Sunday February 12, 2012

Welcome   |   Register   |   Log in

Video

Sarah Palin's Acceptance Speech

Darrell M. West, September 04, 2008

Sarah Palin's Acceptance Speech
Sarah Palin's Acceptance Speech

Sarah Palin, Alaska's governor and the GOP vice presidential nominee, addressed the Republican convention in a speech widely acclaimed by her audience, but delivered amid criticism about her length of executive service in government. Darrell West analyzes the content of her speech and the tenor of her performance—and concludes she did what she was supposed to do.  

Political Conventions, Political Campaigns, U.S. Politics, Politics, Executive Branch

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Political Geography of Ohio, Michigan, and Missouri: Battlegrounds in the Heartland

William H. Frey and Ruy Teixeira, October 10, 2008, The Brookings Institution

In this analysis of what they term “the battleground states,” William Frey and Ruy Teixeira crunch the demographic and voting numbers to determine which voters will decide the 2008 presidential contest in Ohio, Michigan, and Missouri. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Political Geography of Virginia and Florida: Bookends of the New South

William H. Frey and Ruy Teixeira, October 10, 2008, The Brookings Institution

In this analysis of what they term “the battleground states,” William Frey and Ruy Teixeira crunch the demographic and voting numbers to determine which voters will decide the 2008 presidential contest in Virginia and Florida. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioPalin's Impact On Presidential Race Analyzed

E.J. Dionne, Jr., September 05, 2008, All Things Considered

Sarah Palin's selection as John McCain's running mate has energized the Republican base. E.J. Dionne joined David Brooks on All Things Considered to discuss Palin’s impact on the 2008 election and how she changes the race. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe McCain Paradox

William A. Galston, September 05, 2008, The Brookings Institution

The McCain ParadoxOn Thursday, Republicans wrapped up their convention in St. Paul, Minnesota with John McCain’s acceptance speech. He delivered an honorable but paradoxical acceptance speech, writes William Galston, pledging to end bipartisanship rancor in Washington while allowing his campaign to choreograph a convention filled with highly charged personal attacks against the Democratic nominee. Read More

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioThe Post-Convention Bump

Darrell M. West, September 02, 2008

Candidates typically gain popularity with voters immediately following their party conventions. But, as Darrell West explains, this “bump” in popularity is generally short-lived. This election cycle is no different and, he says, people won’t really know where the candidates stand until a few weeks after the Republican convention.

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioPoliticians Cry Poor as They Dig Deep for Log Cabins

Michael Fullilove, September 02, 2008, The Sydney Morning Herald

Michael Fullilove reflects on speeches at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in which many speakers focused on their own humble beginnings. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioSarah Palin: A Good Surprise

Ron Nessen, August 31, 2008, The Brookings Institution

Sarah Palin: A Good SurpriseAn old expression in politics asserts, “There is no such thing as a good surprise.” Ron Nessen says that John McCain’s selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate was a surprise; possibly, a rare good surprise. While the McCain-Palin ticket comes with a number of risks, argues Nessen, overall it provides the Republicans with more positives than negatives.
Read More

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioThe Republican Platform

Darrell M. West, August 29, 2008

The Republican PlatformLooking forward to the Republican National Convention, Darrell West thinks that there could be disagreements on some planks of the party’s platform. On issues like abortion and torture, Senator John McCain has broken with the Republican Party and taken a slightly more moderate stance.

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioThe Republican National Convention

Stephen Hess, August 29, 2008

The Republican National ConventionNow that the confetti has fallen on the Democratic National Convention, the Republican one is now front and center. Stephen Hess outlines what Senator John McCain hopes to accomplish in Minneapolis.

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioObama Delivers an American Promise

William A. Galston, August 29, 2008, The Brookings Institution

Obama Delivers an American PromiseAlthough Barack Obama's speech did not rise to the heights of his 2004 convention speech, writes William Galston, the nominee reached out to portions of the electorate that have been unresponsive to Obama's eloquence and high-flying idealism. He said, in essence, I share your values. Read More

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioReflections on a Historic First

Hugh B. Price, August 29, 2008, The Brookings Institution

Reflections on a Historic FirstSenator Obama’s nomination is one for the history books, marking a key moment for African Americans and the country. Hugh Price reflects on the nomination, race relations, and the symbolism of a spectacle that evoked pride, awe and astonishment. The New Millenium, he says, has finally arrived. Read More

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioObama's Stadium Acceptance Speech

Darrell M. West, August 28, 2008

Obama's Stadium Acceptance SpeechBarack Obama has often addressed record crowds across the country. The Democratic Party’s nomination speech in front of 75,000 people at Invesco Field will signal that he’s thanking the crowds that nominated him, Darrell West says, not just the party insiders.

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioA Convention Retrospective

Stephen Hess, August 27, 2008

A Convention RetrospectiveThe 1952 political conventions in Chicago were the last ones in American history when delegates walked in to the convention hall and didn’t know who the presidential nominees were going to be. However, Stephen Hess says, they are still important events, because they offer political activists a chance to get together and “remind themselves why they’re Republicans and Democrats.”

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioCelebrities at the Conventions

Darrell M. West, August 27, 2008

Celebrities at the ConventionsFrom Chuck Norris to Bruce Springsteen, celebrities are prominent in this 2008 presidential election season. Darrell West says that both parties enjoy celebrities, with Democrats getting more Hollywood attention and Republicans pulling from among stock car racers and other athletes.

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioThe 2008 Presidential Election Ad Wars

Darrell M. West, August 27, 2008

The 2008 Presidential Election Ad WarsJohn McCain’s campaign released an ad showing video footage from the Democratic presidential primary of Joe Biden criticizing Barack Obama’s experience as a leader. Darrell West says that these kinds of attack ads will play a prominent role in the 2008 election and that he expects the Democrats to fight back.

My Portfolio

My New Content

View suggested content based on items you have saved to your Portfolio.
Log in or register now

Featured RSS Feed

Subscribe to Governance Studies Governance Studies

Immediate updates on new content from Governance Studies – including research, events, testimony and more.

Subscribe

Katherine SierraExpertKatherine Sierra

Katherine Sierra is a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program. A former vice president for sustainable development at the World Bank, she focuses on climate change and energy.

Center for Technology InnovationPolicy CenterCenter for Technology Innovation

The Center for Technology Innovation is at the forefront of shaping public debate on technology innovation and developing data-driven scholarship to enhance understanding of technology’s legal, economic, social, and governance ramifications.

Darrell M. WestExpertDarrell M. West

Darrell M. West is vice president and director of Governance Studies and founding director of the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings. His studies include technology policy, electronic government, and mass media.

Energy and ClimateTopicEnergy and Climate

What will it take to mitigate severe climate disruption? What should our priorities be in the relationship between fresh water and climate change? What will it take to help vulnerable countries and regions adapt to change already taking place?

Global ChangeTopicGlobal Change

How do we develop more realistic approaches and more effective means of ending intractable old conflicts and preventing new ones? How do we enhance measures to thwart nonstate actors—especially terrorists and illicit traffickers—and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons?

Growth through InnovationTopicGrowth through Innovation

What new practices and mechanisms will help prevent another economic downturn from turning into a financial panic that could become a truly global meltdown? What changes in the public and private sectors will build the workforce and infrastructure required for a global information-based economy?

Opportunity and Well-beingTopicOpportunity and Well-being

As they weather the current economic storm, will our governments and societies address the basic needs and aspirations of the least well-off? How can we better use education to raise individual aspirations? How should governments around the world accelerate preparations to provide social services for the billions moving from poverty into the middle class?

John L. Thornton China CenterPolicy CenterJohn L. Thornton China Center

The John L. Thornton China Center develops analysis and policy recommendations to help address key long-term challenges, both in terms of U.S.-China relations and China's internal development.

Robert KaganExpertRobert Kagan

Robert Kagan is an expert and frequent commentator on Egypt, the Middle East, U.S. national security, and U.S.-European relations. He writes a monthly column on world affairs for the Washington Post and is a contributing editor at the Weekly Standard and the New Republic.

Daniel KaufmannExpertDaniel Kaufmann

Daniel Kaufmann was previously the director at the World Bank Institute, leading the work on governance and anti-corruption. His areas of expertise are public sector and regulatory reform, development, governance and anti-corruption.

Mwangi S. KimenyiExpertMwangi S. Kimenyi

Mwangi S. Kimenyi is senior fellow and director of the Africa Growth Initiative. The founding executive director of the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (1999-2005), he focuses on Africa's development including institutions for economic growth, political economy, and private sector development.

Donald KohnExpertDonald Kohn

Donald Kohn is a 40-year veteran of the Federal Reserve System and served as vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2010. He was recently appointed by the government of the United Kingdom and the Bank of England to serve on its interim Financial Policy Committee. Kohn focuses on issues of monetary policy, financial regulation and macroeconomics.

Brookings Mobile ApplicationsNEW FEATUREBrookings Mobile Applications

Stay up-to-date with our independent, high-quality research, learn about Brookings events and search our directory of experts all from your BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone or Android device.

Shadi HamidExpertShadi Hamid

Shadi Hamid focuses on Islamist political parties and democratic reform in the Middle East. Prior to joining Brookings, he was Director of Research at the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) and a Hewlett Fellow at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.

William G. GaleExpertWilliam G. Gale

Bill Gale, the Arjay and Frances Miller Chair in Federal Economic Policy in the Economic Studies Program at Brookings, is an expert on tax policy, fiscal issues, pensions, and saving behavior. He is also co-director of the Tax Policy Center and director of the Retirement Security Project.

State of Metropolitan AmericaMetropolitan Policy ProgramState of Metropolitan America

Foreshadowing 2010 Census results, this new Brookings report and interactive map defines who Americans are—and who they are becoming—in the face of continued growth, population aging and diversification, uneven educational attainment and income polarization.

Center on Children and FamiliesPolicy CenterCenter on Children and Families

The Center on Children and Families studies policies on the well-being of America's children and their parents and seeks a more effective means of addressing poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity in the United States.

Vanda Felbab-BrownExpertVanda Felbab-Brown

Vanda Felbab-Brown focuses on the national security implications of illicit economies and strategies for managing them. She is the author of Shooting Up: Counterinsurgency and the War on Drugs (Brookings Institution Press, 2009).

Suzanne MaloneyExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

Africa Growth InitiativeResearch ProjectAfrica Growth Initiative

The Africa Growth Initiative conducts high-quality policy research and analysis focused on attaining sustainable economic development and prosperity in Africa, while amplifying the voice of African researchers in policy-making and planning.

Alice M. RivlinExpertAlice M. Rivlin

In February 1975, the Congressional Budget Office was established with Alice Rivlin as its first director. Rivlin is an expert on urban issues as well as fiscal, monetary and social policy and directs the Greater Washington Research project at Brookings.

Isabel V. SawhillExpertIsabel V. Sawhill

A nationally known budget expert, Isabel Sawhill focuses on domestic poverty and federal fiscal policy. She is also co-director of the Center on Children and Families and the Budgeting for National Priorities Project at Brookings.

Budgeting for National PrioritiesResearch ProjectBudgeting for National Priorities

The Budgeting for National Priorities project promotes greater fiscal responsibility by developing new ideas, educating the public and finding common ground among experts and policy-makers.