Well, there’s been quite a bit of fuss over the choice of VP for the Republicans, even over here in the UK. I’m watching a recording of her speech now. Unlike other speeches I’ve watched recently, I won’t be watching it all the way through, second by second.
Why not? Well, not because I’m not interested in the issues – because I am. And not because I’m anti-Republican – because I’m not. (I’m not pro- either, I’m British! :) )
I won’t watch it all the way through because it’s boring.
Sarah Palin can read an autocue perfectly well: she can deliver clearly and I can understand every word she says. All good stuff – after all, if you don’t get the basics right, it doesn’t matter how good your content is… because no one will be listening. Her problem (well, the one I’m talking about! :) ) is that she is obviously reading it. It’s clearly a speech written paragraph by paragraph and each and every one of them is obviously honed nicely.
But it’s not setting me on fire – and it’s not setting me on fire because it doesn’t flow. It’s a set of single paragraphs… not one speech but a set of 20 second mini-speeches.
Perhaps Palin wasn’t helped by the way the audience was so desperate to like her that her every word is greated with cheers, so she can’t get any momentum going – but a really good public speaker will create their own momentum, will drive and own the audience: not be driven by them. The pace of her presentation is being dictated by the people listening… not the person delivering!
I hope she has more gravitas, more of her own momentum, when-and-if she gets elected. Otherwise, well, who knows!
Being raised in the UK and living in the US, it would appear to me that the British politician is better vetted before they get the opportunity to become party leader. Someone unknown like Mrs Palin would never get close to the exchequer. Whereas, America is the land of opportunity, where somebody can fail at everything and still succeed (George W. Bush, for instance). Can you see I have my opinions on the US election?