Similarly, when Palin brought Republican conventioneers to their feet, they weren't just applauding their vice presidential nominee; they were applauding themselves. They were proud of her, sure, but they were also proud of themselves. Why, they had nominated a (BEG ITAL)woman(END ITAL)!

It is delightful to feel good about oneself and Palin delivered energy where spirits had flagged and inspired a vision that had become blurred.

Glancing around the convention center in St. Paul, it was not hard to see that the GOP is in dire need of a transfusion. I've been to retirement villages that had fewer gray hairs and to Old South parties that were more diverse. For whatever reason, the Republican Party has not been able to attract young people or minorities in numbers that reflect the mainstream America they purport to represent.

Is it the message or the messenger? Both -- and Republicans know it. Behind closed doors around the Twin Cities, talk focused on the need for new templates, new models. Republicans have to communicate that they, too, care about the issues Democrats have claimed as their own -- education, health and the environment. They need new ideas and new -- younger -- faces to deliver the message.

Voila. Enter Palin.

Some have criticized McCain for cynically selecting a woman only to try to attract former Hillary Clinton supporters. Obviously, there's some truth to that. Being a woman is part of Palin's appeal and running mates are often picked in hopes of securing a particular state or demographic.

But Palin brings more to the ticket than the possibility of a few female voters. She has animated voters who had little enthusiasm for the race. She has given them the very thing Democrats have been enjoying the past several months: hope and change.

That's potent medicine. It also should come with a warning label: "May cause delusions and a false sense of power."