I wonder just how long till that video gets deleted?

Peggy Noonan explains herself in today's Wall Street Journal.

I think Palin's speech last night went a long way to impress voters. I also think some folks have severely underestimated her ability. This could be a fatal error for those who believe this election was a slam dunk for Obama. The pundits on this video, along with others who have expressed doubts this past week, are certainly eating humble pie this morning.
If I were a Obama supporter I would not be so quick to call this election today.

And Lc, If this video is deleted it won't really be gone. It will simply be warehoused with the videos of what really happened on 911, the photos of who killed Kenned, videos of all the spaceships in area 51, and photos of the real killers who framed OJ Simpson. I'll bet you sleep with the lights on.

"Kennedy"

Gibby-
I agree. Anyone who thought Palin couldn't read a speech from a teleprompter written by one of Bush's speech writers underestimated her ability. Very impressive.

Now, if we can only bring out some more kids who really screwed up their lives for awards ceremonies with the GOP presidential nominee, that would seal the deal for me. Teenage parents as American heroes. How cute.

If these 2 win, I'm sure we'll all be happy with a few years of President Palin. Those would be some really great years for America. Would we just have a complete economic collapse, or would she see "God's will" in helping launch the Rapture? Nice going, GOP.

That's perfect tab.
Your blue observation that Palin no more than a good speech reader follows the extraordinary misjudgement of her prior to the speech.
With the real Palin being far more than the caricature you and yours have crafted along with your continued desparaging of her the country will be thoroughly shown exactly what you leftist movement is all about.
Keep up the good work.

The video is great and reflects a lot of the off-message thoughts running through a lot of people's minds. Its nice to see that professionals can forget about their microphones, not just politicians.

The Palin speech was a nightmare for fact-checkers. Some of the most glaring lies was that she never supported the Bridge and told Congress "no" (in fact, she campaigned supporting it, but Congress removed it before she was elected, so she never had a chance to tell Congress anything). Another biggest was that Obama has two memoirs and no legislation (actually, its McCain who has two memoirs, Obama only has one - and I'd say Lugar-Obama counts).

Sure, Palin sounds good, but thats only if you aren't listening to what she is saying.

I'd like to know what James Dobson REALLY thinks about the Palin selection, despite his praise for her selection. His schtick heretofore has been that any woman with minor children be at home and not working.

At first I thought the Palin choice was a cynically motivated, reckless, poorly considered disaster. But it turns out to be brilliant. In a couple of days, it has changed the election from a referendum on failed Bush policies to a raging culture war. Genius.

"In a couple of days, it has changed the election from a referendum on failed Bush policies to a raging culture war. Genius."

John McCain's only chance to win this election is to embrace the tactics of the born-again religious right that he previously railed against as agents of division.

He sold out everything that made him a maverick in order to have a chance to be president.

The reality of his actions flies in the face of his campaign narrative.

Charlie Gibson spoke with McCain last night on ABC News.

McCain described Palin as "spectacular" and noted that "she has aroused the interest" of voters.

The part of his anatomy McCain used to choose Palin as VP, and why Republican men are lining up to vote for this ticket, are no mystery.

Peggy Noonan explains herself

I think the correct characterization would be "tries to take it back in order to save her job."

And I see the financial markets are rallying to the Palin speech last night.

If it's not fair to say all that proved was that she could read a speech off a teleprompter, what DID it prove?

I will give you:

1. She can effectively read a very snide speech off a teleprompter and deliver the zingers with the right amount of vitriol to whip up the base.

2. There's no 2.

She didn't write the speech. She just read the speech. What can that possibly say about her, other than that she can read a speech? Seriously, I would like to know.

Garage Wine links to Peggy Noonan's explanation. Noonan's comments are one small, very small, example of why we should all be despondent about the state of public debate that occurs in the corporate media in this country:

"Early this morning I saw Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and as we chatted about the McCain campaign (she thoughtfully and supportively) I looked into her eyes and thought, Why not her? Had she been vetted for the vice presidency, and how did it come about that it was the less experienced Mrs. Palin who was chosen? I didn't ask these questions or mention them, I just thought them. Later in the morning, still pondering this, I thought of something that had happened exactly 20 years before. It was just after the 1988 Republican convention ended. I was on the plane, as a speechwriter, that took Republican presidential nominee George H.W. Bush, and the new vice presidential nominee, Dan Quayle, from New Orleans, the site of the convention, to Indiana. Sitting next to Mr. Quayle was the other senator from that state, Richard Lugar. As we chatted, I thought, "Why him and not him?" Why Mr. Quayle as the choice, and not the more experienced Mr. Lugar? I came to think, in following years, that some of the reason came down to what is now called The Narrative."

Noonan's supposed to be a journalist, right? Why didn't she just ASK the big questions that came to mind when she was face to face with these major politicians? She's talking with Kay Bailey Hutchison yesterday but she doesn't ask, "Why not you?" She's on a plane with Richard Lugar in 1988, just after Dan Quayle was nominated, she doesn't ask, "Why not you?" Instead, she spends 20 years trying to imagine the answer. Her answer: "Narrative."

I think some of the shrill, ad hominem attacks that appear on the blogs (see, for example, bojack.org, aug 29-sep 2) might be one consequence (one among many -- don't go all apesh*t on me, folks) of the "real" journalists not just failing, but refusing to ask real questions of those who hold power, and refusing to demand real answers.

The far left comments about Palin remind me of the orgasmic delight the they exhibited leading up to the “grilling” of Oliver North.

As my old friend Charu Chopkar posted on his Facebook page: "Jesus was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a Governor."

Well, bottom line is that Palin is a rightwing Christian fanatic who wants to deny women their constitutionally given rights, and who has a proud and proven record of lining up at the government trough to request, fight for, and accept earmark after earmark.

(She's also got a little National Enquirer problem of her own, strikingly similar to the one that plagued John Edwards a month ago. I eagerly await the GOP embracing adultery just as they have embraced teenage pregnancy by the time this story is out.)

Pat, the fact that McCain is allegedly throwing out the traditional political playbook for following an incumbent into office is what makes him a maverick.

I don't particularly care for McCain one way or the other, but isn't being a "maverick" just another way of saying that you won't be tied to one position or the other. You change your mind. You ... flip-flop? Egad, now I've turned him into John Kerry.

David J; now you're accusing Palin of adultery. Where's your backup? You may be embracing libel.

Although I disagree with everything Palin says and believes with every fiber of my being (and I'm not really all that impressed with her as a person either) I think that the Democrats have to take her very seriously. An attractive, confident woman who knows how to deliver a good speech is a dangerous weapon, even if the speech is written by someone else and it's read off a teleprompter. She has the potential to appeal to a very large swath of people who won't look beyond the visuals and the soundbites when they make their decision on election day, just like they did in 2000.

Focusing on the sideshow in the dirty muck will only give her more exposure and make her more a more sympathetic figure. Pointing out that she is a religious extremist with ZERO foreign policy experience who would be dangerous as VP makes more sense in my book.

The Democrats just need to get her answering questions off-prompter. That will probably end up sequestering her away from prying eyes and mikes.

In Palin's only public appearance today, "She did not take questions from reporters." (Associated Press.) Gee, what a surprise.

More of the GOP's alternate universe last night. Mitt Romney decried the fact that the federal budget has doubled since 1980, ignoring the fact that in the 28 years since 1980, the Dems have been in control of Congress and the presidency at the same time for exactly two of those years. It was just a few years ago that the right wing was agitating for a balanced budget amendment to the constitution. But federal spending has mushroomed under GOP presidents and GOP control of Congress, saddling future generations of Americans with a debt unprecedented in recorded history. Why don't the GOP faithful on this site (or anywhere else) ever address that little anomaly?

I think it would behoove those who are questioning Palin's experience to obstain from getting into that pissing match.

Obama hasn't done diddly in terms of legislation nor running anything.

And Biden is a 30-year career politician.

Amazing to see so many Democrats siding with elitists.

Charlie, that's the biggest thing that bothered me about Romney's speech and continues to bother me about the speeches of others talking about McCain/Palin showing "Washington bureaucrats" a thing or two. Two years of a democratic majority can't begin to negate or repair the immense damage caused in the previous six years by a Republican President and Congress and their policies. It's flatly unfair to blame a party that didn't have enough muscle to counter the Republican juggernaut during that time. Denial? Dishonesty? I don't think they're stupid. I can't figure out the answer.

Re. Palin's children . . . a five month old baby (not a newborn, as she continually introduces him) doesn't belong on the floor of a national convention, nor does a five-months-pregnant teenage girl. And if Levi Johnston really cared about his fiance, he wouldn't have come to, and appeared prominantly at, the convention but would have appealed to Bristol to return to Alaska where she could enjoy relief from an unrelenting public eye and the support of his family. But if Levi, Trig and Bristol were not at the convention they wouldn't be available as human props for the hockey mom who seems to take pleasure in flaunting them and them taking offense when any mention is made of them or of her own behavior as it relates to them.

Cindy is glad to have Palin close by McCain's side...because everyone needs a helping hand.

Charlie, NW:
Someone on the right is lying, and you're puzzled or surprised? God bless you both!

"It's flatly unfair to blame a party that didn't have enough muscle to counter the Republican juggernaut during that time..."

Pfftttt. Way to cover for a do-nothing congress. They could have easily decided not to vote on any new Iraq spending bill, which would have defunded and ended the war (as they promised). There's no possibility of filibuster if a bill never hits the floor. The Dems have all the power to keep spending bills from a vote.

Obviously, all the "vote-for-us-and-end-the-war" rhetoric were just lies.

And which party is not to be trusted?

But if Levi, Trig and Bristol were not at the convention they wouldn't be available as human props for the hockey mom who seems to take pleasure in flaunting them and them taking offense when any mention is made of them or of her own behavior as it relates to them.

And if they were not there, people would be going off about how she "must be ashamed of them!", and "why arent they with their mother?".

Well, bottom line is that Palin is a rightwing Christian fanatic who wants to deny women their constitutionally given rights

I must have missed that. Which of the first ten amendments is she going after?
Or better yet, what "constitutionally given rights" do only women have that she wants to deny?
Oh, and before you get all "he's an evil GOP" on me....Im voting for Obama. So dont bother. Im just curious where you are going.

"I think it would behoove those who are questioning Palin's experience to obstain from getting into that pissing match."

I'm with you dude...NOT! O.K. lets get into this pissing match. I'm good with that any time any day any where 24/7/365. Six years or whatever as mayor of a small town of 5,000 or so in Alaska, plus 20 months as Governor of a state with less people than Portland, Oregon does not count for much when you are considering that she is running for a position that puts her "one heart beat away" from the presidency. Seriously, would any of us want Ted Kulongoski or John Kitzhaber, etc. as our president? No way in hell, not in a million years! If your consider that her tenure as an "executive" over a staff of 50 employees and annual budget of $10 million is big league, I have news for you buddy...you don't have a clue because that's like running a small charity such as Loaves and Fishes or the local Goodwill or United Way. Considering how 'Ol Johnny Boy looked like he was all gray and pasty-about to kick the bucket any second-like some kind of relic from the dark ages this is a very serious matter to consider when choosing a VP. Objectively, I think that her experience as Mayor of Wasilla, etc. set her up well to become Governor of Alaska, which is where she should stay and raise her kids, kill moose, ride "snow machines" and shoot whatever the f_ _k strikes her fancy. She can do it all in her underwear...and send the photos to Vogue...I could give a damn. Maybe if we are all really lucky that whole Alaska Independence Party thing will come to fruition and she can become the President of Alaska. Good Riddance!

"Obama hasn't done diddly in terms of legislation nor running anything."

What a crock of dung this is! Obama was intimately involved in significant reform legislation as a Senator in the Illinois Legislature, along with thousands of other votes, plus he has almost 4 years in the United States Senate, including a seat on the Foreign Relations Committee. He has also mounted an unprecedented presidential campaign that literally turned the entire concept of traditional "old school" campaigning on its head with a grassroots organization that ran circles around Hillary Clinton with better organization. If you think Hillary is easy to beat, you're on something! Even the old school Republican war horses are bemoaning the fact that the Democrats have out organized them. Obama's organization has registered more new voters and gotten more young voters involved in the political process than any candidate in our history. I know the Republicans are jealous as hell, but you have to give credit where credit is due. I guess that Obama's experience as a community organizer in South Chicago ended up amounting to something after all. In the end it comes down to leadership. Obama has shown what he has what it takes to lead with class and poise, which is something you can rarely say about a politician.

"And Biden is a 30-year career politician."

And McCain is a 30-year politician. Note to Chris: Don't forget who's leading the ticket when you make statements like this.

"Amazing to see so many Democrats siding with elitists."

What? Jon McCain and his 8 houses and $500 shoes. Cindy McCain and her $300,000 earrings. Don't forget that little Johnny got into Annapolis as a legacy elitist because his daddy and grand-dad were Admirals. He admitted tonight that he blew his opportunity and that he was a total screw up as a cadet (4th from the bottom of his class) and an officer. I can tell you as a former military officer who worked his way up through the enlisted ranks and Officer's Candidate School that there are thousands of young men and women who would have loved to have been given the opportunities that John McCain was given in life, without merit, as one of the gilded elite of the military. If he hadn't been shot down over Hanoi and locked up by the V.C., the guy would have been a total nothing.

And in his acceptance speech McCain "borrowed" a huge chunk of Obama's energy policy along with Obama's commitment to bipartisanship because he doesn't have the ability to formulate policy (or doesn't want to disclose his real agenda).

Also, McCain looked the most decrepit and doddering tonight I have ever seen. Have people who are voting for the McCain-Palin ticket thought about what will happen when President Palin gets in Putin's face and gives him a piece of her no-nonsense Hockey Mom mind? She doesn't have the diplomatic skills or tact to handle international affairs.

(Nice job, Usual Kevin.)

I guess you've been eating asparagus Kevin, because your **** stinks.

Was your boy Clinton unqualified with his tenure as governor of Arkansas? And you actually compare running a Presidential campaign to running a state with 24,000 employees? Please explain how running a predsidential campaign qualifies you as Commander in Cheif. Furthermore, are we to believe being a part-time state senator qualifies you as President? BTW, seems Chicago has had some of the worst crime ever this summer. Yeah, Barry really made some big changes!

When Palin took office, she turned Alaska on its ear and truly created reforms. She also has the huge responsibility of providing 20% of America's energy in conjunction with having an 80% approval rating as governor -- about 50 points better than sleepy Ted, I might add.

Go ahead and list those accomplishments of Obama's, Kevin. Not only does Barry pad his resume, but he didn't vote for the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill as he said he did. He also claimed to be on the Senate Banking Committee, which he is not.

He voted against the surge. Enough said.

Seems Obama's biggest accomplishments are writing two books -- about himself.

Furthermore, it sure sounds like you have a bigoted view toward the elderly, which is sad.

O.K. call me an elitist, but Bill Clinton majored in Foreign Relations at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., then he was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University before he returned to the United States and earned a law degree from Yale University. You can have whatever opinion you want of old Billy Boy, but it's pretty much established that he has an IQ at the genius level, and he had a reputation for educating himself on a wide variety of topics even when he was President.

Sarah Palin earned a B.A. in journalism and wanted to become a sportscaster. There is no evidence that she has shown even a spark of intrest in foreign relations, let alone formal education or experience. Bill Clinton also served 2 years as the Attorney General of Arkansas before he served two full terms (eight years total)as Governor. Now if you told me that Sarah Palin had at least one full term as a Governor coupled with demonstrated foreign policy credentials, either formal or informal, I'd probably keep my mouth shut about the experience thing.

Members of the Illinois Senate are paid a salary of 66K a year plus a stipend. The position is considered full time or near full time.
I think that the elderly are awesome and they have a lot to offer our society. I was pointing out that J. McCain was looking pretty shaky up there, and I'm thinking that there is a significant risk that Mrs. Palin may end up running our country if McCain wins.

"..pretty much established that he has an IQ at the genius level..."

Which means diddly when you have the emotional maturity of a 17 year old.