Palin Parks It
“Exceeded expectations” is the highest praise that the media chattering classes can bestow. And that is exactly where even some of the more partisan talking heads had to go after Gov. Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech in St. Paul tonight.
Striking in the speech was Palin’s quick wit and humor. “What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.” Palin went after Obama in the same happy warrior tone: “Being a small town mayor is kind of like being a community organizer, but with responsibilities.” There was no sign of the socially conservative extremism predicted by Palin’s critics.
Palin’s address was also peppered with wonkish details, giving lie to the emerging anti-Palin meme casting her as an intellectual lightweight. This meme has even extended to sexist metaphors involving cheerleaders and bikinis. Palin’s detailed expositions on energy policy and references to dependency on Iran and Saudi Arabia put that issue down the ladder of effectiveness.
In brief, Palin did what she needed and more. Those who oppose McCain-Palin on policy grounds are going to need to gear up for more substance than the trivia, nonsense, and offensive garbage they have hurled at her thus far. Palin the happy partisan pit bull is in play, and she is not backing down.
MSNBC.com’s first article on Palin’s speech has a sub-header that reads:"McCain running mate speaks as someone unconcerned with public opinion"Of course, here MSNBC is confusing the press with the public, as the header above that reads this:"Palin fires back at media, ‘Washington elite’"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26525268/
I thought she did a fine job, although I could have cared less about 4/5ths of what she mentioned about her family. (i understand why she said it all, but it’s not a point for me).
A Democrat in the room was like - oh she’s throwing too many barbs, the Democrats don’t do that. I said, with what her family is being put through - she’s owed it and far more. She didn’t think the Dem’s did any sort of mud throwing. And certainly felt like the Dem’s didn’t do anything to her family.
MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell’s reaction was priceless. She truly looked as though she was covering a natural disaster instead of a political convention.
She read a speech off a teleprompter written by others filled with outright falsehoods and snarky culture war barbs. Yeah I am impressed. I would expect a little more actual analysis here.
Jammer,One part of the vetting process that was reported on in the news was the McCain campaign was looking back at Palin’s past speeches. One of the reason I read they chose her was because ’she could give a good speech’.We all know there are questions about her experience on things like foreign policy. But really, the idea that she’s so stupid she couldn’t write a good speech on her own is so pathetic and patronizing, given that she was able to defeat the encumbent in the Republican Primary in Alaska.From news reports she co-wrote this last speech, and in the middle of her giving it, her teleprompter broke and she had to wing it.And we can argue all we want about what was a falsehood in her speech, but what about arguing about all the falsehoods in Obama’s speech? What about questioning whether Obama can be articulate without a teleprompter?But we should be glad for all your brilliant analysis.
Did you feel the same with Bill Clinton? Reagan, Bush 1, Bush 2, HRC, McCain, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, JFK, Eisenhower……. Try to have real feelings rather than trumped up ones.