The tickets are now set. It’s the outsider and reformers against the insiders and reformers. Washington is broken, but no one takes responsibility for the breakage. It’s always this way when people get fed-up with government. It was that way in 1994 when the public was sick of Democratic Party rule for 40 years and threw them out of the house. Then Republicans became corrupt and voters threw them out. Now Democrats are repeating the pattern.

Sarah Palin’s speech Wednesday night was terrific. It hit all the right notes. She connected with average Americans the way no one has since Ronald Reagan. Most voters – including most women – can identify with her. She lacks pretense and has an imperfect family, like all of us, but it is a supportive family.

I have my preferences in this race, as you do, but I am taught in Scripture not to put my trust in princes and kings. If McCain and Palin are elected and try to reform Washington, they will have an opposition Congress that probably won’t let them. If Obama and Biden are elected, they’ll have a Democratic Congress that will let them do what they want. I’ll take potential frustration over danger.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.