So, I just finished watching Palin's speech (not played live here in Australia)

[MrModerate]

And here's my short review. And my point of view might be of interest because I'm watching this election from half a world away, and so miss out on the daily cacophony of instant analysis and politics by soundbite that you guys are getting in the States.

1) She spoke reasonably well. She's clearly capable, with sufficient preparation, of getting the words out. Not all Republicans can say that.

2) The speech itself, while a horrorshow of rhetoric, was an efficient pastiche of applause getters -- many of which were clearly written into her script and for which she waited -- and which she played only moderately well. She clearly has no sense of cadence outside of soundbites.

3) IMO her incredibly smug, smarmy, snide, and (literally) sneering delivery will not wear well with non-zealots. At times she appeared to be channeling Dick Cheney, and not in a good way.

4) The MSM will gush over her for a cycle or two because she didn't swallow her tongue in Bushian fashion.

5) Ultimately I think the speech will be seen as destructive of the Republican cause because it was so.damned.mean. After all the fluffy talk of family and small towns, the downright meanness -- a hallmark of Republicanism as evidenced earlier in the evening by Giuliani -- began to ooze out of the edges of her speech. I already despise these people, so I wasn't surprised, but I think undecideds are going to conclude that they don't want to be in the same room with this bitch or even the same country.

6) There was only one truly unforgivable line in the speech -- the crap about Obama being only worried about reading Al Qaeda members their rights. This was a big red flag. Under McCain/Palin (or more frighteningly, under Palin) you can expect an expansion of torture, rendition, and US-based concentration camps for those to don't meet Ms. Palin's standards for "Americanism."

In summary, I'm kind of disappointed that she didn't strangle on her own spit, but I'm now thinking that she was probably selected because this level of performance was considered sufficiently Obamaesque to let them close the inspiration gap. Another example of McCain's bad judgment -- Since Reagan, there's been no one in the Republican party who can deliver a decent speech, so their standards have withered away.

Her grade? B-. I don't expect her to improve in future offerings.