The delegates at the RNC, after Palin's speech, can't stop talking about how it made them feel. Little or no talk about substance, policy, etc, but a money quote from a delegate was "It made us feel victorious." The mood at the convention was electric when Sarah Palin spoke.

No doubt about it, Palin is a rock star to Republicans. (They're so awed by her Messianic charm, her 16 months of experience governing a state with all of 650,000 people has fallen by the wayside.) Her family looks so nice, and cute, with that "everyman" quality - and it's energizing the base. One Republican pundit described her speech by saying "She rocked the house". Money is pouring in to the McCain camp, and people are reporting a genuine feeling of excitement.

It's like they just met Obama or something. Actually, it's exactly the same "cult of personality" phenominon the Republicans have been complaining about since Obama arose as a serious contender. Good thing there's never been a rule about hypocracy in politics!

Well I do understand why you might be upset.

She does have more experience than the annointed one (Barrack).

I look forward to the vice presidental debates if the Demo's are willing to take the chance on having any.

Originally Posted by colbyt

She does have more experience than the annointed one (Barrack).

Go on, and tell me about this experience. You've already said that she has "more" so please expand on this a little bit.

I'll start. Palin has 16 months of experience in state government, in a state with 650,000 people. That's fewer than Greater Sacramento, CA.

OK, please, go on, because so far we might as well be talking about Harriet Miers. I'm sure there's something about the time all 14 people in Kenai County got drunk, and Palin had to send a car up to treat the hang over victims.

Back to the point, the Republican delegates who elect a nominee are themselves raving about their emotions - about how Palin's speech made them feel. Not about the content of the speech or of her policy goals.

Sarah Palin is indeed being lauded by Republicans for the very rock star, cult of personality quality that Republicans have been complaining about Barack Obama for the past year and a half over.

I'd give you 10 to 1 odds in your favor on cage fight between Sarah and Barrack. I bet you she could whoop his *ss with one hand tied behind her back.

From some one on the outside looking in we in the UK saw only snippets of her speech, this:-

"Our family has the same ups and downs as any other ... the same challenges and the same joys.
Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge."

And then the camera cut to her youngest.

To have to resort to this attempt at sympathy to wow the delegates is one of the lowest and cheapest tricks it has been my misfortune to see.

I'm sure that her supporters will put a different spin on this, but IMO politics is plumbing the depths and doesn't seem to have reached the bottom yet.

Couldnt agree more. Sadly, her speech and presentation was the most genuine and straightforward of the four (Osama, Biden, McCain, Palin). McCain, whose public speaking skills are sadly lacking, read us his resume in possibly the most boring hour of television ever. Obama spent his speech trying to convince those of low intelligence that he is responsible for the change of the tide in Iraq. Biden spent his speech trying to get people to focus on the non-fact that McCain and Bush are the same person. Her speech was short, her resume was impressive and factual, and her quips were sharp, even if her family was marched out as a political ploy under the guise of getting to know her and her family. So pathetic is the state of our politics.

To the point Learning Newbie is trying to make, there is no question Palin is a new star. Sadly, the bombardment of paparazi images and neverending press coverage has bred the movie star idol worship into our culture. I think the differnce between the rock stars Obama and Palin you failed to catch, is that there is something more to Palin than the image. Obama is the guy who knows how to deliver a speech. Palin is the girl who knows how to reform government. Obama is the guy who knows how to pocket earmarked taxpayer dollars, Palin is the girl who knows how to sell the Governers private jet because that is a gratuitous waste of taxpayer money to the benefit of the elected officials who are supposed to be serving us.

You pull back the facade on Palin to find the dirt and you get a DUI her husband had 20 years ago while Obama was doing hard drugs. You find she went out of her way to get a trooper dismissed who was using a taser on his own son and threatening the life of Palin and her family. You find her 17 year old daughter got it on and got knocked up.

You pull back the facade on Obama to get at the dirt and you find his closest associations are racists, racketeers, and unappologetic terrorists. You find he never once put his neck out on the line to do something that crossed party lines. You find he is part of the very group of politicians channeling taxpayer money into his own pocket that he says he is there to "change".

Clearly, though they are both rock stars, outside of the very obvious policy differences, these candidates also have a very different character and morals, and it is becoming increasingly clear one is an out and out liar.

palin is so annoying, I do hope that mccain doesn't win
we've already a republican mess up our country for the last 8 years!

I'll start. Palin has 16 months of experience in state government, in a state with 650,000 people.

That would be 16 months more experience than Barrack who has never exec ed anything. Frankly I don't think either of them are ready to be president.

The last time this country went down the primrose path for change at any cost we got Jimmy Peanut (Carter), a crashing stock and bond market, 21% mortgage rates and Americans held hostage by Extremists. All of the because the man did not have the experience to deal with the situations.

I have to disagree that her speech was interesting. I found it infuriating and hypocritical - just another average member of the Christian right, who doesn't care about the poor and wants tax breaks for the wealthier and deregulation of the market (to allow further monopolies for large companies, at the expense of the small business owner).

I didn't see Biden's speech (though I'd have liked to) and McCain's one would have been ridiculously boring had I bothered to tune in. Obama is the future of the USA - unless you want another 4 years of McSame...

Originally Posted by whym

I found it infuriating and hypocritical - just another average member of the Christian right, who doesn't care about the poor and wants tax breaks for the wealthier and deregulation of the market (to allow further monopolies for large companies, at the expense of the small business owner).

Heh, there you go again. Maybe if you took a bit of time to acquaint yourself with her background, you wouldnt be so infuriated. She has made a reputation running against big oil, not for it. She comes from meager beginnings, not the elite schools of Princeton or Harvard. She has an over 80% popularity rating amongst the non-wealthy people she governs. She is pro-small business, as she used to run one herself (her husband still does). She sold the jet which the previous governor had awarded his office and gave the proceeds to the people of Alaska in the form of rebate checks.

Trust me when I say, MANY people are looking for some legitimate dirt to attach to her, and given enough time, perhaps they will find something. In the meantime, its kind of funny to watch the left stick their foot in their mouth again and again as they hurl allegations like this that they are later forced to retract. I've noticed Biden did the smartest thing he could do after her speech. He said good job, and I'll see you at the debates.