Logic is not the Point: Political Savvy & Emotional Intelligence Are

On CNN, Jeffrey Toobin concluded Sarah Palin's speech was much better than Joe Biden's. The democrat party and Biden have already proved they will have trouble knowing how to handle her without descending into sneering condescension.

Cogent analysis from Tom Shales TV Review column.

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Palin gave the impression of an entire party rolling up its sleeves and digging in, never mind whether some of its arguments were illogical or shot full of holes, or even blatantly ridiculous, as when she portrayed the party as pro-environment and Giuliani earlier portrayed it as feminist-minded.

She proved herself in the great arena; that's what counts politically. Nobody could watch that speech and still consider her a joke, no matter how flimsy her credentials and qualifications may seem on paper. The joke, it seems, is on those who'd been laughing at her. Last night the laughing ended -- and the cheering began.

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We'll see if the Obama campaign can adapt. It's clear the democratic party still hasn't. They're making the same tired defensive, deer-in-headlights whiney complaining statements they've always made or completely inappropriate off-base ones that show how condescending they are toward women candidates in general and Palin in specific. Call it a major deficit of emotional intelligence.

I don't mind seeing them get their butts kicked around for a while. I can imagine some well-earned schadenfreude and a few knowing smiles on the part of Hillary Clinton. Hillary's earned a well-deserved rest while the circus plays out. The dems threw her overboard — or under the proverbial bus — I think she's earned sitting on the sidelines from here on out, watching for as long as she wants. It's Obama's responsibility to earn the votes.

But ultimately I would not like to see Team McCain elected in November. It's also richly entertaining to see the Republicans become more wedded to their right wing anti-science, anti-choice, compulsory pregnancy, theocratic wing nuts.