A very conservative friend of mine – who shall remain nameless because he didn’t give me permission to cite his opinions here – just sent me a lengthy e-mail, absolutely gushing about Sarah Palin’s speech Wednesday night as “the best convention speech I’ve ever heard,” “a grand slam … (that) went 562 feet” and “hit all the right buttons,” “a jolt in the arm” for the Republican Party and “articulate, witty (and) funny.”

This friend – who long has had doubts about John McCain’s conservative credentials and just last Friday called Palin too inexperienced to be vice president (let alone president) – said he now is sold on Palin, and the GOP ticket, essentially because of last night’s speech.

This from the same guy who’s been telling me all year that Barack Obama’s ability to speak well in public is not enough to qualify him for the presidency.

Can you say “hypocrisy”?