Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin focused heavily on the economy when she addressed a largely red-shirted crowd at Richmond International Raceway Monday.
Palin emphasized her belief that Republican presidential candidate John McCain could cure the recent economic woes if elected to the presidency, saying that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama “would get us even deeper in debt.”
Palin said her running mate “has a plan, and he doesn’t just talk the talk.” The plan for improving the economy under a McCain-Palin ticket would involve lower taxes and decreased spending in Washington, Palin said
“Taxes are already too high, and [Obama] wants to raise them,” she said. “The government already spends too much, and [Obama] wants to spend nearly a trillion [dollars] more in government growth.”
McCain and Palin, however, would enact a “spending freeze,” she said, in order to decrease government spending.
Third-year College student Michael Feuerstein, communications coordinator for the University Democrats, said McCain and Palin like to “spout their numbers,” providing misleading information “to scare people.”
“Obama’s economic plan will actually be a reduction in net spending,” he said.
Palin said McCain’s policies would help families, making healthcare and education more affordable, and would “bring stability to the housing market.”
Rodney Lance, an undecided voter and resident of Richmond said he attended the rally to hear about McCain’s economic plan.
“I want a house,” he said. “I’m getting thrown out, [and] I really need some help.”
Energy dependence is another issue critical to the economy and national security, Palin said.
“We’re going to find better ways to tap into what we’ve got,” she said, listing nuclear power, clean coal and drilling for oil within the United States as avenues to be pursued, adding that an increased focus on nuclear power and clean coal would create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Palin repeated the “drill, baby, drill” chants of the crowd, adding, “and mine, baby, mine.”
Feuerstein noted that he believes Republicans like to “play political word games with slogans like ‘drill baby drill,’” adding that, even if drilling began today, it would take at least five years for the gas to reach the pumps.
“What we need to do is find a long-term solution,” he said.
Palin also touched on what she sees as critical differences in the candidates’ military policies.
McCain is “the only man in this race that talks about the wars that America is fighting, and he’s not afraid to use the word ‘victory,’” she said. ”Just once I would like to hear Barack Obama say he wants America to win.”
Feuerstein said while no one could deny McCain’s bravery and the importance of his role in serving the country, “he’s not as good of a politician as he was a soldier.”
Obama’s judgment, he said, is better for the country.
“He exercised that judgment in 2002 when he came out opposing Iraq, predicting the indeterminate cause and length the war would bring,” Feuerstein said.
Palin ended her address by emphasizing the importance of the upcoming election for both the American people and the world.
Henrico County Fire Chief Edwin Smith said 12,000 to 15,000 people attended the rally.
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