Palin Speech: Early Morning Roundup

"Howard Dean's Net strategist warns "Don't LOL" at Sarah Palin" (Joe Trippi):

I have seen a lot of commentary on why John McCain’s pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is a cynical and transparent ploy to bring disaffected women who supported Hillary Clinton to his cause.

But I don’t think John McCain and the people around him are that stupid.

The McCain campaign plans on making an assault on Barack Obama’s strength as a change agent. And challenge, what the McCain campaign will describe as, Obama’s weak or non-existent attacks on corruption within the Democratic Party and other institutions throughout his career.

To make this assault, McCain picked in Palin someone who has taken on the corruption in the GOP in Alaska, turned against her own party’s establishment, and fought for reform.

Palin could thrive and strongly help McCain make his case, or she could crumble and damage his candidacy. My first impression is that she is not going to crumble.

She isn’t Dan Quayle, and besides, Dan Quayle was elected vice president.

Don’t LOL. Take the McCain/Palin ticket seriously.

"Palin's Big Strikeout" (Ari Melber--The Nation):

Sarah Palin gave a riveting and devastating nomination speech on Wednesday night. She shared her inspiring story and brave family, while savaging and ridiculing the celebrated life story of Barack Obama, a fellow barrier-breaking candidate, with whithering attacks on his work as a community organizer, senator, and author. She misrepresented his record and simply lied about her own, claiming to oppose earmarks that she supported, and dissembling on her $1.5 billion tax hike and record of raising sales taxes by 25 percent in Wasilla. Reviewing the McCain Campaign's bullying, "unprofessional" onslaught against anyone who notes Palin's extreme positions and dishonest claims, Time's Joe Klein urged reporters to face facts:

I hope my colleagues stand strong in this case: it is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is "a task from God."

By all accounts, Palin faced a huge task in St Paul. She had to prove she was up to the job of commander in chief.

She struck out big-time -- in a biting speech that showed the only job she was ready for is RNC Chair, another ruthless soldier in Karl Rove's army.

Barack Obama