Republicans: Here is your canidate

[Neil D]

McCain, Palin Slip into Easy Camaraderie at First Joint Town Hall

By Robert Barnes

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- "John? John?'' Sarah Palin called to John McCain. "Can I add somethin'?''

Turns out what the Alaska governor wanted to add to McCain's answer during a town hall meeting here tonight was that the man at the top of the Republican ticket was "a bit too humble.''

The whole evening was a lot like that.

McCain and Palin made their first joint appearance in a town hall setting tonight but it actually was more like a pep rally.

Before a loud and blissful Republican crowd in the gym of Grand Rapids Community College, McCain and Palin fielded questions from a former Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter who now backs McCain; another woman who asked for advice on recruiting Hispanic supporters for the ticket; and a Vietnam veteran who simply told McCain, "May the grace of God be with you always, sir.''

Hardball, it was not.

It was the first time the folksy Palin has taken questions from voters since she was named to the ticket, and many of them seemed designed to allow her to answer critics.

One woman wanted to give her the chance to address those who say Palin can't be a mother and vice president. "Well, let's prove 'em wrong,'' Palin said to cheers.

She talked about her role if the ticket is elected: "Let me tell you, I know a little bit about energy. That's gonna be my baby when I get to Washington, D.C.''

She was less sure-footed when asked about her "perceived lack of foreign policy experience.''

Palin gave a long, winding answer that began with her saying she expected criticism because she is a "Washington outsider'' and ended with her asserting, "I'll be ready'' come Inauguration Day.

McCain piped in: "She's commander of the Alaskan National Guard.''

McCain's senior advisers were cheering the performance, but, not surprisingly, the Obama campaign was not impressed. "Senator McCain and Governor Palin may have taken questions together for the first time, but they didn't give a single answer about what they would do differently from George Bush to fix the economy,'' said Obama-Biden campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor.

McCain and Palin are changing the normal dynamics of a presidential ticket, spending as much time together as campaigning apart. The two held a rally last night in Ohio, the town hall meeting today, and will campaign together in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota before the end of the week.

McCain clearly likes the charge Palin brings to the crowd -- many women hold Palin signs written in lipstick -- and the two are working out a partnership on stage. After McCain answered one question from a supporter, he turned to Palin and asked if she had anything to add.

The simple visual of the 72-year-old Washington veteran and the 44-year-old first-term governor is a striking reminder they form a different kind of political team, and the two go out of their way to try to make the case that they would be radical reformers of Washington.

"He is the maverick of the Senate, let's send him to the White House!'' Palin says by way of introduction.

He in turn even points out their differences, although they are not numerous. "What do you expect of two mavericks?'' he asked the crowd. "Agree on everything? Eh!''

And the two have already found their closing statement. Tonight, McCain turned over the microphone to Palin to let her close the meeting.

She told the audience that Sen. Barack Obama and the Democrats like to say that they are "fighting for you'' in this election.

"Well, there is only one man in this race who has ever really fought for you,'' Palin said. "And that's Sen. John McCain.''

And they are gonna fix the economy.....how was that???? Oh, and the answer to the Iraqi war is...uh...uh...What did they say about that war again?...Oh, McCain fought for us! Yeah!!!!!!! That's all we need to know....