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Probably not. Although an impressive number, her speech was her first exposure to the nation considering that she was a nobody [nationally] last week and given all the hype generated by the 24-hour news networks, I was expecting high numbers. Add to that, she hasn’t given a single interview or appeared in a press conference to the national media and her first and only interview was with People Magazine (and to think Republicans hate celebrity status). We have been watching and hearing Obama for over two years straight now and his ad nauseaum speeches on hope and change notwithstanding, he still managed to attract the highest ever convention viewership in the history of television. Palin’s impressive numbers mean that we are in for our first reality-TV presidential election which as McCain’s campaign manager so succinctly put, it’s not about issues. Economy-scheconomy, stop whining!
Churchill once remarked when he was told of the many people assembled to hear him speak, “they aren’t here for me but for the tamasha. If it was known I was going to be hanged, I’m sure the crowds would’ve been larger.” So true. Now that people have a measure of Palin and must have made up their mind one way or the other, I wonder if she can pull it off again.
Personally I found her speech spiteful, negative, and demeaning to her opposition. Perhaps it was meant to rile up the base who is itching for a fight and not in fact, address the thousand concerns about her qualification that keep popping up every day. But she will have to answer them one day, hopefully. The words weren’t hers since it was written by the McCain campaign for another candidate and they had to remove some ‘masculine’ terms (their words!) but her delivery style although not overtly impressive seemed effective at least for their basic purpose.
Now the more important question - how many people will watch John ‘my friends’ McCain? After all, he is at the top of the ticket not Palin. What should we conclude if he doesn’t even get Biden’s numbers?
by Patrix | on Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 4:32 pm | 
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September 4th, 2008 at 8:35 pm reply
Going by many comments on websites, seems like “she’s hot” is definitely one of the factors that contributed to such high viewership numbers for her.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:36 pm reply
I think Sarah Palin was pretty ridiculous and especially condescending to women. And a bit elitist…or rather counter-elitist.
However the biggest letdown of the evening was Guiliani. He has lost all respect in my eyes. For him to stoop so low and play to the galleries just made him look like a buffoon in the end.
Jon Stewarts 9/11 caricature somehow seems so true for Guiliani now.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:07 pm reply
@Amit: Definitely her attractiveness was a factor in her selection. Why do you think McCain selected her instead of other more capable women Republicans?
@arZann: Guiliani acted like the ass he is. Getting merely one delegate after mentioning 9/11 at the drop of the hat and spending more than $60m hasn’t wisened him up. His cosmopolitan taunts seem hollow considering he touts his mayoral experience of the world’s most cosmopolitan city. Heck, in an Anchorage Times interview, Palin had wished her town Wasilla was more cosmopolitan.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:46 pm reply
Nielsen reports that half a million more people watched John McCain’s acceptance speech (38.9 million) than Barack Obama’s the week before (38.4 million).
September 5th, 2008 at 1:53 pm reply
Patrix, it’d be difficult for me to say as I don’t know about other women who were considered as Veep candidates. But as a guess, maybe it had to do with her being relatively young and a fresh face, and a Washington outsider whose record can be perceived as getting the job done.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:59 pm reply
@Ash: Well, there goes my theory of McCain getting low ratings. But at least more people saw what a boring speech it was.
@Amit: Well, as one of the McCain aides said, it isn’t about the issues, but rather about “a composite view of what people take away from these candidates.” So you see, McCain’s slogan Country First is just that, a slogan
September 5th, 2008 at 11:36 pm reply
How is this playing out in the Indian Community there. Do they have any stake in who gets elected vis-a-vis any Indian concerns if and where applicable?
September 6th, 2008 at 10:06 am reply
rating was not true obama was not shown on abc nbc cbs like mccaine or pain
September 6th, 2008 at 11:12 am reply
@Anil: The Indian community is still not that large to have an effect except of course in certain districts. But not as much as the Hispanic or the African-American communities.
@larry: I don’t think that’s true although PBS or C-SPAN numbers are not counted in either.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:25 pm reply
”they aren’t here for me but for the tamasha”
Did Churchill actually use the word Tamasha? Curious..
September 10th, 2008 at 11:36 am reply
@Confused: Probably not. I remembered that quote from something I read many years ago so was paraphrasing.