Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin delivered in big-time fashion last night in silencing media critics, reviving John McCain's campaign and in pushing all the GOP's traditional haters and hypocrites to the party sidelines.
It almost was enough for the viewing public to actually like Republicans and what they stood for. Yet for some of us, that point of connection still remains far away.
Yet on the political front lines, Palin destroyed her critics among the staff of the major network media. And The New York Times this morning featured a big, front page piece on how difficult it is govern a diverse place such as Alaska. Prominent mention of Palin's pregnant daughter disappeared. Repeated questioning of McCain's vetting process for his VP choice was stopped in mid-sentence.
The only, minor criticism of Palin's remarks was the blind contention that last night's speech was written for her. That's an assumption that is not too smart to make on TV. Palin showed last night that she is plenty smart and saavy enough to come up with her own ideas to express publicly. And she knows energy policy inside and out.
CNN's Campbell Brown became Palin's biggest advocate and defender last night, beating back questions from her colleagues about the candidate's performance and qualifications. Brown will be wanting to ride that horse into prominence and a better prime time slot for her show.
Yet one of the most moving moments of the night was away from the podium. C-Span featured regular shots of Palin's infant son in the arms of her youngest daughter. The gentleness she showed with her brother -- in licking her fingers and then applying them to her brother's hair to make it look more presentable and touching his eyes to remove any surrounding residue -- was most telling of the love in that family.
No, I don't agree with Palin with all the issues, but I am a big backer of reforming bureaucracies that only serve the few. Tennessee sure could use someone such as her in the governor's office, particularly after Phil Bredesen -- a Democrat who touted himself as a qualified VP pick for the Democratic ticket -- gave $577 million in taxpayer freebies to Volkswagen for a manufacturing plant in Chattanooga.
Tennessee could also use her Palin as a representative in Congress. What a breath of fresh air she would be in replacing Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville who only tackles matters of conscience and consequence outside of his district. Or consider Palin as a replacement for Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood. The Alaska governor does not have to explain why she broke Federal Election Commission rules in failing to accurately report campaign contributions. She does not have to explain using campaign funds to profit her daughter's business.
Most of all, Palin does not appear to be a hater of human beings like Blackburn in pushing a strident and heinous reaction to undocumented workers in the United States. Hopefully, Blackburn will be denied a speaking role at the convention podium.
Her political career is descending, thank goodness. Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist seems destined to run for governor in 2010 and revive his presidential aspirations. Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander are in no way close to wanting to retire their Senate seats. So Blackburn will have an even smaller voice in a more Democratic dominated House.
Perhaps she can join Bredesen after 2010 in the political-has-beens club and make tours of the state talking about when their careers in office really mattered.
The pressure is off McCain tonight in his acceptance speech. His choice of Palin has vindicated him. And Palin's savaging of Sen. Barack Obama last night showed McCain does not even have to mention his opponent's name.
Palin's community organizer barbs were very effective. I myself have been a community organizer on the response of Catholics in Nashville area to the abuse of children by priests, ressurrecting the Sam Levy Homes area in east Nashville and in pushing for a fair and legal education of immigrant children in Metro public schools.
And she's right. There is no legal responsibility placed on a community organizer. That person can come and go as they please. And one of the plagues of inner cities -- from my reporting experience -- has been organizers and their groups that come in for a few years and get everyone hopeful, then leave after the grant money gets used up.
CNN's guest-pert Roland Martin sounded very silly last night in protesting Palin's characterization of community organizer experience. Such experience is nice. It makes for a better community, particularly for those who get overlooked and underserved. But it is nothing compared to holding elective office if you are running for a higher elective office.
In turn, Obama looks weak for his VP choice, another one of Beltway Boys who has kept things from changing in Washington, D.C.
So after tonight, we have one historic campaign against another. McCain, however, has the advantage of a new face who the media and the her opponents will not have time to adequately vet and challenge over the next 55 days.
McCain will be grinning a lot during his acceptance speech. And he has a lot of reason to do so. He actually does have a chance to be the next president of the United States.
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