Having been villified as a political moron, an incompetent campaigner and and a reckless decision-maker, John McCain must feel a measure of vindication today. Now, he’s the genius and the expert judge of talent. But he has a new problem: How’s he going to top that?

I am sitting in a mostly darkened Xcel Center. The stage is undegoing a transformation as workers rebuild the stage to create a platform in-the-round on which McCain will stand tonight. By trying to recreate the townhall meetings I suspect he is going for contrast, both with his VP and with Barack Obama. If Obama did huge, McCain will do intimate. If Palin did emotional, McCain will do steely serious. (Hopefully not dour.) If Obama ignores the surge, McCain will dwell on it. All of that will distinguish and hopefully elevate McCain.

But the problem remains: on an emotional level it is virtually impossible to top last night.