Grand Slam.

I must confess, I missed the first five minutes (or so) of Sarah Palin's magnificent speech because I was busy witnessing the Cubs working so hard to undo all they've accomplished this year.

What I saw was unreal. She knocked it out of the park. Conservatives everywhere are wandering around today with a dopey grin, humming Eddie Money's "I think I'm in love."

Even the libs in the media were forced to concede through strained smiles that this was a tour de force.

One thing I couldn't help noticing, however, is that one particular camera was trained at such an angle as to show the words of her speech moving on the teleprompter. Now, this was the first convention speech for either party that I watched live, so I can't comment on how the cameras were trained for Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Fred Thompson, Rudy, et al. And of course, we all know that these people all read their speeches off of teleprompters. Still, isn't it interesting that the cameras made sure that we all noticed that Palin was reading her speech off of a teleprompter. What message do you think that was intended to convey?

At least ABC 7 Chicago's Alan Krashesky kept it classy in his opening remarks for the delayed 10pm news (I paraphrase): "Absent from her speech, any mention of her pregnant daughter."

Favorite line of the speech: "That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on Ebay."

Best line of the speech: "And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely. There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you."

Best dig at Obama: all of them. But I think the one that says the most is: "This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign."

My hat is off again to Senator McCain. With Palin gracing the spotlight, it's very easy to lose sight of every slight inflicted upon conservatives by this man. It's easy to forget that with him will come draconian global warming legislation. That with him come de facto open borders. That with him comes possible further assaults on free speech a la McCain/Feingold, and a lot of other leftward tendencies. With Sarah Palin on the ticket, McCain becomes better than the least worst option, which is what he was before. She has become the hope for the future of conservatism, and we'll take McCain along with her if that's what it takes.