Palin Warms GOP Hearts; Rudy Rips Obama

Sarah Palin passed her first big test with flying colors.

She gave a great speech with poise and humor. Her family and her personal story were clearly things that will help her connect with middle America.

Some of her best lines dealt with the criticism she has endured for her alleged lack of experience.

She pointed out that she had become the Mayor of her hometown and "that her opponents didn't think much of that experience". She went on to say that their criticism may have come from the fact that "they don't know what the job of Mayor requires". She continued, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening".

"We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco".

I loved it!

Earlier, Rudy Giuliani made me proud to have supported his candidacy. Rudy simply ripped Obama to shreds.

There were so many shots, I can barely remember them all. One of the good ones came after Rudy went through a list of Obama flip-flops, saying: "If I'm Joe Biden, I'm thinking I'd better get that VP thing in writing."

Rudy had one other line that was great, but may be lost in the Palin glow. He asked "how dare they ask how Gov. Palin can be a good mother and work as VP? Would they dare ask that of a man?"

Obviously, its a long way from a convention to the White House, but I know the Democrats are worried. The MSNBC crowd was nearly speechless at first after Palin was done. Andrea Mitchell was almost in tears as she asked Rudy if he didn't think his ridicule of Obama was too harsh.

He didn't.