Sarah Palin's day

For those who didn't watch Gov. Palin's acceptance speech, it's here:



Some thoughts:

1. Palin came across as spunky and hard-hitting, while at the same time seeming thoughtful and like, well, a mom. Which was only reinforced by the presence of her husband, children, future son-in-law, and parents there.

2. She's funny. I don't know how much of the speech she wrote, but it came across as genuine. If she had an input into the humor ("What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? One wears lipstick") it's a decided change from the now-sepulchral feel of the Obama campaign, which is way too serious about itself and about their candidate. Grim is the word that describes the Democrats. Humor is good.

3. I'm reminded of Ronald Reagan in the humor area. Remember "there you go again"?



From Gov. Reagan to Gov. Palin? Maybe not as much of a stretch as might immediately be thought.

4. Palin tells a story. Both verbally and visually. How do the Democrats argue with the picture of Palin's infant son being held in turns by Cindy McCain and by the older Palin daughter? And with the older Palin girl licking her hands and wiping down the baby's hair? Palin even tells McCain's story well. Suddenly, Republicans have a story. And there's nothing more compelling in politics. McCain the prisoner of war. Palin the reformist governor, small-town mayor, mother of 5.

5. Palin talks plainly about her son who has Downs syndrome. Plainly, without pity, but bringing out the fact of Downs syndrome will only help pro-life issues.

6. The McCain campaign was dead in the water until last Friday. If the McCain-Palin ticket wins, the cause will be solely and only due to the nomination of Sarah Palin for the vice presidency.

7. Which means a Vice-President Palin is the clear and obvious choice for the next presidential candidate. And she has millions of Americans who would happily and enthusiastically support such a candidacy.

8. Thankfully, being African-American is no longer a real hindrance to the presidency. Neither being a woman. Both of those issues seem to have come and gone. Which probably hurts Obama's chances. He's being treated like any other candidate. As is Palin. Which is good.

9. I suspect there are those in the Democratic party establishment who would love to re-visit the vice-presidency. I think that the downhill slide in Sen. Obama's campaign began when he chose Sen. Biden as a running mate. This was a clear and plain signal that the much-discussed change of an Obama presidency was just so much talk, when he chose a consummate insider as his running mate, a man who has been a US senator since 1972, when he was 30 years old. Obama discussed candidates such as Gov. Bill Richardson, Gov. Katherine Sebelius, Gov. Tim Kane, and Sen. Jim Webb. Any of them would have been better than Biden, a dull, time-serving drone who brings nothing to the ticket, and signals stasis.