FLASHREPORT

GOVERNOR PALIN COMES TO "REAGAN COUNTRY"

Ron Nehring, Chairman of the California Republican Party

[Publisher's Note:  As part of an ongoing effort to bring original, thoughtful commentary to you here at the FlashReport, I am pleased to present this column from Ron Nehring, Chairman of the California Republican Party.- Flash]

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Gov. Sarah Palin today reminded tens of thousands of Californians of just why she is such a tremendous asset to the Republican campaign, and will make a great Vice President of the United States.

At our rally in Carson this afternoon, Gov. Palin made clear there are stark differences in this campaign between where she and John McCain will take the country, versus the direction Barack Obama and his sidekick Joe Biden have in mind.  Her sharp, focused language and deliberate demeanor also conveyed to the audience that she is not about to be intimidated or pushed around by the other team or their facilitators in the media.

Elections are about choices, and in a clear sharpening of the campaign’s message, the Alaska governor conveyed the difference between our team and their team on two key issues more than any other.

On taxes, Barack Obama thinks they’re too low, while John McCain and Sarah Palin think they’re too high.  As the economy slows and uncertainty pervades as the impact of the financial crisis on Wall Street remains unclear, raising taxes is a terrible idea that the Obama-Biden team embraces.  Obama voted to raise taxes on everyone making over $42,000 a year.  John McCain will cut taxes to give everyday taxpayers and break and give the economy a boost.  A clear choice, especially for Californians, who are already among the highest taxed in America.

On Iraq, the Governor painted an equally clear picture.  I was particularly excited to see Gov. Palin point out how averse the Obama-Biden twosome is to use the words “Iraq” and “victory” in the same sentence.  Have you noticed this?  Obama and Biden say ad nauseum they will “end” the war in Iraq, not that they will “win” it.  That’s a big difference.  “Ending” a war is easy – raise the white flag, tuck tail, and go home – that will “end” any war.  It’s also decidedly uncharacteristic for America.

Understanding that the war in Iraq is the front line in the global war on terror, Gov. Palin pointed out that with John McCain as Commander-in-Chief we’re going to end the war in Iraq by winning – defeating the enemy, and bringing our troops home in honor.

In several small meetings today, Gov. Palin demonstrated just how genuine she is.  In private, she is the same plain-spoken, sharp, dignified and tenacious woman that we see on television.  She is one of the most impressive elected officials I have met in my 20 years in Republican politics.

It was a great honor to open the Carson rally today along with Tony and Audra Strickland, Reps. Ed Royce and Dana Rohrabacher, Assemblymember Bonnie Garcia, former US Treasurer Rosario Marin, and EBay’s Meg Whitman, who got a great response when she talked about how Gov. Palin auctioned the Alaska state plane on Ebay.  In my comments I talked about how I had the privilege of being a part of making history by signing the official Certificate of Nomination to put John McCain and Sarah Palin’s names on the California Ballot – and that now it is up to all of us to make history again by winning this election and putting the McCain-Palin team in the White House.

The world is run by those who show up, and in the four weeks remaining in this election, it’s our mission to match the leadership and tenacity John McCain and Sarah Palin have shown with our own by helping to register our voters and turning them out on Election Day.  We’ve done it before, and we can do it again.

In the evening, Gov. Palin impressed an equally enthusiastic crowd at our fundraiser at the Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa that raised more than $2 million for the Republican Party’s campaign in support of all of our candidates.  Reminding all of us that California remains “Reagan Country,” Gov. Palin connected with the audience in a way that I have not often seen.  She connects with and resonates with people in a trulu extraordinary way.

Thank you, John McCain, for giving all of us the opportunity to send such an extraordinary person to work for us as the next Vice President of the United States of America.  Now, on to Victory!

To find out what you can do to assist John McCain and Sarah Palin in their quest for victory this Election Day, please visit www.JohnMcCain.com or www.CAGOP.org.