The Occasional Observer

There's little in this world more predictable than the MSM. Talk about formulaic writing, you could write their stories for them before they even started. In any case, this is the latest MSNBC headline:

Can McCain live up to Palin's performance?

First Read: Governor's speech shows that the GOP has a new star. But her boss now has to ensure he is not overshadowed.

Unable to minimize Palin's legendary and historic speech last night (although they certainly tried to paint it as "too bitter"), their new tack is all too obvious. They are hoping that after the speeches we've heard from Thompson, Rudy, and Palin, McCain's speech tonight will be an underwhelming letdown. They would just love to be able to lead with a story tomorrow that says "McCain underwhelms: others in party shine brighter".

Something tells me that's not going to happen though. Like I said a few weeks ago, I think after the recent shake-up in his staff, the McCain campaign is very well organized now. They know what message they need to tell in order to win.