UPDATED: Local GOP activists mostly positive about McCain's message

• Published September 04, 2008

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We’ll have more in the paper in the morning, but I talked to a few political activists of different stripes tonight about John McCain’s nomination and his speech that concluded the Republican national convention in St. Paul, Minn.

Most of the Republicans were energized, but one Ron Paul backer, Matthew Hayward, was still skeptical McCain can deliver any changes to Washington, D.C.

Ralph Munro, co-chair of the state delegation in St. Paul, is a longtime McCain supporter going back to McCain’s failed 2000 run, and Munro called it a “long journey to get him here. Now we’re past this hurdle. The next one is to get him elected.’’

Debby Pattin, who was Thurston County’s volunteer coordinator for Democratic nominee Barack Obama’s local campaign, questioned McCain’s decision to talk about using the military to “fight” but not to address veteran issues.

“With all of his talk of honorable service, McCain completely omitted the plight of veterans and their families after they have stood up to fight. Cutting taxes is a major plank of his platform, but taxes should never be cut on the backs of our service members,” Pattin said.

Pattin also was disgusted by vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s attacks on Obama the previous night, saying Palin lied about Obama’s accomplishments which include passage of a Wounded Warriors bill and bipartisan work with Republican Sen. Richard to round up “loose nukes” in the former Soviet Union.

The lingering wounds from the primary battles haven’t entirely healed for Republicans, but Frank Leuck, former local organizer for one-time GOP candidate Mitt Romney, said he thinks the party made strides this week in its convention. “I’m enthused. I certainly feel like there was a lot more unity than I felt when the convention began. I felt it today. It was kind of a spiritual event for me to hear him articulate his vision for the country,’’ Leuck said, in spite of his disappointment that Romney was passed over for vice president.

Leuck does think the selection of Alaska Gov. Palin could help the ticket with conservatives. “She brings a lot to the ticket. It cuts across some interesting lines. She may be a little soft on the conservative, religious side,’’ he added.