The Art of Political Performance: Plaudits for Palin

Well, I think it's safe to say contingent of people pleasantly surprised by Sarah Palin's abilities has grown by at least two since her appearance on "Saturday Night Live" this week.

First Lorne Michaels:

Q: What do you think Palin gained from her appearance?
I think Palin will continue to be underestimated for a while. I watched the way she connected with people, and she's powerful. Her politics aren't my politics. But you can see that she's a very powerful, very disciplined, incredibly gracious woman. This was her first time out and she's had a huge impact. People connect to her.

Q: She's a ratings magnet, too - do you think she can land a development deal if this VP thing doesn't work out?
She could pretty much do better than development. I think she could have her own show, yeah.

He even goes on to sympathize with her rapid and rough introduction to the nation, and applaud her convention speech:

She was fresh casting. The fact that no one knew anything about her, the fact that the audience got to go with her from Wasilla to Minneapolis. Literally six weeks ago she was in another world. I think there's a lot of sympathy for anybody who can step forward and handle that level of pressure. That thing on a human level was fascinating to watch. She was characterized so quickly by the media. She got a really tough welcome. So when she introduced herself that way at the convention, people went, oh, I see. She gave a great performance.

Second, Tina Fey's comment, which I confess to reading on a celebrity gossip blog, but will oblige you with a link to an actual news source:

"I'll tell you, that lady is five times better-looking than I am," she admits. "She's 44? She's got none of that droopy [expletive]. She's keeping it tight!"

All right, so that comment isn't as dignified as the one from Michaels, but it does come from Palin's tormenter-in-chief, and a woman who would have much to gain in her political circles for slamming Sarah publicly.

Such compliments from those who would gladly ridicule her, on or off the set, illustrate her power as a performer and a political figure moving forward. It's something the Republican Party and conservatism must figure out how to harness, no matter what happens November 4. As Fred Barnes puts it, in this week's print edition:

Republicans, even some McCain advisers, have yet to realize the enormous asset they have in Palin: She's the party's most crowd-pleasing and exciting figure since Ronald Reagan. Okay, she's not a "new Reagan." That role will remain eternally unfilled. Palin lacks Reagan's decades of political involvement, his knowledge, and especially his grounding in conservative thought.

Her conservatism is more instinctive...Now, despite her political talent, Palin's future is unclear. If McCain wins the election, that will simplify her political life. She'll be America's first female vice president and the most prominent national leader aside from McCain. And she'll be heir apparent to President McCain.

If McCain loses, she'll still be governor of Alaska. In fact, she'll be the state's most famous governor ever and its first political celebrity. That won't be enough to make her an influential player in national affairs. Palin, by the way, is unsure about her ultimate role in national politics even if McCain wins, but it's bound to be more complicated if he loses...

Whether they know it or not, Republicans have a huge stake in Palin. If, after the election, they let her slip into political obscurity, they'll be making a tragic mistake.