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Sensation.
- Filed under: McCain, Republicans '08
- Date: Sep 4,2008
"Hi, I am John McCain. I am running on the same ticket as Sarah Palin."
That might as well be how Senator McCain opens up Thursday Night.
Powerful, spectacular speech. Just the right note was hit. Attacked with a scalpel. Went right after Obama's biggest weakness - what has this guy done exactly to be elected President of the United States?
Tonight was a great sign she is ready to play at this level. There are more tests to come, but this one was met and exceeded. Even if there had been Obama level expectations tonight, she would have met them. Has a speech by a Vice Presidential nominee ever been so anticipated as Palin's? Not in my time or that of most of you. Kyle last week was fond of using the term "knocked it out of the park," in reference to Obama's speech. Building on that, Obama hit a solo shot in the 3rd inning to give his team an early lead. Palin hit a three run homer in the 8th inning to tie the game.
She had every right to come out and swing after the last few days. And swing at Obama she did. Just for good measure, she went after Biden and the media as well. It was her saying that she can take what the other side is going to dish out. She didn't sit there and play the victim. She won't run from this fight.
Negatives: Really looking for stuff here - She pointed too much at the beginning and was clearly nervous, but who wouldn't be. The conclusion seemed a bit disjointed and she stepped on applause lines a few times. A tad too much biography. I know the pre-speech video was cut because things were running long; that would have been nice to see. Nothing major.
The choice of her was a gamble, as I have said - though that is clearly obvious. It might work, it might not. But if McCain comes up short, it won't be because of September 3, 2008. I liked it, the base liked it, McCain had to like it (relieved and vindicated), the arena liked it, the talk shows will like it tomorrow. What matters in the end will be whether the swing voters embraced the speech. The response over the next week will be fascinating to watch. I don't see how anyone that isn't already 100% mind made up for Obama could say that she didn't do a superb job making a case for McCain and one against Obama.
Quickly on the others: Romney - all right. Wasn't his best, certainly not at CPAC levels. Huckabee - you know my feelings on him, but well done here. I loathe when I have to praise him, but tonight he is deserving. Giuliani - went on a tad too long, wasn't a real fan of some of his facial expressions, but got the points home. I almost wondered if he would upstage Palin. He did not.
Senator McCain has one tough act to follow. Here is betting he comes through. Big time as Dick Cheney would say.
23 Responses for "Sensation."
To paraphrase someone "for the first time I am embarassed to
be an American". The Dems and their running dogs the mainstreet press have sunk to a unfathomable low in their rabid attempt to manage the election outcome by destroying a person. Thier is no acceptable rational defense for this behaviour.
angry….you have bought the bullsh*t. Or you think there should be a double standard.
You show me where the media asked or brought up an unacceptable question or comment about Sarah Palin.
This whole episode is a stunt. Surely, you can see that. Rove's people are "creating reality". McCain didn't vette Palin, then slowly and purposely revealed information and then created a controversy about the media that never existed.
Did you not find the repetitive bashing last night of the "left wing elite media" by each and every person in front of a microphone….just a little bit suspicious?
What's suspicious about it, Reverend? I've seen peices and heard commentators claiming she shouldn't run because she's a mother, and you constantly belittle her because she's from Alaska. Nothing says sexism and elitism more clearly than that.
I saw your boy Keith Olbermann say the speech reminded him of Reese Witherspoon in 'Election.' He was visibly rattled.
Only a real man like John McCain would dare to risk being upstaged by a woman.
Obama passed on Hillary, in part for that reason, I think.
I see the Rove paranoia is gearing up.
I don't belittle her because she's from Alaska, larry….and of course you know that….in fact, I don't belittle her at all. She took care of belittling herself last night by identifying herself with the same old bankrupt stuff we've been seeing for 8 straight years, if not longer.
Reformer! What a laugh.
This unknown choice is McCain's to make….he made it, although in haste….now he can live with it.
Can't wait until the VP debate.
Good speech. Keep the coments limited to her ideas and not anything else. I have heard people say that she cannot raise and family and be VP. No one said that when Biden took the oath and had his family to raise.
I cannot wait for the v.p debate either. Palin is every bit as smart as Biden, she will be well prepped. she is much more likable, more poised, i hope the kool aide'ers keep writing her off. As usual they will be surprised.
You know Rev you guys just don't get it….you march out Kerry, Gore, Biden, Obama, these people just do not come off as genuine.
I guarantee Sarah Palin could beat Obam in bowling. A 37???
That is sooo pathetic a 10 year old could beat that score. I mean how could you not bowl at least around 100?
Never has there been such a poor athletic achievement since Mark Mallory's opening day pitch in Cincinnatti! (You tube it! Trust me)
[...] reviews from the right blogs. Ben Keeler (surprise!): Powerful, spectacular speech. Just the right note was hit. Attacked with a scalpel. [...]
Great speech & great delivery. She did the job a VP candidate is supposed to do and attacked. People were expecting nice and friendly and they got that, but they also got someone willing to go right after the weaknesses of the other ticket.
Many people complain that most women politicians come across in an angry ex-wife manner. Not so with Gov. Palin.
Regardless, it comes down to McCain tonight since people mainly vote for the top of the ticket. I'm hearing TV talking heads (Chris Wallace among others) giving McCain bad advice to run away from President Bush. Wrong idea. After seeing the Dems repeatedly try to tie him to Bush, McCain should address it firmly and say that "while I have had disagreements with President Bush, he is an honest and decent man and I consider him a friend and takes it as a compliment to be compared to him." Go on to say how glad he is that Bush was the president in the aftermath of 9/11, etc" Running from Bush would just play into the Dem playbook.
I like that idea Bill about President Bush.
HILLARY WHO?
This is the most proud I have been of our party in years.
For the first time in years, I'm proud of my party, the GOP.
I haven't used the word wingnut in a while. But I gotta' say…what you saw last night was a fine woman read a teleprompter displaying a speech written before she was chosen. Canned with edits after she was picked.
It's not a surprise that an attractive , ex-sports teevee reporter, who has had experience with a teleprompter could come across so well last night. And she did. But that's not the point.
It's what she said, or didn't say. She lied twice that I counted…about the Bridge to nowhere and again on the earmarks. She offered up nothing of significance as far as policy…just GOP boilerplate. And the tone of mockery and the personal attacks on Barack and Michelle Obama were simply Rush Limbaughian calls to the frontal lobers.
She could have attempted to appeal to independents or undecideds….instead, she used her coming out extravaganza to give us more Rovian, non-policy related, sleaze politics. The old politics. No reform there.
Obama responded a short time ago…Republicans do this kind of stuff so that they can avoid any serious policy debates. It's true. Palin offered nothing to any policy debate last night. She sought to divide to rally the anti-science, intolerant evangelical wing of the GOP.
One side note here. There is a weirdness about the topics GOP delegates hear from the microphone that cause them to jump to their feet and shout. The idea of killing people really rouses the freaks, doesn't it?
The unending repetition of the east coast elite media and the very odd, I thought, cheering whenever Governor Palin's name was mentioned. It gave last night's session a weird cult-like air to it. Scary.
Rev,
Did you read the New York Times yesterday? That was a desperate and patheticattempt to destroy a person. Read Maurren Dowds laughable column.
As far as a reading a packaged speech from a teleprompter,I may be wrong, my understanding is she wrote the speech and did not use a teleprompter.
Rev: "what you saw last night was a fine woman read a teleprompter displaying a speech written before she was chosen."
Ha. I guess Biden and Obama didn't use a teleprompter.
Absurd line of attack.
We've all seen The One turn into The Great Stutterer without his teleprompter. Isn't it funny how all the petty criticisms of Palin actually seem to shine light on Obama's more serious faults?
McCain is genius.
larry d great point!
I didn't say there was anything wrong with being able to use a teleprompter….re-read my comment….I said she did just fine.
It's what she said and did with a one time opportunity.
She's a divisive wingnut.
angry: Maureen Dowd is what McCain called his wife when he didn't think anyone was listening.
But the speech was written BEFORE the VP was even chosen…then edited to fit the pick. Swear to god.
"McCain is genius"
If your comprehension of genuis is limited to the cynical art of deception…..then, sure.
I love her.
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