The crowd at the Republican Convention last night was primed and pumped. After being yelled at by Mitt Romney (is anyone going to miss this guy?), told a few jokes by Mike Huckabee and ego stroked by good ol’ Rudy Giuliani, the Republican faithful were ready to be wowed. And Sarah Palin did not disappoint.

The self-described hockey mom (give her props for her joke about the difference between hockey mothers and pit-bulls), gave a perfect pitch speech last night. She introduced herself, her family, politics, and relished her role as attack dog. And attack she did.

“I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities,” Palin said bringing the crowd to its feet.

Her speech was filled with these little digs, all delivered with a smile; the happy warrior stance Republicans love.

The only false note was how much the speech was about her. Sure there were the obligatory nods to the guy who took her from Alaska, John McCain, but the speech had a presidential nominee feel. Sure Republicans are in the glow of their Palin love, but McCain is on the top of the ticket.

The bottom line is this: Democrats be scared because Palin is going to be a formidable opponent.

But she quickly pivots and thorws out the small town big city division. How small towns are the salt of the earth.  Of course the crowd loved it.

The crowd also loves how she has her knives out for Obama, and she’s good at it.

She makes it clear that the “good opinion” of the media is not on her agenda. She just wants to be a humble servant of the people.

While the speech lacks any rhetorical flourishes, she does make a good case for herself and her past. But she acts like she is running for president. Sure she mentions McCain occasioanlly, but the whole speech is about her work as Alaska governor.

Rudy has jumped all over Obama’s “present” votes when he was in the Illinois legislature. And the crowd is yelling zero to signify Obama’s lack of executive skills.

Compared to last night, the crowd is reved up and ready to go. However, here is the strange part, or maybe not so strange. During the whole evening George Bush’s name has not been mentioned once.

Rudy is having the time of his life. And he is pandering.

Now of course he is a Republican and a good speaker so he’s throwing out the red meat like it’s candy. Equals Fred Thompson’s performance last night

Allow me a quick shallow moment: what is up with the music the Republicans used in all of the video presentations last night? I sure hope they didn’t pay that “composer” much because I could have come up with better notes and I’m  tone deaf.

The Republican festivities in St. Paul started in full throttle last night. Things were a bit slow at first and there were odd moments. Like what is up with the video background that kept putting up pictures of John McCain when people were on stage speechifying?  And was it me or did the hall look empty?

Ahhh, but Fred Thompson earned his cash last night. The actor who had a quick dip in the Republican primary (columnist George Will wondered why) revved the crowd up last night with a dramatic retelling of John McCain’s biography and a full throttled defense of vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. To hear Thompson tell it folk who don’t like Palin have issues and are part of the liberal elite.

Expect the Alaskan governor to jump on the liberal elite media bashing memos tonight in her acceptance speech. Nothing gets the Republican faithful more excited than intellectual bombs against those two perceived enemies.

Lieberman sets in on Obama  calling him “a gifted, and eloquent, young man”; however, he lacks the experience of McCain. And Lieberman closes the circle by giving  vice president nominee Sarah Palin the change mantle (her experience, or lack thereof, has never been a question tonight).

Yeah, he’s switching parties next year. He is relishing his role as the attack dog tonight.