Tonight was zero-hour for Sarah Palin. After her groundbreaking and base-enthusing pick as VP last week, Palin has suffered the worst attacks the Left and their friends in the media could bring against her. Tonight was her opportunity to stand before the American people and show her mettle. Would she wilt in the face of severe criticism, or would she stand and deliver?

After some real stem-winding addresses by Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Rudolph Giuliani, and the impressive governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle, Sarah Palin walked to the microphone and knocked it out of the park. She spoke with eloquence and determination. You could see the fire in her eyes as she smiled, spoke about substance, and gave back as good as she takes. The Churchill quote, modified for this scenario, “I like a [woman] who grins when [she] fights,” comes to mind. She is able to be forceful and direct without being shrew-like. She’s about half a tick from being – and there is no other word to use here – a smart@ss, and it looks good on her. The WynnBlog analysis: Joe Biden better hang on to his hair plugs because the barracuda is in the arena. 

In other news, Michael Bates was unable to provide a report tonight due to his schedule. We will try to catch up with him again soon. 

And, below is an audio clip of Oklahoma Sentaor Jim Inhofe attempting to cast Oklahoma’s votes. Notice he never stated how many votes Oklahoma was casting for McCain. Check Batesline for more information on this soon. 

WynnBlog MP3: Jim Inhofe Attempts to Cast Oklahoma’s Votes – RNC 2008