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Sarah Palin's Speech
SARAH PALIN'S SPEECH....As expected, she's doing a very good job. In a way, she's every bit the pit bull Giuliani is, all the way down to the withering scorn and sarcastic asides. But she brings it off better than Rudy: it's more straightforward, more earnest, and yes, more small town. I don't think this speech will stop the questions about her selection, but it's certainly going to have an impact. She's coming off very well in her appointed role, and making a tough, smart, and very appealing first impression.
But holy cow, can this woman pull off the culture war stuff, or what? I gather that she didn't, in fact, ever really support Pat Buchanan, but she's every bit his disciple and successor in spirit. Wow.
And maybe just one more comment: for all that both Giuliani and Palin attacked Obama for being too full of himself, I don't think I've ever heard two more adulatory speeches in my life. You'd think John McCain was the second coming of George Washington the way they sang their nonstop panegyrics to him.
But the crowd is definitely on its feet tonight. Quite a contrast from Tuesday.
UPDATE: From Matt Yglesias: "Give Sarah Palin this much — her understanding of the geopolitics of energy is every bit as daft as that of much more seasoned conservative pseudoexperts. She can spin out outlandish and ultimately nonsensical scenarios about Iran (or Venezuela) deploying the mythical 'oil weapon' and she, too, can ignore the fundamentally global nature of hydrocarbon markets by prattling about 'energy independence.'"
That's actually kind of an interesting point. On a substantive level, I'd say the most preposterous part of her speech was on precisely the one topic she's supposed to be already well versed on: energy. Nothing she said made any sense at all. The amount of new oil we can drill in the United States is tiny, not large. Nothing we do on that front will have the slightest impact on either foreign producers or the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Iran doesn't control a fifth of the world's energy supply. And clean coal doesn't exist. It was just a farrago of nonsense from beginning to end.
I have to say, I was really, really surprised by this speech. My wife thought people who were uninformed might find it compelling. I, however, haven't heard her speak and was especially interested in seeing how she came across.
"Unpresidential" was the same idea that kept coming to me over and over as I watched and listened. It could have been the voice. It could have been how uncomfortable she looked. I've seen a lot of speakers over the past two weeks who seemed much less rehearsed. And I think, for many undecideds and independents, seeing if they could imagine her as president is important. They had a very big opportunity. Whatever short term gain this nets them, I think it's a long term loss. They aren't going to have any other opportunity to define her.
I don't know, really, but I was expecting much more from her, figuring that she had some great dynamic quality. Then again, I've thought Bush was remarkably bad from day one. But even he carried off the folksy charm that suggested he knew more than he let on. Staying so far from anything concrete?and lying so blatantly about the few specifics she mentioned?is just setting them up to fail, you would think.
So far by the looks of this convention ? the Republicans would have trouble just trying to 'Change' a flat tire. As for Palin, I'm glad she can kill a Moose and be a pit bull wearing lipstick. But we need a leader who also uses diplomacy. Any 2 year old can say 'No' but apparently Palin's daughter cannot -hey Palin wants to scrutinize your family choices, so why can't we judge hers? As for Republicans -they gave us a B-Actor, & Curious George-a man w/the lowest IQ for President. So yeah anything is possible in America.
I have to say, I was really, really surprised by this speech. My wife thought people who were uninformed might find it compelling. I, however, haven't heard her speak and was especially interested in seeing how she came across.
"Unpresidential" was the same idea that kept coming to me over and over as I watched and listened. It could have been the voice. It could have been how uncomfortable she looked. I've seen a lot of speakers over the past two weeks who seemed much less rehearsed. And I think, for many undecideds and independents, seeing if they could imagine her as president is important. They had a very big opportunity. Whatever short term gain this nets them, I think it's a long term loss. They aren't going to have any other opportunity to define her.
I don't know, really, but I was expecting much more from her, figuring that she had some great dynamic quality. Then again, I've thought Bush was remarkably bad from day one. But even he carried off the folksy charm that suggested he knew more than he let on. Staying so far from anything concrete?and lying so blatantly about the few specifics she mentioned?is just setting them up to fail, you would think.
So far by the looks of this convention ? the Republicans would have trouble just trying to 'Change' a flat tire. As for Palin, I'm glad she can kill a Moose and be a pit bull wearing lipstick. But we need a leader who also uses diplomacy. Any 2 year old can say 'No' but apparently Palin's daughter cannot -hey Palin wants to scrutinize your family choices, so why can't we judge hers? As for Republicans -they gave us a B-Actor, & Curious George-a man w/the lowest IQ for President. So yeah anything is possible in America.
And they had the nerve to call Hillary a ball busting bitch.
She was v v good.
She'll be around to plague us for years.
Now, I'd say both sides have their messiah ;)
I caught the few minutes of the culture war part on radio and it seemed too nasty.
I was able to sit down and watch the last 15 minutes and that part was boring, uninspiring, and she was clearly wishing the whole thing were over.
The family walk out on the stage looked crappy, too. They should have been dressed up Alaska style.
The soul of George Bush in the body of Tina Fay.
As I said at Ezra's site, I found her speech to be incredibly inspirational. For example, it inspired me to give $250 to Obama.
From the little I saw, my take was that she did what McCain wanted her to do: take the limelight from Obama and rile up the base, but he's really not going to get any more out of it than that.
he's really not going to get any more out of it than that.
You mean, she's won the news cycle for McCain at the expense of long-term success?
But that's so unlike this campaign!
I doubt McCain, and the modern Buchanan would get along. Last week Pat went non-linear over the McCain using a paid lobbyist for the republic of Georgia. Culturally, sure, but not when it comes to war and peace.
I'm slightly concerned (in the annoying-thought-in-the-back-of-my-brain type of way) about the vice presidential debates:
Biden v Palin
Maybe I was watching a different speech, but I agree with Andrew Sullivan that this was an overly partisan speech that will not play well with independents. She seemed juvenile in her attacks. This will work with dittoheads.
I think that if this is all they've got, Obama's looking good.
Where was the connect to the average American? The guy who's plant is closing, the community who's main employer is going offshore, the family that's one missed paycheck or one illness away from losing everything?
No mention.
"This election's not about me. It's about you." - that's the winner.
I don't agree. I think she came off as mocking, nasty, lecturing. I think her delivery is pretty annoying.
Frankly, I'm surprised. I thought they'd go for something a little softer.
For an introductory speech there was way too much smirk. She simply doesn't have the standing to adopt the tone she did.
Did we see the same speech? The rigid body language? The forced hand gestures? The robot like affect? I saw Palin as being in way over her head. I was saddened that someone so obviously unprepared was thrust onto the national stage. As my wife put it, "it was like she was running for student council".
The potential upside for the republicans: if Biden doesn't hold back and treat her with kid gloves, it will look like an unseemly bloodbath and actually hurt the Democratic ticket.
My guess is that Palin's career is nearly over. If she survives troopergate, she's still a one term governor and historical footnote.
Go to Andrew Sullivan's blog - he really nails the speech.
"Palin echoes Giuliani's attack on "cosmopolitan" elites. All the buzzwords are there. Elite. Elite. Elite. This is a culture war speech - and she is becoming a symbol of red America. This is what they have to do top win: divide and polarize again. We are half way through, by the way, and we have not heard a single policy proposal. But we have heard contempt for someone who works as a community organizer in the South Side of Chicago."
"I have to say that the affect is of someone running for high school president."
"Obama wants to reduce American power and prevent energy production. The mockery of Obama from Palin is striking. I don't recall anyone mocking McCain at the DNC."
"However admirable it is to be a mayor, is it really necessary to drip contempt for people who work as community organizers? It seems to me that Palin doesn't quite have the stature to be putting down someone who has won millions of people's votes. This is a much more partisan speech than I was expecting."
I thought she was grating and mean-spirited, but I can see her appeal. She's good-looking and ostensibly simple. She lies unblinkingly. I think she overplayed her hand by going on for so long, but that may just be partisanship talking.
If I were a rightwing religious wacko I would be overjoyed.
Don't agree that this was a very good performance. For her first big introduction, she spent very little time defining herself and spent a whole lot of time fluffing McCain. Maybe this is because she doesn't have a really thick highlight reel, but still. Seems like she almost wasted the spotlight she was given to put people more at ease.
I do agree with commentators above that this speech was also a bit on the snippy side, which surprised me. It was full of the sort of red meat that will play well with a room of delegates, but I don't think that stuff will go down well with the larger, more independent, crowd. Seems almost juvenile.
I figure the Republicans have a new star and unless she self-destructs (which may still happen--she hasn't done an interview yet and scandals are a-brewing) she'll be a star in Republican circles for years to come.
But all the condending nasty remarks? Wow. Maybe good for getting the base excited but she's not reaching anybody new. If you like what she said, you're already a true blue R.
This was the line that really got me:
"What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?"
The girl needs to get a grip. Maybe that flies in AK but where I live we expect a little more respect from our leaders.
"Iran doesn't control a fifth of the world's energy supply"
They regularly threaten to close the straits of Hormuz, and they
have pretty much done that beforehand. Without possessing nuclear weapons.
Try to keep up, stupid.
Kevin - When I heard her say about Iran controlling or putting at-risk the "fifth of the world's energy supply" (I don't remember the exact quote) I understood it to mean Iran can threaten supplies from Iraq, Kuwait, Audi Arabia, Qatar, etc that go through the Gulf, not just shutting off their own supply.
We frequently talk about how we wish Democrats would go on the attack, but we comfort ourselves that that stuff won't go over well tonight.
I couldn't be more in agreement with people who feel her resume is all fluff, except for where it's complete lies--but she killed.
Once again, we're left to hope that the middle third of the electorate can see through Grade-A bullshit, because in our reality-TV culture, Sarah Palin is America's Idol tonight.
I don't think this speech is a loser for the Republicans because, while it will stir the base, the base can't win this election. The biggest loser is Sarah Palin. Her introduction to the national stage is as a hatchet woman. By tomorrow morning her reputation will be of a very snarky and mean attack dog. If she doesn't win in November her career will be over. Since this speech will not change the fundamentals of the campaign we have just witnessed the high water mark of Sarah Palin on the national stage.
100% standard GOP.
Don't give me a job.
Don't even explain where mine went, and why.
Don't give me health insurance.
Don't give me a clean environment.
Don't give me a saner world.
Don't tell me the truth.
Just give me someone to hate.
That'll keep me warm, doctor my ills, fill my stomach, save my life.
The honest liberal in me feels duty bound to point out that Brian Schweitzer and Obama both evidence some level of support for clean coal...
...which always makes me wonder if it really IS nonsense.
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They regularly threaten to close the straits of Hormuz, and they have pretty much done that beforehand. Without possessing nuclear weapons.
That oil belongs to Iran, not "the world" - just like the energy supplies in the form of coal in Appalachia belongs to the U.S.- not "the world."
Unless the Republicans are suddenly making the argument to socialize global energy supplies.
If she is more conceivable as POTUS to viewers/voters outside her base, then the speech was a success (didnt watch myself). If not, it wasn't. Simple as that: the threshold question isn't whether Palin is an effective spokesperson for the GOP, it's whether voters outside her base are comfortable with her being a McCain heart attack away from being leader of the free world.
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Just as many Republicans looked to their defeat in '64 as the start of a new conservative movement, many hard-righters saw the '92 Buchanan culture war speech as the start of their own movement.
And now, here in '08, they are in charge, and McCain is going along for the ride.
The consequences of a McCain/Palin victory are now clear: this is war, plain and simple.
I give them a better than 50-50 chance of pulling it out. Because in a war, it really is "either your for us or your against us", and many will switch sides out of fear.
Thank God Alaska is a big state. They will need all that room when the camps open.
Purple State makes a good point here:
Sarah Barracuda--A Bit Too Vindictive?
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/sarah-barracudaa-bit-t...
"Troopergate may have legs. This woman attacks her enemies. She's nasty. Vindictive. Look for people she's stepped on on the way up. They'll have good stories to tell."
Sarah Palin's speech was short on any vision for the Greater Good and long on passive aggressive sarcasm. It was disturbing to watch Republicans cheer as she delivered her snippy jabs. If she represents any portion of America, no wonder the country is in such a mess. So much for "good Christian values." This is just more evidence that progressives need to take back America's future. There is just too much at stake.
Remember when the GOP tried to run Alan Keyes against Obama in the senate race? The memories.
Sarah Palin's speech seemed stiff and petty. Maybe she's new to all this or something. Giuliani was entertaining - but kinda like an alcoholic in a bar at closing time.
The images of the crowd at this thing are horrifying and ghoulish. This convention makes me want to schedule a doctor's appointment.
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[Your reputation precedes you, and you aren't getting a foothold here. -Mod]
My guess is it'll put a dent (at least) in Obama's polling lead. These snarling attacks are the basis for the GOP's campaign, and they'll have some effect. Probably not enough to get McCain further than close behind Obama again, though.
Palin will definitely stay on the ticket, barring some sort of Perry Mason moment. The anti-Palin scandal strategery is to beat up on McCain's erstwhile base in the press, claiming all the nasty stories are the result of misogynistic liberal bias.
Next up, debates (as long as we can stay awake through McCain's acceptance speech).
[Kevin isn't deleting you, I am, and as I said, you aren't getting a foothold here. Your reputation precedes you. I told you that, too. -Mod]
From a comment over at the Fix: If Palin is a Hockey Mom and a Hockey Mom is a Pit Bull with lipstick, what does that make her?
Palin delivered a dreadfully sophomoric speech written by young smart ass Rovian speech writers. I had expected better. They have solidified "the base" but the Republican base is not as large and the Democratic base and I suspect Palin's Christianist theological ties will alienate the crossover voters (formerly known as Independents) who rejected those folks in 2006.
The R's need an "enemy". They picked the MSM which has actually been in their corner recently. Now they've alienated them in "solidifying" their base. The R's organization was too cute by half.
[Hello, McCain Blog Outreach Coordinator - your shills won't get any points posting here. Maybe you should take Mother Jones off your targeted blogs list and save us both some time. -Mod]
JRS Jr: Harry Reid just called her remarks "shrill". I'm sure comments like that will go a long ways with women voters.
Huh? I'm a woman and called Palin "grating". So what?
The Republicans' sudden embrace of political correctness cracks me up. Weren't they supposed to hate that sort of thing?
So Joe Biden can act like a rabid attack dog, but... blah, blah, blah.
I wish I were watching the campaign you're imagining in that pin head of yours. To my great disappointment, Biden hasn't let out with anything yet.
Good work, Yvonne. Rack up those McCain Points...
Scary black guy -- check.
Empty suit -- check.
Sen. "Bomb-bomb Iran" the real peace candidate -- check.
The whole list, in a very economicial package.
Yvonne--parody or not?
You know, I came over here to check if anyone would be honest. That was one great speech. Be honest, for once.
I agree with other posters who cited a "high school" quality in the speech, which is pretty much the level of Republican political discourse.
I want to see the Obama campaign overtly telegraphing that, if Palin claims she's experienced and tough, she shouldn't complain afterward if Biden shows no mercy in the VP debate. The assumption that a woman who claims to be presidential material must be protected by Victorian sensibilities is illogical. If she can't find Finland on a map, she deserves to be relentlessly mocked.
Putin wouldn't give her a break.
Throwing snide comments at your opponent qualifies you for the presidency. And people eat it up. Pathetic.