In "small towns" people are "always proud of America."

[Eric J in MN]

Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican Convention:

And a writer observed, "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty and sincerity and dignity," and I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.

I grew up with those people. They're the ones who do some of the hardest work in America, who grow our food, and run our factories, and fight our wars. They love their country in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America.

Then why did her husband join the Alaska Independence Party?

Palin's husband Todd was a member of the AIP from October 1995 through July 2002, except for a few months in 2000. He is currently undeclared.

So the facts are: Gov. Palin was not a member of this third-party ("Alaska First -- Alaska Always") that wants Alaskans to get a vote on whether or not the state can secede from the U.S. But her husband was a long-time member, and at least two AIP officials recall her attending the 1994 convention, though she says she did not attend.

[Bread and Circus]

1. Yeah...good question. Well said.

[JI7]

2. so why do they bash places like San Francisco , Massachusettes

Los Angeles etc ?

[FrenchieCat]

3. Yep.....Painting a picture of Americana when it is convenient!

[Skittles]

4. I'm sick of the insinuation that good people do not live in cities

or that there are no bad folk in small towns....I've lived both city and rural and it's all a pile of CRAP

[Eric J in MN]

5. There are also people in cities who "run our factories, and fight our wars."

Sarah Palin didn't say that small towns include some of the people who "run our factories, and fight our wars."

She said "They're the ones who...run our factories, and fight our wars."

[Skittles]

7. damn straight

we have GOT to take back the language from these lying bastards

[BlooInBloo]

6. The best way I've heard it described is in terms of Al Franken's "mommy love"....

"We love America just as much as they do. But in a different way. You see, they love America the way a four-year-old loves her mommy. Liberals love America like grown-ups. To a four-year-old, everything Mommy does is wonderful and anyone who criticizes Mommy is bad. Grown-up love means actually understanding what you love, taking the good with the bad, and helping your loved one grow."