POINT OF CONVERGENCE: For Republicans, the Agony and the Ecstasy that is Sarah Palin

The Ecstasy - She's the Republican Party's most effective and dynamic public speaker whose inspirational words can motivate supporters to a point of great passion and fanatic loyalty.

The Agony - She's an effective and dynamic public speaker whose inflammatory accusations about her opponents incite crowds to acts of violence and hate, turning off potential supporters and generating misgiving of Republican leadership.

The Ecstasy - Her acceptance speech as McCain's VP running mate immediately bumped up McCain's standings in the polls and established her as the Republican Party's rising star.

The Agony - Her subsequent, limited interviews with the media revealed a person who is completely clueless about the American political process and world events, causing Republican leaders to wring their hands in anguish, and to fight back that sinking feeling that her selection had sealed their political doom.

The Ecstasy - She's the most exciting and successful fundraiser for the Republican Party, getting supporters to donate millions of dollars to the McCain presidential campaign to ensure that she gets elected into office.

The Agony - She's the most effective fundraiser for the Democratic Party, driving terrified voters to donate millions of dollars to the Obama presidential campaign to ensure that she doesn't get elected into office.

The Ecstasy - She fires up conservatives and religious advocates, who see a champion for their cause to establish a society based on sound religious principles and solid moral values.

The Agony - She frightens away the independent and liberal bases, which see a hypocritical and small-minded person, whose own life reflects a complete contradiction to all that she claims to stand for and believe in.

The Ecstasy - She looks good in librarian glasses, pricey designer suits, and high heels, possessing a telegenic presence that wins over audiences.

The Agony - She evokes Dana Carvey's Church Lady with her calculated, folksy demeanor that hides a fanatical intolerance of any lifestyle that does not meet her strict criteria.

The Ecstasy - She has convinced supporters that "Joe Six-Pack" and hockey moms are fully qualified to run the country, solve the energy and economic crisis, engage in international diplomacy, and command the most powerful army in the world; that any ordinary Joe and PTA mom with minimal education and professional experience can sit in upon high-level discussions with economists, scientists, military leaders, and scholars to explore the nuances and ramifications of actions by the U.S. upon the international community, offer astute insights and make intelligent decisions that impact that lives of hundreds of millions of people.

The Agony - She produces nightmares in people of fair intelligence who can only imagine a drunk, beer-bellied redneck and his hillbilly wife in curlers with their fingers on the "new-cue-ler" button.

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Mario's column, Point of Convergence, published to Gather Essentials: Politics, looks at the American political landscape and the people and events that make the news.  Mario is a culture trend expert who frequently speaks on cultural, political and social issues that impact modern life. Keep up with Mario's other postings and Gather activity by joining his Gather network.  Just click popculture and select the orange "Connect" button on the left side of the page.