Palin draws in viewers

I, for one, switched to PBS because the network anchors and "analysts" were taking so much of the hour coverage to pontificate, to give us their take on what's relevant, etc. while the speeches went on in the background. I just wanted to hear the speeches, not listen to those self-important gasbags.

Last nights speech apparently put an end to the speculation of why John McCain picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Look for McCain to pack the next presidential cabinet with more mavericks, though more in his image than in Palin’s Effective immediately, both parties are on notice that there will be no Republican/Democrat “machine politics” as it relates to the White House. McCain effectively placed himself as the Washington outsider, which is what he always was, and the Obama Machine as the weapon and tool of Euro-socialism in America. It was a brilliant move that will certainly pay off in November.

-- McCAIN ~ PALIN 08 --

I applaud Governor Sarah Palin for a great speech last night and a speech of a lifetime. I'd be surprised if the debate between she and Joe Biden wouldn't generate a higher viewing audience than that of the potential Presidential debate.
Congratulations to Governor Palin for bringing some family aspect back into Politics.

Let's just hope no one fact-checks it too closely... It was full of distortions and misrepresentations and VERY short on substance. Clearly the woman can read a teleprompter (a useful skill in her line of work), but she is just as clearly the puppet of Rove and Co., and anyone who thinks any differently is a sucker.

Country at stake, folks -- let's not screw this one up!!!

OBAMA-BIDEN '08

Palin, the next generation of George Bush republicans

I am a Democrat at heart, but... way to go Sarah Barracuda!

I'm an independent and wasn't too impressed. Palin's no maverick - she's a Republican hack in a dress. Whoopee. She didn't say anything about what she'd do, just how bad the other guy was. I'm sure the party base loved it, but I wasn't too impressed by her, or by her using her family as a campaign prop. They were passing around that baby like it was the Stanley cup.

palin, is the democrats and obama's worst nightmare. now, dems and obama are taking their own dose of medicine. if dems and the media elite were able to half bake a rockstar out of obama, palin will be a full baked rockstar that they wont like to deal with.

This is ridiculous! Just because you can read a speech written by some one else, doesn't make you qualified to run for an important government position. As a woman I feel insulted that Palin is being paraded in front of us as a "sure-fire" way to get the womens' vote. I for one would not vote for McCain simply because he would pick someone like Palin to run for Vice President. If she is serious about running for a position such as this, let her give it the time and experience it takes to do this. Right now she needs to be at home. I am not impressed by someone who relies on insults and sarcasm to make her point. Perhaps she uses these tactics to take the attention off her lack of valid arguments aimed at her opponents.

Shrill, sarcastic, condescending, insulting, mean-spiritied, nasty. Filled with outright lies and distortions that were well dcoumented within minutes of delivery. Not a shred of any substance on policy or platforms. Just more of the same divisive politics that will further rend this nation of ours. Way to go, Miss Congeniality.

Big TV ratings, eh?

I though it was well known that America loves a freakshow.

checkmate.

Cynthia, sorry to burst your bubble about Sarah Palin only being able to read a teleprompter, but it broke down halfway through her speech, and also halfway through Rudy's speech. This was announced often on the news.

I am not impressed at all with this woman-I think she was chosen to appeal to the women of this country-and I am not impressed-I am offended that they would think women are this simple minded-she is no Hillary Clinton-she may be a pitbull wearing lipstick, but I will take Joe Biden over her any day of the week and twice on sunday-I am unenrolled-I voted for George Bush twice because Al Gore scared me and I have no respect for John Kerry-so I do not go by party-I vote for people-

this time I am voting as a democrat-
Obama/Biden-08-all the way

"Just because you can read a speech written by some one else, doesn't make you qualified to run for an important government position". Martin

Looks like all the arguements the Obama supporters are using actually are underlining the empty suit Obama really is. By the way thanks for Coup-Deval; what is your excuse for him?

Also Obama hangs out with a convicted terrorist and Palin's Daughter's pregnancy is more newsworthy? Extremists to the Left have overshadowed Extremists to the Right and that is why No-Bama will be elected.

Should have nominated Hill-Dog

The Democrats have nothing in 2008. Just flashly campaign events. If they paid attention to history they would know acceptance speeches by Vice-pres are never about them, always about the top of the tickets. The veeps will not make the policies. (She was terrific.0 The Dems ought to hear everyone that knows their reaction statements are pulled out of a dusty fat notebook, that really needs updating.

I would rather wait for the Vice Presidential debates to see if Palin will be able to produce any substance as the next commander in chief in waiting should anything happen to McCain!!

I'd urge my GOP friends not to get too excited. The McCain-Palin ticket is eerily reminiscent of Dole-Kemp. This will become crystal clear during the next few weeks of the campaign, after the convention highs of both parties wear off. If Obama wins the election by fewer than 100 electoral votes, I'd be shocked.

McCain is NO maverick & he picked a VP whose town received millions in earmarks!

My circle of female friends & I are appalled by this woman...she must be living in the 11th century!!!!

Not to mention her inhumanity towards animals.!

OBAMA NOW!!!!

Godzilla from Wasilla

I noticed that no one mentioned Joe Liverwurst's betrayal of his own party. I read that he is on notice by the Democratic Caucus. Well, this is good. He was just a lobbyist for Israel anyway.

I am also amazed that no one has realized that putting a Republican in the White House isn't going to be very productive. Why? Well, given the FACT that the House and Senate will have a MAJORITY membership of Democrats, I wonder how many of the bills McCain will actually get passed, if they don't meet the scrutiny of the Democratic party.

I see a lame-duck administration here. Why not just admit it, that the position of the Democrats in the new administration is perfectly set-up to get things done over the next 4 years.

Gov. Palin gave a brilliant speech. You can say how she and John McCain are on the same political page. Despite what the extreme left and sexist media may think, women should be proud of her.

as for substance, you can't get any more hollow than a scant four years of "hope" and "change". i really wish obama supporters could point to something he's actually done as a u.s. senator other than run for office. i will be most impressed f one of his passionate, ardent supporters could tell me three pieces of IMPORTANT, controversial legislation that obama introduced in the u.s. senate that required him to gather support from the opposing party. they can't do that because he's never done it.

obama is the most liberal senator in a democratic congress with an approval rating in the single digits (thats half of bush's anemic rating, by the way). apparently no one thinks they can lead. yet, people still fall for the slick, highly orchestrated speeches. what gives?

its America and you can vote for whomever you want. but just one piece of advice to obama supporters: don't suggest that you're voting for him because he's been a leader or achieved actual results with respect to real issues. just say you like him and he gives a good speech because that's all he's got.

I love the people on here - one in particular - who say stuff like "Just because you can read a speech written by some one else, doesn't make you qualified to run for an important government position." That's great. And Barack Obama is more qualified than Palin because.........................?

The only difference between this speech and Obama's is that we're still talking about Palin's the day after.

Obama's team lost this round.

HERE WE GO AGAIN--- ALL THOSE SO CALLED"NAYSERS" TAKING THEIR CHEAP SHOTS AT THE REPUBLICA N PARTIE'S CHOICE FOR VICE PRESIDENT. LETS TAKE A LOOK AT SENATOR JOE BIDEN'S CREDENTIALS AND I QUOTE-"A CLOSE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED RELATIVELY POOR GRADES IN COLLEGE AND LAW SCHOOL WITH MIXED EMOTIONS FROM TEACHERS AND DETAILS OF PLAGIARISM.HE PLAGIARIZED A LAW REVIEW ARTICLE FOR A PAPER HE WROTE IN HIS FIRST YEAR AT LAW SCHOOL..---NICE GO JOE.IF YOU GREAT INTELLECTUAL DEMOCRATS DON'T UNDERSTAND THE WORD" PLAGIARISM" LOOK IT UP.

as a woman who has seen it all in the workplace, the nomination of Gov. Palin just brings it full circle. the media bashing, family bashing, sexist comments...none of that is surprising because us gals got a good dose of that when hillary was running. but what surprises me, and it shouldn't because i see it all the time, is the pettiness of my fellow women. women can be so cruel and vindictive and hurtful to one of their own. usually the root is some sort of odd jealousy over something like looks, or a man, or a job. but it comes out so often in women againts other women.

why should any woman, ava, be appalled by a strong-willed, intelligent woman and mother? are you appalled by martha stewart? oprah? i bet you're not even appalled at the antics of these dippy starlets.

you know what, we was we women can disagree with her politics, but appalled just makes you, ava and your circle of friends, seem petty and jealous. its amazing to me that men do not attack other men like this. and no black or other racial/ethnic group would ever attack one of their own who had an opportunity to achieve so much. yet, some women will always manage to do just that. ask yourself, do you think every black who is voting for obama is really pro choice? or would you insult them and assume that none of them could possibly be guided by faith and believe in the right to life? and then ask yourself, are they still proud of what he's accomplishing and will they still vote for him? of course.

and don't bother to say that her nomination is pandering. its politics. every move a politician makes is political. should catholics be offended that biden was picked? gimme a break. gov. palin is an executive of a state and has the intelligence and the will to be the best she can be---just like any woman. but i'm sure you went to an ivy league school like obama so thats all that impresses you. i mean, if you weren't editor of the harvard law review there is truly no place for you in politics, right? how dare someone, especially a woman, grow in a middle class family, with middle class values, who went to a state university...how dare she aspire to be governor, vp, or, god forbid, president? i guess those are lofty positions that only ivy league lawyers should have the good fortune to have. after all, they've done such a good job with the country let's let those types keep running the show.

Trudy @ 9:

"This is ridiculous! Just because you can read a speech written by some one else, doesn't make you qualified to run for an important government position."

Doesn't that apply to Mr. Obama? He's the TOP of the ticket, and his ability to read a speech from a teleprompter written by someone else seems to be his only apparent qualification.

I'm a 51 year old white male veteran from AZ. As a lifelong republican, I voted for McCain in the 2000 primary but nothing has yet convinced me to vote for him this year.

Gov. Palin's speech last night did nothing to encourage me to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket. She may be a pitbull with lipstick, but I wanted to hear about policy.

Perhaps John will talk to the issues tonight.

Should it surprise anyone that home grown violence seems to follow the Democrats and represents the way Democrats conduct dialogue with others who do not agree with Democrats? Has anyone heard Obama denounce the RNC Welcoming Committee- those self-described "anarchists" (sorry, I mean "resistors") that have been smashing windshields and attacking Republican delegates at the RNC Convention? I don't recall the Gov. of Denver having to call up the National Guard to protect Democratic delegates during their convention last week. Don't forget Obama had Bill Ayers of the domestic terrorist group Weather Underground help him raise money. Hmmm, so Barack was never influenced by the anti-American ideologies of Ayers and Rev. Wright, but Barack expects to influence us. Seems Barack has a double standard on his theories of the power of one person being able to influence the ideology of others.

Palin is a fundie religious freak who believes sex before marriage is a sin, that children should be fed misinformation about it in order to frighten them into abstinence (yeah that works!) that contraceptives and abortion must be made illegal, and in the case of the latter, prosecutable.

That's the one issue she's running on. Period

All this would be fine except that while she wants to tell millions of people when and how they can have sex or children but she can't even walk her own walk. Like with all religious fundie nuts, it's a case of "do as I say, not as I do.' Since pre-marital sex is a sin, guess both she and her daughter must have some special in with the Big Man upstairs, since they both "had" to get married, early in life. She is a hypocrite with nothing to say to women.

I

I'm intriqued by Sarah Palin, the way I was at first with Barack. I think it might be interesting to have such an outsider in DC.

I learned a few things last night. I had no idea about the lack of law-making that Barack has done while in the Senate - what's he been up to? I also was unaware of all the flip-flopping he's done. Yickes!

I'm also tiring of the "Bush-McCain are one and the same" argument. 1) It's no more true than Barack and his pastor (Wright?) being one and the same. And I'd hate being pigeon holed like that. Plus (2) I feel like someone thinks Americans are idiots when Barack's commercials tout the "Bush-McCain" link and then Barack is on the news bemoaning the fact that "they aren't talking about issues - just smearing me." Talk about that both sides of the mouth thing! Ugh, that annoys me no end. Maybe it will happen from the other side along the way, but boy that has gotten me all worked up today!

End result, I'm sure Sarah Palin is not the perfect answer, no politician is, but she seems more down to earth and "one of us" than any other politician I can currently think of. Reminds me of the feeling I get when I read about the "old times", like when Lincoln was President - an American serving Americans. We'll have to see if that feeling sticks.

When will the left end the war with the people in this country that are not in lock step agreement with them. When will angry and condescending attitudes and comments mature into insight and compassion. How many of the angry poster's here have shown such bile about Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or bin Laden; who have American blood on their hands?
This is an American woman who was out shooting Moose last week, give her a break for Buddah's sake.

1. All of the candidates at both conventions have given speeches written by speechwriters. Thus, another sexist approach fostered by the liberal media to denegrate Palin.

2. Palin is real people. Not a packaged candidate. Now that's change..and that's what our country needs.

3. Palin doesn't need the media nor the Washington establishment to reach the people...reminds me of another maverick...Ronald Reagan. The liberals didn't like him either.

To MA

Obama writes his own speeches. It's obvious where your from....lol

Obama's delivery of his speech was definitely NOT the reason we weren't talking about it the day after. Brilliant timing by the McCain campaign to build up suspense before the VP announcement. 5 a.m. Friday morning was afterglow, then the bombshell. Take that away, and we'd still be... actually, no need to argue. Obama's coffers swelled $8 million after last night, McCain's less than $2 million. 'Nuff said.

Where does the fact that Palin is a 'woman' play into this debate? The women who would vote for a candidate purely on the fact she is of the same sex, doesn't equate.

I would hope that sex had nothing to do with such an important decision. It's like reading a hollywood pulp magazine, a day in the life of a celebrity, but this isn't going to change the conditions that Americans are dealing with day to day.

I respect my wife, not because she is my equal, but because she recognizes that I am the other half of her. Together we make the 'whole'. The same was true with men and women throughout the ages. Sad to say, we as Americans have changed that. Read the history of the 'Women's Liberation Movement' and who supported it financially and you will understand.

To me, Palin is nothing more than another republican. Period. If she chooses to join McCains campaign, that's her choice. Period. Move on with the debates.

If Obama-nistas are indicative of the way that Obama will govern (highly partisan, full of disdain for anyone that disagrees with them, and rageful), then I don't want him in the White House or anywhere near a body of government, listening to his base.

Let's put it into perspective, how many people can personally relate to Barack Obama versus Sarah Palin? How many people can relate to the sacrifices that John McCain went thru versus Obama? Sarah came off as someone like my mother, and your mother. She knows the everyday struggles that families go thru. If she can manage a family of 5, a town of thousands, and a state government, then she's got my vote, and she has my mother's vote who is a lifelong Democrat.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the teleprompter did not break down. That's a rumor generated at red state to idolize Palin.

As Mr. Spock would say,..."very illogical". The same angry people who know absolutely nothing about Obama and cannot list a single accomplishment of his, who seem to overlook any of his dubious friends, his connection to ACORN and AAN which have recieved $49 million of the taxpayers money, yet cannot account for a single dollar, his ascension through that all so honest Chicago political machine which is a continuing conviction parade of shady crooks, who look into his eyes with the same cult like adoration we once saw in newsreels of Adolf Hitler and like trained parrots mimic the Hope and Change mantra,...these same angry people who saw Sarah Palin for all of 45 minutes have already made up their minds on her fitness. As a long suffering NY`er, I say if the nation doesn`t want someone of her caliber, she is more than welcome to be governor of the Empire State. Sarah has a 80% plus approval rating in her state, my governor has less than 20% and it`s dropping every day due to his corruption and ineptness. Oh, did I mention that he`s a democrat, and the 2 senators-Hillary & Schumer- are also democrats? We are still waiting for the 200,000 jobs Hillary promised 6 years ago. The last thing this country needs is another lawyer in charge of anything. My personal opinion of Obama is that for all his rhetoric, he lacks the simple acumen to manage a Taco Bell. And when he`s long gone, we can go back to teaching schoolchildren that there are indeed only 50 states, not 57. Btw, I speak 3 lanuages, how about you Barry? Michelle? Joe Biden?

Yeah, the rank and file Democrats seem to resemble the brown shirts of the '30's more and more with each election cycle. Today's Democrats are certainly not JFK's Democrats. Why are the Democrats such an angry, intolerant lot? How will they explain why they lost this November? Surely they'll reach for some conspiracy, but at least they can't say the media was against them. Think the Democrats ever entertain the possibility that most Americans do not think like them?

When the show is over tonight,it will be time for Palin to hit the road and start answering questions that will not be written.It should be interesting