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"When the cloud of rhetoric has passed, when the roar of the crowd fades away, when the stadium lights go out and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot, what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?"

-- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Sen. John McCain's running mate exploded onto the national scene Sept. 3 in Minnesota, when she dared criticize the media favorite, the orator extraordinaire, The Chosen One: Sen. Barack Obama.

Alternately smiling and sneering, Palin, a relative unknown from Alaska, demonstrated that she, too, can deliver a moving and inspirational speech. The hockey mom's remarks galvanized not only delegates at the Republican National Convention, but also, and more importantly, conservatives nationwide. Suddenly, the presidential race is compelling.

The level of enthusiasm Palin has inspired on the right is reminiscent of November 1994, when the Republican Party took control of Congress. David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, predicts that "conservatives who have been lukewarm thus far in their support of the McCain candidacy will work their hearts out between now and November for the McCain-Palin ticket." Many who considered sitting out this election are eager to vote. In fact, the only lament among conservatives is that the ticket does not read "Palin-McCain."

The liberal wing of the Democratic Party is well aware of the Palin effect. The viciousness of their attacks on the governor and her family correspond to the threat she represents to a left-wing victory in November.

Feminists have always confidently proclaimed that men will not vote for a woman; that men are "intimidated" by powerful females. The Palin phenomenon has thoroughly debunked the theory. In fact, men (conservative white males, in particular) are rushing to the defense of Palin, while many of her most vehement critics are other women.

One of the more frequent arguments against Palin, that she lacks experience, is not convincing. She has more hands-on, executive experience than Obama. She was a mayor for six years, and has governed the state of Alaska for two. Even more absurd is the argument that Palin has no foreign-policy experience. Governors are not expected to have foreign policy credentials, and this "deficiency" does not disqualify them from higher office. The Soviet Union collapsed as a result of the policies of another governor with no foreign-policy experience: Ronald Reagan.

Palin infuriates the left because she has exposed a fallacy essential to the viability of the Democratic Party: that Democrats are the champions of "diversity," the guardians of women and minorities. In truth, they seek the advancement of liberal women and minorities. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas illustrates the point. Although he adds diversity (of the authentic, intellectual variety) to the Court, leftists adamantly opposed his confirmation. In their view, because of his traditionalist perspective, he is not an authentic black.

Likewise, from the Democratic perspective, Palin is not an authentic woman because she does not march in lockstep with liberal ideology. The governor's rejection of left-wing policy relieves the Democratic Party of its obligation to provide its customary gender- and race-based benevolence. The tokens of diversity -- women, blacks and minorities -- are supposed to be monolithic: Big government, higher taxes and new social programs, they believe, will cure every societal ill. Authentic women are pro-choice, anti-gun and pro-Nanny State. Palin is a rogue, a heretic who dares deny the tenets of liberal orthodoxy. If she were a character in "1984," she would be charged with thought crimes.

And thought crimes are not taken lightly by the media, as demonstrated by ABC's Charlie Gibson. In an interview with Palin, Gibson, who no doubt considers himself an objective journalist, was pompous and belligerent, unable to conceal his disdain for the governor. Yet, in the midst of the interview, Gibson's condescending explanation of the "Bush Doctrine" was outdated and arguably incorrect. To the dismay of many like-minded "journalists," Palin held her own with Gibson.

Public opinion polls are not always indicative of prudent government action, but they are a factor to consider. According to USA Today, President Bush's approval rating is about 28 percent. In a recent Rasmussen poll, Congress fares even worse: Its approval rating is 9 percent, an all-time low. Indisputably, the people of Alaska know Sarah Palin best, and 80 percent of those polled approve of her job performance. That's the kind of change we can believe in.

Charles Davenport Jr. (daisha99@msn.com) is a freelance columnist who appears alternate Sundays in the News & Record.