concert.' I said, 'Man, I wish.' "
In her speech, Palin sounded off on national security, government bailouts and limited government ideals. And she offered lots of praise for the hometown crowd.
"In a time when folks so fear that much is going wrong, your town is an example of how to get it right and how to soar," said Palin, who was joined in Salina by her daughter, Piper. "Shoot, your state's motto even has it right: to the stars through difficulties."
Palin began by relating her experiences as a city councilwoman and mayor in Wasilla, Alaska. What worked there, she said, was cutting taxes, focusing on a few core services and spending responsibly. As governor, she said she learned to take tough stances.
"I'd have to butt heads with my own party officials and the other party, of course too, and the media," said Palin, who didn't meet with reporters on her trip to Salina. "Some things never change. It wasn't always the easy path, but it was the right path."
Telling the crowd she was going to "call is like I see it," she said Washington, D.C., politicians need to "back off." While Americans have lost jobs and learned to live with less, she charged that government has become more bloated.
"Over the past year, Washington has replaced private irresponsibility with public irresponsibility," she said.
The country, she said, needs health reform "not backroom deals." She suggested measures like allowing insurance purchases across state lines and tort reform.
Also, she said the country needs to pursue "all of the above approach to energy." She said increased drilling for oil must be pursued.
"Drill here and drill now and tap our own plentiful energy supplies," she said.
The Obama administration, she said, has lost its way on foreign policy. She said people wonder if the United States is still a "beacon of hope" for freedom.
"We need a foreign policy that distinguishes America's friends from her enemies and recognizes the true nature of these threats that we are facing," Palin said.
In the end, her speech brought the crowd to its feet.
Earlier in the night, Verlene and Joyce Jackson, of Chapman, said they hope to see Palin as president someday and like that she hasn't "always been in that ivory tower."
"She has a fresh outlook," Verlene Jackson said. "She speaks for us. She's a down home girl. I feel like personally, I think she would do a good job representing us."
DeVee Smalley drove in from Superior, Neb., to join her two daughters for Palin's speech.
"I think she is somebody who is trying to reach out to the heartland of America," Smalley said.
Palin will be back in Kansas May 2 to speak in Wichita at a fundraiser for a Christian school.
“I’d have to butt heads with my own party officials and the other party”
I think we’re all realizing by now it has little to do with “party”, it’s ideology.
Palin is making the rounds fast and furiously it seems. Isn’t she in TN for the Tea Party Convention, in Houston on Sun afternoon for a rally with Perry then some movational conference there on Monday and in CA later that afternoon/evening. Then back across the continent for the Daytona 500 and maybe stops in between. No grass growing under her feet.
It’s over for Sarah, her 15 minutes are up. (Stifled laughter).
Palin electrifies crowd in Salina ping
When is the next troll going to claim that Palin has been Quayled?
Off the top of anyone’s head-— was Sarah Palin for the first “stimulus” back at the end of ‘08?
Palin Rocks!!
TWB
Government bailouts?? Didn’t McCain vote for one of those in 2008? A big one too, $900B ? Graham did too! Something is wrong here. Who was the originator of TARP1 that gave democrats the blank check?
Limited government? Something is wrong here. Maybe she needs to give an interview with Chris Wallace to explain her support of republicans that believe the opposite of this.
No depth and silly enough to let Katie Couric’s colon barbeque her. Kiss up to McLoser and kiss me goodbye.
One thing about Sarah that reminds me of Ronald Reagan is that she may have speech writers, but if so, she goes over the copy and edits it to suit her ideas and character.
Reagan went over all his speeches, simplified them, and changed things that didn't properly represent what he wanted to say. He famously added that phrase to the Berlin speech, "Tear down that wall," several times after his aides and speechwriters tried to remove it. He wanted it in, and he got it in.
This is vintage Sarah Palin. It's like reading her book. There was a ghost writer who helped out, but it's all Sarah Palin nevertheless.
The few other Govs. who also did not want the stimulus package ended up like Palin whith the Leg. pushing the issue.
Governor Palin expressed her concerns about accepting federal dollars that come with strings attached and would require the state to provide additional oversight. The state has requested federal clarification on those funds.
The governor went on to note, “I have to certify that these funds will create jobs and stimulate the economy, and that’s why I requested federal funds for job-ready projects. If the legislature wants to add funds to grow government, then I also want to hear how we will get out of the fiscal hole we’ll be in just two years from now when those temporary stimulus funds are gone.”
I suggest that you look at her record as Governor of Alaska. She reduced taxes and reduced spending. She reduced the whole budget. She refused large amounts of pork from the federal government, something almost unheard of among state governors. And she did indeed have to fight members of her own party, and inherited staffers, as well as the Democrats and the press.
PU you stink, Mr Troll...
I like Palin, though I don't think she's presidential material--I state that upfront because it's important for some to know. But there's one thing that's always bugged me about her position on oil--how is making the oil companies send checks to Alaskans "conservative"?
Off the top of anyone’s head-— was Sarah Palin for the first “stimulus” back at the end of ‘08?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
She was McCain’s VP pick. She had to sign up his platform.
She’s on her own now to formulate her OWN opinions.
Remember Bush 41 who became Regan’s pick? Remember “voodoo economics”? Once he became the veep, he signed up to Reagan’s platform.
Remember when Biden said in a primary debate that Obama wasn’t qualifed to be Prez? Once he became the VP pick he suddenly became qualified.
You get the drill.
LOL! It’s true isn’t it?
There is no rest for the wicked.
I see the posse has been called out.
Palin, the only Conservative. They are already working for a second term for Obama
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