In a brilliant speech last night, GOP Veep nominee Sarah Palin inspired the delegates and remained in possession of the hill, despite determined Left-wing attempts to drive her off. By the way, according to the AP, Palin's speech was seen by 40 million viewers on six networks, versus 38 million on 10 networks for Obama's acceptance speech.

Tonight, John McCain turned in a generally strong performance. He consolidated Palin's energizing of the base by repudiating the Beltway GOP's abandonment of conservative principles, at the same time reminding independents and Reagan Democrats that he represents a changed GOP.

He embraced change as a theme, but reminded viewers that it's not just change for its own sake. He laid out a conservative case for reform and emphasized the differences between him and Obama in terms of taxes, the size and role of government, and belief in the free market.

I realize the Left is dismisses McCain as a "biography candidate," but whether they like it or not his experience as a POW is a compelling one that reveals the sturdy character of the man. He is an oak to Obama's reed.

And while McCain again recounted his ordeal in Hanoi, he told it differently, at least differently than I had heard before. He recounted, directly and without self-pity, how his POW experience had been a strange blessing that sheered away his self-absorption and led him to realize that service to country and others was a higher calling than service to one's selfish interests. I think it gave Americans a fresh insight into how McCain's patriotism is bound up with hard-learned humility.

I've never considered McCain an inspiring orator, but that closing peroration exhorting the delegates and viewer to "fight with me" was genuinely stirring.

Elections aren't won at the national conventions, but a successful convention is critical to winning the sprint to November. Against the odds, the McCain has pulled off a very successful gathering. He needed to energize the base, and succeeded in spades via Sarah Palin. He made a strong start at reaching out to independents and swing Democrats. He killed Obama's convention bounce, crowded him on the "change" message and has actually made his ticket as exciting as Obama's.

It is an entirely new race, Republicans are charged up and I think McCain is positioned to win. 

I have been active in politics for nearly 20 years, and during Gov. Sarah Palin's speech last night I witnessed a level of electricity, the sheer exuberance and intensity of support unlike anything I can remember.

Sarah Palin demonstrated to the world why the Left views her with terror and loathing, and why they are so determined to destroy her.

The crowd was primed with anticipation. Delegates deeply wanted her to not only succeed, but to hit it out of the park. A flop by Palin would have demoralized and seriously wounded John McCain's chances of winning in November.

Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani did superb jobs at revving up the delegates. At some point, the Republican throng acquired a life of its own, initiating the cheers and chants rather than responding to the prompting of the speakers, and almost overwhelming Giuliani. The exuberance reached such a crescendo that floor managers fanned out asking us not to cheer so much because it was putting the speeches behind schedule and starting to push Palin out of prime time.

Like my friend Josh Trevino, I don't know if the loudness, excitement and electricity was transmitted intact to viewers TV screens, but it was something to behold. I think a large part is because a demoralized GOP base, fatigued by the GOP Congress's and Bush Administration's abondment of domestic conservatism, has found providentially found the person who can rejeuvenate the conservative base that has been the foundation of Republic success for the last 30 years.

I pointed out yesterday that the ferocious media assault on Palin has catalyzed huge public interest in her, and afford her an enormous audience for her speech of a lifetime.

And Ii was right. According to Nielsen, 37.2 million viewers watched Sarah Lain last night -- slightly more than tuned into Barack Obama's much-hyped acceptance speech last week.

I haven't seen any polls, but my guess is she was a huge hit with the voters with whom she needs to be a huge hit.

The content of the speech was brilliant, and she delivered some real zingers directly at Obama and Biden -- and they were delivered in a manner that was tough and direct without being mean or off-putting. And the media onslaught of the last week gave her, in my opinion, greater latitude in striking back. After the attacks she and her family have endured, most Americans will think it only fair that she get in some licks of her own.

Personally, I think last night's speech was a watershed moment for Palin and conservatism, and in retrospect will be pointed to as one of those moments, like Ronald Reagan's 1964 "Time for Choosing" speech, that demarcates a new era for the conservative movement. I don't think there has been a time in modern American political history when a VP pick so electrified party regulars -- not just as a great running mate, but as a future nominee. Last night, I heard excited talk about a Palin-Jindal ticket in 2012 or 2016.

Palin was such a huge hit last night, that she will be a tough act for John McCain to follow tonight. We'll see how it goes.

Following is the text of Governor Palin's speech:

I just watched the first part of Obama's interview with Bill O'Reilly, which focused on national security: the War on Terrorism, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan.

On the subject of a nuclear-armed Iran, O'Reilly tried to elicit something specific from Obama other than he thinks an Iran with nukes is "unacceptable" and he won't take any options "off the table." O'Reilly kept at him to give some detail about how a President Obama would respond, but Obama retreated behind the excuse that neither he nor John McCain should "tip our hand" to Iran.

Huh?

This is the same Obama who immediately following this interview, accused the Republican ticket of not offering any specific plans for addressing domestic issues, but when it comes to foreign affairs -- the primary responsibility of the presidency -- Obama can't "tip his hand"?

When Ronald Reagan ran for president in 1980 in another time of maximum peril for the West, he had no problem spelling out his policies vis-a-vis our enemy, the Soviet Union. And that worked out pretty well.

All eyes and ears will be on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in a couple of hours. She'll either hit it out of the park, or crash and burn and be reduced to a female Dan Quayle.

My gut and mind tell it will be the former. She's got moxie, the kind that stems from belief in herself and her principles, moral and political. As we saw on Friday, she's an effective and inspiring speaker.

The attacks on Palin and her family have been so vicious and over-reaching, that they will create sympathy for Palin, rather than the contempt felt by the Left. Most Americans watching tonight relate to her far more than to Obama or Biden, and I think they will want her to succeed.

The media tornado surrounding Palin and her family guarantees a much higher-than-usual viewership than a VP nominee would ordinarily attract. If Palin hits a home run, she and the McCain ticket will emerge from this convention stronger than ever, the post-convention bounce will be even bigger, and her tormentors will look like trolls.

Judging from this excerpts from her speech, the bridge trolls of the Left will be disappointed:

I've been taking the temperature of conservatives to gauge how their enthusiasm for Sarah Palin has been affected by the news of that her 17-year old daughter is five-months pregnant. Not just among activists, but regular, non-political types.

I spoke yesterday morning with two Alaska delegates, Dr. Jason Rampton  and his wife Valerie. They described Palin as "a breath of fresh air" in Alaska politics, someone who is genuine and accessible.

When I asked about Bristol Palin's pregnancy, Valerie's response was, "Their family handled it the way they handle everything: they were open about it, and took responsibility."

"Is it embarrassing for them? Yes. Is it a tragedy? Yes. But it happens to families," Valerie continued.

That's emblematic of the reaction I've gotten. Conservatives I've spoken with see it for what it is: something that has happened to families from the beginning of time, something that happens to healthy families and to dysfunctional families alike. And when it happens to a religious family, it doesn't make them hypocrites, must human beings prone to failure like anyone else.

It stands in polar opposition to how media liberals think conservatives would react, because to the liberal mind, conservative (and especially religious conservatives) are hateful, narrow-minded bigots who will turn on anyone who deviates from their perception of perfection. I think it must be projection by the Left

Contrary to the hopes of the Left, I don't believe Bristol Palin's pregnancy is going to hurt her mother's standing with conservatives religious voters. As hard as it may be for American lefties to understand, those folks's relgious values are founded in love, forgiveness and redemption.

While the fear and loathe her, I didn't think the media elite and Leftosphere fully appreciate the impact Sarah Palin is having on the GOP.  At first, their prejudiced perceptions about religious conservatives rendered them unable to understand why they didn't run Palin out on a rail once the revelation about her daughter's pregnancy surfaced.

Once her explosive popularity with conservatives became impossible to ignore, the new line was her pick energized the base.

Which is does. But that energy is spreading beyond the conservative party grassroots.

I'm watching WaPo columnist Sally Quinn on CNN, churning out her hypocritical attack on Sarah Palin.

Quinn's line of attack is that Palin shouldn't be Veep because she has to many kids, including one who's an infant with Down's syndrome.

It's entertaining to watch paloe-feminists like Quinn suddenly claiming that a woman cannot balance work and child-rearing, and that children must come before career.

Fortunatley, CNN Soledad O'Brien is having none of her nonsense and challenging Quinn's assumptions. If it were MSNBC, the anchor would be nodding dumbly in agreement.

O'Brien pointed out to Quinn that each individual is different: some mothers can hardly handle one child, while others can effectively parent much larger broods.

more after the jump...

Rumores had been circulating that President Bush's canceled speech to the convention would be uncanceled, and he'd speak to the delegates tonight.

It turns out that is true...kind of. I was watching White House Press Secretary Dana Perino and she confirmed the Prez would address conventioneers, but via satellite.

I'm not convinced that's a good idea. On one hand, it's hard not to invute the incumbent President of your party. But Obama is running more against Bush than John McCain, and the President's appearance would seem to assist that strategy. Plus, the GOP base is acutely aware that George W. Bush, by refusing to discipline for GOP Congress' spending excess, bears a large part of the blame for the emaciation of the national Republican Party.

Hurricane Gustav was a providential opportunity for Bush to excuse himself from the convention, and letting that opportunity escape may not be the best idea.

Bloomberg reports on Obama top honcho David Axelrod's appearance on their "Political Capital  with Al Hunt" program, talking about Obama's acceptance speech and the lack of a post-convention bounce.

Obama's attacks on McCain struck me as as self-conscious attempt at seeming tough, along with the borderline self-ptying denunciations of attacks on his patriotism that no ine is making.

Bloomberg:

Axelrod said that Obama's criticism of McCain, 72, was stronger than in past speeches, and defended the harsher language. In his 45-minute speech last night in Denver, Obama criticized McCain's judgment on the war in Iraq, the economy and his support of President George W. Bush.

``The American people are willing to tolerate fair contrasts,'' Axelrod said. ``If they feel you are being fair, they don't mind you being tough.''

Well, how about if you are unfair? As when Obama accused McCain of thinking anyone who makes less than $5 million dollars is m middle class. Obama knew full well that McCain's remark at the Saddleback Civil Forum was a joke, and yet he told 30 million Americans that is what McCain actually believes.

more after the jump...

The American Left, always quick to bellow about the presumption of innocence when it involves one of their own, is giddy about news reports that an Alaskan state Senate committee is investigating Gov. Sarah Palin for allegedly abusing her authority by allegedly pressuring the state public safety commissioner to fire Trooper Mike Wooten, her former brother-in-law.

Is it true?

Or more accurately, does the Left blogosphere care whether or not it is true? Of course not! The Palin choice caught them off guard and they're stunned, not to mention angry at how it McCain has outflanked Obama and short-circuited coverage of his America-as-desolate-wasteland acceptance speech.

The allegation is a club laying conveniently nearby. The truth of the allegations is a purely secondary consideration.

H/T to Hugh Hewitt for point me to this post by Beldar, which sheds light on the charges. Good to see the Left is so concerned that someone like John Wooten continues his career in law enforcement.

As an aside, it's entertaining to watch a Democratic Party, where ethnic and gender bean-counting is second nature and selecting people based on race or gender is standard-operating-procedure, suddenly taking offense at what they think is a gender-driven appointment.