MORNING READ

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is still the talk of the blogosphere entering the third day of the GOP convention. Conservative bloggers defend their enthusiasm for her, while liberal bloggers wonder why she’s hiding from the public. The convention’s Tuesday night session wasn’t a bad start, according to bloggers, who give the best reviews to the speakers not named President Bush.

One big reason people like John McCain’s running mate is that Americans are tired of being lectured at by smug elites, something which Palin certainly is not, writes The Corner’s Victor Davis Hanson. Conservatives love Palin more than ever now that liberals have ratcheted up their “ability to hate this pretty little soccer mom,” writes Matt Lewis at Townhall.com. If McCain drops Palin from the ticket, as liberals and pundits have suggested he might, he would disappoint conservative activists and should drop out of the race himself, writes Hot Air’s Allahpundit.

Republican officials aren’t talking at all about a Palin withdrawal, even though reporters are actively probing her background, notes The Huffington Post’s Thomas B. Edsall. Palin has gone into virtual seclusion at the Republican convention, not even showing up at an event held by conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, writes MyDD’s Jonathan Singer. Democrats should start a clock that tracks the time between Palin appearances, just as Republicans keep track of Sen. Joe Biden’s (D-Del.) gaffes, writes BJ at TalkingPointsMemo.

Tuesday night wasn