You go, girl!

I watched all three hours of republican speeches last night and I have never been so excited about politics in my life! I must admit that I was hesitant to post my thoughts on last night's speeches only because I did not watch the first two nights and I did not watch the democratic convention at all. I will also admit that I have felt at a loss as to who/what to vote for this time around... until McCain announced his running mate. My interest perked up for some reason and all of a sudden I found myself drawn in and anxiously awaiting her speech. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Why were people so upset? What was the controversy? Will we really, truly have a woman vice president? I had to see what was going on...

WOW! I was very much impressed! I actually understood most of the things being talked about. I felt so much older as I sat there nodding my head as one of the speakers listed all the things we're currently concerned about: job security, medical costs, energy independence, keeping my home, will my kids be able to get an education and a job with the way things are headed... I had just resigned to the fact that Obama was ushering in the Second Coming of Christ and I needed to buckle in and get ready for the ride. But, I've changed my mind. Now I'm excited to vote and I have a brand new excitement and desire to watch every single speech and debate from this point on. It's not over yet.

I loved the speeches by the former president of eBay and the CEO of HP. And there were others I found inspiring as well. I'd never heard McCain speak, but I began to take interest and wanted to know more about him and his new running mate. Then Sarah Palin spoke. I couldn't stop smiling. I LOVED HER! She is amazing. Very inspiring woman. I believe she will get things done! I believe she can make a difference!

Here are some things I heard last night that caught my attention:
• We need to fight government dependancy and government over-spending. The government needs to stay on a budget just like families do. If they're spending beyond what they bring in, they need to cut costs and find ways to do without.
• We need to get the government back on the side of the people instead of the government getting in the way of the people and dictating every decision we make.
• As parents, we have the right to decide what is best for our children and our families.
• We need to fight to preserve the traditional family unit.
• We must vote for ENERGY INDEPENDENCE! This is huge to me. I've wanted our country to be energy self-reliant since I was a young girl and knew what energy was and where it came from. I hate that we depend on these countries who hate us. Why are we giving them that control over us? We can do this ourselves and still find ways to be kind to the environment! Besides, what's the point in saving all these nature reserves if we can't save our economy and ourselves? Pretty soon, we won't be able to enjoy these nature reserves anymore anyway, at the rate and direction we're going. We NEED Energy Independence!!! Plus, think of the American jobs this will create! This is the right solution for our economy crisis.
• Vote for SMALLER government. Smaller government means more freedom to make our own decisions and less government expense. Joseph Smith taught us to teach the people correct principles and the people will govern themselves. Someone else was quoted last night as saying "The government that can do everything for us can take everything from us." We must reduce government dependency and vote smaller government. We must not give up what our founding fathers fought for--we are not socialist or communist and we must keep that distinction.
• We must defeat terrorism!
• I prefer straight talk to politically correct talk. I'm not worried about offending terrorists or defending the rights of illegal aliens who break our laws and murder innocent Americans when they should have been in jail but weren't because of a law that protected the alien's "rights" over the American's. (okay, so that last part was from a radio show, not last night)
• Put your country first. This is no time for on-the-job training or self-discovery. We need people with experience who aren't afraid to ruffle feathers and get the job done. Country first.
• We all need to take an informed position. I for one am excited to watch every single speech and debate from here on out.
• Your school desk was already earned for you. Did you thank a veteran today?

Here's something I found from another website:

Three Reasons to Put Sarah Palin on the Ticket

At this stage of the game, the vice-president potential's sole job is to get the presidential candidate elected. For that reason, the VP candidate is often chosen to bring in voters the head guy doesn't. So what does Palin bring to the table?

1. She's mainline conservative.
Her stances on gay marriage, capital punishment, abortion and gun control will appeal to many of the conservatives McCain turned off and into Romney's arms. She could make them feel better about coming out to vote for McCain.

2. She's young and female.
OK, that's two reasons. But she balances out some people's concerns with McCain's age (which frankly stem from having younger presidents for the last 16 years). And being female helps to neutralize the historic impact of either Obama or Clinton.

3. She's charming.
Don't count out the importance of this. For many Democrats, the sheer fact that they like Obama more than Clinton has been enough to counteract any concerns over experience. McCain isn't known for his personal appeal, so she could be an asset on this point.