Sarah Palin electrified GOP crowd with acceptance speech

Oh ... my ... gosh! What an electrifying night at the Xcel Center in Saint Paul. Sarah Palin promised ... and Sarah Palin delivered.

On Wednesday night the Republican National Convention blew wide open as speaker after speaker built up the crowd leading to Sarah Palin's address to delegates and the Nation. After a week of lefty bloggers and Democrats tearing down Governor Palin and exploiting her teenage daughter's pregnancy, Republicans firmly responded to the media: Families are off-limits.

Everyone was already a-buzz as they approached the Center, knowing full well it was "Sarah's night" and knowing it was going to be special.

The list of lead-in speakers was impressive ... Maryland's former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele ... former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney ... Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee ... former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani ... Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle.

But when Sarah Palin walked on stage, the Xcel Center went ballistic as thousands roared their approval, jumping to their feet cheering and applauding and waving signs in a prolonged show of support that lasted five minutes or more.

It was an act of defiance by convention-goers to the media and lefties, a determination that this was a history-making moment and they were not going to take it away.

Gov. Palin's speech was the highlight of the evening as she pounded home point after point ... her son and nephew serving in Iraq ... those in politics should have a servant's heart ... and one of the many one-liners she pulled out of her hat: "How do you tell the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull? The lipstick."

She decked the Democrats and put the mainstream media on notice:

"I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country."

The place went wild as chants of "Sarah! Sarah!" could be heard from the crowd.

Yep. We've got ourselves a keeper.

And then Sen. John McCain joined Palin's family onstage after the speech and the place went even more wild. What a night for Republicans!

Photos by SWAC Girl