ST. PAUL — Realizing that he must follow this act, John McCain must be wondering if he over-picked when choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Palin, whose selection has dominated the conversations during the the GOP convention thus far, dominated inside Xcel Center on Thursday night with a speech that endorsed McCain in ringing terms, scolded her detractors and presented herself as a force to be reckoned with.

Her appearance was all the more remarkable considering that she had never before faced such pressure. Prior to the speech, we posed five questions that about the speech. Here are some answers:

1. Can she reclaim her reputation? Yes. In the days since her surprise selection, Palin has endured a great deal of scrutiny, some of it dealing with here family and her staunchly conservative beliefs, probably all of it uncomfortable for her.

Time will tell if the digging underway will yield much, or anything, of substance. On Thursday night, she presented herself as someone devoted to family and public service, an appealing package for those just getting to know her.

2. Is she up to the job? Debatable, but when she described her successes in Alaska state government, she likely persuaded many people that she can handle Washington. In a convention heavy on rhetoric and short on substance, her tales of taking on “the culture of self-dealing” and challenging Alaska’s old-boy network may have been the high point of her speech. Likewise, her discussion of promoting a gas pipeline suggested that she could capably handle energy issues in a McCain administration.

3. Will she come off as an “every woman” in a way that helps her ticket? Yes. She spent a good deal of time introducing her family and her references to the PTA and the “things” and challenges a family faces surely connected with a lot of women, among them disaffected Hillary Clinton supporters. After discussions with McCain advisers, she didn’t address squarely her young daughter’s pregnancy, which probably was in good taste.

4. Will she emerge as McCain’s attack dog? Oh yea. She showed again and again that she could slip in the knife in while smiling. Sure, these lines were written for her — like the one about Obama having authored 2 memoirs but no laws or reforms — or her reference to the styrofoam columns in Denver. Some were intellectually dishonest, like saying something to the effect that Obama would be more concerned about reading terrorists their rights than terrorism itself. But her barbs drew blood, and she seemed to enjoy giving them.

5. Will she go after the news media? Most definitely, and this crowd loved it. “I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinions. I’m going to go there to serve the people of this country.”