Dark Star

From Power Line:

Traditionally, the vice presidential candidate's speech to the convention is devoted to attacking the other party's presidential candidate. However, Sarah Palin needed to focus foremost on introducing herself and (given the times) her family to the American people. Fortunately Rudy Giuliani, who preceded Palin, launched a scathing attack on Obama. John was not overstating things in describing Rudy's attack as a "KO." And in delivering it, he freed Palin up to devote the bulk of her speech to telling the audience who she is and what she has accomplished.

The potential danger of this approach, of course, was that Rudy is a tough act to follow. But not, as it turned out, for Palin. In my view, she did splendidly. And since she did not follow Rudy by immediately launching attacks on Obama, she was not really "competing" with him.

Eventually, though, Palin did turn the guns on Obama, and, as John's post makes clear, very effectively. Her best lines, I thought, were these:

The American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery.

And:

Though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely.

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.

After the Giuliani and Palin speech, it seems clear that the Republicans plan to continue attacking Obama through ridicule (McCain probably will be less openly derisory tomorrow, though). There's some risk associated with this approach – Giuliani may have come across as over-the-top at times (I hope voters will accept that grin from him; they wouldn't accept it from many), and Palin as a bit nasty. But I still think it's the way to go. Obama is a huge balloon and the Republicans have no real choice but to deflate him.

As to the other main speakers:

Michael Steele was very good. If he had run in a less blue state or in a less blue year, he'd likely be a Senator.

For some reason, Mitt Romney was flat and unimpressive. Very platitudinous.

Mike Huckabee was prettyy good – certainly better than Romney – but not up to his usual standard.

FINALLY: I'll be consulting some of my Democratic acquaintances tomorrow to see if they are still happy Palin is on the ticket.

A little slow at the beginning, but a very strong speech, well-delivered. It's as if she's done this speechmaking thing before. The crowd is certainly behind her, and the fiance is on the stage with the whole family -- and with John McCain. It's like they're taunting the press and the Democrats to go on with the baby-talk. As I've said, I don't think they believe this hurts them.

Plus, politicians have speechwriters? Why wasn't I told?

Orin Kerr: "I thought Palin was a natural tonight: She was as good as Obama can be, and I think that's pretty damn good."

And, from the comments: "Too bad it's not a Palin-McCain ticket."

A reader emails: "New Sarah Palin Topic: Is Air Force One safe from E-bay?"

Lorie Byrd: "Obama's response -- the speech was written by George Bush's speech writer. Wow. How lame is that?"

The New Republic: Focus Group: Palin Was (Alarmingly) Strong. Some people are acting alarmed.

The most impressive woman speaker I have ever heard, was Sarah Palin, tonight. (Always excepting Thatcher.) It took Hillary 16 years in the public eye, and she never quite got there. The speech was brilliantly written. It gave Palin room to introduce herself, to be funny (the difference between hockey moms and pit bulls -- lipstick!), to be strong, to be charming, to be tough, and to display amazing political talent. She backed down on nothing. Her pokes at Obama were masterful. She wielded the knife with a smile on her face. Who knew that the response to his gibes at small town Americans being bitter was to put a small town mayor out there to defend the honor of normal Americans? God and guns never looked better. And, while we're at it...the new hair style and more subtle color, and the perfectly classy, upmarket suit, take a natural beauty and maker her look the part. Actually, she looked and sounded better than any Hollywood evocation of a female President or Veep. Bourgeois mainstream women will ultimately, if not immediately, give her another look. By the way, having Rudy, America's biggest town mayor, set her up was a great stroke too. I was concerned that it would upstage her, talent-wise. But I had no reason to fear. And it was nice seeing Cindy McCain beam and laugh at Sarah Palin's speech, in a way that differed radically from Michelle Obama's skepticism during Hillary's speech.

Just a terrific speech from Sarah Palin. She didn't miss a word. That must have struck terror into the hearts of Obama's handlers.