His son, Ron Reagan, told The Associated Press he doesn’t see anything in common between his dad and the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, who was invited to speak by the event’s sponsor, the conservative Young America’s Foundation.

But former Reagan speechwriter Kenneth Khachigian praised the choice of Palin to speak, saying her philosophy and political fortunes were shaped by the Reagan era.

Palin’s political committee did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.