Now or Never for G.O.P. Attacks on Obama

The main strategic knock on the last night's primetime G.O.P. convention session was its decided lack of red meat-attacks on Barack Obama. Instead, the evening was given over to building John McCain's biography and to framing his campaign as a principled crusade that rises above partisan politics.

Good enough, but with Sarah Palin slated to speak tonight and John McCain on tap for tomorrow night, when will the Republicans showcase the kind of bare-knuckled (and highly effective) attacks on Obama that they directed at John Kerry in New York four years ago?

A look at tonight's schedule and the some of the speech excerpts pre-released this afternoon suggests they will try to kill two birds with one stone this evening.

This is tricky, though, because, both by tradition and necessity, the bulk of the highest-profile ten o'clock hour will be dominated by Palin. Her speech has become the most anticipated event of this convention and is probably the G.O.P.'s best opportunity to answer and to put to rest the questions about her preparation - for the national spotlight in general and for national office in particular - that now dog her.

Between Palin's speech, the video biography that will precede her appearance, and an introductory speech from her fellow non-contiguous state governor, Hawaii's Linda Lingle, that will leave only about 20 minutes (if that) of space in the ten o'clock hour for another speech - a slot that will be occupied by Rudy Giuliani.

Limited excerpts of Giuliani's speech are now available, but it's logical to assume he'll go on the attack, playing on his 9/11 reputation to raise questions about Obama's national security record. Giuliani played the same role in New York in '04, and his speech - in his home town, at the peak of his popularity, and just three years after 9/11 - was a decisive hit. But it's now been seven years since 9/11 and Giuliani's standing, thanks to his listless and losing presidential campaign, has taken a hit; he's human again. Plus, Obama, a more instinctively likable figure than Kerry, may be tougher to pillory.

The 9-10:00 window, which will be covered by the cable networks (when they're not busy with pundit panels) but not the broadcast networks, will probably be the Attack Obama Hour. Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, two once and (likely) future presidential rivals, will both challenge Obama directly in their speeches. Michael Steele, the former Maryland lieutenant governor and failed 2006 U.S. Senate candidate, will also speak around 9:00.

Tomorrow night, of course, will be McCain's night. Surely, he'll have some choice words for Obama in his acceptance speech, but there really won't be any room for other featured speakers to grab attention with attacks on Obama. So, when it comes to using the convention to turn Obama into this year's John Kerry, tonight is their last chance.