Alex Massie writes:

Andrew Sullivan concludes his live-blogging of Sarah Palin's speech with an exasperated sigh: "Reality television has become our politics." Perhaps. More likely, politics has been a reality TV show since before John Logie Baird invented the damn goggle box. Because, yes, you choose the candidate you like best or the one that has impressed you most after a long, painfully drawn out period of interrogation, speculation and hype. Just like on American Idol. That is the way it works. Talent matters, but it's not enough without personality, authenticity, charm, something else... Of course Andrew's so committed to Obama that it's unlikely Palin could have done anything to convince him she's not painfully out of her depth.

I'm committed to Obama because I think he is the best pick at this point in American and world history. I made my core argument a long time ago now and I still believe every word of it. What I have learned since then is that Obama has an astonishing level of competence and skill and judgment in a klieglight of public scrutiny unlike almost any presidential candidate who has come before him. We'll see how Palin compares as someone new on the scene in the coming days and weeks.

And, for the record, I didn't think Palin was "painfully out of her depth" last night. She was actually well in her comfort zone: in front of a roaring crowd of partisans with a speech written by someone else with expectations set up nicely. My concern is that she is objectively out of her depth on the fundamental issue in this election, specifically foreign policy.