Palin had three separate responsibilities: tell her story, boost McCain, and go on the attack (traditionally, a key VP role).
That's a difficult juxtaposition for a single speech.
She appeared more comfortable discussing her personal story that she did discussing McCain campaign rhetoric.
Her family references were personal and powerful, especially her promise to be "a friend and advocate in the White House" for special needs children and "as the mother of one of those troops.
" Her allusion to the recent controversy concerning her daughter's pregnancy no doubt connected with millions of American families: "Our family has the same ups and downs as any other ...
the same challenges and the same joys.
" She has a folksy, irreverent,"everyday American" style which includes putting the state's luxury jet on eBay.
She appeared to have a more "just reading the text" style in some policy areas such as discussing the "pipeline in the Caucasus" or terrorists striking again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia.
No Governor would be expected to be an expert in such details and trying to appear a such is a difficult challenge.
She came across as a tough fighter who can stand up to the "good ole boys.
" The Obama criticism was red meat for the GOP partisans.
The questions the polls will have to answer in the next few days: Was she a little too sarcastic for an opening night performance or justifiable tough? How will undecided voters in the middle of the political spectrum react? Another issue: how does the old double standard relating to tough men versus tough women play out in the year 2008? Considering the enormous pressure placed on her going into the speech, you have to say she did well while opportunities for improvement exist.