Maybe this night's speeches are rallying the base on the right, but I think it's rallying the base on the left more. This is insulting and over the top in mocking tone.

Obama's convention bounce will be over in a week.

Too bad Monday's show was cut short - maybe if they had heard more about the official theme (Serving A Cause Greater Than One's Own Self-Interest) they might be a little ashamed of belitting Obama's community service. Oh wait, look who I'm talking about. I guess it wouldn't matter.

She chose to go for the red meat to please the base. Obviously she doesn't want the votes of community organizers, people who aren't impressed with sarcasm, or people who know Obama's work on ethics and nuclear nonproliferation. And apparently she believes people working low income, part time, temp. etc. jobs will believe "he wants to raise your taxes" applies to them, not to the wealthy.

That was a FANTASTIC speech! She exceeded all expectations and will have no problem going head to head with Biden.

But what do I know? I can barely type while clinging to my guns and religion...

Ok...that "Caribou Barbie" thing was really funny. I'm still voting for her, but that was a great line, Kristin. Well played.

It's not a good sign for the repubs if your campaign is in 'bunker mentality,' while the convention is still going on. A McCain convention bump? I don't think so.

There are still scandals yet to be uncovered. She will spend the next two months defending herself.

Refight the culture wars? How 70's is that?

Well, the Repubs accomplished something tonight. Until now I was content to volunteer behind the scenes but now I'll be way out front. I'm literally shaking. I've tried several times -- both on the radio and TV -- to listen to this women. But I can't. I'm truly worried now. The idea that America could possibly be led by this pair freaks me out. I'm a woman; I believe women could be great presidents. But the moral superiority virtually dripping off Palin tonight disgusts me. She's not funny. She's demeaning. Perhaps I'm biased, but bulldog Biden did not stoop to ridiculing or belittling McCain -- he just said he's wrong. Palin reminds me of the "beautiful people" in high school who was never kind, just snarky. She absolutely does not represent me and I don't want her near a position where she could have to talk to heads of foreign states, or appointing supreme court judges.

Don't want to exaggerate but I did not think our country could get worse than this. Now I see possibilities... Can a guest author please dedicate a column to cogent, pragmatic talking points I can use as I now actively engage everyone in working to defeat McCain/Palin? Otherwise, it'll just be an emotional rant!

The greatest weakness the Democratic Party has, and I call it shooting ourselves in the foot, is the continuing abandonment of rural American in the arena's of policy and attention.

Sarah Palin has gone after this weakness. Tonights speech has done permanent harm to the Obama/Biden's campaign's ability to grow rural voters. I think I just saw four years work in rural Oregon undone in one speech.

There are three main tasks for a VP nominee:

1. Unite the party behind the ticket
2. Deliver a key state or at least their home state
3. Serve as the attack dog against the other ticket(s)

Let's look at Palin and Biden so far on those in reverse order:

1. Attack the other ticket: Biden check, Palin check
2. Deliver a key state: Delaware and Alaska? Obviously both already solid in each camp so both fail this task
3. Unite the party: Biden? still hearing upset Hillary delegates about her being passed over, Palin? Did you watch the initial response to her tonight?

So far, Palin is one up on Biden. It is still early in the first quarter of the game.

So much for Palin the Pushover. She skillfully delivered her lines with confidence, poise, and humor.

Better hope they can dig up some dirt on her in Alaska or it could be a long campaign.

If you're looking for an excuse to read Nixonland by Rick Perlstein...here it is.

Palin's speech is straight from the Nixon playbook...prey on class resentment, posture as a sympathetic victim. The only creature missing tonight was Checkers.

Those of you who forsee the end of polarized politics; your Republican friends haven't read the memo. And, I'm afraid, I think they may be onto something.

Any of you who might POSSIBLY think that Palin represents some kind of feminist breakthrough...oy. Let's start with the evidence that she is, apparently, more popular among men than women. <href>http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/08/women-more-skeptical-of-palin-than-men.html</href>

Even if Obama wins, I am deeply saddened by all of this.

Well, she was the feisty backwoods-person, wasn't she? I thought she sounded like an extremist. But she talked the good talk that the crazed Republican conventioneers wanted to hear - - content-free, full of jibes and jeers, and good ol' homespun talk. Gosh, bully for her.

After listening to the speeches tonight, I am struck at how militaristic the Republicans sound. And when they talk about "reform" and "change," I want to fall off my chair. They've held the country for 8 years - -they HAD plenty of time for reform.

Mr. Bucknum raises a pertinent point about Democrats and rural voters, but what exactly is it that Palin did, and that Obama/Biden have NOT done, that makes him think Palin is such a genius?

I think there are some rather clear points on which to attack Palin in the eyes of swing voters:

--her total opposition to reproductive rights --her slavish obedience to the worst of the "Christian" right-wing's social policy goals, including not just the anti-abortion routine, but also promoting creationism, book banning, and so on. --her hypocrisy about lobbying for earmarks while claiming to oppose them --her anti-environmental stands

and so on.

Look, folks, Palin has appointed herself as GOP pit bull, we can dispense with the nicey-nicey stuff.

Meanwhile, the Obama-loathing "Democratic" and "progressive" websites such as this, this, and this, are wetting themselves with delight about Palin's speech.

I must have missed the respect paid to Palin and McCain from the left over the past week. Hilarious to see offense of sarcasm in a left wing blog.

Admit it. They grafted press-on nails, mall hair and a whole lot of make up onto Dick Cheney to try to pass him off as a human being.

Steve, Buck up Oregon cowboy. I'm from the midwest, and don't be so sure that all of rural America is sold on this show of rural affection and country music. Obama has been extremely savvy when it comes to supporting farm subsidies and ethanol for midwest farmers...and McCain may have shot himself in the foot in that regard by saying the subsidies should be rolled back and that ethanol is a failed program. Although I agree w/McCain on some of these points, anyone who understands the farm bill knows that you cannot simply roll these back, and it would never happen with McCain with our current agricultural system--it's very complicated, and farmers don't take too kindly to those kinds of top-down prescriptions, when they have more than enough challenges putting food on our plates. And while I agree with McCain that ethanol is a failed program (and I suspect Obama does too), Obama has been wisely strategic, and I'm grateful for that now. I am certain that many farmers, including those in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota...and hopefully Pennsylvania & Ohio, see that point. But those who have commented on the rural-urban divide in America between Democrats and Republicans are correct...when we ignore these divisions and create greater ones by stereotyping rural citizens, to our peril, and we are acting in much in the same way that the Republicans did tonight by labeling Democrats as elite. America loves its rural image more than it loves its rural realities and will do anything it can to prop up frontier ideals...

she won't be able to play the "sexist" card in the debate.

I doubt she had that in mind. If she were to try, she wouldn't be any more successful as Hillary.

prey on class resentment

Isn't that the Democratic economic plan?

Steve, sorry you see it that way. I just think she was highly sarcastic---and I give anyone in any part of this state who cares about it credit for being able to read articles or research whether what she said was true. She badmouthed community organizing. Is that going to win over people who help out in their communities? She said mayors do more good than community organizers. Is that really true in every town in America? Or do some towns and cities need community organizers because the mayor only cares about the rich and powerful?

If it is true that the verbal potshots and wisecracks were what hurt Novick in rural areas (and I think that was part of it) she's several times more sarcastic. McCain supports the troops because he wants victory---and no one in a military family will know he was absent for the vote on the GI Bill? Reportedly more people who list the military as their occupation contribute to Obama than McCain.

Obama is going to raise everyone's taxes? My last 3 jobs were temporary and I doubt that very much. Maybe this is part of the "you don't count if your income is below a certain level" mentality which only gave Bush tax cuts to upper income people. I suspect many other voters feel the same way. I wonder how many actually watched the speech--ratings will be interesting.

But the real interesting thing is this from the Washington Post

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/03/noonan_and_murphy_meet_the_hot.html

Someone who knows how to do it might want to find the video in that blog on You Tube and post it here. Peggy Noonan, the Reagan speech writer, and Mike Murphy, the McCain 2000 camapign manager, had just finished a spot with Chuck Todd, the NBC political guy. Video was no longer showing but the microphone was still hot.

According to the article ( I didn't hear it) Peggy Noonan said "it is over". She also said some choice things about how McCain didn't pick Palin because she was qualified, but because of a narrative--and something (garbled) about how Republicans aren't always very good about that.

Murphy says the strength of McCain was that he was without cynicism, and this was a cynical move (said sadly). The clip has what sounds like Murphy saying he comes from of blue-state Gov. races like Whitman where you don't try stuff like that. Stuff like this might work in Texas, but not elsewhere (may be misquoted--written from memory).

I was a delegate to the 1984 Dem. National Convention. Geraldine's speech was tough on Reagan policies, but no personal zingers. Made me proud to re-read it just now. Lots more substance than this.

People in the 1984 convention lobby after the speeches were saying "it is over" about Mondale.

Unless proven otherwise, I'm going to be on the lookout for other comparisons to 1984. Palin gave up the shrinking violet role and now no one can say "Biden better be careful that he doesn't seem to be browbeating a woman". I look for more Bentsen debating Quayle.

I think this time they have the woman VP nominee, and the Senator who has made quite a name for himself in DC.
But we have the great orator with stage presence, and the VP who is an old Washington hand. As I recall, those trips home on Amtrak prevent Biden from the Washington social circuit where Palin implied Obama and Biden spend all of their time.

So, I'd like to hear what undecided voters thought of this speech tonight. Where can I find this? I found her to be snarky in tone and short on content. I wish she would have borrowed Meg or even Carly's speech instead. They, at least, were articulate (though I don't agree with them). Sigh.

Randi Rhodes has a lot of dirt on Palin. According to Randi, Palin took that little town of Wasilla from the black to $22 million in the hole. Her mother-in-law ran to succeed her as mayor after she reached the term limit and Palin supported the opposition! Palin apparently headed a 527 in favor of Ted Stevens, although she claims not to know him. In fact, a lobbying firm she hired was headed by the son of a ... Ted Stevens' son. As for the Bridge to Nowhere Palin is so fond of declining, she was for it before she was against it.

Here's the best one. McCain has published his list of earmarks that he found wasteful over the years. Hitting the mark on three separate occassions ... Wasilla, Alaska.

Palin is a bold faced liar. Dick Cheny in a skirt. She will be working in the shadows, right where she's been hiding these past two days before the speech. As for the investigation into her abuse of power, she's hiding behind counsel at this time.

That brings us to the vetting issue. Why did the McCannibal ignore the fact that she was under investigation, if she WAS vetted. The possibility exists that she was not in order to keep the surprise. Answer: That was one of her qualifications. Their response will likely be contemptuous of laws and government. It smells like Rove was here. As for giving the McCannibals a chance to answer for themselves, my guess is they will not comment on an ongoing investigation.

It is reminiscent of 1992 and Pat Buchanan's declaration of cultural warfare. The Republican party has painted itself into the extremist corner. Criminalize abortion, marginalize gays, war with Iran, dismantle environmental protections, torture and more torture, no to universal health care, sell out to the oil companies, and try to divide the country on social issues as much as possible to distract people from the economic collapse we are heading for. 1992 didn't play well for the Repugs.

I have no problem with Palin poking fun at his "community organizing." To Obama, this meant greasy poll climbing for his unrivled ambition.

His personal contributions were about 1.5X higher than my own, with an income about 10X higher. Clearly, his heart was in it for the people, and not for his career.

As a rural Oregonian, I'm not one bit impressed with Palin's rhetoric. There's no silver bullet 'drill now' crap that will save us from falling housing and property values, high gas prices, and the havoc wreaked by the trillion dollar mistake in Iraq. Stunning how the R's at the convention refuse to own Bush's economic legacy and act like we should give them the White House again like we're a bunch of idiots who can't remember the last eight years.

Palin delivered lots of red meat one liners for the conservative base, but that's about the only people clapping tonight I suspect. And sarcasm doesn't substitute for experience. I don't think this will win over any one who wasn't already going to vote for McCain anyway. Better yet, the R's are still so disorganized just two months out (even Tom Delay admits it). The Obama campaign and Howard Dean are years ahead of the McCain people in registering voters in both rural and urban areas alike.

The most nauseating moment of the night for me came during Giuliani's speech when ABC (not sure if this was on the other channels) panned to the crowd chanting 'drill, baby, drill.' Chanting the loudest out front was some guy in an expensive pin-stripe suit, and slicked back hair, practically frothing at the mouth. Real salt of the earth.

From Bill Schneider at CNN: "This speech is about mockery – and I wonder whether that’s appealing to voters. I really think this tone is going to turn a lot of voters off – it’s ugly, it’s bitter, it’s nasty. There is a bullying tone to this speech, and to Romney’s speech, and I just don’t think it works. Even less appealing: “When they gave up on Iraq, they gave up on America”? Now that’s insulting. What they’re doing is re-running the 2004 campaign, which the Republicans won on the issue of terrorism. He’s saying the war on terror should be the supreme issue – but for most voters it’s the economy"

Lies, cynicism, hypocrisy, and lots of it.

They sneered that Obama was "inexperienced" despite his eight years in the Illinois congress and four years in the US Senate...until Palin became Same McLame's VP. They claim that McCain has never run a company, despite the fact that he's essentially been running an organization with a multimillion dollar budget and hundreds of employees for over a year.

Hillary was a "whiner" for complaining about sexism in the media until Palin came under media scrutiny. Then, to even question her background was "sexist".

I think I've figured out what "Country First" means to the GOP, after hearing all the screeching about "put the country ahead of the party". It's like every rethuglican initiative over the last eight years: Clear Skies = increased pollution, No Child Left Behind = lots of children left behind, and "Country First" means "GOP First". Don't let all that patriotic lip service fool you.

Steve- your right on. Walked into a rural grocery store a day after her initial speech in Ohio and everyone was talking about her in a positive way. She connects with ruralites. Go to rural Oregon, walk through the stores and look around, especially to the women and you'll see what I mean.

One of the most effective lines rural Oregon will eat up:

""Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change."

Kirsten - Tell your Dad not to worry. She will be in 8 years. Also, I am sure as your Dad is aware she's more prepared right now than Obama and in one year into an McCain administration she'll be more ready than Biden. As any rural person knows, you don't draw assumptions of a person's leadership abilities from riding snow machines together or private conversations. Everyone understand things change...that kid you graduated HS with a couple years ago, goes into the world, creates a business (Microsoft), becomes a hero saving people in Iraq (many young men have heroic medals serving their countries over the many years), etc., etc. People change quickly, ruralites understand this well. Lastly, the people who are closest to Sarah (family and people in her AK adminstration) has for days now said to not worry about her or her family, any perceived lack of experience, etc. and that she'll Wow them even though she's never been on a national stage. Pretty bold statements in my opinion but she easily delivered. CNBC has some lenghtly interviews that indicate she is just as effective to a reporter. Imagine an Oregon governor of any party going through what she did over the past week and delivering like that. A good perspective for this audience would be to compare this speech to Obama's '04 convention speech but she had a higher bar (VP speech) and under a greater microscope.

Oh, LT, not so fast. Noonan's comments appear to be spliced and twisted by some Obama campaign staff who moonlights on NBC. Here's Noonan in her own words:

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/declarations.html

You can believe and NBC staffer's cutting or Noonan. Rural Oregon will side with Noonan.

Some free advice. Don't let Palin drive you Libs nuts. Clinton drove conservatives, including me, nuts. She is a phenomenon. Few, if any could have done what she did tonight. Just Deal, my friends, just Deal...

"Even less appealing: “When they gave up on Iraq, they gave up on America”? Now that’s insulting."

===

Yes. Almost as insulting as Harry Reid's: "The war is over. We lost."

And Obama's: "It is a Civil War. We need to get out now."

======

<h2>" I really think this tone is going to turn a lot of voters off – it’s ugly, it’s bitter, it’s nasty. "</h2>

Yes, that is what America thought of Obama's henchmen in the MSM and his campaign that went after, with bloodthirst, Palin's 4 month old baby (who your team said was actually the daughter's baby... until you outted the daughter's pregnancy).

That all backfired big time on Obama, the liberal MSM, and Democrats in general.

Democrats new slogan: We are ugly, we are bitter, we are nasty.

Sorry, Harry, when we see a rethuglican talking about Democrats, we know they're really talking about themselves. And we also know that it's not your new slogan - you folks have been ugly, bitter, and nasty for years.

Like when McCain joked about teenaged Chelsea Clinton being a dog. Classy.

Interesting comments here.

I think perhaps many of you missed the point of Palin's speech tonight.

It wasn't to win over Democratic converts, which ain't ever gonna happen for her anyhow.

It wasn't really even to fire up the conservative base, which is already plenty fired up just to have her on the ticket (seriously, $10M in a few days for McCain?)

It was to demonstrate that Sarah Palin is a regular person who is obviously not out-of-touch with middle America (as so many politicians of both parties certainly are). And, it was to paint a clear distinction of values between Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin.

In other words, her target was the "mushy middle" who actually decide every election.

Now, I'm not an undecided voter by any means, but neither am I a Republican partisan. I'm an independent (fiscal conservative, social liberal) who supported Kerry in 2004, but would vote for McCain this year no matter who he chose as his running mate. I admit that his selection of Palin, while understandable from an electoral strategy point of view, was disconcerting. So I was ready to hold my nose and vote for him without much enthusiasm -- not because I particularly care about Palin, but because I worry that she'll turn off the rest of the country.

After watching Palin's speech tonight, I'm actually fired up. I think she gave a fantastic performance, and (as distinctly contrasted with Romney and Giuliani, the other speakers I saw this evening) came off as an immensely sympathetic, scrappy underdog who was able to fight back (justifiably) when attacked.

In short, while I can't speak for undecideds, I have to think that she made a favorable impression tonight. The fact checkers will be able to rip apart her speech, as they doubtless will with McCain, and as they certainly were also able to do with Biden and Obama. Virtually all political speeches contain "embellishments" if not out-and-out falsehoods.

But for a lot of people, it's not going to be about who is factually correct -- it's going to be about who "feels" right. Colbert's brilliantly satirical "truthiness" is far more real than it should be, and setting aside for a moment whether she actually deserves the job, I think she at least opened the door with her target audience to seriously consider her for the job.

No question that some other aspects of the RNC were rather distasteful to those other than the party faithful. Romney was appalling, Giuliani was just rather mean.

But Palin's performance rose substantially above that.

Turns out she's actually going to be a force to be reckoned with after all. Should make for an interesting next couple of months...

Kevin,

What was the registration amount pre-Bush?

Undecideds? If they still are undecided in this year then they aren't sold on Obama. There is a reason Obama runs well below the generic Dem ticket and it isn't the undecided's fault. Palin connects with Regan Dems. The reasons:

• The media says she doesn't.
• The speech wasn't ugly or bitter, it was rural (Obama nor the media knows bitter). The Truman line as spot on and is effective with undecideds.

and

• She's a woman who is more of a man than metrosexuals in urban cities.

One more thing - the reason it won't be considered bitter by any standards:

"I think that her sarcasm won't be received poorly at all by the vast majority of America. After what she's gone through these last few days, I think the perception will be that she earned the right to hit back. And hit back she did — masterfully."

It's her against the Beltway now...(Thank you DailyKos and the NYT) and that will give her leeway for people to allow her to be sarcastic and hit back - hard.

Oh, and the Special Needs promise....don't underestimate that - she won McCain bigtime votes from people who'd never vote for Bushie.

Attention Republicans: This VP thing? It's nothing. Really. It was good for a couple of newscycles and now it's over. It was something for the talking-heads to, well ... talk about. Neither VP candidate will decide this election, so let's get back to what's real: McCain vs Obama. And on that, Obama wins in November. Next topic?

One of the things I hate about many Republican supporters is that they refuse to see anything without running it through their prism of talking points. I'm an Obama supporter but I'm not so entrenched in my anti-Bush sentiment that I can't admit Sarah Palin did great tonight. If we don't keep it real, we'll be in big trouble.

  I saw a political star tonight. She made every other speaker at the convention seem like a boring dud, and McCain will have trouble following her tomorrow night.

    She was great.

I hate to point this out to our republican friends but she has truck load of baggage. Yes that is right I am not talking about the crap she stuffs in a suit case. This is one slow motion train wreck I am going to enjoy watching.

I must admit I didn't have Gov. Palin pegged for doing the hatchet work. But Jeff's right: now that she's proven that she can throw punches, she has to be able to take them without whining (she set the bar too high for herself when she reprimanded Hillary for whining about unfair media treatment). And this is a candidate who has not fielded questions from the national media/campaign beat reporters. Vacation is over.

And, strategically, I find it fascinating that McCain is going to let the experience argument play-out by staking his position that a first-term Governor is more qualified than a State Legislator and U.S. Senator. There is no turning back on this point.

And, as I wrote yesterday, what is so maverick about a War & Taxes platform?

So, are the McSame people going to keep playing the sexism/victim card when Palin is attacked, after her display of partisan poison last night? Palin- sexism, McSame- POW. Oh the victimization! It's wearing thin.

Her lies were disgusting. I told our field organizer last night that she is really going to help our volunteer recruitment with the Obama campaign. Get down to your local Obama office and get busy people!

No executive experience

Obama seems to have left out this job from his resume ..

"Recently [1995] he [Obama] was appointed president of the board of the Annenberg Challenge Grant, which will distribute some $50 million in grants to public-school reform efforts."

... this would be an excellent comeback for Obama to all those complaints that he never had executive experience or handled a payroll.

Ian - baggage? You mean troopergate? Alaskans know and have written extensively about troopergate. They know it well. What's funny is the NYT pretends it doesn't know the fact and even today sources Palin's enemies in the establishment and

As a member of Palin's administration - here 80% approval rating is after troopergate facts were known. The AK establishment legislative spectacle er, "investigation" we are seeing now is nothing sort of what the establishment reporters are doing - attacking her with lies and smears.

Was Wooten fired? No, he's still a trooper. Wooten tested his taser gun on a 10 year old boy because the boy said it was "ok". Wooten threatened to kill Palin's father and sister.

The AK people know the facts and yet the NYT is only reporting she's being investigated - very telling.

If the Dems and the AK Legislature wasn't to make Domestic Violence an issue in this campaign then so be it. It'll be fun watching the Dems try and support an AK State Trooper who would more than be comfortable as an LA cop.

What Bill MacDonald said:

If we don't keep it real, we'll be in big trouble.

Oh, Matthew?

Feel free to discount my opinion. After all, I'm a racist. I know, because you guys told me I am.

Damn. What a great speech. I'm with Dan and johnnie on this...an excellent rhetorical performance. I also agree with David Wright that the facts don't matter so much...lies and embellishments never stopped Nixon, after all, and he gave some of the most effective speeches of the mid-twentieth century (Checkers, Shoot Straight, etc.).

It also struck me that once you strip away the happy-goofy condescension and sarcasm, it was a pretty good Democratic speech.

Sarah Palin's main claim to fame? Why, she just went in there and reformed an entrenched establishment! If you didn't know that she was talking about her erstwhile patron, Ted Stevens, and his patronage network, you'd think you were listening to Nixon or Agnew rage against Harvard swells. Why heck! She put Republican Governor Frank Murkowsky's jet on eBay! What a corrupt nogoodnik that guy was. Good thing she got rid of him!

Policy, you ask? Why, she just raised went ahead and taxes on those big bad oil corporations and ended their tyranny over the people of the state of Alaska! Not only that she gave an even greater share of their profits to the citizens of Alaska! Now, brags like that coming from Obama would surely be denounced as state socialism. But he's not a Hockey-Mom!!

And while we're at, let's make sure we take good care of special needs kids. Oh yes! And getting knocked up before marriage is no crime. Oooh no! Those poor young teenage girls whose find themselves in this difficult spot, doncha know, and they need our support now more than ever!

Just think, finally, of all the red-meat Republican policies she did not mention! Abstinence-only? Anti-contraception? Overturning Roe? Endless war in Iraq? Book burning? More tax breaks for the ultra-rich? Hardly even a peep, I tell ya. Does it mean that all these are off the agenda now, too?

Three cheers for the Palin agenda! Vote for Obama in 2008!

PS: Poor Ted Stevens. I was trying to imagine how he reacted to Palin's speech. Then I started getting chest pains, so I quit.

http://www.xtcian.com/arch/002958.php#comments

The bar was set so low for Sarah Palin's speech that she could have taken two giant dumps on the podium and been praised for not taking a third. She read the words on the teleprompter – written by George W. Bush's speechwriter – with gusto, but offered nothing but tacky denigrations of Barack Obama's character, along with a litany of complete and utter falsehoods.

The depths to which this has sunk... do the Republicans at this convention know they are a culmination of every asshole from 1980s teen movies? All the guys are James Spader from "Pretty in Pink", and all the girls are Heather from "Heathers". In fact, every time Sarah Palin opened her mouth, I was reminded of why J.D. kills the football players – "they had nothing to offer except date rapes and AIDS jokes."

How DARE she make fun of community organizers? They're the only people left in America who help those who've been abandoned by everyone else, and to hear this horrible woman demean them for laughs... frankly, I couldn't bear it. Besides her bizarre, psychosexual repetition of McCain's time spent as a prisoner of war, Palin said nothing to inspire people upwards, only taunts, lies, and jokes fed to the convention hall like gazelle meat to rabid lions.

Sarah Stalin's radical right-wing ideology and sneering, jeering pit bull style turn on the Republican "base." But the problem with that approach is twofold:

1. The Repubs cannot win with the radical right-wing base alone; they will need large numbers of moderate independents and Republican voters. And those moderates will be turned off by Sarah Stalin.

2. Sarah Stalin's ideology and tactics will energize the Democratic base too -- and it is far bigger than the Republican base.

Joel Dan Walls writes, "Mr. Bucknum raises a pertinent point about Democrats and rural voters, but what exactly is it that Palin did, and that Obama/Biden have NOT done, that makes him think Palin is such a genius?"

Kristin writes that her father lives in rural Alaska, knows Sarah Palin, and hates her.

Others write that it isn't so bad, she has her problems, etc.

You're all missing the point.

I'm absolutely sure that people who know this woman have mixed feelings about her ranging from intense like to intense dislike. I don't think she's a genius (never said that Joel, why don't you quote me on something I actually said, not something you made up!).

What she did in that speech was talk "rural" like no one else has done on the National stage in a generation. There is a nuance there in her speech and presentation that has rural written all over it. It is obvious to anyone who lives in a rural area that she is genuinely rural in her outlook, framing of issues, sense of humor, angry resentment, etc. If she were elected, I wouldn't doubt that McCain had got himself a bull in a china shop that would turn on him and gore him in his butt.

If elected, Sarah Palin would be a complete disaster for not only our country, but for the Republicant Party. Her nomination to be VP puts to rest McCain's claim of "Country First", as this was an obvious move to shore up his support within his "Party First". She has very little to offer the country. But if elected, she focus on "Alaska First" would only make a bad situation with the relationship between Alaska and the lower 48 worse. In Alaska, its all about the money. With a widely scattered population, the cost of infrastructure is high. There is a sense of unfairness dating from the formation of the State - when the Federal government pulled out leaving only the less competent bureaucrats that didn't follow Federal employment and went into State service. Yes, I have lived in rural Alaska too (Kodiak) - and I know a thing or two about that State.

The real danger with Palin, and what I really meant with my prior comments, is that her presentation in her speech matches up closely with a rural script. That script has been left intact by Democrats for decades. It is the script of abandonment, it is the script of unfair government interference in life, it is the script of rural versus urban to the detriment of rural, and for whatever reasons the Democratic Party has variously ignored the existance of this script, or very lightly dealt with a few resentments out of a list of hundreds. In this election cycle, the Obama campaign has managed to step outside of the "script" with a different message. The message of a need for change, for a change in how our government works - has been of interest to people in rural America. But Palin re-energized the old script.

Here's a really bad analogy: Let's say there is a really funny long running TV show. It's winding down towards its last season and last show. Meanwhile, there is a new really funny TV show that plays at the same time on a different network. Lots of people want to watch the new show, but the old show has a loyal following. What happens when the old show in its final season brings out all the characters, and throws up its final shows? People get distracted from the new show, and go back to watch the last shows of the old TV show.

So, to finish my bad analogy, for rural people, Sarah Palin is like the last episode of MASH. There are sterotypes running loose and fast around her, but rural people can't help but feel a closeness to her that in a "real world" just doesn't exist. There is an emotional closeness there with the familiar that does not cross over to the new guy (Obama).

On merits, on plans and policies, on the concept of "what's best for America" Obama is the hands down winner of a contest. But for many Americans, this election has an emotional side that "merits" don't hit. For rural America, Palin's style (not content) reminds you of your neighbors, how people talk down at the grocery store, and what life is like in a small town.

And it is my assessment that the Democrats have only a shallow inroad into rural America at this time, that Palin has connected to many rural Americans emotionally, and that there is not enough time between now and the election to undo the decades of work Republicants have put into a rural relationship.

If you didn't see the Daily Show yesterday, you should! John Stewart did an extraordinary job at showing the hypocrisy of these people. The same people who are crying sexism, telling people to lay off Palin's family, etc said exactly the opposite things not too long ago.

Here's a link to the segment. This should be required viewing IMO. Send it to everyone you know!

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card

I see the blues have nothing to respond to Palin.

However, Randi Rhodes did call her a "lunatic freak" before the speech. I'm sure we'll hear some more choice words from Rhodes and company as we move towards the day Obama's defeat sends you over the edge.

Your conduct could not be better.

Lucky for McCain-Palin you just can't resist being yourselves.

The Palin speech predictably alienated the independent swing voter. It was a bad strategy to choose Palin and to make the VP choice to firm up the base when you can't expand your constituency, especially in a time when the center has moved toward the Democrats. The "maverick" "moderate" brand of McCain has been destroyed by Palin. Reactions from independent voters, more negative than Dems. http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/04/the_morning_after_palin.html The Morning After Palin The Detroit Free Press put together a panel of voters to listen to last night's Republican convention speeches and, much as I predicted last night, the independents were universally negative on Palin. In fact, they were more negative than the Democratic voters. The speech was clearly designed to help close the "enthusiasm gap" that has dogged the McCain campaign all summer.

I agree that Palin did little to entice the undecided voters, at this point.

What many are missing is what she did accomplish: She silenced those who think her too much of a lightweight to compete on this stage. Anyone who thought she'd wilt under the pressure and attacks have put that thought to rest.

She's proven she's tough and won't be intimidated. This is a leadership quality and she's just demonstrated it.

In addition, by ripping into Obama, she's baited the hook. Watch Obama spend the next 4-5 days trying to defend himself and possible coming up with some very weak sounding responses such as the part about managing his campaign serving as his executive experience.

This is the first inning and she's been established as a player.

From the Boston Herald:

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1116858&srvc=2008campaign&position=8

It's a strange day when the media believe 1. that governors aren't qualified to be vice president; 2. that Boston hairdressers are qualified to draw policy conclusions from hairdos.

Bill R. - I thought I'd never see the day when the Angry Left and the Alaskan Republican establishment are on the same team.

"The speech wasn't ugly or bitter, it was rural"

...Of all the stupid things that have been written on BlueOregon, this has to be one of the toppers.

To johnnie: I can't remember the last time an auditorium full of Republicans cheered wildly as a candidate for presidential railed against the tyranny of oppressive corporations. Nobody can, because it hasn't happened since Teddy Roosevelt.

If you think Palin didn't sway anyone then reality is passing you by.

http://news.aol.com/elections/conventions/republicans/article/palin-jabs-at-obama-touts-experience/158107?icid=100214839x1208675030x1200473671

How would you rate her speech? Excellent 65%
Good 12%
Poor 12%
Fair 11%
Total Votes: 395,192

Has your general impression of Palin changed after her speech? Yes, for the better 67%
No 19%
Yes, for the worse 14%
Total Votes: 177,822

Do you think she is qualified to assume the presidency? Yes 58%
No 33%
Not sure 9%
Total Votes: 307,334

Has Palin's arrival on the scene made you more interested in the election? Yes 75%
No 25%
Total Votes: 308,703

Yes Ben, on-line polls are well known for their accuracy.

There's a bit of reality that seems to have passed you by.

per the AOL "poll" cited in the last comment, how was this "poll" taken? I think we can assume from there being more than 300,000 responses that it was a self-selected "poll" via the Internet--that is, push a button type of "polling".

Per Steve Bucknum's commentary and the idea of Palin appealing to "rural" voters, I think what Bucknum actually means is that Palin is pushing all the usual buttons of resentment that the GOP has been pushing for the last 40 years. Resentment can be either rural or urban. We've gotten people like Dubya in the White House, and people like Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House, thanks to voters punching their ballots based on resentment rather than either self-interest or interest in the good of the community. The key question I see in 2008 is whether the usual politics of resentment wins out over a clear alternative.

Naw...I wouldn't insult the Barbie people by calling her Caribou Barbie....she's more like a trophy VP....which is simular to a trophy wife.

The new strategy is starting to emerge - Look at her! and vote for him.

"Recently [1995] he [Obama] was appointed president of the board of the Annenberg Challenge Grant, which will distribute some $50 million in grants to public-school reform efforts."

O really doesn't want to go there. When the whack job recipient list of that money are detailed in the press, O will hide under his bed.

Do you think she is qualified to assume the presidency? Yes 58% No 33% Not sure 9% Total Votes: 307,334

If this really is a window into the electorate, it's scary. One speech and she's ready for the OO (Oval Office). I wouldn't be surprised to see some link through an evangelical site to go vote for God's warrior, Sarah Palin!

The speech wasn't ugly or bitter, it was rural"

...Of all the stupid things that have been written on BlueOregon, this has to be one of the toppers.

Agreed. Rural is all-natural and all-American. Ms. mall-hair, press-on nails, canned speech was about as natural as a toxic dump.

Poblano, aka Nate Silver, who has been an excellent and reliable analyst this year of polling, give his read of the Palin speech and its ineffectiveness outside the true believers ( similar to that of Josh Marshall).

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/09/cognitive-dissonance.html

@ Ben

You're joking of course, citing an online AOL unscientific poll. Those things are totally freeped by organized groups. AOL is notorious for the wingnuts freeping their polls. I think Nate Silver's prediction will prove true. A 3-7 day bump in the tracking polls, but the race dynamic is fundamentally not changed by last night. McCain did nothing to widen his electoral base. He merely solidified the already narrow base he has.In so doing he has now destroyed his fake brand of being a moderate. He's an extremist of the first order and the Palin choice proves it.

If this really is a window into the electorate, it's scary. One speech and she's ready for the OO (Oval Office)

Who sees irony here? Anyone?

"Now Palin's entire credibility rests on having given a speech".

The Blue interpretations are some kind of funny.

And as far as the AOL poll goes,,,, yes it's an online, push a button poll. Reality?,,, anyone who knows AOL,, knows the repsondents are more often than not heavily tilted to the demomcrat view. So it's not a stretch to have one's eyebrows raised at this poll. Calling it "self selective" in order to ignore it is pretty lame.

Better check the senior vote. I have a feeling there'll be a big shift towards the seasoned McCain and traditional Palin.

My impressions: Can do a fairly good job of reading a speech written by someone else off of a teleprompter. Comes across like Spiro Agnew with petty ankle biting ferociousness. Good a rallying the increasingly more cult-like ever shrinking repub base.

Is not experienced or qualified enough to be VP to a 72 year old man in not great health. Makes McCain look ancient.

Is more of a distraction than an asset with her "dysfunctional reality show family life," and multiple probes into her scandals.

Democrats offer hope of a better future. Republicans are just angry, angry, angry.

Outcome: No change, Obama still wins.

i dunno, i for one am glad that she went mean and nasty in her speech.

because this means that biden doesn't have to pull his punches in the debates for fear of looking like he's beating up on the poor hockey mom.

you want to play hardball, sweetie? you're in the big leagues now. and joe biden is going to tear. you. apart.

Actually, I think all this focus on Palin is a clever track to keep the spotlight and press off Obama.

It's only a matter of time and a little investigation to determine Obama's left-wing ties to hate groups like the black panthers (Khalid Al-Mansour).

How will Rural America react to news items like this? Could be a rocky road for Obama - so best to keep the spotlight on: Palin.

Am taking this opportunity to thank Sarah Palin and all of her supporters and admirers and to ask that we take her at her word. Everyone can join in and ask the reformer to place at the top of her agenda the Pentagon. In September of 2001 Don Rumsfeld acknowledged that an audit could not explain the loss of 2.3 trillion dollars since 1980. The current administration has cut auditors and increased the money thrown at the Pentagon losing 250 billion each year and they know not where. So, we embrace you Sarah. You no doubt will be placed in office thanks to our privatized election system. Will you take on this reform? Or can we look for more nonsense about where your loyalty is placed.

Jeff,

"At least Obama writes his"??????

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Favreau_(speechwriter)

Everyone uses speech writers these days, Obama, Biden, McCain and yes Palin.

Steve,

Where did some one talk about a pregnant black girl?

Since you are referencing the a Palin girl specifically to make your point, I'm sure you have a specific black girl and associated comment to complete your statement.

Please do share or just admit your statement a fabrication.

The "troll" complaint always arises when the reassuring, warm currents of the blog echo chamber are disrupted.

Johnnie, I hate to break it to you but trooper gate was not what I referring to as baggage. She has a lot of dirt in her past that the GOP dose not want out. Here is a clue ties to Alaska independence party hmm succession from the union. Need I say more? That is just one of the things that is popping up. Johnnie, You can defend her all you want it is not going to change a thing. Besides when she gives a speech she has a little problem with telling the truth. Like I said a slow motion train wreck and we democrats will enjoy watching her do it.

Trolls, trolls trolls. You have no business here with the educated folks. You can't even carry our books to the library. Unless you have income within the top 5% of the country, the Reich has done nothing for you. You fight in quite s spectacular manner sounding all rural, which is what, the antithesis of ghetto, to protract an Administration of outright thieves. These guys are stealing your money. That's what the Reich has you calling privitization. It's stealing.

Please consider that any efficiency in privatization becomes profit and does nothing for the government, so we the people do not benefit from efficiency. Any inquiry into where the money went becomes private information. At least when the government does something it is transparent and the offending individuals can be fired, or lose their office. This never happens in the private sector. Executives receiving millions of dollars are heralded in the press and you applaud this. In fact, if the exec did not get the money the shareholders would, and even the shareholders applaud this. It's stealing without the guns. The hilarious part is how vigorously you get all rural about it.

The Palin McCain show is entertaining. It's going to be good for the media to watch, but in th end, Obama will take this and all the Reich is doing is trying to retain their farm cred in a losing battle. McCain offers more of the same. And you can't get enough lipstick on Palin to fool the people one more time.

"It's also crystal clear that the word "rural" is the new Republican euphemism for "white racists"

Given that Palin has resided in the parts of Idaho that are known for 'white power' and such, it is a good definition to say the least.

The irony for you DP worshipers is that Palin may just be the effective attack dog that you hoped Biden would be.

KTDM said, "Obama has been extremely savvy when it comes to supporting farm subsidies and ethanol for midwest farmers...and McCain may have shot himself in the foot in that regard by saying the subsidies should be rolled back and that ethanol is a failed program."

Yes. So savvy. The fact that McCain is the more sane (and the more progressive) on these issues will be ignored by the DP worshipers just as the RP worshipers ignore reality on a variety of issues.

And what good is "a constitutional scholar" if he doesn't give two shits about the Constitution? I'd rather elect an illiterate who understands the importance of the values expressed in the Fourth Amendment, and who understands the necessity for impeachment and imprisonment of those who commit crimes against humanity. The Reich is right about the DP: you care about elite academic credentials more than you care about values or principles.

A pox on both your houses. Neither of you cares about the imminent collapse of our economy and our environment, nor about the massive suffering we are causing throughout the world. The "debate" you want to have is over which regressive is less immoral than the other, and, on that, you both deserve to win.

Harry wrote, "Neither of you cares about the imminent collapse of our economy and our environment, nor about the massive suffering we are causing throughout the world." What part of Obama's rhetoric or performance suggests that conclusion? THe Dems had solar panels on the White House 20 years ago and demanded better fuel efficiency. There was only one party went into evasive action related to that vision.

The edcuated Dems are multi-tasking in their endeavor to create a Green Economy. That covers both bases. Put the pox where it belongs.

I am from Eastern Europe, I am not going to vote for an american president, so I will just state here my opinion:

Obama is the uniting figure for the US. If for some reason McCain wins he will further ruin the US reputation in Europe as well as the US economy.

I admire people that have a dream, an idea and they can convey that idea to the people. Palin unfortunatelly is falling into a group of people who try to cover their lack of ideas with attacks and aggression.

I do not see Palin representing the women in the US. No creativness, no imagination, no love for her family, no goodness. Carierrism - yes. Goal justifies the means. Scary..

Hope you guys make the right decision. You are good people and you deserve a good man as a president.

Jeff, The Fallows article does not state that Obama currently is writing his own speeches. It only talks about the fact that he wrote his first book long before he had staff to do it for him... I do not doubt he wrote the original draft or outline of his speeches, but I am sure there was editing by staff and consultants. It just is vapid to point out that Palin did not "write" here speech because all of the candidates don't in the final version. I do agree she still has to pass the "on her feet" speaking test like a Saddleback type of situation...

Wow: "dysfunctional reality show family life"?

So anyone who disagrees with you, has a child with Downs Syndrome, has a teenage daughter who is pregnant, and then has her entire family on stage with her and 100% supportive now has a "dyfunctional reality show family life". The family and new baby and the boyfriend sound perfectly happy and supported and loved by their parents to me.

That's about the most outrageous, biased, sexist, anti-woman, elitist thing I've ever heard.

HI

Hate really sells, doesn't it? People just eat it up.

What a piece of work she is! I sent the article below to several newpapers since they seem to be convinced that all of us Hillary women will vote for Sarah now that Hillary is out of the running. Bunk!

BTW I do not live in a world that believes the mainstream media will print what I wrote so I am posting it myself.

<hr/>

Palin is NO Hillary and she is certainly NOT an alternative to Obama-Biden

As one of the 300 petition signers and a committed supporter of Hillary Clinton I am insulted and appalled by the selection of Ms. Palin as a Vice Presidential candidate for Mr. McCain. This is just a shameless effort to insult the intelligence and wisdom of women voters across America.

To add insult to injury Ms. Palain likens herself to Senator Clinton. I have known Mrs. Clinton for many years and trust me, Ms. Palin is NO Hillary Clinton!

Hundreds of thousands of women in America supported Hillary Clinton because she offered us hope for a better future. I, like many other women, was never against Senator Obama; I just liked Senator Clinton better.

The primary is over and the race is now a clear choice, between more of the same or real change. Senator's Obama and Biden have my unqualified support along with the support of millions of women across this great country.

I have one simple message for women in Oregon and women across this country. Don't be duped! The race for presidency has only one option for you and your future. We must all stand behind, beside and in front of our Democratic Nominees. You must walk door to door, make phone calls and talk to everyone you know. There is no other choice for us or our children, our communities and our country. We must be united and clear. Obama and Biden are the only option that makes any sense for all of us.

Looks like Obama is turning into a good Clinton Democrat. Maybe Palin got to him a little...

The following are quotes from his interview on Fox News:

On Iran and Nukes: “It is unacceptable for Iran to possess a nuclear weapon, it would be a game changer,” Obama said. “It’s sufficient to say I would not take military action off the table and that I will never hesitate to use our military force in order to protect the homeland and the United States’ interests.”

On GW's troop surge that he &liberals said would be a failure: “I think that the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated,” Obama said while refusing to retract his initial opposition to the surge. “I’ve already said it’s succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.”

Kudos to Obama for being mature enought to admit when he's wrong and it's time to accept the facts.

It wasn't dysfunctional family life that got her teen pregnant - it was just the teen's pure boredom. Thats what they do in 'rural' areas when boredom sets in. All they needed was something to do and her daughter did it. Supporting her daughter after the fact just encourages other teen girls to do the same thing when they get bored.

It wasn't dysfunctional family life that got her teen pregnant - it was just the teen's pure boredom.

You bring a wealth of knowledge to this subject. Do you speak regularly with Bristol? I guess not. Do you presume this much in all your daily affairs? Or is it just Bristol's lucky day? You, sir, are a gold plated jack ass. You must be very lonely.

Jeremiah J.: You just don't understand the statement "The speech wasn't ugly or bitter, it was rural" do you? The disconnect between progressives and rural OR is greater than I thought. That comment was neither a dig toward rural Oregon nor was the speech ugly or bitter as people here have stated. Thinking that statement was a topper just proves Steve's understanding that four years of work in rural Oregon was undone by one speech. I'd explain it to you further, but you'd just wouldn't understand.

I love it when commenter pull out the 'education' statement. I'd match my educational background with anyone who posts here.

Carla: Assuming Palin's daughter practiced her mother's sex education policy is either naive or wishful thinking. Kid's aren't stupid nor are they naive about birth control methods - including Christian kids who's mother's advocate abstinence. The most ardent abstinence advocates, whether young or old, is fully aware of all forms of birth control. Spend 1 week in a high school and you'll understand why. It's been my experience that the temptation to "cross the line" is enhanced with the "promise" of safe sex. Generally it's effective, sometimes not. I'd say there is a higher likelihood that Palin's daughter crossed the line and practiced your policy. It's happened many times. You really should give Christian kids more credit.

All the dysfunctional and boredom talk is just further proof of the disconnect.

What disconnect? It's a known social fact that boredom, in many areas, trumps common sense. Ever wonder why the birth rates among poor, unemployed, and teens are as they are today? When you have nothing constructive to do in your life, you pass the time anyway you know how, and many in those three groups just have sex because it's what they conclude to do in thier lives when they have nothing else better to do to pass the time. It's part of their culture and they really can't help it most of the time.

Scott J's comments should be required reading for the lesser evilists. Up to the last sentence, that is.

Community Organizers have nothing for which to be ashamed. They perform a valuable service - - one which is admired by all. But a community organizer is not a position where one is required nor expected to make decisions. Instead, they are facilitators for those in need of governmental help and/or services, making the match between the need and the provider. The only sense of belittlement coming from Mayor Rudy and Governor Sarah was the attempt to equate "community organizer" to any sort of an executive position. Sound bytes are fun but need to be taken as such.

I like Palin,I like that she doesn't play games and is serious about cleaning up the ongoing corruption in DC.This is very impressive to me.I think the cat is out of the bag and i am glad to see IT running. She seems to have an appreciation for BLUNT HONESTY.(something our current political leaders seem to lack).Shes fresh.A nice change of pace,from all the war mongering .I have been a democrat all my life but this could change all that.