So, if you’ve watched any iota of the Republican Convention and the Democratic Convention you know that there’s a tremendous difference in tone between the two.

The Democrats came off hopeful, forward-looking and welcoming.

The Republicans are coming off as tenacious (if not vicious), vague on details and dismissive of the other side.

It was capped off last night by Gov. Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech, in which she lashed into “her opponent” (whose name she would not use) and proved why her self-description as a pit bull with lipstick is accurate.

What do you think the 12% of voters who say they’re undecided are going to prefer?

I’ve listened all day to commentators and analysts, who say Palin delivered a terrific and incredible speech. I’m not sure which speech they listened to last night, but it wasn’t the same one I heard.

The Republicans last night, really starting with mayor Rudy Giuliani, showed me their abrasive, divisive qualities without much substance. The economy was not mentioned last night in Palin’s speech. You know, the issue that’s at the top of the list of concerns for Americans. There were almost no solutions proposed to America’s problems. Oh, except for the “drill baby drill” mantra that the crowd began chanting during Giuliani’s speech.

Palin dismissed Obama’s work as a community organizer. She, and many in the crowd, even found it laughable. I’m sorry, but those are the people whom Americans should respect, especially when the government is failing its people.

She attempted to build up her own experience by trashing someone else’s. Yes, even though her own experience is coming into question, including the fact that she supporting the infamous “bridge to nowhere” project before opposing it.

She tore into the media — as the crowd started to chant “NBC” — for supposedly biased coverage. Oh, you know, because they actually tried to discover what, if any, record she had.

She built up McCain’s military service and acted as if his time as a prisoner of war is qualification alone to become president. They acted as though to question his judgment is an insult to his military service. Come on, like any of us forget that just four years ago the Republicans fought John Kerry on that very front, especially in those “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” ads.

This is the one time in recent memory that the news media are actually doing what they are supposed to do. Ironic that this is when the Republicans really tear into them. Remember, McCain is the same person who used to not-so-jokingly refer to the media as his “base.” He held dinner parties for them in Washington every year. Don’t expect that to happen any time soon, now that the media are vetting the candidates who are running to be the leader of one of the most powerful nations on Earth.

And while I’m at it, this whole accusation of sexism for questioning Palin’s experience is ludicrous. Look, a week ago, few of us had even heard of this woman. And many of us are still trying to figure out why she’d be qualified to be president. Can you imagine what it would be like with President Palin? Can you smell impeachment for bypassing the Constitution and doing whatever she wanted without Congressional approval? Oh, wait…

Personally, I think the tone last night was despicable and harmful to the Republican party. The 12% of voters who are undecided are likely undecided because they haven’t been able to get into any politician’s solutions for fixing the country. The fact that no solutions were even proposed last night reaffirms Obama’s notion that the McCain ticket “just doesn’t get it.”

If the voters who supported Hillary Clinton really hate Obama the way the Republicans assume they do, then they would already be supporting McCain. They wouldn’t need the so-called “red meat” to jump on the bandwagon. They’d already be there. They’re holding out to see if the grass is truler greener on the other side. All they’re finding out, is that the grass is watered with vinegar. And grass watered with vinegar sure won’t last long.

Finally, assuming that the Clinton supporters are going to support Palin just because she is a woman is insulting to everyone. Palin and Clinton don’t agree on any issue. The only commonality they share is that they both identify as a woman. That’s it. Stop insulting women by assuming that they can’t see past the gender.

Whose strategy do you think is working better?

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