Victoria Taft: Sarah Palin is best appreciated in person

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Blogger Victoria Taft, who says she was the leader of a group that tried for for more than a year to bring Sarah Palin to Portland for a Tea Party, made the four hour round trip to Eugene Friday to see in person the first woman to be the vice presidential candidate of the Republican Party. Taft says she glad she went, and she hopes Gov. Palin comes back to Oregon. Here are some excerpts from her after action report:

An anemic band of mostly professional protesters lined the streets and got plenty TV time with their street theater and signs reading, among other things, "Palin=Sedition," "Hate Free Zone" (with signs around it reading hateful things they thought about Palin-- [here], and the usual anti-fur-corporations-america-republican-success-prosperity protester dressed up in a boa carrying their typical sign reading, "billionaires for Sarah" or some such thing (I think she's the chick I've seen in Portland). The usual. Later we found out from Palin that daughter Bristol talked to several of the protesters and, among other things, thanked them for their lovely reception in Eugene. Classy. She took pictures on her camera phone, Palin informed us.

[...]

Then Palin came on... Her delivery was friendly and affable. It's everything the left hates about her ('if only we could get her cranky we'd win!').

I didn't take notes through the whole speech but there were a few things I jotted down. She said she felt sorry for the Tea Party members who are surprised by the left's hatred toward them. She's grown a thick skin and can dispense with the left's vitriol at the end of the day, but she felt that some Tea Party members might not be used to this treatment. She mentioned she was sick of the media's lies about Tea Party members. The soul of the movement, she said, was the goodness of the people and the truth of its message. Palin even quoted Eugene's first son, Steve Prefontaine, about gutting out a win in November ("A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more".) She urged the hooting Tea Party folks in the audience to keep at it. She called the movement a Great Awakening whose first test will be in November but admonished the movement not to become a third party.

[...]

Palin told the crowd that Washington doesn't "give a hoot" about the bottom line of America's finances. She declared Washington is addicted to OPIUM. And then explained it: OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY.

She linked freedom with prosperity, prosperity with liberty.

She showed us what she'd written on her "poor man's version of a telepromptr"--her hand. The word "muttonhead," was scribbled on it. The word had been used in a joke by one of the previous speakers and she wanted to remember it. Once again Palin has used a jab from her critics (here) to jab right back and turn it to her advantage. It's why people love her.

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Palin is denigrated because she's a good looking woman of faith who stands firm in her convictions and doesn't let anyone or anything get in her way to preach it.
Good. For. Her.

I was glad to see it in person last night.

Oh, and I got to meet her, hug her, shake hands with her AND Todd.

Gold.

Read the full post at Victoria Taft's blog here.

- JP

Sarah Palin focuses on limited government in speech to Oregon Republicans

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Sarah Palin's 40-minute speech to the Lane County GOP Friday night in central Oregon stressed the importance of electing candidates in November who will work for smaller government and free-market ideals:

"Only a limited government can provide the best path," she said.

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She highlighted two issues specifically for conservatives to rally behind: repealing health-care reform and reforming energy policy.

“We have to make sure this ‘Obamacare’ is short-lived,” she said. “It felt so forced upon us. It was so forced upon us.”

Speaking about energy policy, she called for opening up all of America’s continental shelves to drilling.

“Production of our resources means security for Americans and jobs for American workers,” she said.

She also called for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and addressed head-on environmentalists against her plan. She argued America has more stringent environmental restrictions than many of the foreign governments we currently rely on for oil.

“So environmentalists are kind of hypocritical on this one,” she said. “I don’t know how environmentalists can sleep at night.”

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Attendees paid $250 each to see Palin speak. The banquet hall at the Hilton seats about 800 people and was sold out. On top of that, many people paid $100 a head to watch a live video feed of Palin from a nearby room.

Seventy people paid $1,000 each for a meet and greet photo op with the former Alaska governor. That price also included a signed copy of Palin’s book, "Going Rogue".

More coverage from Assocated Press, KOHD, and the Register-Guard (here and here).

As was expected in such a liberal bastion, there were some protesters:


Ed Morrissey offers an observation:

"Maybe it’s just me, but does anyone else see the irony in the juxtaposition of these two protest signs outside of an appearance by Sarah Palin in Eugene, Oregon?"

- JP

In central Oregon, organizers prepare for Gov. Palin's Visit

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Stacia Kalinoski of Central Oregon TV station KOHD reports that even though protesters are expected when Sarah Palin gives her speech to the Lane County GOP tonight (it is in "progressive" Oregon, after all), area Republicans say they won't let that spoil the evening. They say they've been preparing for this event since January:

Organizers put the final touches on the Hilton's ballroom from settings on the VIP tables to testing out Palin's chair. It's nothing but the best for her. The brand-new leather chairs still had the price tags on earlier this morning.

Just before 8 o'clock [Pacific Time], she'll give a speech from the podium before sitting down for a question and answer session. Her interviewer has not yet been disclosed. The Lane County Republican Party Chairman says he hasn't been informed what Palin will talk about, but he's just happy her voice is coming to an area often known for its liberalism.

"It's a very exciting event for us and it's going to mobilize more people in the party to come forward, step out and work with our candidates," said Bill Young.

Young says Palin has proven to have a strong message and one that resonates with people.

The Eugene Police Department promises extra officers to keep any Marxist-made mischief down to a minimum. Eugene P.D. says Gov. Palin's team is paying them to furnish "dignitary coverage" -- which means extra security for the high-profile former governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate.

- JP

Sarah Palin ventures into crunchy granola country today

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Sarah Palin visits liberal Eugene, Oregon today where she will be speaking to the Lane County GOP. Here are some excerpts from Jeff Barnard's Associated Press writeup:

"She's a pretty brave woman, I think," said Bill Young, a Eugene veterinarian and chairman of the Lane County Republican Party.

"I think that everybody is concerned that it doesn't seem to fit the mold," he said. "Yet you have to realize there are a lot of Republicans and conservatives who live in this area. I'm just thankful she agreed to come, and put Eugene on the map, so to speak."

Palin's appearance will mark a detour from conservative enclaves like Orange County, Calif., Orlando, Fla., and Redding, Calif.

Eugene is a Democratic stronghold in a blue state. Lane County registers nearly twice as many Democrats as Republicans. The county sheriff is a Republican, and so is one county commissioner, but not one state legislator identifies with the GOP.

And that is the point of recruiting Palin, even at her hefty speaking fee - which Young wouldn't disclose - to rally the faithful here.

"She is somebody who can energize the party - make Republicans more visible in Lane County specifically and Oregon in general," Young said. "This will let people know we are trying to do things to help the state. And try to empower more people to get involved."

At $250 a head, the party has sold out the Eugene Hilton hall where Palin will speak. The hall seats about 800, and the party has also sold most of the $100 seats in an overflow room with a video feed, Young said.

Seventy people who donated $1,000 will get a photo with Palin and a signed copy of her book. Reporters can watch on video, but can't use recording devices.

Read the full AP story here.

Update: Eugene's News Source 16 (KTMR-TV) reports that extra security for the event will be furnished by the Eugene Police Department and paid for by the Lane County GOP.

- JP

Sarah Palin speech a hot ticket for Oregon Republicans

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The Eugene, Oregon Register-Guard reports that Sarah Palin’s appearance in Eugene this month has sold out, so the Lane County GOP has added a $100 pay-per-view option for those who want to watch the former governor's keynote address, but were not able to get tickets:

The Lane County Republican Central Committee has sold all of its $250 tickets for dinner and Palin’s speech on April 23 at the 750-person capacity Hilton Eugene main hall. Ticket purchasers include some of Eugene’s biggest business names, plus at least two Oregon gubernatorial hopefuls.

According to campaign finance disclosures, Lane County Republicans are on track to gross at least $188,000 on the event — a portion of which will pay for Palin’s speaking fees, hotel bills, food and other expenses, said Whaanga Kewene, coordinator for the event, which is called the Lincoln Day Dinner.

“It is exceeding our expectations,” he said, noting that local Republicans began working to bring Palin to Eugene last fall. Since then, she has published a memoir, made several high-profile tea party movement appearances, and last week launched a show on Fox News.

“Her popularity has excelled since we started this planning process. That makes a big difference,” Kewene said.

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Although the party appears to be financially ahead already after selling out the Hilton’s main hall, the party could pad its fundraising totals if it sells all 280 tickets available to watch Palin’s speech on a big video screen.

Tickets include a social hour that begins at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6:45 p.m.

As with all events where Gov. Palin speaks, cell phones, cameras and recording devices are not permitted, a stipulation insisted on by her booking agent, the Washington Speakers Bureau.

- JP