RNC Day 3: The Hero vs. The Zero

Gov. Palin

Palin's Posse

Rudy On A Roll

Michael Steele: "Drill baby, Drill"

Tonight provided what I was waiting for from the convention: a secession of good speeches, an enthusiastic crowd, and a passion flowing through the convention that makes one feel that at this moment in time, the machine is unstoppable.

Tonight, Republicans found their vice presidential candidate, even though they knew of her for almost a week. The flood of anti-Palin articles that have hit the Internet, really in just hours after she was announced as the VP candidate, made me consider her all the more. Her speech tonight confirmed for me that John McCain made a wise, if unconventional, choice. Her speech displayed her strong family ties, her appreciation of everyday, small-town Americans, a sense of humor and an effective feistiness that wasn't at all shrill, as we've come accustomed to from a certain other female candidate.

And the attendees absolutely loved her. We were standing as much as we were sitting and the roar of the crowd was near deafening following point-after-point. It's going to be interesting to see this librarian-looking, almost timid but poignant newcomer take on the seasoned gristle of Joe Biden. My advice to Governor Palin: upset Senator Biden as much as possible. Let him become his own worst enemy.

While this was Palin's night, she followed some of the GOP's heaviest hitters, including Mitt Romney, Norm Coleman and Mike Huckabee and especially energizing presentations by Michael Steele and Rudy Giuliani. Steele started an oft repeated chant of the evening by simply saying, "Drill baby, drill."

Giuliani managed to dismantle the entire Obama campaign in a matter of about 15 minutes, mocking just about every campaign slogan and characteristic the Obama campaign had trumped as strengths and serious qualifications. He successfully contrasted John McCain's heroism with Barack Obama's resume (or lack thereof).

Speaking of Mac, he did make his way onto the stage at the end of Palin's speech in his first appearance at the convention - and the entire place erupted. Any hints of party division or skepticism of McCain went by the way side in that one brief appearance.

The night belonged to Palin but Rudy stole the show. Republicans should run with a theme developed throughout the evening and characterize this campaign as 'The Hero vs. The Zero'.

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