Palin's speech: the verdict
I was sitting about 30 metres away from Sarah Palin when she walked on stage, and lost all remaining objectivity at that point. She looked bashful and nervous, as well you might if you had 20,000 boisterous Republicans roaring at you. I don’t normally feel sympathy for politicians but there was something about this tiny mother of five being plunged into the toughest bear pit in America that made it almost hard to watch. She stood at the podium for what seemed like an eternity, as the crowd roared. It was as if she was waiting for them to calm down, but they don’t. She had to just start talking, and they’d shut up. But she didn’t – she just stood there, not even quite smiling confidently. Unlike Giuliani - who had just worked the crowd to perfection - she would never have ever seen anything like that before. At that point, when she hadn’t said a word, I feared she might fluff it after all.
The speech was very well crafted, with plenty of killer lines. (“Being a mother of a special needs child involves a special kind of love”). But she rushed some of them - often she’d started on the next sentence before the gravity of the last one had hit the crowd. Then they’d cheer, then she had to pause. And when she did, she didn’t often beam. She’d look pensive. It was a slow and (for me, anyway) agonising beginning. I wondered if any McCain team members had their heads in their hands at this point.
Then she warmed up, just like she did at her initial speech on Friday. The family was again the icebreaker and, once she’d introduced them, she started to lay into Obama. For television purposes, this speech will be about (at most) eight extracts - and there were plenty in which she was on her smiling assassin, Sarah Barracuda form. When she said “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities”. When she said the only difference between a hockey mom and a rottwiler is lipstick. When she said “there is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you.”
From where I was standing, I could see the autocue and, ergo, the lines she gently fluffed. It also spelt nuclear “new-clear”. This spoiled it a bit, when you see the strings. And, often, the bits didn’t quite flow together. But that doesn’t really matter: bits are all you need. She’s a former newscaster, and knows how to work the camera with little facial expressions that weren’t picked up from the crowd floor. And the picture of her holding her Down’s child will be probably the single most powerful moment of the evening. This will be all the revving up the conservative base need.
I had a beer afterwards with Liam Fox, who is leading the Tory delegation here. “She nailed it,” is his verdict. “We witnessed something pivotal, maybe historic tonight. If there was one word to describe what we saw it is ‘authentic’. There was nothing she said that could not have come naturally for her, her background and experience. She’s the real deal.” The networks were showing her greatest hits: a women with beauty, poise and venom. I was sitting beside Eleanor Laing who leaned over to me a few times saying “That’s the kind of thing Thatcher would say.” She meant the parallels between government and running a household. Pointing out the difference between the leader pages of the newspapers and the vox populi. In 1975, the Tories picked a mother with no foreign policy experience, and it turned out pretty well.
The stage call at the end had me thinking: what reaction would David Cameron draw if he invited his disabled son on the stage? Or if he said – as Palin did – that parents of special needs kids would have a friend at the top of government? Yet American politics is full-on “meet the family” so this is not just accepted but expected. And “family” included Levi Johnston, the 18-year-old fiancé of the 17-year-old Bristol Palin - pointedly holding the hand of his pregnant bride-to-be. Great how Palin gave him a perfunctory “you bastard” peck.
Given her lack of experience of speaking on this scale, tonight’s performance was little short of miracle. Sure, she was heavy on attack – but this isn’t a First Lady In Waiting speech. She needed to be punchy, clever, defensive (or, more accurately, a very cleverly-spun offensive) and confident. It was much better than Joe Biden’s speech last week - which bodes well for their coming debate.
She needed to come across not just as tough, but as being ready. She needed to do all this without looking angry or vindictive, as Hillary often did. She needed to simultaneously brandish her executive, combative and maternal credentials. She passed all these tests, though I wouldn't say she did so effortlessly. Yet if Team McCain’s aim is to have America fall in love with Sarah Palin, then they can say the first date was a resounding success.
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Hereford
September 4th, 2008 8:49amJust watched the whole speech on YouTube. From the camera angle Fraser, none of the fluffs you mention were obvious.
She came across as strong, fearless and with great humility.
I believe we may, as your colleague said, have seen a pivotal moment in politics in America.
I loved the line about the styrofoam greek columns being returned to the movie lot. It was a classic (if you'll excuse the pun)
Ted Tedford
September 4th, 2008 9:21amHereford: Spot on. This was a great speech, well delivered, and a great answer to all those 'yeah, but can she cut it?'. A good blend of confidence, warmth, humility, a bit of obligatory schtick that we Brits find embarrassing, and humour. She passed easily the test of character, but more importantly got her experience on the record.
The liberal critique of this is going to be interesting. Some US blogs are taking the line that "all it proves is that she can deliver a speech that someone else wrote". Michelle Obama and your 'bar raising', eat your heart out!
And Justin Webb has already linked to some non-story about her waters breaking at a mayoral conference. If that's the wit of her opponents, she's already won.
James
September 4th, 2008 9:43amHer accent is really annoying. Not a major political insight - but would bother me if I was an American voter.
RMH
September 4th, 2008 10:10amStill a raging lunatic, albeit a sexy one.
Still would let a 13 year old be forced to keep a child that she had conceived after she was raped and impregnanted by her father.
Still believes that Genesis is pure fact and that should be taught at a science.
Wants unfettered gun control.
Hell she was running the equivalent of a Parish Council for a while and now population was a decent sized London Borough, she only just got her passport, and her views of family values are so well respected in her family well...
America has massive rates of teen pregnancies.....
If they vote for him and her, well they reap what they will sow.
Ps she did not write the speech, it was written for her, so whatever plaudits she gets for rwading well off an autocue, well they are just that, well spoken lines just like a newsreader.
Ray
September 4th, 2008 10:11amI really hate autocues; these so-called 'sincerity machines' are an absolute abomination.
Everybody knows that very few politicians can either memorise a forty minute speech word-perfect or speak spontaneously for forty minutes without risking either forgetting something or dropping a clanger. Everybody knows that when an autocue reader is looking you in the eye and smiling serenely he or she is really just waiting for the next line to scroll up!
So why not simply speak from notes, which is a far more honest way of addressing an audience. Michael Hesltine used to do that and it never lessened the power of his delivery.
Ted Tedford
September 4th, 2008 10:47amRMH: Your insight into Gov Palin's beliefs is innuendo piled upon speculation. For the record, she has said explicitly that it doesn't have to be part of the curriculum.
To adapt a line, here's a newsflash for you: politicians have speechwriters, and use autocues. She and Matt Scully wrote the speech: it could scarcely have been so personal without her input. But if, for a moment, instead of deriding the delivery of her speech, you address the *content* - her executive record - then you will see that she has a great deal more than mere eloquence to offer. The belief that a US mayor is equivalent to the secretary of a parish council pretty much sums up the level of her critics.
And of all people, liberal darling Joe Biden needs to be really careful about criticising people for their choices of public oration - content or delivery.
cuffleyburgers
September 4th, 2008 10:57amRMH - unfettered gun control is of course an oxymoron. You can either have control or you can have unfettered.
What she actually wants, in a country where this is entirely normal, is for the average citizen to be allowed to arm himself for self defence in the home or for protecting his vegetable patch from bears.
Doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
Fact is that we in Europe are the vegetables, having allowed our liberties to be emasculated by successive waves of nannying socialistic crap. Do you trust the police to protect you? No neither do I, but at least in the US you are allowed to do something about it.
Less sure about the creationism though of course, but it can be argued that a certain amount of old testament standing-up-for-what-is-right is not a bad thing for a leader to have. In americans as opposed to the taliban for example, the old testament eye-for-an-eye stuff is usually balanced by a healthy dose of new testament forgiveness and general do-unto-thy-neighbour decency.
Much rather a capable person of principle (as she clearly is) than a machine politician (such as H Clinton, a capable person possibly if you overlook her health care plan and rubbish campaign, but with no principles)
Agree about the notes/autocue thing, paper is style.
Maisie
September 4th, 2008 11:21amI am depressed how many people are totally in love with this awful reactionary. I have read fulsome praise in blogs I previously respected. (Maybe I am less to the right that I previously thought!)
So does it all boil down to being photogenic & working a teleprompter? Lets ignore her unsavoury politics as long as she has the all American family?
Of course the American right love this - god they gave us Bush for 8 years. I just pray the saner voter will see past the speeches & the smiles.
Fergus Pickering
September 4th, 2008 11:24amRMH, I'm just asking but are the American rates of teenage pregnancies more massive than ours. And surely no politician writes his/her own speeches these days. That's why they have speechwriters, you see. And don't you think 'a raging lunatic' is coming a bit strong. Most Americans hold the views that she does about most things. Are they all raging lunatics? I don't know what you are like but I would have thought the crack about her family was unworthy of you, indeed unworthy of anyone. Clean your mouth out with soap.
RMH
September 4th, 2008 11:55amCountry Teenage birth rate
per 1000 women 15-19
South Korea 3
Netherlands 5
Tunisia 7
Australia 16
United Kingdom 20
Russia 30
United States 53
Indonesia 55
South Africa 66
Brazil 73
Bangladesh 117
Niger 233
ps thank to the others for English lessons. Hearing praise for religion based doctrines tend to boil my non-believing blood :-)
Keith
September 4th, 2008 11:58amMaisie wrote:
I am depressed how many people are totally in love with this awful reactionary. I have read fulsome praise in blogs I previously respected. (Maybe I am less to the right that I previously thought!)
So does it all boil down to being photogenic & working a teleprompter? Lets ignore her unsavoury politics as long as she has the all American family?
Of course the American right love this - god they gave us Bush for 8 years. I just pray the saner voter will see past the speeches & the smiles.
What exactly is wrong with being reactionary? Why does it make you awful? Why are her politics unsavoury? What's wrong with using a teleprompter? Do you think she is alone in using one? I don't understand what is wrong with having right wing views? Unless of course they conflict with the insane world of left wing politics, witness the gulags, the killing fields, the cultural revolution, the gang of four...I could go on but your head is clearly at the wrong end of your body and won't hear what it doesn't recognise.
RMH
September 4th, 2008 12:00pmForgot to add the following from a broadly impartial website electoral-vote.com
"Then came Sarah Palin's debut for a national audience. Her speech was written by former White House speechwriter Matthew Scully but she has been rehearsing it for several days with McCain aides coaching her. Normally, experienced politicians work with speech writers to polish the words, but with such an important speech from someone who has never given a prepared speech to a national audience before, a pro had to write this one."
Wow, impressed that after 3 days of solid practice she got it right.
Giorgio
September 4th, 2008 12:19pmYippee Kayee!
And Giuliani's fab too.
Augustus
September 4th, 2008 12:25pmI thought Palin's speech was a very good one, also her attack delivery was spot on. "In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers, and there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change." Simple, but highly effective. I also liked the line about about how people in her home town weren't quite sure what to make of a candidate whose only concern is his image. All in all high-quality, and as you say, "she's the real deal."
dennis
September 4th, 2008 12:34pmFraser
Could you settle a bet?
Is Palin a creationist or not?
I can find no evidence that she is ..... except assertions to that effect in left-wing blogs and Justin Webb's BBC reports.
If you get the chance, could you ask her or someone close enough to know for sure?
The Laughing Cavalier
September 4th, 2008 12:37pmShe really is a breath of fresh air. If only we had politicians of this calibre in the UK.
Oscar
September 4th, 2008 12:52pmDennis - my understading is that Palin thinks schools should decide whether or not they want to teach creationism - and this has been seized upon as advocating that creationism should be taught - and then condensed to 'she is a creationist'. I may be wrong however.
Frank Pulley
September 4th, 2008 1:19pmIt was a very well written speech, delivered with aplomb by a lady who convinced me that she has integrity and could well follow McCain into the White House after his first term. She hit just the right note and you had to struggle hard there, Fraser, to find something negative to say. Seems you couldn't, so you made up the 'initial nervousness' construct.
I watched it from beginning to end and saw nothing of the sort. She was just enjoying her moment and good luck to her.
What you smelled was probably James's Forsythe's chagrin that his beloved Obama was getting whupped by a smart Alaskan politician.
The Dems must be really pissed off!
James (9.43am)
- very inconsiderate for an American gal to have an American accent, isn't it? Perhaps you would rather she spoke more like Jacqui Smith or any one of other graduates of Brown's Butch Ballbreakers (Polit)Bureau?
Miserere mei, Deus
September 4th, 2008 1:36pmDennis - define creationism.
For example, there are 'young Earth' creationists who believe the Earth was created in six literal days (and who might have difficulty arguing their way around certain awkward empirical facts).
Then there are 'old Earth' creationists (like myself) who believe the Earth was formed over billions of years as a result of creative epochs (as the rock and fossil evidence seems to suggest), yet with an intelligent deity ever driving the process forward.
Conversely, there are those who believe life has 'evolved' over a similar timescale, but who question many of Darwin's assertions, as well as being open to the possibility that an intelligent Deity could well have started the show rolling - even though such a thing cannot, of course, be empirically proved.
Finally, there are atheistic Darwinian evolutionists (like Richard Dawkins) who firmly believe that no external deity exists and that anyone who even dares to question the prevailing orthodoxy should be held up to public ridicule and not allowed within a million miles of any position of authority (such as the Vice President of a major superpower) whereby they might encourage others to question such rigid dogma.
JOHN
September 4th, 2008 2:43pmIn the immortal words of Bill Clinton:
'she's a fairy tale'.
Verity
September 4th, 2008 3:06pmRay - She's not accustomed to giving big speeches in front of the world. I have a feeling she will develop into someone who can give an entire speech with only notes, but this was her first time out - and in front of a worldwide audience. She did very well indeed.
With the male voters, it doesn't hurt that she is very pretty and is comfortable around guns. And she got in a zouple of real zingers. The 'Greek columns' was excellent, I agree. So was the one about a small town mayor being like a "community organiser, I guess", but with the responsibility to make certain of the outcomes.
I think the gal nailed it. She has to learn to pronounce Iran and Iraq - but I have a feeling McCain's people decided to let her pronunciation ride - no matter how it would play in DC - because she was, after all, addressing essentially a bunch of rednecks. They'll fix it before she speaks in public again.
I didn't even notice her accent, James. I thought her prsence was compelling. And America's full of accents. Nothing, thank God, are skin-crawl inducing as Estuary.
RMH writes: "America has massive rates of teen pregnancies.....". And your point?
What American teenagers get up to is your business in what way? How does it affect you? Does it impact on your income? Your TV licence? Your over-priced petrol prices? Your over-priced food prices? Your over-priced utility prices? The death of your liberties? Could you let us know how American teenage pregnancies are your business, please? I see you even compiled a chart about teenage pregnancies below. You would appear to be ... just a wee bit ... pruriently obsessive about this. I'd pipe down if I were you.
RMH again: "Wants unfettered gun control." Incorrect. Your hormones are all a-dither. She doesn't believe in gun control.
For the one-millionth time, what the president and the vice president "want" in the way of gun control is one million per cent irrelevant. The states are independent. Geddit? This means, the citizens of each of the 50 states govern themselves. Unlike Britain, which is governed from the top down. Governor Palin believes in NO gun control (exept licences, which is what they have in Alaska). Alaska is one of 50 states. Dear God.
Maisie, you seem to be the odd ball. you are not of the right if you don't believe in the right to bear arms but would rather trust the police. Putting your entire trust in the police makes you a servant of the state. How sad for you. You are not of the right. You're a slithering lefty. Get thee to the styrofoam columns and worship at the temple of Obama!
"Creationist" ... the spiteful, destructive left are trying to make someone who adheres to the Christian or Jewish faith a loony. Sorry, you nut jobs, but the entire modern world was invented by Christians and Jews and they acknowledge that there is a supreme being in some form somewhere. When the did the Left become such loony, obsessive militant atheists? But they put a lot of energy into deflecting the point of any thread they hop onto.
Frank Pulley - agree with every word. She relished her moment and she did a fine job. She knew she was speaking in front of the world, which must have been very daunting, but she pulled it off. Agree with you; she is fit to follow McCain into the White House, by which time she will be more seasoned and smoother - I have a feeling this one is a very fast learner - and she will be a president to be reckoned with.
Obama is nowhere. Gone like the insubstantial morning mist. McCain was a brave man to take this chance and it is going to pay off in a major way.
When he sends Sarah Palin off on official trips, people are going to pay attention. She has much more natural authority, and drive, than Condoleezza Rice. And in four years' time, she'll only be 50 - absolutely ideal.
I will place a bet right now for 2012 - Palin-Jindal.
Guy Incognito
September 4th, 2008 3:13pm@RMH: "After 3 days solid practice"? Pretty cheap. She has had quite a few distractions - what with people saying her youngest child is actually her grandson, her daughter's a slut, that she had an affair, that her uncle was Hitler and that she shot JFK. Under the circumstances, I think this was a real demonstration of poise under fire.
Hysteria
September 4th, 2008 3:26pmWhat Verity and Guy Incognito said.
I too watched the coverage live - if there was any nervousness I didn't spot it - which given the audience is pretty amazing in itself. (that she wasn't nervous - not that I didn't spot it....!)
Once she answers some of the more serious flip-flop allegations (the bridge to nowhere being a case in point) then she'll be in good shape.
Craig Strachan
September 4th, 2008 3:29pmVerity: "I will place a bet right now for 2012 - Palin-Jindal."
Well, after McCain goes down like Goldwater this year they'll need to do something radical in '12 to try to deny Obama a second term.
Verity
September 4th, 2008 3:31pmGuy Incognito - I totally agree with your dismissiveness of all the silly, panicky accusations against her ... but, well JFK was shot 40 years ago when she was around 15 and, like most kids brought up around guns, she was probably a good shot by that age. Do we know if she has an alibi?
Conservative Cabbie
September 4th, 2008 3:39pmDennis at 12:34:
Re your creationist request. She was asked during a gubernatorial debate whether she supported creationism being taught in schools. She replied that she believed that it should be debated in schools along with conventional science orthodoxy. She later clarified her remarks stating that creationism should not be part of the curriculum.
"I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum." Sarah Palin quoted in the Anchorage Daily news. Hardly the rabid fundamentalist that some are portraying her.
Hope that answers your question.
Verity
September 4th, 2008 4:04pmInteresting how the malicious, inadequates (they're always ugly people; have you noticed?) are working to change the words Christianity and Judaism into Creationism in a sly, malice-spiked effort to undermine the two great religions that are the underpinnings of Western civilisation. They couldn't have got as far as they have without the spitting, hissing, roiling lefty media.
jb
September 4th, 2008 4:24pmNo Verity-JFK was shot 45 years ago which is before Sarah Palin was born.
Not that that will stop the accusation being made against her judging by the last few days.
Verity
September 4th, 2008 4:27pmIt doesn't hurt that she is very pretty and has a very good-looking family. And the son-in-law to-be (if he knows what's good for him) is also a handsome young fellow.
People are drawn to attractive people. Which is why Gordon Brown - other than his own constituency in which his family is very powerful - would never be elected prime minister.
Humans don't like ugly.
Verity
September 4th, 2008 4:30pmYou're right, jb. Bad math.
JONNY
September 4th, 2008 5:30pmI cannot understand the praise heaped on her 'speech'.
I've heard or seen replays of most of it, and my reaction is instant dislike.
It deviated between the mawkish and the spiteful.
When it wasn't mawkish it was spiteful.
When it wasn't spiteful it was mawkish.
When it was neither it was nothing.
Lorily Vargas
September 4th, 2008 5:42pmI heard them and glad someone compiled a list. These people continue to lie, twist and mislead... Its disgusting listening to the gushing, ooing and ahing today. Talk about more of the same!
But, now that Palin has identified herself as a pitbull in lipstick and debuted in just that fashion, she, her campaign or the sycophants can whine when she gets it dished cold back at her.
Furthermore, I stumble in the clash awhile ago the Presidential Campaign TV Ads Getting a Little Nasty!, featuring her running mate McCain and their counterpart Obama. sooner or later you knew it had to start! The media is begging for it and the people want to see some fight in their candidates. So here ya go…and I am sure this is only the beginning.
dennis
September 4th, 2008 5:46pmOscar, Miserere Mei Deus, Conservative Cabbie
Thanks for your thoughts on Mrs Palin's alleged creationism.
From all this I can't see any evidence that she is a young Earth 6 day literalist, or even that she denies any significant role to evolutionary processes in animal/human development.
Further clarification - preferably from a source close to the nominee - is needed though if I'm to get my £25!
Craig Strachan
September 4th, 2008 6:17pmFergus Pickering: "Most Americans hold the views that she does about most things"
Peggy Noonan doesn't seem to think so - she has recently made it clear that she thinks Republicans can no longer assume that their base represents the American mainstream.
Which is why a base-appeasing pick like Palin would be risky, even if she were qualified.
TGF UKIP
September 4th, 2008 7:05pmWOW! Political five star quality! Any conservative Coffee Housers who haven't seen the speech in full I strongly suggest you get your asses over to Americano for a real treat.
And how splendid to see and hear a real conservative again; if only she was British and leading the Tory Party instead of the sodden, liberal, ultra pc, social democrat you lot have got at present, I could vote for the Conservative Party again.
Frank Pulley
September 4th, 2008 7:15pmNobody has socked it to 'em as effectively as that since Jeannie C Riley did it to 'The Harper Valley PTA.' (circa 1968).
Verity
September 4th, 2008 7:17pmI can't wait to see her in the VP debates. This is going to be good. She's a hunter. Once she has something in her sights, she kills it. Raw meat. Oh, well, Biden's had a good run for his money.
Palin Fan
September 4th, 2008 9:35pmBetter than Biden's and Hillary's!
Oscar
September 4th, 2008 10:35pmDennis - this article in LGF "Palin Has Not Pushed Creationism as Governor" might help you win your bet:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/31135_Palin_Has_Not_Pushed_Creationism_as_Governor