Well it looks like Claudia Jean was right: the ball sailed out of the park last night, at least as far as the party faithful was concerned. Of course, by the time she stood up, all she had to do was deliver a coherent sentence or two without one of her other daughters getting pregnant, for the roof to come off. But she did more than that: she had a punchy, funny speech to give and she delivered it brilliantly. I am starting to see how, in a weird way, her inexperience may keep the focus on Obama's inexperience (I love the line about how being Mayor is "like being a community organiser but with actual responsibilities"). He needs to avoid getting into a slanging match with her on that front at all costs. More generally, it looks like Palin will perform one of the traditional roles of a veep - attack dog - with enthusiasm and flair.
Her speech has brought a jittery GOP convention to life. Now it's over to you, John...
I wondered if you could cast some light on why being a community organiser is seen as such a bad thing by Republicans? I thought community engagement was a *good* thing. But the way the phrase is being used sounds like it's short hand for "drug dealer" or "disgusting socialist" or something. It would be great to get views on this...
Posted by: Elemjay | September 04, 2008 at 02:21 PM
Well apart from the fact that Obama used to be one...the modern community organising movement was founded by activists like Saul Alinsky who believed that people had to organise together to screw their employers and landlords or face being screwed by them...it's bound up with some of the radical grass-roots movements of the 1960s...anyway suffice to say it's not a tradition of which Republicans approve...
Posted by: Marbury | September 04, 2008 at 05:49 PM