Ground Game

Sarah Palin delivered a dynamic speech tonight that was heavier on attack lines than any speech from either convention so far. The right is swooning, the left is mocking, but both acknowledge her political prowess.

Daily Kos diarist "georgia10":

With her snarky, amateurish, almost Student Council-like speech, Palin proved today that she can attack like a candidate for vice-president.  And she demonstrated that she can support the top of the ticket like a candidate for vice-president.

National Review's Jonathan Adler on Palin's depth:

I have one thought on the substance.  Including an extended discussion of international energy markets was quite shrewd.  It allowed her to play to one of her strengths -- energy policy -- while simultaneously undercutting concerns about her lack of foreign policy experience. She talked about the significance of foreign production and the geostrategic importance of pipelines with a level of sophistication that few would have anticipated, and it worked.  Had she tried to get into the nitty-gritty of Iraq or Iran, on the other hand, it would have seemed quite contrived.

Matthew Yglesias, from outside the convention floor in St. Paul:

Palin is having a hard time holding the attention of the drunk C-Listers with "limited access" credentials hanging out in the basement. No idea whether or not that's a good proxy for the overall effectiveness of her rhetoric. To my ear, Huckabee blows the rest of the GOP away as an orator.

John Hinderaker of the conservative Powerline blog:

Aspects of the delivery could have been better and the conclusion could have been stronger. But she passed the test, and neutral viewers who tuned in to see whether she seems ready for the Vice-Presidency had to be impressed. Palin showed that she will be effective on the campaign trail and will be a thorn in Barack Obama's side from now until November.

The conservative Anchor Rising blog:

Ahem, after listening to her speech, ladies and gentlemen, I'm betting she is plenty tough enough and most surely ready for primetime.