In his first reaction to Sarah Palin's speech last night, Chris Matthews said something interesting, and in my view, correct - there was no Hillary Clinton in Sarah Palin's speech last night.

When backed against the political wall in February by an attacking, hostile and sexist Media and a string of lopsided primary and caucus defeats - Hillary Clinton became a fighter, but not for herself, but for working class voters and women. She championed issues and talked about their concerns. Before our very eyes, Hillary Clinton became a great politician. By contrast, while Palin offered her appealing biography, she did not talk about the issues the working class voters care about. Instead she gave a sort of Republican version of Ann Richards' 1988 Democratic Convention keynote speech. Of course Republicans loved their red meat, but it was a missed opportunity for Palin (and for the McCain campaign that decided what would be in this speech.) More . . .

Joe Biden on Sarah Palin's media coverage:

Asked if some of the criticism aimed at Palin has been sexist, Biden said: "Yes, by you guys in the media. ... When I heard that media response, you know, this coming from some of the right-wing guys, saying that, 'Well, how can you be a mother and a vice president at the same time?' ... I mean, millions of women in America are going through exactly what she (is going) through. And guess what? They can handle it."

Amen.

Biden on Palin's speech: [more ...]

Harry Reid responds to Sarah Palin's speech in which she said Reid can't stand John McCain:

Jim Manley, spokesman for Senator Reid: "Anyone who knows Senator Reid knows he never backs down when he's fighting for what's right and that he always stands up to John McCain when he is wrong. Shrill and sarcastic political attacks may fire up the Republican base, but they don't change the fact that a McCain-Palin administration would mean four more years of failed Bush-Cheney policies."

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Senator Obama issued this response to Gov. Palin's speech:

The speech that Governor Palin gave was well delivered, but it was written by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years. If Governor Palin and John McCain want to define 'change' as voting with George Bush 90% of the time, that's their choice, but we don't think the American people are ready to take a 10% chance on change."

Obama took a few hits tonight from Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee on his experience. I think unless he confronts that argument head-on, the attacks will increase and begin to resonate. He can't do it by relying on Biden, unless it's in the context of combined ticket experience.

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Wow, that didn't take long. The Washington Post reports the National Enquirer is alleging Gov. Sarah Palin had an extra-marital affair with a friend of her husbands. The McCain camp blasts the report.

But for John Edwards' affair turning out to be true, who would even give the National Enquirer a second thought?

Howard Kurtz writes:

The mainstream media might well have ignored the unsubstantiated allegation, as they did for eight months in the Edwards saga. But the McCain's team quick response in defending the Arizona senator's running mate had the effect, intentionally or otherwise, of giving the story more prominence.

Also read the part about how Levi didn't want McCain naming him publically as the father of her daughter's child.[More...]

This AP article examines some of the ways Republican speakers (to put it nicely) "stretched the truth" tonight. An example:

PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform — not even in the state senate."

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Here's to Gov. Palin and her PTA experience. Can someone please tell her she's running for the Vice Presidency of the United States, not Cheerleader in Chief for John McCain.

For her cheap shot at Miranda rights, my gloves are coming off.

Oh, and her praise of the line item veto? Her first use of it cut funding for homes for unwed mothers.

More speech thoughts?

The pre-scripted, ready made for prime time Sarah Palin is beginning her speech.

Live blog in comments.

Updates below.

A condensation of Rudy Giuliani's convention speech:

We always tell you that this is the most important election ever. It's never true. Except this time.

If you were hiring someone for a job, would you hire a foot soldier in the Reagan revolution or a [guffaw and sneer] "community organizer"?

Did you know John McCain was a POW?

It was so tough for Obama to decide whether to vote yes or no in the Illinois legislature that he voted "present" 130 times. When I was mayor, and when Palin was mayor and governor, we didn't vote "present." (Of course, mayors and governors don't vote at all, but let's move on.)

Obama was a celebrity senator. Republicans don't have celebrity politicians, unless you count Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sonny Bono.

A president needs to stay awake until 3 a.m. Hillary could do that. Can Obama stay awake that late? I don't think so. [more ...]

A condensation of Mike Huckabee's convention speech.

The elite media have unified Republicans. The media are tacky and so is Madonna.

I respect Obama's historic achievement [tepid applause] but he'll raise your taxes and get us all killed.

Gas is expensive. You want something to change -- but not the party that controls the White House.

Obama was brainwashed by European ideas when he went overseas. Americans want American ideas.

Republican heroes are Jesus, Elvis, and FDR. We're not elite and we don't need no stinkin' government.

[more ...]

A condensation of Mitt Romney's convention speech:

Liberals are bad. Ronald Reagan and John McCain and Sarah Palin are good. George Bush goes unmentioned.

Drilling is good. Al Gore is bad.

Republicans believe there is good and evil in the world. Islam is evil. So is Barack Obama.

Republicans prefer straight talk to politically correct talk. In other words, we make fun of anyone who isn't straight.

I'm proud to be an American even though I'm not wearing a flag pin on my lapel.

I think we are all getting a little punchy waiting for the speech of the century to begin.

While I don't want to watch because I know it's scripted and not the real candidate but the candidate as reinvented by campaign and media professionals, how could I not?

The content of what she says is the least important part. It's not her. It's what they prepared for her to say, with a few modifications for her own personality.

Update: Oh, and Gov. Sarah Palin's aide is now refusing to be deposed in TrooperGate. First, she tries to move the investigation from the legislature to the Executive Branch (of which she's a part) and now her aide says he won't cooperate or be deposed. Stall, stall, stall. Whatever happened to "Hold me accountable." See, her words mean nothing.

So I'm trying to think of a song for our late night post. Suggestions?

This is another open thread before the speech open thread.