Final Reaction Thread No. 2

Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker pretty much gave up on Sarah Palin September 26 when she said the governor "Is Clearly Out Of Her League."

Tonight didn't change her mind:

Well, darnit all, if that dadgum girl (wink, wink) didn't beat the tarnation out of Joe Biden. Maverick Sarah Palin fersure surpassed expectations and said everything under the sun, also. And Biden smiled and smiled.

Palin is a populist pro. She hit all the notes that resonate with non-elite Americans: family (Hi Mom and Dad!), "Can I call ya Joe?" personal responsibility, Wall Street greed, children with special needs. Her most effective technique was speaking directly to the American people and letting Joe know that's what she was gonna do, doggonit.

Stylistically, she used the language of the people to great effect. ...

I'll have to go to the transcript to figure out what Palin actually said and try to figure out whose facts were right. But there's no question she exceeded everyone's expectations and won the debate on popularity. She did her homework, studied hard, and delivered with spunk. Still, I had the uneasy feeling throughout that I was witnessing a data dump from a very appealing droid.

The Palindrone. Pull the string and out comes the canned reply. Don't interrupt or she'll lose her place.