LiveBlog: Republican National Convention – Night Three

11:43 – Words Sarah Palin did not say tonight.

11:40 – Joe Klein…

"As I predicted earlier today, Sarah Palin did just fine. In fact, she delivered a brilliant speech. It was a classic Republican speech–written by Matthew Scully of the Bush speechwriting shop… her description of Obama's policies, particularly his tax policies, was quite inaccurate… John McCain, not nearly the speaker that Palin seems to be, has a tough act to follow tomorrow night."

11:38 – From the comments…

"Geez, liveblog's getting so scared. PBS did a good job putting it in perspective, saying she passed an important test & they knew she was a good speaker, but there is still more to come. And CNN re-drew their electoral map tonight, coloring Iowa & Minnesota more clearly blue. If you need further bucking up, download a good Obama speech (see the one in front of 200,000 people in Berlin, underwatched & a good example of statesmanship). Don't be so impressionable, worrying about this speech! Keep going! Community organize!"

Yeah, I'm a pussy.

11:26 – Obama's people respond…

"The speech that Governor Palin gave was well delivered, but it was written by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years.  If Governor Palin and John McCain want to define 'change' as voting with George Bush 90% of the time, that's their choice, but we don't think the American people are ready to take a 10% chance on change," said Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman. "

I don't know. Seems like a kind of Mealy-mouthed response to me. Hope a better response is forthcoming.

11:22 – "We're fucked. I think." – Biff

11:15 – That was a great speech. If McCain wins, he'll owe it to Sarah Palin.

11:14 – Chris Matthews just made a good point. She is not an alternative to Hillary Clinton. She's something else.

11:13 – Even Keith Olbermann agrees that this was a great speech.

11:12 – I'll bet McCain is really, really happy with his choice of Palin… for now.

11:11 – It's John McCain! What's he doing at this convention?

11:10 – We are just — in this past week — witnessing a new, huge player in the political areana. Whether she wins or not, Sarah Palin is not going anywhere for a long, long time.

11:09 – Thank god that's over. And not in the way I meant thank god Romney's speech was over.

11:07 – But, then again, I get freaked out with every political commercial I see on TV.

11:06 – I'm starting to think that Sarah Palin might just win this election for McCain. We might be watching the turning point right here.

11:05 – Hockey moms and Hanoi Hiltons. That's what this convention is all about.

11:04 – "There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you." Ooooohh… I get it.

11:03 – She's doing really, really good.

11:01 – "Not looking for a fight…" Except in Eye-Ran.

10:58 – I really can't wait to see this person lose. I really hope I get to see that.

10:56 – "When those styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some Hollywood studio lot…" I think they belong to GWB.

10:55 – "This is a man who's authored two memoirs but not a single major law." Whoa, good one!

10:53 – This whole drilling obsession is kind of creepy isn't it? "We're gonna lay more pipeline."

10:52 – Expect a huge spike in McCain's polling after this. Mark my words. Also, expect a huge spike in me banging my head against my bedroom wall. Mark my words.

10:50 – She said "Thanks, but no thanks" after she used the money elsewhere.

10:49 – Are you gonna get rid of the luxury jet at the White House, too? – MK

10:48 – I hate her. I hate her because she's really, really good.

10:46 – I wish MK was wrong.

10:45 – I think she's knocking it out of the park. – MK

10:44 – "Sort of like being a community organizer, but with actual responsibilities." Niiiice!

10:43 – Wait! She's saying something.

10:42 – She said it again!

10:41 – "Hockey mom"! 9 minutes and 5 seconds!

10:40 – So, Alaskans have midwestern accents?

10:39 – "We met in high school, and two decades later, he's still my guy." You betcha.

She's a supah lady.

10:37 – She's gonna be a friend of "special needs" families in the White House? So, she's gonna be a liberal? – MK

10:36 – Maybe she's not supposed to ever say anything real. Maybe that's the whole idea.

10:35 – "Eye-rack."

10:34 – So, far, she hasn't said anything.

10:33 – Will she say anything of substance? Anything at all?

10:32 – It's official. She's the VP nominee.

10:31 – It's amazing! They love her! Based on what???

10:30 – We're gonna count how long until she says "hockey mom."

10:29 – I'm gonna be the next vice-president. You betcha.

10:28 – Here she comes! Dressed like my mom.

10:27 – This is a pretty vile speech. It is rife full of distortion. I want to stick a plunger up this speech's anus.

10:25 – Took on corruption in the Republican Party? She's in bed with Ted Stevens and Jack Abramoff.

10:24 – The former mayor of New York City is saying that Wasilla isn't "cosmopolitan enough" for Obama?

10:22 – Giuliani is actually giving a good speech. I mean, I hate it. But I'm sure it's effective amongst the cave people.

10:21 – These Republicans are applauding being called Georgians, but they don't like that Obama is popular in Germany?

10:18 – Apparently, Rudy Giuliani is recycling his attack speeches.

10:17 – He said it! 13 minutes, 58 seconds! Wow! That's 13 minutes and 57 seconds longer than I thought he'd go.

10:16 – From the comments: "CNN should just stop covering this convention, seeing as these republicans hate the media so much." - A

10:15 – "Drill, baby, drill"? Is that really what the GOP is rallying around? They might be in worse shape than I thought they were in.

10:13 – "Good change" vs. "Bad change" is a very good line.

10:11 – So, when Biden flip-flopped to support Obama, that was different from when Rudy flip-flopped to support McCain?

10:10 – Cindy sure is happy.

10:09 – Yeah, why does anybody ever get to vote "present"?

10:08 – They're laughing at "community organizer." What a fucking pussy.

10:07 – He said "Reagan." But we weren't counting that.

10:06 – He's showing great restraint – MK

10:04 - He's trying to obliterate the Republican branding like Lieberman did last night. Still, no "9/11."

10:03 – Wow! One minute and no "9/11" yet.

10:02 – We're not counting "thank you"s.

10:01 – Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!

9:59 – 22 minutes till Palin. Giuliani must have a short speech planned.

I guess it doesn't take that long to say "9/11" five times.

9:57 – From the comments: "I just looked it up — Sarah Palin actually didn't get more votes in her campaign for mayor of Wasilla than Joe Biden in his race for president. In her 1999 race for mayor, she got 909 votes, and during the primaries, Biden got over 80,000 votes." – oraclebones

Thanks!

9:53 – How many of Palin's kids will eventually become rabid Democrats? Even Reagan had at least one. And the more kids you have, the more chance for a recessive gene.

We already know she has a kid who's willing to put out.

9:42 – Rudy Giuliani comes up next. We're gonna time exactly how many seconds between when he begins speaking to when he says "9/11" or "September 11th." "World Trade Center" won't count.

9:41 – Keith Olbermann just debunked Huckabee's Palin/Biden comment.

9:40 – Booooo! That's the lamest veteran story I've ever heard.

9:39 – Everything we have, we owe to the military, therefore we should do whatever the military tells us. – MK

9:36 – I feel really lucky to have been forced to have to watch this entire race so closely for more than a year now, having seen these guys go from tearing each other apart to essentially blowing each other on stage.

9:35 – Is that tue about Palin getting more votes running for mayor of Wasilla than  Biden got running for president?

9:33 – "I'm a Republican because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me." Good line!

9:31 – European ideas! Oh, my! Heaven forbid we have a successful economy. – MK

9:30 – Dude's putting on some of his old pre-primary rates.

9:29 – He just said a kind of nice thing about Obama. Weird.

9:28 – "…tackier than a costume change at a Madonna closet"? What does that even mean?

9:27 – He's kind of funny and charming already. I hate him.

9:26 – Mike Huckabee's turn to say nonsense. Let's see how he does.

9:24 – MSNBC has a countdown clock to Plain's speech. I guess that shows what tonight is really about.

9:22 – Oh, wow. Hot girl dancing in the RNC.

9:19 – Are you guys seeing this Pickens Plan commercial every ten minutes?I don't understand exactly what T Boone Pickens is trying to accomplish.

9:18 – Thank god that's over. Mercifully short.

9:17 – Don't McCain and Romney hate each other? Is that why this is so lackluster?

9:15 – Oh, man. This is sad. C'mon Romney. I know you're not familiar with how the human species communicates orally, but even you're better than this.

9:14 – Obligatory Al Gore joke. Achieved.

9:13 – This is the most half-hearted speech I've heard so far. I think I just saw a guy sleeping in the audience. I'm not joking. I really think I did.

9:10 – So far, he's just spouting a bunch of talking points.

9:09 - Oh my God!!! Mitt Romney is trying to pretend that our government is a liberal government. Is anybody anybody anybody going to buy that? Jesus Mormon Christ!

9:06 – Uh oh. Somebody unplugged Mitt Romney from his outlet in the wall and he's made his way to the stage. I hope he doesn't burn anybody with his laser beam eyes.

9:04 – Fiorina is on MSNBC right now saying that it's sexist to question Sarah Palin's record as a political leader. This line of reasoning is idiotic and insulting to any person with a functioning brain.

8:49 – By the way, I'm allowed to make that joke. You're not.

8:48 – Hey, we're here. Who's this dago Carly Fiorina talking on the television? Why isn't she in the cucina making us all some gabagool? Madone!

Tags: Liveblog, Mike Huckabee, Minnesota, Mitt Romney, Republican National Convention, Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin, St. Paul