Dems seek to raise expectations for Palin speech

Democrats are raising expectations for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s (R) speech Wednesday night, praising her communications skills and predicting she will “deliver an outstanding and moving speech.”

{mosads}Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said on MSNBC Wednesday that he expects Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) running mate to deliver a strong speech, calling her “a very talented person, obviously a good communicator.”

Bill Burton, spokesman for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), went further, saying Palin “was chosen in part because she has a compelling personal story and can deliver an outstanding and moving speech, and there is no doubt that she will do that [Wednesday night].”

Democrats may be nervous that a successful Palin speech will deliver a significant amount of momentum for the GOP heading into McCain’s nomination acceptance speech on Thursday.

In his interview on MSNBC, Van Hollen said that the questions about Palin will come after the convention “in those unscripted moments.”

He also said, “I think it's a mistake to go after her personally. I think, certainly, her record on issues is something that people need to explore.”