On Wednesday afternoon, a few short hours before Sarah Palin was to take the stage for her big speech, Jeff Greenfield, the senior political correspondent for CBS News, sized up the Alaskan Governor.

His mind turned to cinema. "I'm trying to think of all the cultural examples about feisty women from nowhere who show up and beat the guys," said Mr. Greenfield. He did a mental IMDB. There was Judy Holliday in "The Solid Gold Cadillac." Sally Field in "Norma Rae." Geena Davis in "Commander in Chief." Dolly Parton in "Nine to Five."

Ms. Palin was an archetype, thought Mr. Greenfield. She was the plucky American underdog.  read more »

LOS ANGELES—After last week’s Democratic debate, Big Love actor Bill Paxton went to a private fund-raiser for Barack Obama at the Avalon, a club on Vine Street in Hollywood.

In a VIP room, Mr. Paxton was relating a story to Mr. Obama’s California campaign manager, Mitchell Schwartz, about an awkward encounter he had with real-life Mormon Mitt Romney.  read more »