Ah! Now this is more like it! The arena was rocking tonight, and it finally felt like a real convention. Fast forward to the end, they loved Sarah Palin — and it's crystal clear the Republicans are fired up! It was a packed line up and here are the highlights: GOPAC Chairman Michael Steele was the first speaker to rouse the full arena saying, "So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's reduce our dependency on foreign sources of oil and promote oil and gas production at home. In other words, drill baby drill! And drill now!" The crowd erupted in a chorus of "Drill baby, drill!"

Mitt Romney (whose hair is just as flawless in person) sounded very Reagan-esque, saying, "Our economy is under attack. China is acting like Adam Smith on steroids, buying oil from the world's worst, and selling nuclear technology. Russia and the oil states are siphoning more than 500 billion dollars a year from us in what could become the greatest transfer of economic wealth in history. This is no time for timid, liberal empty gestures."

Oh, yes. The gloves were off tonight. To see more highlights and the main event, Sarah's big speech, read more.

Mike Huckabee was a huge hit, both with laughs and tricky issues, rousing the crowd saying that Sarah Palin got more votes running for mayor than Joe Biden got running for president. He then addressed Obama's candidacy saying:

I grew up at a time and in a place where the civil rights movement was fought. I witnessed first hand the shameful evil of racism. I saw how ignorance and prejudice caused people to do the unthinkable to people of color not so many years ago. So, I say with sincerity that I have great respect for Senator Obama's historic achievement to become his party's nominee -- not because of his color, but with indifference to it. Party or politics aside, we celebrate this milestone because it elevates our country. But the Presidency is not a symbolic job, and I don't believe his preparation or his plans will lift America up.

Rudy Giuliani got an enormous standing ovation and had perhaps a more New York bluntness to his remarks saying as president, "it's not good enough to be present," and "this is not a personal attack . . .it's a statement of fact - Barack Obama has never led anything. Nothing. Nada."

And then Sarah Palin! After a more than two-minute ovation from a crowd packed with handmade signs reading "Palin Power," and "Soccer Moms for Sarah," Palin was finally allowed to speak. And when she did, the crowd couldn't have been more enthusiastic, and I couldn't stop thinking, that's a woman! That's a woman up there! Palin said,

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening. We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.

She seemed sprightly and iron-strong all at the same time, and addressed each of the subjects bandied in the media for the past week, with delicacy and pointedness. "Here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this great country." Huge, deafening applause.

Given the number of times she was interrupted by wild cheers and applause, the audience was charmed and very, very charged up. Were you? And when John McCain came out at the end? Forget about it. Complete and total of the best kind of Republican pandemonium. This crowd has spoken: McCain/Palin '08.

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