GOP: Meet Obama, and meet Sarah

Rudy Giuliani's at the podium; a huge image of the NYC skyline's on the screen behind him. He starts with a bunch of jokes about his own failed presidential run. Blasts the media right off, this is an odd strategy the Republicans are pulling--nobody cares about media bias except the rabid faithful, if you don't have those guys you're in trouble anyway.

Rudy casts it as two good and patriotic men applying for the same job. One guy's been tested time and again, and has passed. John McCain's a true American hero. The other guy--oh, whoops, Rudy goes on about McCain. Well, this analogy doesn't work.

McCain's mom is in the audience, looking stone cold angry. Rudy is tossing off applause lines, he's really a bad speaker.

Now, on the other hand, a gifted man with an Ivy League education, who worked as a 'community organizer'--what? The audience laughs. Immersed himself in Chicago machine politics, nearly 130 times couldn't decide whether to vote yes or no, voted present. Wow, Rudy's just mocking Obama, and the crowd loves it. Am pretty sure how non-Republicans are going to see this.

You have to make a decision, says Rudy. Hmm, this only works if people think of Obama as indecisive; I don't think that's the case. He spent most of his time as a 'celebrity senator'--it's the kind of thing that can happen only in America. He's never run anything, or lead people in crisis, Rudy says. The most inexperienced candidate in at least 100 years. Obama's never lead anything.

Wow, he's really piling it on; crowd is chanting something. Rudy keeps laughing; this is coming across pretty badly. This is no time for on-the-job training. Odd that this is how they're introducing Sarah Palin. Rudy's treating this like it's a big joke.

We can trust McCain to deal with anything that's thrown in his way, we'll all be safe in his hands. So odd, is this really what the GOP is running on still? There's good change, and bad change, Rudy says, then waits for the crowd to applaud. Change is not a destination, like hope is not a strategy.

"Let's talk briefly about specifics". Lower taxes, less government, more free trade, energy independence. Wow, so specific; and why hasn't Bush succeeded in any of this? Nuclear power, and offshore oil drilling. He cackles again. Drill, baby drill. Oh wow, this is crazy. The entire crowd is actually chanting it.

Rudy says McCain will keep us on offense, against Islamic terrorism. Rudy says Democrats think it's politically incorrect, it'll insult someone. Dems aren't mentioning 9/11.

Democrats had given up on Iraq, just like they've given up on America. McCain was right on Iraq, Obama was wrong, on the biggest policy decision of this election. Obama changes his position, Rudy says--on public financing, on wiretapping, on an undivided Jerusalem.

Then, in a line that could turn out to be truly hilarious, Rudy says if he were Joe Biden, he'd want to get that VP thing in writing.

McCain said 'we are all Georgians' when Russia rolled in; Obama blamed both sides, just like he has when talking about Palestinians and Israelis, then changed to have the UN get involved. The crowd boos this for some reason--yeah, let's get into another war; Rudy says apparently Obama doesn't know Russia has a veto.

Like Reagan, McCain will enlarge our party--in choosing Sarah Palin, he's chosen for the future. The other guy looks back. Palin's the most popular governor in America, says Rudy, a few minutes after he talks about how McCain doesn't care about the polls.

Rudy loves that she's been a mayor, mocks Obama for not thinking her hometown is cosmopolitan enough, not flashy enough; maybe they cling to religion there. Audience rises up for that one. Wow, Rudy is really ripping Obama.

As governor she's cut taxes, encouraged energy exploration, one of the best governors in the country. An 80% approval rating. Took on corruption, has no fear. They're gonna shape up Washington.

How dare they, Rudy yells, question whether Palin has enough time to spend with their children and be vice president? Crowd applauds that. When do they ever ask a man that question?

Rudy says we're the party that ended slavery?! Wow. All about expanding freedom, parents should choose where their kids go to school. (But women shouldn't choose what happens to them).

Now the job is up to us, let's get McCain/Palin elected, and let's shake up this country and move it forward.

Wow, what a bizarre speech. Stephanopolous calls the attacks tough, well-thought-out; but maybe too nasty, too ugly.

GOP sends out Sarah Palin right afterwards, no time to discuss Rudy. Was to be a film, but Rudy ran long so no film. She's in a short black skirt, tan top, pearls. Big liberty bell behind her. Blue tinted glasses. Big standing ovation--husband's got the infant now, went from daughter to Cindy to him.

She accepts the nomination--pretty strong and steady in her opening line. She's actually doing a pretty good job with her first few lines. Crisp, straightforward.

Out comes her accent; last year experts counted out McCain. Okay, now she's delivering this thing like she's on a tv drama--overlooked the resolve and guts of McCain. Weird facial expressions, like someone on Saturday Night Live. She looks nervous. Points to her son when talking about Iraq, he stands up.

Oh, she's gonna introduce her family. Ticks them off by name, then waves at them. The girls stand. Trig, too. She keeps raising her right arm, says our family has the same ups and downs as anyone. To the families of special needs children, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House. Now St. Louis arch is on the screen behind her.

Talks about hubby, a fisherman, snow machine racer. He hands off the baby, ready for his moment; mentions his Eskimo ancestry, says they met in high school and he's still my guy.

Awesome! Great! She's doing the up-talking too; introduces her parents. She's a pretty good speaker--no greater sense of the moment, just simple and direct. She talks about her people, who do the work and are always proud of America. I've lived most of my life in a small town, hockey mom and signed up for the PTA. A bunch of identical hockey moms 4 Palin signs go up.

She's going to explain to us what the job of mayor involves. In a mocking tone, like a community organizer, except you have actual responsibilities. She's got some steel in her, that's for sure. Not sure what we think of people who say small town people cling bitterly. We prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and one way in San Francisco. Hmm, that's a pretty strong line. McCain is the same man, no matter where he goes.

Not a member of the permanent political establishment--some in the media think you're unqualified for that reason alone. To big boos. Hmmm, this is a pretty effective speech. I'm going to Washington to serve the people, not to get your good opinion.

She winks at the crowd. Totally at ease. Politics for the right reason is to challenge the status quo, leave this nation better than we found it. Big smile, light tone. Govern with integrity, good will, and a servant's heart. I will carry myself in this spirit.

Now she's using Obama's speech--reform hard to achieve, with the help of the people of Alaska we shook things up. Sold off the luxury jet--put it on eBay. Like driving myself to work, got rid of the personal chef. Says she's vetoed nearly half a billion dollars in spending. Thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere. Well, she's lying, but it sounds good.

Insisted on competition among oil companies. Build natural gas pipeline, to help lead America to energy independence.

She's the kind of politician that talks about basic things as if she's just discovered them. She reads a part of the speech about Russia that she obviously didn't write. Goes on about foreign control of oil, with some geographic names thrown in there, we need to pump more oil, we have lots of it.

Interesting, she's also arrogant. Simple-minded, and arrogant; what a combination.

Drilling won't solve every problem, but that's no excuse to do nothing at all. She's definitely going to infuriate people with that tone of hers, built on so little.

Talks about 'our opponent' and his dramatic speeches, there's much to admire about him. But this is a man who's authored two memoirs, but not a single major law. When the stadium lights go out, what exactly does our opponent seek to accomplish after he's turned back the waters and healed the planet. Wow, she's very snarky.

Some, like McCain, use their careers to promote change; she's really throwing in a lot of stuff, makes fun of the presidential seal thing. Says McCain's record is why so many entrenched interests have fought his candidacy, from 2000 on. Not looking for a fight, but not afraid of one either.

Quotes Harry Reid, who said he can't stand John McCain, says that's proof we've chosen the right man--he actually meant he can't stand up to John McCain. Wow, she really gets in these little digs.

The American presidency isn't supposed to be a journey of personal discovery. This world isn't just a community, doesn't need just an organizer. Obama and Biden say they're fighting for you, but only one man in this election has ever really fought for you.

McCain will bring the compassion of someone who was once powerless, someone who's seen evil and seen how it was overcome. A fellow POW, from Ohio--she blows him a kiss as he stands up--says after he came back from torture every day he'd flash a grin and a thumbs up. That's the kind of man America needs to see us through the next four years.

If character is the measure in this election, hope the theme, and change the goal we seek, I ask you to join our cause, elect a great man as the next president of the United States. Thank you, and god bless America.

Brian Williams--if they didn't know her before, they'll know her now. Stephanopolous says she's one tough cookie. Tom Brokaw says she makes a very auspicious debut, could not have been more winning or engaging, made the case for her candidacy strongly. Bob Schieffer says it works for the base, how about the rest? Jeff Greenfield says she has a perfect populist pitch, putting the big shots in their place, a strong first impression. Dan Bartlett says he thinks the McCain campaign is giving each other high fives.

And out comes John McCain. Tough rhetoric was necessary, Bartlett says, she's ready to play with the big boys.

McCain takes the mike, don't you think we made the right choice? Stephanapolous says in her first speech to the country, she spent a lot of time attacking; but a lot of beautiful and effective lines in the speech.

ABC on the floor with an undecided delegate, says she was real--funny, came out there swinging, talked about her record, she was fantastic. Greenfield on CBS says she cut Obama, but with humor, unlike Rudy and his sword.

It was a great debut for Palin, about as good as the GOP could've hoped for. She had to be tough, and she was; she had to be a good speaker, and she was. She didn't self-destruct, and she left the delegates energized.

And voters at home feeling like she belongs.