Jim makes a good point here. Let’s not forget: it was a speech, read from a teleprompter, that launched Barack Obama to the cusp of the presidency. Maybe Obama wrote more of his than Palin did (although she worked closely with her speechwriters), but if Obama were just a good writer, he wouldn’t be a national star. It’s his performance that launched him on his way. The ability to perform is an indispensable part of political leadership. In the praise of Ted Kennedy last week, did anyone belittle his ability to light up Democratic crowds as “just giving speeches”? Has it ever been said of Bobby Kennedy or Ronald Reagan or Barack Obama? Of course not. There’s a sliding scale of judgment here; it moves so whatever it is, Palin is found wanting.

The experience that Palin is truly lacking is experience on the national stage. The only thing that separates her from John Edwards when he ran for vice president in 2004 as a one-term senator is that Edwards had shown in his own presidential campaign that he could talk about national issues and perform at a national level. That’s what Palin needs to do–show she has the requisite composure, talent, and knowledge to perform at this level (and do it within a matter of weeks). Last night was an enormous step in the right direction, no matter how much Democrats and the press want to dismiss it. No wonder McCain gave her at the end of the night a hug that seemed to be an embrace of joyous relief.