Afternoon notes, quotes & anecdotes:
From Andrew Heath, former director of the county GOP:
When the RNC began to rearrange their schedule due to the tragedy of Hurricane Gustav, we all prayed that Anne Beiler would remain a speaker. Well, our prayers were answered and Anne will be speaking this evening! You can view her speech in its entirety, uninterrupted, on C-SPAN beginning at 7:00PM eastern time. She will speak between 7:00 – 7:30PM eastern. For more information, please visit www.AnneBeiler.com.
More on Barack Obama’s scheduled appearance here Thursday, from PennLive.com:
Obama will visit Lancaster’s Buchanan Park, at Buchanan and Race avenues near Franklin & Marshall College. Doors will open at 3 p.m. and the program is expected to begin at 5 p.m. Ticket information was not immediately available. The discussion will focus on the economy, Obama spokeswoman Andrea Mead said.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin takes the stage tonight. Here’s what local delegates think she should say:
“All she has to do is be herself. If she can be herself, I think she’ll hit a home run,” said Keith Greiner of Leola, one of six delegates and alternates from the county who are attending the weeklong convention in St. Paul, Minn. “I think she’s very genuine. I think her background resonates with women, and with small-town people. She’s just real. Real America,” said Greiner, an accountant who serves as chairman of the Conestoga Valley GOP. “I think she’s going to connect.”
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“I think she has to talk to the voter,” said David M. Dumeyer, a delegate and chairman of the county GOP. “She has to show them she is a genuine person, which I believe she is. She has to talk about herself, about how she’s a person who, while apparently somewhat of an unknown, has this incredible record of doing things. “The national media doesn’t cover a whole lot of things in Alaska, so a lot of people don’t know about her accomplishments. I think she has to reinforce that for people,” said Dumeyer, of Landisville. “I think she has to reinforce what her philosophy is and put an end to some of these concerns that she isn’t able to lead. She has to reinforce that she is ready to assume the duties of office. I think she clearly is.”
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Dale Murray, a delegate from Mount Joy, said Palin needs simply to tell her life story to win over voters. “This is a lady who lives her values,” said Murray, who works in business development and is a longtime member of the Republican committee. “She has lived her values by having the Down Syndrome, considering it a blessing, and even in dealing with these pretty terrible press attacks on her daughter. “She lives her values as a reformer, and she’s taken down some powerful figures in the party elite — the governor, the attorney general, the head of the Republican Party in Alaska. She’s got more executive experience that the rest of the two tickets.”
A reminder from the Lancaster County GOP:
The Republican Committee of Lancaster County is proud to announce its celebration of Senator John McCain’s acceptance of the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States. On Thursday, September 4th, Republicans, Democrats and Independents who are supportive of John McCain are invited to gather at Penn Cinema 541 Airport Road, Lititz PA at 7:00 PM to celebrate with live music, food and drinks and listen to special guest speakers leading up to Sen. McCain’s acceptance speech at 9:00 from Saint Paul, Minnesota. The event will be emceed by State Representative and Lancaster County Victory Co-Chair Katie True. Guests may arrive at 7:00 PM. Space is limited, RSVPs are required. The cost is $15/person or $25/couple. Contact Bill Coder at GOP Headquarters at 717-392-4165
