In Their Own Words

It might be worth telling every media figure who listens to Sarah Palin tonight that she'll be reading a speech written for somebody else. It's typical for a politician to read somebody else's words, but not somebody else's speech:

There was a flutter of attention when McCain campaign manager Rick Davis told a group of Post reporters and editors yesterday that his team was having to rework the vice presidential acceptance speech because the original draft, prepared before Gov. Sarah Palin was chosen, was too "masculine." While we all wondered to ourselves what might make a speech masculine or feminine, no one batted an eye at the underlying revelation: that the campaign was writing the nominee's speech before knowing who the nominee would be [...]

So when you watch Sarah Palin tonight, expect to learn something about how well she handles a Teleprompter. Expect to learn something about the McCain campaign's assessment of its political standing with women, or working families, or social conservatives. Whether you're learning what Sarah Palin really thinks or feels is anybody's guess.

Fercryinoutloud, that's from FRED HIATT. If he's figured this one out, I hope the context will stretch to the rest of the media. Tonight is a kabuki theater show and a layup for Mrs. Palin. It will mean nothing.

Maybe Team McCain had to start writing the speech because they didn't even vet Palin until the day before they picked her, which would explain the utter chaos that has followed the pick.

Is it weird for me to say that this doesn't sound like parody, considering?