The Republican National Convention

Hawaii Gov and Guiliani Tout Palin’s Experience, Strength at RNC

By Courtney Lowery, 9-03-08

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle took the stage tonight at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul to tout Vice President candidate Sarah Palin, citing her strength and experience as an executive.

Lingle took aim at criticisms lobbed at Palin over the size of the Wasilla, Alaska where Palin was mayor before becoming governor, saying she too fought claims that as mayor of Maui, she was not qualified to be governor of Hawaii. To cheers from her home state delegates, she told the crowd that if you asked people from either state would tell you that being mayor was good preparation—Palin and Lingle are doing just fine. And, she said, being mayor in a town the size of Wasilla means Palin had to be accountable for every decision she made.

Being mayor means being a CEO, being Governor means being a CEO, Lingle said, after pointing out that neither Sen. Barack Obama or his running mate Sen. Joseph Biden had had executive experience. “Zero,” she said as the crowd began chanting “zero” shaping their hands into the number and raising them in the air. Only Palin, she said, has had experience managing a multi-billion budget.

The Alaksa governor is “an outstanding pick” for the party, Lingle said, because among other things, she is a strong social conservative and a “fiscal hawk.” And, Palin will serve the race well by “reaching out to independents, young people and women.”

“His decision to choose Sarah tells us a lot about Sen. John McCain. It is a clear reminder that he truly is a maverick and that he will always do the right thing for the people of America,” Lingle said. “This choice is bold, historic and courageous.”

Keynote speaker Rudy Guiliani took the stage right after Lingle and toward the end of his speech, he also took a moment to defend Palin, saying, “How dare they question if Sarah has enough time to spend with her children and be vice president. How dare they. When did they ever ask a man that question?”

Palin is taking the stage right now.

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