Palin's Convention Speech

Sarah Palin introduced herself to the American public tonight in a combative speech that makes it clear she will fill the attack dog role for the Republican ticket. Her other main job is to personify the social conservative worldview and thereby to energize the base. With nominee John McCain delivering his acceptance speech tomorrow, tonight was set up for Palin. The next few days will tell whether her punches landed or hammered air.

Her basic approach followed the RNC's emphasis on painting a dark and threatening picture of a dangerous world that only a bellicose former warrior can deal with. McCain's posture of standing up and talking tough to Russia, Iran and terrorists was contrasted with caricatured images of an effete Obama more concerned with "reading them their rights" than defending against enemies. It was sophomoric on the factual level but red meat to the convention partisans and they ate it up.

A corollary line followed Fred Thompson's keynote speech yesterday, insisting that whatever he or his plans say, Obama will impose ruinous taxes on the great bulk of the American people. This line is repeated by virtually every Republican speaker in an effort to ensure it is strongly imprinted on the mind of every viewer. Once again, the facts of Obama's proposals are ignored in favor of constant repetition of the desired negative message. As always, the Democrats are made to inspire fear, a fear that can only be dispelled by turning to the wise and courageous protector.

Palin conjoined her record to the image of a tough spending hawk as Alaska governor. She touted her opposition to the "Bridge to Nowhere," somehow omitting that she lobbied hard for it before it became a focus of national outrage. She spoke of her and McCain's unpopularity with professional lobbyists, forgetting to mention that McCain's campaign is actually run by lobbyists and that Alaska's paid lobbyists have brought home the bacon in a big way to her home state, whose largess from the federal government is per capita the highest in the nation.

But more than these, her sarcastic descriptions of Obama's popularity, vision and effective speaking style were meant to establish a cultural barrier against his electoral appeal. She is down home folks. Obama is Ivy League elite. She is a hockey mom. Obama and Biden are dyed in the wool beltway politicos. She and McCain are people of strong character. Obama is a preening memoir writer. The snide personal insults came hot and heavy. The kernel of her real message was not policy, it was fear and resentment: fear of lurking enemies that no one else will dare to fight and resentment against fancy pants stuffed shirts who think they are better than you. It was, in short, the usual Republican campaign appeal. The only question to be settled is whether Palin is the right messenger for it this particular year.

After Palin was finished McCain joined her family onstage to bask in the audience's enthusiastic applause. Then a country band took the stage. The virtually all-white crowd of delegates, many sporting cowboy hats, joined in the fun. All was well in GOP world and it was just as though the good old days were back.