The Eight Hundred Word Answer is "Yes"

Discussing Gov. Palin's record, the Washington Post writes:

People are still buzzing about Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's acceptance speech. But while her style has been minutely analyzed, very little commentary has focused on one of the few substantive claims she made about her brief tenure as governor of Alaska: that she "fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history . . . a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence." Is Ms. Palin right about the importance of the pipeline and her role in moving it forward?

They beat around the bush a bit, but over all they give a favorable assessment of her performance.

The oil companies flared off gas on the North Slope for thirty years while multiple layers of Government squabbled amongst themselves and with Industry about a pipeline. Meanwhile, environmental groups and their lawsuits raised the hurdles high. Gov. Palin broke the logjam and got it rolling.

Of course the WP has to end a positive assessment with a snark remark: "Perhaps her Democratic opponent for the governorship in 2006, who campaigned on similar ideas, would have achieved these results. Nevertheless, Ms. Palin actually did." Perhaps in four years they can voice a similar lament about the Obama/Biden ticket. "The Democrats campaigned on World Peace and ending poverty. Nevertheless..."

Convention lifts McCain over Obama

More evidence of a McCain Bounce from USATODAY.com

The Republican National Convention has given John McCain and his party a significant boost, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken over the weekend shows, as running mate Sarah Palin helps close an "enthusiasm gap" that has dogged the GOP all year.

McCain leads Democrat Barack Obama by 50%-46% among registered voters, the Republican's biggest advantage since January and a turnaround from the USA TODAY poll taken just before the convention opened in St. Paul. Then, he lagged by 7 percentage points.

The convention bounce has helped not only McCain but also attitudes toward Republican congressional candidates and the GOP in general.

Hmm. The bounce moves down ticket. Uh-Oh for the Dems. Among likely voters, McCain leads Obama by 54%-44%.

A Hug for McCain

The normally barely reliable Zogby International has a new poll with McCain/Palin up four points (49.7 percent to 45.9 for Obama/Biden). And there is this interesting tidbit:

McCain's favorability rating increased from 50% favorable last week to 57% favorable now, a significant jump that indicates the GOP convention was a success. Among independent voters, 61% now have a favorable impression of him, compared to just 49% who said the same a week ago.

If "favorablility" is 61 percent among independents it must be 47 percent among Republicans. But hey, they got to vote for him to vote for Gov. Palin. "To get to Palin, you'll have to go through me," says McCain.

It seems the Democrat machine's attacks on Gov. Palin was a double backfire: it drove a hug audience -- excuse me, a huge and sympathetic audience -- for her speech and a subsequent, and surprising, "hug" audience for McCain's. It was called "workmanlike" and "State of the Unionish." But the portions about his military service and his years as a prisoner must have really grabbed people (most of the folks watching the broadcast would have had little idea of what he went through). The entire Republican Party ended the week in a group hug. Hopefully they won't be complaining about each others garlic breath and BO by election day.

I have friend who is very much a Democrat base voter who was telling me a story from his navy days a few months back. He was an enlisted man on an aircraft carrier. I mentioned McCain was in the jet on the deck of the Forrestal that got hit by the rogue missile. He well knew the story of the raging fire and near loss of the ship but not McCain's involvement. He pretty much changed his voting intentions on the spot. Will it hold? Who knows.

It is still the Democrat's election to lose. I can only tell them, "keep up the good work."

The Huff's in a Puff

Labeling the choice of Gov. Palin as VP a distraction, Arianna Huffington writes:

And it's why Democrats need to ignore Palin, and keep the focus on reminding voters about the stark contrast between an Obama and a McCain administration. It's tempting to prime the Palin attack pump. But Obama and the Democrats do so at their own peril.

Now if they can only get Gov. Palin to likewise agree to ignore them, the Dem's might almost be out of Peril.

Ms. Jykell

The unemployment numbers came in at 6.1 percent. There was an “outreach program” at the Labor Department to let folks know they could get an additional 13 weeks of unemployment — that helps swell the numbers and that is swell for the Democrats in Congress. The offer of “money” will certainly help organizational efforts of the unemployed. If the Democrats lose this one you will have to put the entire party (and the MSM) on suicide watch.

With the choice of Palin and his speech last night, McCain has made a good start as “the outside reformer.” I thought Obama’s choice of Biden was a gift in that regard — and the gift might keep on giving.

Joe Biden talked of criminal investigations for the Bush administration the other day. Then he denied it on Fox — someone must have photoshoped that video tape! Of course the Vice President is the one who delivers the “over the top attacks.” The Presidential nominee must look more “Presidential.” So when Joe Biden talks of criminal investigations, he’s performing his political role — one that goes back to Eisenhower/Nixon if not before. This is “covering campaigns 101″ — and is well remembered in the case of Joe Biden.

But in the case Sarah Palin? Sarcastic Sarah? Mean Sarah? The Messiah Belittling Sarah? That behavior may be OK in male VPs, but woman should know better. This will come from the Left’s pet feminists — for whom there is only one standard and that is the “double” one.

WOW! POW!

On Wednesday the Democrats got hit by a truck. Knocked into the ditch, they looked up and saw Alaskan plates on the back (it also had a shotgun rack, an extended cab full of kids, and a moose carcass in the bed). The back plates said "Palin Comparison." And they thought, "Vanity plates! She's got Vanity Plates on her vehicle." And they picked themselves up, brushed themselves off and stepped back out on the road. And they thought, "OK, maybe she wowed 'em in HD, but here's how we'll pow her. It ain't the kids. It ain't the shotgun rack. It ain't the carcass of a state trooper in the back (that was murder but we'll let it go). We'll get her on the admitted use of lipstick! We'll get her on Vanity--"

Then they got hit by the next vehicle to come down the road and they spun around and flopped back down. It was suppose to be an old guy on a unicycle trying to juggle hostile constituencies while peddling through the muddied up Bushes but -- alas, he drove some sort of flex fueled vehicle that no one can quite identify. It weren't a flying saucer. It weren't a tank. It was some sort of hybrid of -- what and what?

Over at the Belmont Club, Richard Fernandez gives it a shot. Trying to identify the fin sticking out of the water that is causing the Democrats to hear deep, distant bass notes, Richard notes:

McCain’s speech was the declaration of someone with nothing left to prove. Any man who can admit that he was broken and afraid under interrogation is describing a kind of endurance, which while any intelligent person might understand, I think only men who have themselves been afraid can truly empathize with. There are places on that dark path which you know you could not have crossed through your strength alone. And whether you owe your emergence to luck or to God might be a matter for debate.

Well. OK. Enough seriousness. Let's get back to the Democrats, who look at the circling fin in the water, and what do they see? Or rather, what do they want you to see?

The Land Shark that is going to swim up the Mississippi River and eat you. Along with Social Security.

Now, if Rod Axle will just get busy, Sen. Obama will explain it all shortly. Let's see. Being a tortured POW has become Sen. McCain's political crutch. The presidency is not a rehab program for the mentally scarred. No. Ah. Here it is: He's going to destroy Social Security! And, and, school choice. If you are for it or against it, vote for us!

Good Night for Sarah.

My instant analysis of Gov. Palin's speech: wow. On PBS Mark Shields thought her line that the Presidency is not "a journey of discovery" was belittling of Sen. Obama. He seems to think it was a sin. To me it sounded like good old politics -- and a fair hit on the man "who has authored two memoirs but not a single law." (I doubt if Mark liked that line, either).*

A note: they said McCain had studied recordings of her speeches before selecting her. I thought he had not vetted her? Do they renounce their earlier reporting?

UPDATE: I quoted the above from memory. The full quote is: "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."