OKAY, SURVEYING ALL THE REACTIONS TO PALIN’S SPEECH, I see a problem for McCain — whatever he says tonight is likely to come across as an anticlimax, unless he gives a better speech than he’s ever given before. See for example, this:

From now on, when a Democrat says “But what if McCain drops dead on his first day in office?!?!?!” I’m going to say “dude — don’t tease me like that.”

That’s kind of a mixed blessing . . . .

UPDATE: Just heard, via Tenn. State Sen. Jamie Woodson (a former student — yes, I’ve been teaching that long) and Hallerin Hill that they’re changing the stage around for McCain’s speech. Is this a subliminal effort to discourage comparisons?

MORE: A strong review from Tom Shales of all people. “If the Republicans win the presidential election in November, it may well be said that they won it last night — the night that John McCain’s brilliantly screwy choice for a running mate changed from laughingstock to national star.” I don’t remember the 1980s as a time when Reagan was universally loved, though. I seem to recall a fair number of people who thought he was a senile warmonger. Shales’ impressions of Giuliani’s speech match my own.

Plus, Ouch.