Two strange sketches of Sarah Palin emerged after John McCain’s acceptance speech on PBS tonight. In the closing minutes of live coverage with Jim Lehrer, Brandeis historian Peniel Joseph insisted: “God, guns, and country. These are the resounding themes of this convention, linked to biography and linked to the pick of Sarah Palin second. Palin has successfully solidified McCain’s conservative base, and she really gave a speech last night that echoed Pat Buchanan’s 1992 culture speech. But she did it more elegantly.” I don’t recall Palin really embracing a cultural war last night. She did draw a contrast between inside the Beltway and outside the Beltway, but she did not scour Obama-Biden for being enablers of abortion and promoters of homosexuality.

On the Charlie Rose show, Newsweek editor Jon Meacham thought it important that the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin galvanized the conservative base, but mocked the idea it would grab Hillary voters. “I don’t think there’s a single person who voted for Hillary Clinton – I’ve perhaps overstated. There may be three. There may be three people who voted for Hillary Clinton who will vote for John McCain because of Sarah Palin. I would like to meet these three people and buy them lunch.”