Why Palin's Speech Worked (Lisa Schiffren Explains The Anatomy Of A Great Speech Alert)

City Journal ^ | 9/04/2008 | Lisa Schiffren

[goldstategop]

Lisa Schiffren, drawing on her expertise as a speechwriter - dissects Sarah Palin's acceptance speech and in looking at the nuts and bolts, shows us why its a great speech.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[GOP Poet]

Great. Thanks so much for posting this.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

The media pundits who have been around elections for years were commenting on Palin’s command of the podium, sense of timing, etc. “She’s a natural” was a phrase I heard SEVERAL times in the morning news channels.

[Jeff Head]

As the day has passed and I have considered the events and Governor Sarah Palin's outstanding, all-American speech last night, and now that McCain delivered his own...I am more and more convinced that this good woman has in fact been preserved there in Alaska...quietly (to the rest of us here in the lower 48, or as they say up there us here in the "outside") respondiong to the promptings of her own heart to get involved and accomplishing so much in her own right as she was prepared to be there to come to America's aid when John McCain made this inspired call...and I believe McCain was inspired in this choice.

Amazing. Despite all the planning, the positioning, the buying of influence, the pedaling of influence, and the rock star blitz of the other side...we are seeing that, IMHO, the good Lord can prepare something off to the side that wholly undoes all of that wrangling.

That's what we are seeing here IMHO.

HOW THE PALIN PICK TRUMPS OBAMA-BIDEN

[Eye of Unk]

Comes from being “Tougher in Alaska”.

[cherry]

IIRC Wasilla is basically a bedroom community of Anchorage...lots of new housing developments just north of Anchorage......people think that its a hicky little village and I don’t think it is....

[MuttTheHoople]

I watched Pawlenty, Grahanmesty, Ridge, and McCain tonight. NONE of them were as impressive as Palin. Palin saved this convention.

[nmh]

Sarah DELIVERED the speech beautifully. The little gaffe didn't hurt her - she ad libbed. In contrast, Cindy McCain was AWFUL. I couldn't wait till she was done. I was actually falling asleep as she spoke. She looked too strained. She was trying too hard. She was not natural. Clearly she doesn't identify with typical Americans. She needs to stay on the sidelines, dressed up and smiling sweetly.

[McBuff]

You are CORRECT!

[nmh]

“I watched Pawlenty, Grahanmesty, Ridge, and McCain tonight. NONE of them were as impressive as Palin. Palin saved this convention.”

AGREE!

it was a snoozer! McPain did finsih off okay - better than I expected.

[dragonblustar]

Does anyone know where I can find Todd Palin’s speech?

[Libloather]

[Dilbert San Diego]

We’ll see if Sarah might outshine Mc Cain on the campaign trail. The rule of running mates is, first, do no harm. She is a solid addition to the ticket. And she might just become a “rock star” of sorts.

[Tex Pete]

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[Tex Pete]

That didn’t work.

[dila813]

Very good analysis from someone who really knows what they are talking about.

Thank you for bringing this to us.

[Yardstick]

I wonder if great speakers are conscious of their technique or if they just do it?

[BlueDragon]

By Jove you've got it!

[barker]

They had the words, but not the music—

Love that line. Sarah is a natural.

[ari-freedom]

it was her first speech and she’s more interested in getting her hands dirty than politics, where you might get your soul dirty