Palin puts Democrats on notice
In her first national address, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin wowed the Republican convention using wit, sarcasm, charm and ridicule in a full-scale assault on a now familiar cast of GOP targets: an elitist adversary, biased media and high taxes.
Without mentioning Democrat Barack Obama's name and rarely losing a smile, the Alaska governor delivered one riposte after another.
"We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers," she said. "But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed, when the roar of the crowd fades away, when the stadium lights go out and those styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot what exactly is our opponent's plan?"
"The answer is to make government take more of your money, give you more orders from Washington and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world," Palin concluded.
Palin's poised and flawless performance evoked roars of applause from delegates who earlier this week might have worried that the surprise pick and newcomer to the national stage may not be up to the job.
When the nearly 40-minute address came to a close, however, all doubts were doused and Democrats were on notice that Palin will not flinch from the fight.
Palin's speech so delighted some Republicans that they suggested it may instantly elevate her to GOP rock-star status and diminish presidential contenders who ran this year who may hope to seek the White House again.
"Who's most bummed?" asked one veteran Republican consultant. "Obama? Biden? Mitt? Huck? Damn, that was good."
A trickier question for Republicans, however, is whether putting a new face on a traditional playbook can produce victory in a election year when voters are clamouring for change in both foreign and domestic policy in Washington.
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