OK, let’s get something out in the open here.
Palin will present a very good speech tonight. At least that is how the traditional media will see it. And I think we all know this. We all know about the expectations game, and while I’m not going to comment on the fundamental absurdity of evaluating a speech based on the fact you expected something much worse, let me just say this much: the world has gotten far too meta when all it takes for Sarah Palin to repackage herself is to be locked away for days being programmed simply not to fail as hard as everyone expects.
But it is what it is. That’s how Bush 43 got such favorable press coverage and that’s how the media will evaluate Palin tonight. Her opening days have been such a massive eruption of hot, bubbling chaos that the controlled environment of a prepared speech before an audience of applause-o-bots (like that tremendous tool who kept shouting "YAY" into the microphone last night) must be seen as a success by comparison.
The near term negative effect of this will be that, in the media’s eyes, Sarah Palin will be seen as "acceptable" as a Vice Presidential candidate. This is a tragedy, but I can’t see any way around it. So I’m writing this diary as a sort of anticipatory catharsis against the mediagasm that is to ensue tonight. I know you’re all with me on this. We’ll all be holding our ears and groaning. We’ll be throwing things at the TV. We’ll be sickened as even some of our liberal lights on TV "admit" she wasn’t that bad. But stay strong. When you hear things like this:
Tom Brokaw: Well, they needed her to "wow them". And boy did she.
Andrea Mitchell: A speech as dynamic, if not as eloquent, as that given by Senator Obama last week.
Chris Matthews: So, did this hockey mom just sew up the election for John McCain? I mean, how can Obama answer this speech? He can't. If you're Axelrod, you're really scratching your head tonight.
John King: Sarah Palin, putting a Republican face on reform, knocks one out of the park.
Campbell Brown: Putting the lie to claims she is inexperienced, Sarah Palin laid down some markers tonight.
We’ll get past this. If not the speech, the ebullient coverage will cause a small spike in the polls, and many of us will lose our nerve. THIS WE MUST NOT DO. Redouble your efforts. We will win. The future is ours.
But for tonight, Welcome to the Palindrome.