The Speech

[sleigh]

I just watched Sarah Palin's speech.

I think if anyone is dismissing her as a lightweight and a pushover, they are sadly mistaken. This could be very interesting.

Comments

[chamois-shimi.livejournal.com]

The McCain campaign folks wrote her speech - they had to re-write it because they weren't expecting the pick they got, and the original was too masculine. She took the speech and altered it some, adding in stuff of her own, but I'd rather hear *her* words, all her own, before figuring out how much of it is good speech-writing, and how much good speech-reading. :P

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I saw that same report on dailyos too.

K.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

It doesn't matter that they had to rewrite the speech. What matters is her delivery of it and the effectiveness. I thought she delivered it very well, and it was very effective for the audience for which it was intended.

And that's not good news.

Palin's Speech

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

A differing opinion (http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/09/cognitive-dissonance.html).

B

Re: Palin's Speech

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I'd agree that Palin's not going to change a committed voters mind; she certainly won't change mine (in fact, her viciousness and mockery of her opponent has quite the opposite effect). But I think she might go a long way toward swaying "on-the-fence" voters, the white working class vote, and even some feminists because of her charisma and strength (if they can hold their noses long enough at the smell of her far right religious views).

Given a lack of some scandal cropping up in her past, or "Troopergate" getting big legs, or some incredible gaffe when she's finally speaking off the script (all of which are certainly possibilities), I think she will tighten up this election to an alarming (for me) extent.

I really hope I'm wrong, though. :-)

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I really don't think it matters much that someone else wrote the majority of the speech. All the politicos have speechwriters. McCain doesn't write all his speeches; Obama doesn't either (http://www.newsweek.com/id/84756). What's important is the delivery and the ability to own the words -- and her delivery was both excellent and effective, which I think is bad news for the Democrats.

I also think we had a glimpse of how she'll handle herself in less scripted situations. She was obviously ad-libbing a few times (the line about "What's the difference between hockey moms and pitbulls? Lipstick" was one), and she was comfortable and at ease doing so.

[chamois-shimi.livejournal.com]

Sure, and some people will be swayed by sheer charisma and makeup, because they're silly. But this wasn't someone who knew Palin writing a speech for her, this was McCain's folks writing her speech, and they hardly know her. Maybe later on we'll get a better feel for her, herself, beyond the smilies and the hockey mom schtick, but I'm not counting on it.