In keeping with the theme of this blog, I rarely touch upon speeches or media activity unless it relates to political marketing, advertising, messaging or media as ‘medium’.  

However, we can’t forget, before newspapers, print ads, phones, direct mail, TV spots and viral campaigns all a candidate had was a stump speech.  This was the first and most truest form of political advertising – the speech and the word of mouth which followed, carrying the message of what it meant to others.

Governor Sarah Palin’s speech last night at the Republican National Convention has generated a lot of word of mouth and reminds us all how important a single speech can be to a candidate for president or any other elective office.

This speech had the level of anticipation equal to any major sporting or theatrical event.  The media built a a heaving wave of drama, sex, excitement, criticism and vitriol that drew political junkies and the average citizen into what became the Palin whirlwind.

Palin entered the Xcel Center, and more importantly, the arena of major league professional politics last night and delivered in a very big way.

Here is a list of reasons why Palin was so successful:

• She exuded confidence in a way that was trustful and reliable, not boastful and arrogant.
• She alluded to criticisms of her family and quickly rejected them by displaying her faults for what they are, rather than taking a hyper defensive posture and appearing emotional and weak.
• She did not flub a single line and she hit her humorous lines on exact cue. This was impressive, given the venue and the audience.
• She struck her opponents with a velvet sword.  Not taking the attacks over board or risking the appearance of gratuitous joy in settling a score.
• She tapped into the average voter’s disdain for Washington and belief that people in the ‘real world’ can do it better.
• Most importantly, she spoke from the heart; about herself, her family, her issues, her love of country and most importantly, her belief in John McCain.  This heartfelt appeal went directly past the media and the pundits and landed squarely with the average American voter at home.

The last time I have seen a politician deliver remarks with such grace, raw emotion and magnetic demeanor was the late Ronald Reagan.  I hope I am not speaking to soon when I say, Palin’s way is similar in many ways to the late great President.

Now, for the sake of being accused of sheer partisan adulation, I have said for the record, Barack Obama’s convention speech was also excellent.  He hit his marks, delivered his speech gracefully and attacked McCain with class and discipline, not indignation.  He galvanized the audience and fueled excitement, with the help of the very-well produced intro video, a packed football stadium and Hollywood quality set production.  But when compared to Palin, Obama clearly did not have something she did.

Barack Obama did not connect with people in a way that Palin did.

With this, I am talking about the vast majority or average American voters, not party stalwarts or partisans.

Palin’s awe shucks sense of humor, mothering warmth and tough-as-nails-if-you-cross-me attitude, gave the average person something that has been missing for a long time in politics – heart.  She did it while successfully the loyalists a sense of tremendous assurance and the swing voters a real easy way to support the whole ticket.

Palin delivered the whole package and I think everyone knows it.

Palin will have some missteps I’m sure, but speeches like these transpire from the heart, which rarely goes away.

Highlights from the speech below:

Ira Teinowitz of Ad Age, writes an interesting behind the scenes piece featuring Fred Davis, who has assumed the role as the RNC Convention’s head of creative.

Davis, a longtime Republican media consultant and the founder of Strategic Perception, has become known for his attention to high quality television production.

Davis has handled media work for the 2004 presidential and does work for several statewide candidates and issue campaigns aside from non-political work in entertainment, corporate and new media. According to Davis’ bio:

SPI was hired to help reinvigorate the sinking Corker campaign just five and a half weeks before the general election. Senator Corker’s victory was the sole shining light for the national Republican Party in 2006. 

Davis also worked as one of the top creative/media consultants for the George W. Bush presidential re-election campaign of 2004, filming the President and First Lady in the White House residence and on the road campaigning. SPI won both the Gold and Silver Pollie Awards for this presidential work. He’s handled the media for winning U.S. Senate campaigns for Elizabeth Dole, Chuck Grassley, Jim Inhofe and more. Davis served as Chief Creative Consultant on the 2008 presidential campaign of Senator John McCain and is now working on 2008 Senate reelection campaigns for Dole, Inhofe, Lamar Alexander and John Cornyn. Also, the branding for Bono’s ONE Campaign, the effort to end worldwide extreme poverty. 

Davis is also the only known political media strategist who has based his consulting operation out of Hollywood.  

Davis’ work is interesting, in that he portrays a unique production style in his TV ads.  Some recognizable traits are large indistinctive backgrounds, different shoot locations, blur lenses (or post-production blur effect), and distinctive brightening and shadow effects.  He’s been also employing the newly popular cut-out still photography effect in his spots for McCain, which is a production effect I plan on writing about in this space this week.