Here's Mud in Your Eye

Gee, I hope this review is "withering" enough. I'll never get a job as a bloviating cable pundit now...

As Sarah Palin demonstrated she's very good at reading other people's speeches once the proper pronouns are cut and pasted. Now, the Republicans put forth the kind of campaign they will run.

It is, to be fair, one based on an ideal.

That Americans are stupid, base, resentful and bigoted. That if one can scream and bloviate loudly enough you can keep your Party in power even when it is about as popular as chlamydia. How Mavericky!

Scream how much you love Jesus, and also Israel who you are sure will one day also especially love Jesus -- on pain of death. Nice flag pin...got one that doesn't pander so overtly? Finally, deliver a good speech as your calling card while saying that all Obama can do is deliver a good speech. Do this and you are apparently golden and you'll manage to get 50 percent plus one vote, or at least have the Supreme Court say "close enough!". After all, John McCain spent five and a half years as a P.O.W. (in case you haven't heard) -- all so he could protect the freedoms that one day would allow him to call half of this Country traitors. Now that's positive leadership!

So much for the "United" in the United States of America. And if Todd and Sarah Palin had their druthers so much for one State in the United States of America for that matter.

Never mind what your will actually do once in power other than fire those not beholden to you and, oh yes, DRILL, DRILL, DRILL. Never mind policies, it is, after all, from your point of view, all about the personalities and not the issues. And to get there we must stop criticizing your children so you get a full on chance to exploit them? When does little Trig get passed to the loving arms of Tom DeLay anyhow?

No wonder the consistent look on the face of John McCain's mother was one of badly repressed horror.

Will it work, or better put, will it work again?

To give you some sense of optimism, quite likely not:

In two different focus groups of Clinton-supporting Nevada women -- married and unmarried -- conducted immediately after Gov. Sarah Palin's Wednesday night speech to the Republican National Convention, a few common reactions quickly took shape.

First, women in both groups were impressed with Palin's speaking ability and poise. But they were hardly convinced that she was qualified to be vice president, or that she truly represented the "change" they were looking for, especially in light of what was deemed an overly harsh "sarcasm" pervading her address...

In the "married" group, when one attendee kicked off the discussion by saying "she's a good speaker, and a crowd pleaser," the rest of the room articulated their agreement. "I didn't expect to be as impressed as I was," said another respondent. But then another woman added: "Once she started mudslinging, I thought, it's the same old crap as other politicians. McCain used her to get the women's vote. And she's using McCain."

"Thank you," another woman responded. "That really upset me; there was no need for that. It was snippy."

The unmarried group also voiced similar objections to the harsh, partisan edge of Palin's remarks. "I'm not impressed with her at all as a person," one said, citing her "finger pointing" and general sarcasm after the group had generally agreed that she was a talented public speaker.

It's just a small focus group of people targeted by campaigns as swing voters. Palin's got the GOP base who was bound and determined to finally have a reason for jump for joy at something.

But that may be all she has -- and for all their complaining, McCain had all of those folks in the bag anyway.

Can Obama get the others? Look at the clip of his shortened speech on Labor Day and tell me who is the better and more genuine speaker?

The answer is pretty damned evident -- It is a true Bobby Kennedy moment.

And for that reason, the Republicans can have all the Sarah Palin moments they want, she'll never top the authenticity of that moment on Monday.

[cross-posted at Firedoglake]