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WORLD> America
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Palin mocks Obama, readies Republicans for McCain
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-04 22:39 The spotlight will be trained on McCain on Thursday night. The 72-year-old former prisoner of war in Vietnam and longtime Arizona senator faces the biggest speech of the campaign when millions of Americans will be tuned in to watch. "He (McCain) needs to provide a compelling example of why he's ready to be president and Barack Obama is not, and why the direction he wants to take America is good and why the direction Barack Obama wants to take America is bad," said Republican pollster Whit Ayres. Palin came into her big week having to make an uncomfortable disclosure, that her unmarried daughter Bristol, 17, was pregnant and planned to marry the high-school classmate who is the father, Levi Johnston, 18. The Palins took the issue head on with no big fuss. Both Bristol and Johnston appeared on stage with the rest of the family after her speech. Johnston had the word "Bristol" tattooed on his ring finger. "From the inside, no family ever seems typical. That's how it is with us. Our family has the same ups and downs as any other ... the same challenges and the same joys," Palin said. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani branded as sexism the questions of some commentators who wondered how Palin could be vice president with five children, including an infant with Down syndrome. "How dare they question whether Sarah Palin has enough time to be vice president and spend enough time with her children. How dare they do that. When have they ever asked a man that question?" Giuliani said. Republican strategist Vin Weber said following her big introduction, Palin would have to submit to interviews and news conferences to demonstrate substantive knowledge of the issues. "All the attention paid to her these last few days means the vice presidential selection means more than it normally does," Weber said. |
