Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin lashed out at her critics Wednesday after weathering several days of close media scrutiny, and said she had more quality political experience than Sen. Barack Obama.
"I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone," she said. "But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion -- I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country."
Palin, a former mayor, also used her executive experience to attack Obama, noting he had never run a town, city or state -- although she never referred to him by name.
"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities," she said, dismissively referring to Obama's charity work in Chicago.
"I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening."
Sen. John McCain then joined her on stage, congratulating Palin on her speech. Moments later the roll call was held at the Republican National Convention, giving McCain enough votes to officially win the party's presidential nomination.
The roll call was done alphabetically, with the exception of Arizona -- McCain's adopted home state -- which had the privilege of giving the senator enough votes to put him over the top. At age 72, McCain is now the oldest first-time nominee in U.S. history.
Executive experience
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke before Palin at the convention, and used the same argument about experience.
"(Palin's) already one of the most successful governors in America -- and the most popular. And she already has more executive experience than the entire Democratic ticket," he said.
According to the New York Times, Giuliani had used the same argument during the Republican primaries against one of his rivals -- John McCain. He said McCain had "never run a city, never run a state, never run a government."
John McCain's campaign has called for the media to "dial it back" when it comes to scrutinizing their pick for the second spot on the Republican ticket.
"Certainly, (Palin's) record deserves scrutiny, but I think we ought to (actually) look at her record," campaign manager Rick Davis said.
On Wednesday night, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee said coverage from the "elite media" had angered Republicans, and had unified them in their support of Palin.
"The reporting has proven tackier than a costume change at a Madonna concert," Huckabee said at the convention.
Part of the focus is due to the fact that Palin is a relatively fresh face on the national scene. McCain's decision to put her on the ticket has surprised reporters, political pundits and even prominent Republicans.
Several reports and commentators have suggested McCain acted rashly by picking someone they consider inexperienced. Palin, who has been governor for less than two years, was a small town mayor as recently as 2006. Critics have questioned McCain's judgment and vetting process, especially in light of a number of embarrassing stories that have emerged about Palin and her family.
Recent revelations include:
- the McCain camp's announcement that Palin's unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant
- a report that Palin's husband was arrested for drunk driving when he was 22 years old
- details about a state legislature investigation into allegations that Palin had Alaska's public safety commissioner fired because he would not dismiss a state trooper, who was Palin's estranged ex-brother-in-law
Senior campaign adviser Steve Schmidt said the revelations amount to little more than a "faux media scandal designed to destroy the first female Republican (VP) nominee."
"This nonsense is over," he said in a written statement.
"The McCain campaign will have no further comment about our long and thorough process."
Whether Schmidt will get his wish is questionable. Instead, the focus on Palin is expected to become even more intense in the coming days and weeks.
The McCain camp is hoping Palin's address in St. Paul, Minn., will help convince party faithful she can help the Arizona senator win the White House. Palin is staunchly anti-abortion and is expected to rally the Republicans' religious base during the coming weeks.
Former U.S. ambassador to Canada and former Republican Massachusetts governor Paul Cellucci told Canada AM that Palin is not too inexperienced to be a "heartbeat away" from the presidency.
"If she were a man, this attention would not be paid to all of these other issues ... there is a bias in the media against women," Cellucci said.
Despite the controversies dripping out about Palin, she has clearly energized the RNC and delegates have said they're firmly behind McCain's choice.
"I haven't seen anything that comes out about her that in any way troubles me or shakes my confidence in her," said former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who ran an unsuccessful primary campaign against McCain.
With files from The Associated Press
