Paul Ryan and the Audacity of Seriousness – Spectator Blogs

If Paul Ryan looked and sounded like the tyro lawyer in a John Grisham movie delivering his first big courtroom speech then that’s because, in a way, he was just that kind of rookie performing upon the biggest stage of his life.

Happily he had Matt Scully on his team so there was reason to think Ran’s speech would be well-crafted at least. And it was. Scully put lipstick on Sarah Palin four years ago, writing a speech that hoodwinked us all for a time. He had a hefty hand in Ryan’s too.

Not that Ryan is another Palin, you understand. Even so striking the correct balance between substance and style and content and tone with this kind of speech is pretty damn difficult. If Ryan succeeded in geeing up conservative activists desperate for some proper Obama-bashing he also managed to do so without coming across as someone dredging-up long-cherished grievances or indulging far-fetched conspiracies.