A star is born

Sarah Palin gave the moribund MSM a jolt of terrifying electricity last night, eh. I personally loved the delicious hint of a snarl that lay at the edge of her smile, which seemed to appear whenever she was ginning up to respond to the outlandish attacks on her and her family in the last week -- as if to say, "You guys really wanna pick on the young daughter of this mama bear?"

She tore the mask off, among other things, the difference between her ticket and Obama-Biden. She named names and shouted things from the rooftop that many Republicans secretly think but are too chicken to whisper; and she drove a maternal knife into the heart of the Democratic/liberal media dragon.

Where to start?

The very sight of her husband and children on stage, affectionately framing the presence of button-cute baby Trig -- you can't buy that kind of marketing. In her speech she came across as assertive, confident and fearless, announcing that the gloves are officially off and that much more is at stake for America than the tiny victory of any one Party. Very impressive considering seven days ago she went to bed thinking she'd be Governor of Alaska for the indefinite future and woke up in the sharp glare of the world's news media.

No zangy orange pantsuits, no Greek columns, no rock concert aspirations, no uber-poetical turns of phrase.

Just a solid woman with something to say.

Raquel Welch meets a schoolmarm meets a pit bull with lipstick.