Matt Benda is an attorney from the city of Albert Lea, Minnesota, is located 90 miles south of Minneapolis, where he attended the big rally at which Sarah Palin spoke recently. Here are some excerpts from his impressions of her, as written for his home hown newspaper, The Tribune:
What the smart people don’t get is that the more they jest Palin’s pedigree, the clearer it becomes that she is just like the rest of us. Early in her speech, she won over her crowd with one simple truism, “What I like about you folks in Minnesota is that you sound like me.” Of course, she meant her accent, which has also been criticized.Read Benda's full op-ed here.
Yet, the look in people’s eyes told more — the former Alaska governor made them feel that a normal person (like them) could make a difference. In one more sentence — “Washington is addicted to OPM (sounds like opium) Other People’s Money” — she summarized one of the greatest concerns on people’s minds. She is likeable, speaks straight and is able to touch people’s hearts — the “Palin Effect” as explained in one recent article.
She also instinctively understood the implications of the huge policy shift President Obama recently took — from deterrence to appeasement — on national defense.
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What the smart people don’t like is that Sarah Palin quickly framed this discussion in terms we all understand — standing up to the playground bully.
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I for one will keep listening to Sarah Palin as she seems a lot like the rest of us here in Minnesota — just trying to make the world a better place.
- JP
