We know that Palin's acceptance speech was carefully crafted and well rehearsed. For that reason it is appropriate to examine the self-description she presented with the question: "What's the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom? (pause) Lipstick (another pause for laugher)." Considered in context, there is something "un-straight" about the sequential presentation of Palin as the lipsticked pit bull, and McCain's self-representation as the Bush-distancing, end the rancor, reach across the aisle bipartisan.

These dissonant representations may be a matter of necessity because McCain is trying to play to two irreconcilable factions in American politics: right wing fundamentalist ideologues and pragmatic independents. By trying to play to both, he loses credibility, because his campaign lapses into Orwellian double think.

At the end of the Republican convention, the comments of Howard Fineman of MSNBC suggest that Palin is going back to Alaska for a week-long crash course to clothe her fundamentalist mentality in moderate dress. But the clear and convincing evidence of that mentality so toxically displayed on Wednesday night will impeach any McCainian make over.

Her canine self-description and McCain's choice of her as a running mate, confirm their continuing commitment to the Bush neoconservative assumption that international relations and domestic politics are mano-a-mano dog fights to the death.

No change here; just more of the same ideological tyranny.