Pictures from the Republican National Convention: Up close and personal

Mitt Romney, Former Governor of Massachusetts and former candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, signs autographs at the RNC.

Mr. and Mrs. Heath, Sarah Palin’s parents, take care of baby Trig Palin at the RNC.

Cindy McCain walks up the stairs to sit in the the section designated for John McCain’s family.

Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain, follows mom Cindy McCain up the stairs.

Piper Palin talks with mom Sarah and father Todd Palin

Republican National Convention: Wednesday night breakdown

The talk of the night was Sarah Palin.  Everywhere, questions were asked.  Will she perform to expectation?  Will she prove credible?  Can she maintain composure in national limelight? 

Checkmark yes to all of the above - Gov. Sarah Palin undoubtedly rocked the house last night.  With a fiery speech that brought the Xcel Center to its feet numerous times, the response from the crowd solidified the mutually shared confidence that Palin is ready and able. The Governor from Alaska delivered charismatic, powerful, and straightforward remarks as she accepted the nomination of becoming the first female Republican vice presidential nominee.

Mississippi delegate Mark Cumbest from Mosspoint, MS, said, “Sarah Palin proved tonight that she is the perfect complement to the McCain ticket. Over the past several days we’ve learned a lot about her impressive background. The unknown at least until tonight was can she ‘connect’ with voters. I think she has the talent and charisma to strengthen the Republican ticket and to win over disenfranchised Hillary Clinton voters among others. It was a momentous night in the history of our country. The McCain-Palin team is a winner.”

Trent Lott cheers on the speakers Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention.

Signs that read “Palin Power” and “I love hockey moms” waved through the energized crowd.  Palin finally got to share her story with America.  She outlined her background as an average hockey mom, and layered her professional experiences as Mayor of Wasilla and Governor of Alaska to reveal a woman ready and qualified to serve our nation.

“Before I became Governor of the great state of Alaska, I was Mayor of my hometown,” Gov. Palin told the crowd.   “And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.”

Palin also took on the negative media she has received over the past few days as she said, “I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment.  And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But 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.”

Palin had several notable lines in her speech.  Click here to view a list of those one-liners on Y’all Politics.

We also can’t forget the influential speeches of Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, and Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York.  All three men delivered their remarks with passion and power as they took on Obama’s intended direction for our nation and articulated their avid support for both John McCain and Sarah Palin. One of the favorite lines of the night delivered from Rudy Giuliani referred to Obama’s campaign theme, “… ‘change’ is not a destination, just as ‘hope’ is not a strategy.”  Palin also mentioned the Obama mantra when she said, “Some use change to promote their career while John McCain uses his career to promote change.”

A surprise to the crowd, Senator McCain joined the Palin family on stage and asked the delegates, “Do you think we made the right choice?”  The uproar that followed provided the obvious answer.  The Convention then got down to the business at hand, which was the formal nomination of John McCain as the Republican nominee for President of the United States.  Several states graciously passed on casting their votes so that Arizona delegates would have the deciding number of votes necessary for McCain to officially clinch the nomination.

Mississippi casts its vote for John McCain as the Republican presidential nominee. Pictured in front: MS GOP Chairman Jim Herring and Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional district Republican candidate for Congress Gregg Harper. Pictured in back: Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann and Mississippi delegate Mark Cumbest.

The one blip on the evening was the fact that two women protestors somehow managed to sneak into the event (likely from passes cut from the neckstrands of actual delegates that day).  They came down the aisle closest to the stage in ridiculous pink dresses screaming something inaudible from my position.  Luckily, the event occurred while Governor Palin was in the middle of a well-timed remark and the brief altercation was masked by the crowd’s cheers.  The law enforcement effort here has been overwhelming and appreciated.  Overall, Wednesday was a great night filled with energy and enthusiasm among the GOP.  Tonight will bring the convention to a close as Sen. John McCain accepts his nomination.  

Stay tuned for more coverage from tonight’s Convention proceedings.  Also, check back for pictures from the event.

Sarah Palin took the stage with power and force tonight at the Republican National Convention.  A speech that showed Palin was humorous and charismatic, yet strong and tenacious as she spoke to a crowd of thousands of people in the Xcel center.  Palin entered the arena and brought the crowd to its feet for a standing ovation that seemed to last forever before settling down.  Her words brought cheers, laughs, chants, and even boos when Palin refered to Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

Below are pictures from the tonight’s convention and Palin’s speech.  Check back tomorrow for a more detailed report of tonight (Wednesday’s) session.  Also, check back for more pictures.

We are thrilled with Senator John McCain’s announcement today that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will join the Republican ticket as his running mate.  The reveal of the first Republican female running for national office folds nicely into this week’s national celebration of the 88th anniversary of women’s right to vote.

Sarah Palin’s small-town background is one understood by Mississippians.  Like many children in your own communities, she was a teacher’s kid, a basketball player, and a hunter.   Governor Palin’s personal history suggests that she built upon the basic tenets learned from those first experiences to dictate how she would journey to the highest office in the State of Alaska; tenacity, fairness, sincerity, compassion.   

Her personal background is note-worthy, her record of accomplishment as the Governor of Alaska is vote-worthy.  She is the only candidate with Executive experience on the national ticket.  Palin is the Commander-in-Chief of the Alaskan National Guard and has a son soon to be deployed with the Army in Iraq.  She has a record of governmental reform, and knows all too well as the mother of five, how to account for the “least” of us. 

There is no doubt that Governor Palin’s appearance will offer additional excitement and enthusiasm to the Republican Convention - stay tuned Mississippi!!

In response to the selection, Cochran’s Communication Director Natalie Buchanan says, “I congratulate Governor Sarah Palin as she is the first female Republican Vice-Presidential nominee. It is a historic moment as Senator McCain’s selection falls during the week we celebrate the 88th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which guarantees women a right to vote.  Governor Palin, a conservative leader with executive experience, is known for her pro-life, pro-gun, and fiscally conservative policies which are values important to Mississippians.  She will compliment Senator McCain well in the White House.”