And Palin did mention oil and gas drilling, and she effectively connected her Alaskan natural-gas pipeline to Tsar Putin's global aim of energy blackmail. She proved that she knows a bit more about high-table geopolitics than her critics think and that Alaskans know a lot about Russian territorial ambitions, with Russia right across the pond.

But again, there were misses. Foremost, I do not think Palin connected with folks on the economic slump, nor did she present an economic-growth recovery plan. Rudy Giuliani made the first foray into that area in his speech when he talked about restoring economic growth through tax cuts and drilling. (Palin also fingered Obama as a tax-and-spend liberal. Good.) But he didn't get to gas pump prices, or the oil-shock-driven consumer shortfall in real purchasing power, or the threat of more job losses and higher unemployment that are casting shadows over public confidence and the investor-class stock market.

That said, Palin did lay some important groundwork. In the weeks ahead, she can expand her oil-and-gas drill, drill, drill message to include gas prices and the economy. This is only a short stone's throw away from her Wednesday-night speech. Wouldn't it be great if she and McCain adopted a strong, pro-growth, tax-reform plan to reduce tax rates across-the-board, get rid of the corrupt loopholes and tax earmarks defended by the old order in Washington, and combine their ethical corruption cause with prosperity tax cuts as well as currency-reform to restore King Dollar?

At least Palin got us headed in the right direction last night with her America First energy-reform message. Watching her phenomenal communication skill, her disciplined yet positive style, I can't help but be optimistic. I'm optimistic in part because Palin herself is clearly an optimist. I'm a sucker for optimism.

What St. Paul needs is a good dose of economic reality -- a drill, drill, drill message tied to gas prices and the economy along with supply-side tax cuts and King Dollar. And like Jack Welch said, why not make the Reid-Pelosi-Obama three-house link? A return to the Jimmy Carter '70s is the last thing we need.