First impressions on Palin's speech

By Libby Spencer

I think my prediction was pretty well right on. Palin lied her face off, as all the speakers did. Palin gave a good speech, meaning she delivered her lines well but she still came across like a PTA president pitching for a new playground, not the next in line for POTUS. Not even close to Obama's speech(es). I think maybe she looked better than she really was in contrast to the 'phone it in' quality of the previous speakers. Rudy was the only one with any fire and they were all awful in terms of content.

The whole sorry evening was one big hate on lib'ruls fest. Sharp contrast to the DNC. The Democrats offered a vision for a new America. The GOP offered up a call to arms for the same old wedge politics culture war that most of the electorate is nigh well sick of at this point. There was a lot of raw red meat for the fundie base, who as I predicted, loved it. But it says something when the crowd is chanting USA instead of your candidate's name.

I'd call it a loser for McCain. She didn't win over any Hillary voters tonight and I'm betting they lost independents and moderates. It's clear the GOP has decided to go all in and roll the dice on the religious right, hoping they get energized enough to GOTV. But it's a shrinking base.

As I predicted, the media gushed and some declared a game changing moment. The word authentic was the popular superlative. She did project a genuine small town quality, but she came off more catty than tough from my perspective. I was reminded of church groups I've belonged to where the good Christian women tear apart some hapless missing member behind her back and then pretend that saying "God bless her" somehow mitigates the petty meaness behind the snide gossip.

Bottom line, she didn't really prove anything tonight. She didn't come across as knowledgeable or spontaneous. Anybody with her background can memorize a speech. The real question is, how's she going to do without a script? She doesn't look ready for MTP to me and if she doesn't do some interviews soon, the inevitable question will arise, if she's not tough enough to face the press, how is she going to be tough enough for the job? But she'll dominate the news cycle for the next few days. And the funny part is, she upstaged her partner. McCain now has to live up to her performance and I don't think he can do it, my friends.

I think the rest of my prediction will come true in the next couple of days. Tomorrow the media, new and old, will begin dissecting the boatload of lies the GOPers tossed out to the crowd tonight, like bait fish to the sharks, and the accusations will start to fly.

On a final note, the highlight of the evening came for me before the festivities started when Pat Buchanan, who I swear was half in the bag, asked Tweety if he would get a thrill up his leg if Palin's speech was good. The look on Tweety's face was priceless.

(Cross-posted at The Impolitic.)