What’s worth fighting for

McCain and Palin made that a theme.

First, “Palin brought down the house with a take-no-prisoners speech”.

She did that — and after putting up with a week’s worth of insults, sexism and condescension from liberals who talk a good game about expanding opportunity as long as they get the credit.

Democrats in the media — oops, I mean, some in the Democratic Party and in the media — even went after Palin’s family. There are vicious street gangs that won’t even cross that line. Appropriately, the hockey mom threw off her gloves and gave her tormenters the rhetorical beating they deserved.

Such as when Palin said that, while Democrats say they’re fighting for you, “There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you…in places where winning means survival and defeat means death. And that man is John McCain.”

And when McCain took the microphone, he too delivered a glorious speech — even though, as with Obama’s speech last week, it came with contradictions.

Although unlike Obama’s, McCain’s speech paid honor to his opponent from the start.

First, McCain offered his respect and admiration to Obama and his supporters.

“Despite our differences,” he said, “much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, and that’s an association that means more to me than any other.”

Then McCain explained why that is. “We’re dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal and endowed by our creator with inalienable rights,” he said.

“No country — no country ever had a greater cause than that. And I wouldn’t be an American worthy of the name if I didn’t honor Sen. Obama and his supporters for their achievement.”

Classy and dignified.

The most rousing part of the speech, appropriately, came at the end, which McCain hopes is the new beginning.

“Fight with me,” McCain implored. “Fight for what’s right for our country. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people. Fight for our children’s future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all…Stand up, stand up, stand up, and fight! Nothing is inevitable. We’re Americans, and we never give up! We never quit! We never hide from history! We make history!”

And the crowd went wild.

Now, they’ve all hit the road.