Expect Palin to do well giving her speech - but it won't matter.

[grantcart]

If you take any reasonable person and work with them for about 20 hours you can have a dramatic impact on their ability to deliver a great speech. Of course some people will have stage fright but beyond that it is absolutely not a big deal to give a single speech that you have been well prepared for.

So if she "hits a grand slam" or "ignites a firstorm across America" or "gives a compelling case" tonight - and the conservative critics are already working on their replies as we speak before the first words are spoken expect to hear every tired sports cliche within minutes of the end.

Of course the obvious point is that she will not have written any of it and may only understand part of it.

But none of it matters because on Friday the real circus will start and that is when will she start answering questions from the press? Then every answer will scruitinized by the media. And they will try to put her into a cocoon and restrict her access to the press. The media will resent it and get more aggressive.

[NJmaverick]

Short of running off stage in tears, how does one even mess up

a giving a speech someone wrote for you and allowed you a couple of days to practice?

[BeyondGeography]

1. The McCain campaign is ripping the media AND restricting access

Only a matter of time before they get even.

[gatorboy]

2. I'd say no one will be watching but I think alot of people are curious about this freak show.

[ronnykmarshall]

3. She got to finish with ...

"and world peace".

[sharp_stick]

4. I hope she's so nervous

that she vomits on the front row of fundie loving whackos. The more I learn about Palin, the more nervous she makes me, this lady is not only uniquely unqualified for the job she sounds more nuts than shrub and darth.

[No Elephants]

5. Her speech will be written for her and we all know she has good delivery. She's been a

broadcaster and she's done a number of campaigns, starting with Wasilia Town Council. Of course it is not going to matter if she delivers the speech well. No one should be impressed by that.

[Lucinda]

10. They may also incorporate part of the pro-life speech she was

scheduled to make at the convention prior to the Veep selection. That would make it easier to be ready to deliver the new material.

[DangerDave921]

13. Dosen't everyone have writers?

Seriously, doesn't every candidate have speech writers? I would assume Obama has them too. And I assume Obama rehearsed his speech a lot too.

I'm not sure what the point of this thread is. If she gives a lousy speech, she's a loser. And if she gives a great speech, she's still a loser?

[orwell]

14. Obama has writers...

...but he wrote the speech you saw on Thursday night and the race speech. He also wrote both of his books.

Obama writes more of his own material than any other major politician.

But he's never been mayor of a small town...

[DangerDave921]

15. LOL

Thanks for the info. I didn't know he wrote his own speeches himself. I assumed he had played a big part in it, but not that he wrote it.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. well the bar has been set pretty low with pickles, dead fred and whiny joe

What a series of hacks I suffered through last night, just so that I could "know what the enemy is up to and saying". If Palin shows up with any sort of pulse and heartbeat, they will consider it a success.

[liberal N proud]

7. How many times do you think she has rehearsed the speech?

From a Washington Post article:

In the speech, Palin is likely to emphasize her areas of policy expertise -- particularly energy and political reform -- rather than focusing on her biography or gender. An initial version of the address, which speechwriter Matthew Scully started crafting a week ago for an unnamed male vice-presidential pick, included plenty of attacks aimed at Democratic nominee Barack Obama along with ample praise for McCain, aides said. But they said Palin's speech will focus more on substantive matters.

"There's an expectation that she doesn't have a depth of knowledge on issues," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds. "That's absurd."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/03/AR2008090301176.html?hpid=topnews

[nickn777]

9. She could babble incoherently for 30 minutes.....

and it will be reviewed as "brilliant".

[grantcart]

11. about 15 times more than that and it becomes counter productive

The other thing is that they will edit out the areas that she seems to be having problems with.

As long as she doesn't have any nerve proble she will "perform" fine and that is what it is a performance



The real test is when she has to face the naional media.

[Egnever]

8. I dont know she looked sick to her stomache on the walk through

I think she is going to say the right things but sound terribly unsure of herself.

We will see tonight but you are right the real game starts when she has to hit the trail and is no longer shielded.

[cliffordu]

12. That's a great point and a world class meme:

How much of this speech did she really understand??