I listened to the first part on the radio and got to my TV just after the protests--all you could really hear were these full-throated "USA USA" chants that sounded wierd and chaotic.  When I came in to see the speech, the place looked entirely like a morgue.  It wasn't really clear how much of this was from the fallout of the protesters, but there was a palpable sense--it seemed to me--that the speech was an absolute bomb.  There was no emotion in the crowd at all, half-hearted applause, people standing but clearly without any conviction.  They looked pretty dazed, as if all their seratonin had been used up in Palin's "Slap-the-Liberal" fest.  McCain's words on paper were fine, but it was dead.  Finally it picked up with the POW stuff, but really, I think you've have to call it a stinker.

As far as Palin, don't despair, don't hold back on the legitimate issues.  Blog vetting on her many problems were not the problem, with the exception of the far-fetched Bristol is Trig's mom story, which clearly backfired (no surprise there.)  But that only served to take the focus off of the earmarking, Cheneyesque aspects of Palin.  Face it, her speech was 75% red meat and 25% canned zingers and telegenic ability.  She was a complete laughing stock for 6 days and she of course is not as ridiculous--when she can control the air with no questions--as she was made out to be.  But she isn't going to get any better than that.

We are going to win.  We need to fight for it.  Donate, Hit the streets, phone bank, talk with love and patience to those who can be reached.  The Earmark Queen and McSame of 7 Houses are going down, and we're going to take them there.