It's a wonderful life

Sarah 'just your average hockey mom' Palin went from hunting down moose to hunting down Obama and the Democrat jugular during her speech to Republican delegates last night (GMT).   She revved up her audience with what was fairly standard 'they're the bad guys, we're the good guys' rhetoric suggesting a good cop / bad cop  deal between her and McCain.  Governor Palin's speech started with an introduction to the Palin family.  From her son, about to join the army in Iraq, to the nephew, serving in the navy out in the Persian Gulf, right down to her husband's Inuit heritage and her daughter's pregnancy, we were shown a family that represents the values and reality of america today.  The audience lapped it up but she should be careful as she has effectively opened up hostilities. Up until this week, there had been some sabre rattling but neither side had openly criticised the other with such vitriol.  Obama had even declared Palin's family 'Off Limits' during the media frenzy over the pregnancy.  John McCain gives his speech this evening, it will be interesting to see how the final hours of the convention play out in both tone and content. In the meantime, Katherine G. Steelye from the New York Times provides her take on Palin's speech.