What I Heard Last Night: Fear and Loathing From the Left

I see we're all busy to do much posting. 

I liked last night for several reasons.  I really liked Giuliani, Huckabee and Romney.  I didn't like all their policies all that much, but, as speakers with some wit and intelligence, you have to give them kudos in a big way. 

I have to admit, I really liked Fred's speech the other night, too.

Palin was good, but I think she could do better.  I think they actually held her back.  I think it's one thing they are going to try hard to manage.  They want Palin to be tough and smart, but they don't want to spoil the "hockey mom" approachability.  In short, they want her to be Hillary lite, smart and articulate, capable of handling power, but still willing to actually bake cookies and trade recipes.  Hillary got branded "angry woman" and everyone remembers the "cook book" fiasco. 

They won't be able to help that some people will see Palin in that light anyway.  They won't be able to help that people will see her intelligence and "straight talk" as some sort of brisk, brash and "unwomanly" (ugh) personality.  There are people who still think that women in power should just be "nice" and "compassionate" and not worry about the bottom line or the outcome because they are women first. 

Women in business are supposed to care that someone is upset or crying.  Men, on the other hand, if they give you a kleenex and send you to the bathroom to cry alone, are not considered to have done anything wrong because they are "just men."  A woman that does that, everybody thinks, "cold hearted." 

That is the type of thing that Palin on the ticket has to battle and balance.  Believe that image is a very large part of this election.  So, that means that Palin is going to get hit from both the misogynists and the feminists.  They are each going to take their swings at her and she is going to be walking that tight wire without giving up her position as an intelligent, capable candidate for vice president who just happens to be a woman. 

I think Palin could have really ripped the Obama/Biden ticket harder and would have liked to.  I think her one off the cuff remark (a reprise of an earlier comment pre-convention) re: Hockey Moms, pitbulls and lipstick may have been a funny line, but right then, I think that was a little shot across the bow of the Obama campaign that messing with her family was not going to go unanswered.

In speaking with others who watched the speeches, I had picked up a few lines I wanted to share:

Palin Panic - The Panic the left felt "tingling up their leg" about half way through Palin's speech when they realized that she was for real, she was not going to fall down and she actually had something intelligent to say.

My Truck Runs on Alaskan Oil - Proposed bumper sticker (I'd buy one)

Drill, baby, Drill! - Caught on after the Texas RR Commissioner's speech.  I think that guy has a future in politics. ;)  Can I get this as a bumper sticker, too?

.50 Cal Palin - Military's newest weapon.  You can run, but you'll just die tired.

Update: Oh...did I say I loved Palin's line: We don't like candidates who talk about us one way in Scranton and another in San Francisco.  I felt all bitter and clingy right then and it felt damn good.