The Lady and the Speech

I'd really rather not post on politics, but what else can one talk about this morning? Gov. Palin's sudden appearance on the Republican ticket has focused a lot of media and voter attention on her and on last night's speech at the Republican Convention. It was a Big Moment — had she crashed and burned it would have doomed the Republican ticket, I think, but her performance was everything it needed to be to convince many viewers and voters that (1) McCain didn't screw up selecting her, and (2) this is someone they can vote for and maybe even want to vote for.

I'm no political pundit and don't spend my afternoons reading editorial pages and political commentary, but I'm pretty sure the metric the average voter employs when evaluating presidential candidates or a presidential ticket is not, "Who is the biggest policy wonk on stage?" This point seems lost on many commentators who really seem to think voters should think this way and consequently get frustrated when a candidate connects with a big chunk of the electorate on a more fundamental frequency. My impression from Palin's speech is that she will connect in that way with a big chunk of that middle tier of the political spectrum that tilts either Republican or Democrat on election day. If Biden is a steadying force on the Democratic ticket, it looks like Palin is an engergizing force on the Republican ticket. It will be an interesting couple of months, won't it?

Sen. Obama, of course, also connects with a lot of middle tier voters, and the presidential debates will put the spotlight back on Obama and McCain. A poor performance by Palin last night could have lost it for the the Republicans, but her strong performance certainly doesn't win it. I thought Romney's speech was a little flat, Huckabee (who has filled out a bit, hasn't he?) was much better, and Giuliani was very effective stumping for McCain and against Obama.

Bottom line from a Mormon perspective: it's nice Romney's not on the ticket. I'm much happier having the national press debate the merits of Alaska politics, hockey moms, and pregnant 17-year-olds than Romney's Mormonism. Save that for the Secretary of the Treasury confirmation hearings.

Comments

[Stephen M (Ethesis)]

Interesting thoughts.

[Ivan Wolfe]

As an Alaskan and a Mormon though, it's a little disconcerting to feel relieved I won't have to deal with the media's ignorance about Mormons only to realize I now have to deal with their ignorance about Alaska.

[Randy B.]

I actually don't disagree with much you say here, Dave. I would only note that while last night was an important first test, it was also the most easily controlled and scripted test she'll face. She's been holed up for nearly a week, with a full cast of speech writers and policy advisors, basically preparing for this entirely planned out and rehearsed moment. Frankly, all we really know this morning is that she is a fine public speaker. That's no small thing, but the more telling test will be whether she can hold her own during the unscripted media events over the next couple weeks, and, further, maintain that composure during the constant intensity of the campaign trail. Even the most gifted of politicians need time to find their groove. By all accounts, even just a couple of weeks ago, virtually no one even knew who she was, and now the election is just two months away. McCain has asked a lot of her. And whether she can pull it off is still an open question.

[Tim J.]

I believe it was NBC's Chuck Todd who said that a VP nominee only has to good on three days. The day he/she is introduced, their convention speech, and the debate, though this might be different for someone like Palin.

Anyway, two down, and the toughest is yet to come.

[Randy B.]

Tim, I think that's largely right, but only if McCain doesn't plan on using her to actively campaign. Of course, the whole point of this pick was to gamble on her potential to be a game-changer. That can't happen if they only let her out to debate Biden and then try to shield her from the press. If she's going to make a difference, she's has to get involved in a public way, and that comes with unavoidable risks. Just ask George Allen.

[Tim J.]

Oh I agree completely with you Randy. McCain has to almost make Palin the face of the campaign at this point. She needs to make the late-night talk show circuit including the Daily Show and Colbert. I would love to see her across from John Stewart and think it would do her well to do so.

I do wonder what the next step will be.

[mike d.]

I don't really see Obama nominating Romney for a cabinet-level position.

[Chino Blanco]

What mike d. said. Where's the rec button?

[Dave]

Ah, such good-natured banter. If only all political post discussion could be so.