McCain's Image as Lackluster Speaker Intact

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin's big introduction to America last night drew 37.2 million viewers, Variety reports. Her huge Nielsen ratings came in just 1.1 million under Barack Obama's for his acceptance speech last week. Palin, who officially became the vice-presidential nominee today, dwarfed the ratings of Joe Biden (24 million). She also topped the Olympics opening ceremony (34 million) and the Oscars (32 million), CBS notes. Of those who watched, 19.5 million were women. More»

17-year-old pregnant daughter of Republican VP pick has actual ring

(NEWSER) - Levi Johnston, boyfriend and father-to-be of Sarah Palin's teenage daughter Bristol is apparently serious about doing the right thing with the potential first kid: He's sporting a 'Bristol' tattoo in the place of an engagement ring, TMZ comments. “In lieu of a tramp stamp,” the celeb site adds snarkily, “Bristol Palin went with the more traditional unwed pregnant teen engagement ring.” More»

Commentators weigh in on how Sarah Palin did

(NEWSER) - How’d Sarah Palin do in her convention debut? Commentators agree that she showed impressive speaking skills, but part ways on whether she was convincing as a potential VP.

• The speech was “great” but “vicious,” Dahlia Lithwick writes at Slate. Palin, uses what Lithwick calls a risky tactic: “If your opponent is larger than life, strive to be smaller than life.”

But she does apologize for 'vulgar epithet'

(NEWSER) - Columnist Peggy Noonan has been catching flak since being caught on tape saying "It's over" during a frank assessment of John McCain's veep choice. But the Wall Street Journal writer insists she wasn't pronouncing Mac's White House hopes dead —she was simply remarking that the days of the GOP's base being connected to mainstream America are over, she writes. More»

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin tonight played up her small-town credentials, cast herself as a political outsider, and took a swipe at her critics in the media during her much-anticipated address to the Republican convention, Politico reports. After formally accepting the nomination to be vice president, she took a not-so-subtle shot at Barack Obama. "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities." More»