Outrage at McCain's "lies" is a total loser strategy.er strategy. Mickey Kaus, Slate

Mark Halperin's three pieces of advice for Obama seem sound. (They are 1. Ignore Palin; 2. Get in McCain's head the way McCain's getting in Obama's; and 3. Refocus on the economy in an accessible way.) ... To which I'd add:
4. It's a good week for point 3!
5. The current lib blog-MSM-campaign tack--getting outraged by McCain's "lies"--is a total loser strategy. Why?

a) MSM outrage doesn't sway voters anymore. It didn't even back in 1988, when the press tried to make a stink about George H.W. Bush's use of "flag factories," etc. After this year's failed MSM Palin assault, it certainly won't work;

b) When Dems get outraged at unfairness they look weak. How can they stand up to Putin if they start whining when confronted with Steve Schmidt? McCain's camp can fake umbrage all it wants--the latest is that an Atlantic photographer took some nasty photos that the mag didn't run!--and nobody will accuse MCain of being weak. That's so unfair. A double standard. Dems can learn to live with it or complain about the unfairness for another 4 years. Their choice.

c) It's almost always impossible to prove that a Republican attack is a 100% lie. Either there's a germ of truth (Kerry did hype his wartime heroism at least a bit) or the truth is indeterminate (i.e., there's no way of knowing what Obama meant by "lipstick"--just because he and McCain used the word earlier doesn't mean he didn't think using it now, after Palin's speech, didn't add a witty resonance).

d) Lecturing the public on what's 'true" and what's a "lie" (when the truth isn't 100% clear) plays into some of the worst stereotypes about liberals--that they are preachy know-it-alls hiding their political motives behind a veneer of objectivity and respectability.

e) Inevitably the people being outraged on Obama's behalf will phrase their arguments in ways well-designed to appeal to their friends--and turn off the unconverted. ('This is just what they did to John Kerry and Michael Dukakis!' As if the public yearns for the lost Kerry and Dukakis Presidencies. 'Today's kindergarteners need some sex education. Just because Republicans are old fashioned ...' etc. Or 'These are Karl Rove tactics,' which signifies little to non-Dem voters except a partisan rancor they'd like to put behind them.)
Lots of people like bad Disney movies, and don't like the kind of people who sneer at bad Disney movies.

6. There must be some way to disillusion the conservative base with McCain, at least a bit. I know the CW--Palin has locked in the base, freeing McCain to move left. But jeez, McCain isn't moving to the left just on immigration, and he isn't moving subtly. Listen to this new radio ad, which might as well be titled "Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Research, Stem Cell Research." That's how often the phrase is repeated. How much more Screw-You-I'm-Taking-You-for-Granted can McCain get? Are conservatives complete suckers?

7. McCain's made great progress with independents by going against his party. Obama can do the same thing. Obvious areas of potential anti-Dem apostasy: Charter schools, firing incompetent teachers, class-based affirmative action, welfare. At least express some doubts about liberal legalism or the headlong rush to immigrant semi-amnesty. Last Tuesday Obama may have tried to make waves by talking about "schools filled with poor teachers"--a Dem no-no if there ever was one. It got buried by the lipstick pig. So don't complain. Say it again! ...

What a community organizer does, Don Surber, Blogs.Dailymail.com

ACORN, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama’s old employer, is breaking election laws. Again

The Detroit Free Press busted the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now for attempted voter fraud. Again.

Reported the Freep:

Several municipal clerks across the state are reporting fraudulent and duplicate voter registration applications, most of them from a nationwide community activist group working to help low- and moderate-income families.

The majority of the problem applications are coming from the group ACORN, Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, which has a large voter registration program among its many social service programs. ACORN’s Michigan branch, based in Detroit, has enrolled 200,000 voters statewide in recent months, mostly with the use of paid, part-time employees.

In between his time at Columbia and Harvard Law School, Obama worked for ACORN.

Community organizing.

Reported the Freep about this latest controversy:

“There appears to be a sizable number of duplicate and fraudulent applications,” said Kelly Chesney, spokeswoman for the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office. “And it appears to be widespread.”

Michigan is a battleground state whose 17 Electoral College votes could decide this election.

The Freep reported:

In recent years, ACORN’s voter registration programs have come under investigation in Ohio, Colorado, Missouri and Washington, with some employees convicted of voter fraud.

200,000 fraudulent votes could decide that election.

Why Replacing Biden With Hillary Makes Perfect Sense for Obama

Posted at the Huggington Post, reposted here to share:

Sen. Joe Biden's a perfectly appropriate vice presidential running-mate for Sen. Barack Obama. He's got 36 years of Senate experience, is a true intellect, a foreign policy expert, and a genuinely nice guy. But ever since Sen. John McCain added plucky Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to his ticket, the old adage nice guys finish last is beginning to take on new meaning in this year's presidential contest. It's time to dump Biden and replace him with Sen. Hillary Clinton. I don't care how it's done. Campaign chief David Axelrod can figure that out. And the sooner the better. Because I'm starting to think that if Team-Obama doesn't do something dramatic fast, it's gonna lose this election. There's a worrisome shift in momentum and in the polls. The Palin phenomenon, while truly unfathomable to Democrats, has energized McCain's campaign and allowed him like Houdini to snatch Obama's "change" theme right out from under him. It's time to snatch it back.


Conventional wisdom says replacing Biden with Clinton can't be done. That it's too late. That it'll make Obama appear indecisive, impulsive and lacking good judgement. Many Democrats believe this would cause irreparable harm to the campaign, ringing Obama's death knell. But this couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, it'd be a freakin' coup for Obama, and would instantly melt Palin's undeserving outsize political ice cap.

To be sure, a Biden-Clinton switch would cause quite a stir in the media. They'd accuse him of all sorts of things, from being politically expedient and flip-flopping to being irrational and ill-equipped to be president. The talking heads on CNN, Fox and MSNBC would be locked in a non-stop frenzied orgy of derisive rhetoric. But we also know that it would make about 18-million Hillary voters ecstatic at the same time. So, honestly, who really cares what Joe Scarborough, Keith Olbermann, Wolf Blitzer or Brit Hume thinks? These pundits don't constitute an appreciable voting block. What they think and feel would be utterly dwarfed by the euphoria from Clinton's faithful supporters. It's a pretty safe bet that an Obama/Clinton ticket would capture virtually all of these loyal Clintonistas. It's also a safe bet that many of those highly coveted 18-49-year-old women who polls show migrated to McPalin this past week would drop the spunky little hockey mom in a heartbeat for Hillary. Lastly, it's an even safer bet that Obama's current voters would stick with him as well. So, where's the downside? Show me a Democrat, today, who'd dump Obama for McCain if Biden was replaced with Clinton? They don't exist.

Obama should do what the Republicans would do in this situation. In fact, he should do exactly what his opponent did. Shake things up. Be unconventional. Roll the dice. Out-McCain McCain. Who cares how it looks. Who cares what the media thinks. One thing's certain: there's an 18-million deep pot of gold out there waiting to be mined. An Obama/Clinton ticket would slam the door shut on this election.

Obama's Ground Game/Voter Fraud Should Scare You!

Posted at Smart Girl Politics, reposted here to share


Do not be too cocky about the polls out showing a tilt towards McCain.  I have this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that won't go away.  Note to anyone in the McCain campaign that may be listening:  BE VERY AFRAID of Obama's ground game.

Why?  Go to the Obama Campaign's website (for research purposes only, please).  If you look by state, especially swing states, it appears Obama has spent a lot of their money opening local offices.  For example:

Obama McCain

Pennsylvania 65 17

Ohio 70 9

Michigan 40 12

These offices for the Obama campaign are holding voter registration drives, canvassing neighborhoods, holding voter parties, and phone banks.  You are able to go to Obama's website and sign up for each of the events by their local office. Within 50 miles of my zip code there were 91 events in the next month alone.  The McCain campaign has their offices listed, but most of the events are set up by volunteers and not the campaign themselves.  This is a huge miss on their part.  I am sure that there are other events sponsored by the Campaign, but they are relying on volunteers to do their homework rather than make it a simple process of signing up.

The second issue with the Obama ground game is "street cash".  What's that?  Apparently, it is a well-known practice in poor and urban areas that help get out the vote.  How exactly does it get out the vote?  The campaign, usually through a go-between, pays local campaign people to spread "street cash" to get voters to go the polls and vote for their candidate.

Campaign Wards in Philadelphia were mad because Obama didn't provide them with this cash during the primaries. This led to a lower voter turn out in the Philly area.   The Obama campaign has assured these same Wards that money will be made available to them in November.  You can find the info on this here.  How exactly is this legal?  I found that this was not just in Philly.  It is apparently something used in most poor urban areas around the country......Chicago (?????)

Finally, the community organization that Obama is so proud of ACORN (Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now), voter registration organization targeting lower income urban areas, is knee-high in fraud accusations this year.  Here in Pennsylvania alone, several thousand voter registration applications were found to be fraudulent. Arrest warrants in these cases have been issued.  It's not isolated to Pennsylvania though.  Let's just say that it would be easier for me to name the states that aren't making accusations against ACORN. Believe me......there are very few that haven't made accusations.

DNC Reform Endorses McCain Palin Ticket

DNC Reform Supports McCain/Palin 2008

"We feel that the best presidential candidate to represent American is John McCain. We feel he will bring a much needed fiscal conservatism to Washington along with genuine change and reform to the status quo Washington politics. Sen. John McCain has always been a "maverick" and moderate politician, who is not afraid to challenge his party. Senator McCain is someone that voters can trust and respect.

Governor Palin is also a "maverick" politician, who has stood up to her party, exposed and ended corruption and has exhibited fiscal responsibility, in her capacities as Governor of the Great State of Alaska, and former Mayor of Wasilla, AK. We feel that she will truly complement and enhance the administration of future President John McCain.

There are currently no other candidates in the race that can measure up to Senator John McCain or Governor Sarah Palin."

In a 'Change' Election, an Increasingly Familiar Electoral Map, Steve Kornacki

Excerpt:

One of the consequences of John McCain’s move into a tie, or even into a slight lead, in post-convention polling is the shrinking of the electoral battleground. Gone, probably for good, is the left’s haughty talk about a radical realignment of the electoral map that prevailed in the last two presidential elections. Instead, the same basic red-blue scheme and the same swing states (with perhaps one or two new additions) now seem destined to define a third consecutive election night.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

Survey asking if I would change my mind about voting for McCain if Biden was replaced with Hillary.

Excerpt:

Commenter Felizarte recently posted this interesting tidbit:

Talk of replacing Biden with Hillary must be under discussion. I just got a follow-up survey from –William Arnone Phone: 212-773-3285 asking me if I would change my mind about voting for McCain if Biden was replaced with Hillary.

The author speculates the Obama campaiign is discussing putting Clinton back on the ticket...
(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

E-mail Comment Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Technorati Furl More “hand-wringing, bed-wetting” ahead for Democrats By CKA in Red State USA

Ploufe’s comments come in a Sept. 12 International Herald Tribune story, “Obama plans sharper tone as party frets.”

More from the story, this by its writers: “By every indication, Obama’s aides underestimated the impact that McCain’s choice of Palin would have on the race. Obama and his campaign have seemed flummoxed in trying to figure out how to deal with her.”

Underestimated? Flummoxed? That’s polite-speak for full-scale ignorance and chaos, respectively.
Another tidbit from the writers: “Obama’s aides said they had also been taken aback by the newfound aggressiveness of the revamped McCain campaign under Steve Schmidt, who has played an increasingly powerful role since last summer. Even as the aides have denounced the tactics as unsavory, they acknowledge that McCain is running a more effective campaign than he was a month ago.”
Taken aback? Again, that’s polite-speak for clueless and caught off-guard.

I especially like “unsavory” tactics by McCain’s campaign.

That’s classic whining from a campaign that’s played the race card so much people don’t even mention when it is now played. One that mocks disabled veterans and older people such as McCain. One that ridicules people for beliveing in God and the Constitution. One that criticizes people for actually supporting life and objecting to infanticide. One that ridicules Sarah Palin because she’s a woman, a mother and working one, a former mayor and current governor. One that lies and distorts because it has no truths to offer. One that would blanches at any criticism at it because, as politely as I can say it: They lack requisite testicularity.

As for McCain’s ”newfound agressiveness”?

Guess they thought the old fellow, who can’t raise his arms above his shoulders because he had the you-know-what tortured out of him by the North Vietnamese but keep going on for five and a half years, was really going to let himself be overrun by the likes of Obama and his whiners and liars.
The old fox led them right into the snares of their own ignorance and arrogance.

And now their anxiety and doom causes them to wet their pants and panties, respectively, and wring their dainty hands.

Can Obama Sing The “Blue State Blues?”

Excerpt:

The post convention polls show that the race has suddenly tightened to a dead heat in the bluest of the Blues, the state of Minnesota; and the loss of Minnesota may be fatal to the Democratic run this fall. Consider this: if you take all of the states where McCain and Palin are leading as of today - - the Real Clear Politics reds and pinks, plus Virginia, Ohio, and Nevada - - their electoral vote count comes to 265.  Minnesota would raise the total to 275, even counting all of the other hotly-contested battlegrounds in the Obama-Biden column, and that’s five more than the Republicans need to win the White House.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

The Democrat-Liberal Tower of Babble Topples By CKA in Red State USA

The current collapse of the Democrat-liberal-leftist Tower of Babble - a.k.a. Obama campaign and its supporting players in the wrongly named MSM - parallels the story of the ancient Tower of Babel: arrogance + wrong purpose + no restraint = confusion and failure.

The Bible’s Book of Genesis records the ancient tower’s story. From many places, the tower’s builders spoke one language. Because of their wrong purpose, but unity through through that common tongue, the Master Planner of the Universe fractured that language into many. Thus, the builders could no longer understand one another.

That linguistic chaos put the proverbial kibosh on the project. Initiated by arrogant tyrant Nimrod, who tried to turn his people away from God, it was to have been a structure that stretched into the heavens and brought glory to Babylon. Its name, Babel, means confusion.

Sounds strikingly similar to Obama, his supporters and devotees, and the current disintegration of the Democrats’, liberals’ and leftists’ attempt to install the megalomaniac empty suit from Chicago into the White House?

Arrogance. Wrong purpose. No restraint. Confusion. Failure, which will take until Election Day to be complete.

Independents Swing Toward McCain - John Avlon, The Politico

Excerpt:

Obama’s campaign is confronting a political reality that Democrats have a difficult time dealing with: that America is essentially a center-right nation. Winning a national election comes down to winning over independents and centrists in swing states.

And the professional partisans in the Republican Party needs to appreciate that John McCain is leading a broader resurgence of the Republican brand because of his independence, not in spite of it.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

It's Not Just Palin -- Its the Message - Joe Trippi, JoeTrippi.com

Excerpt:

Now the Obama campaign and its allies need to understand that in arguing that John McCain represents a third term of George Bush and the GOP agenda it is the Obama campaign that risks sounding partisan in a country that yearns for the post-partisanship of “country first” and “shaking things up in Washington”.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Can McCain Really Win Pennsylvania? - Salena Zito, Pitt Trib-Review

Excerpt:

University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato says his tentative conclusion is that McCain should not allow the money to run in Pennsylvania unless he has unlimited resources, and instead should look west. His argument: If McCain is close in Pennsylvania, then he already is well above 300 Electoral College votes and won't need it to win.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Acorn Pushing Voter Registration Fraud in Michigan with links to the Obama campaign

Excerpt:

Well we finally know what a community organizer does, if that community organizer is ACORN what they do perpetuate Voter fraud. One quick google search will show all the times it has been sited for voter fraud. Now the Detroit Free Press reports that this group with ties to the Obama campaign is trying their dirty tricks in Michigan:

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article);

The New York Times Actively Assists in Obama Fundraising Efforts

Excerpt:

Today's news: Camp Obama raises $66 million in August.
Sad Fact: The New York Times actively helped Obama raise funds.
I found it highly suspect when, lacking all credible evidence, the New York Times ran a Front Page story claiming Obama’s fundraising machine was in trouble, using phrases like “EXTREMELY ANEMIC” and “A NEW SENSE OF URGENCY” to report that Obama’s money juggernaut might be sinking. As I read this I bookmarked the Times story, knowing that Obama’s figures would likely rise to the heavens after the conventions and the Palin addition and BHO’s sinking poll #s. This Front Page story ran days before the just released totals for August were announced...

...When in fact, Obama just had is BEST EVER month--$66 million in August!!!!!!!!!
Thus...The Times reported a story that had NO TRUTH to it. And oddly opted not to wait a few days to verify the August #s.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Developing: Obama Raises $66 Million In August, But Spends $54 Million

Posted by "Politically Drunk on Power", reposted here to share:

The Obama Campaign, making sure that the release came after the Sunday Talk Shows, announced that they had hauled in a record $66 million in August. Although this amount is a private fundraising record, the amount fell far short of the more than $100 million the campaign expected. The Obama campaign's largest haul came on the day after John McCain's announcement of Sarah Palin as his Vice-Presidential nominee. Publicly and privately party officials have shown concern in recent weeks when the campaign failed to raise the $40-$50 million that they hoped would stem from his Invesco acceptance speech.

With today's announcement, the Obama campaign released that they had $77 million of cash-on-hand, up from the $65 million that they reported in July. As a result, that means that the Obama campaign spent $54 million in the month of August, nearly matching the $56 million that they spent in July. This is a major concern to officials within the Obama campaign considering that with McCain's $47 million haul in august and $84 million infusion, Obama must raise a minimum of $60 million just to match John McCain. Although it is likely that Obama will raise the $60 million, he may continue to play catch-up as record-breaking contributions are flowing into the RNC, who reported $115 million of cash on hand on the day following the convention. At a minimum, the financing race will be even by the end of October, leaving many to question Obama's decision to flip on campaign financing. If the fundraising race does end up even, McCain will hold an advantage as his campaign is not bloated with paid campaign advisers and staffers; thus leaving more money for get out the vote efforts.

More to come Monday!

J Brown

The Great Unmasking, Peter Wehner, The Comentary

Excerpt:

The ferocious response Sarah Palin's nomination has provoked among the political class is turning this election into one based on a cultural narrative rather than an economic debate. The dripping condescension that some of Palin's critics are demonstrating toward her is boomeranging. She is becoming a heroine to many Republicans, who are as energized as I can remember in defense of Palin. And in attacking Palin, many Democrats and liberal commentators are mocking her faith, worldview, and life experiences. In that sense, a great unmasking is taking place. A wide swath of liberals are revealing their arrogance, their cultural elitism, and even their ugliness. It may be therapeutic. And it may also cost them the election.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

Obama's Change Could Cost Big Bucks - Paul Gessing, Philadelphia Inquirer

Excerpt:

Obama pledges to follow President Bush in rapidly increasing the size and scope of the federal government. Bush has allowed the federal budget to grow from 18.4 percent to 20 percent of the nation's gross domestic product. Former President Bill Clinton, on the other hand, oversaw a reduction of federal spending from 22.1 percent to 18.7 percent of GDP.

Unfortunately for the U.S. economy, the likelihood of massive government expansion under Obama means that the only important "change" will be in the mechanism by which our ever-expanding government is funded.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

Seeing Through Obamanomics - Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe

Excerpt:

Obama claims his proposal would lower taxes for 95 percent of Americans, but well over 43 million tax returns, one-third of all those filed, already reflect an income tax liability of zero. In fact, Obama says, his plan would eliminate income taxes for an additional 10 million taxpayers. What he is really proposing, therefore, is not tax relief but a bald transfer of cash - $1,000 per family, he pledges - from the wealthiest Americans to everyone else. In 1972, George McGovern advocated something similar - a $1,000 "demogrant" for every US citizen.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

How Petraeus Changed The War - Linda Robinson, Washington Post

Petraeus's willingness to grapple with Iraqi politics made all the difference. His replacements' tasks will be more than ever political, not military. The former Sunni insurgency hasn't yet been woven into the political, economic and security life of the country, and the extraordinary success of the past 18 months is likely to unravel if Petraeus's and Crocker's successors -- as well as the next U.S. president -- do not finish that crucial undertaking.

No, the Iraqis can't finish the job on their own now; at the same time, no, we don't need 100,000 U.S. troops to stay in Iraq and do it for them. It would be heartening if we could understand the real record of Iraq's turnaround -- and talk about its future like grown-ups.
(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Barack Obama's big blunder

Excerpt:

No more Mr. Nice Guy, Obama vows. He's going to really start hitting John McCain now. He's going to make voters understand that McCain equals four more years of George Bush.

It's a weird decision because Obama has been doing exactly that for four months. The problem is not that Obama hasn't hit McCain hard enough or linked him to Bush often enough. The problem is that he hasn't done anything else.

How about a new idea? How about putting some meat on the bony promise of "change"?

And what happened to that post-partisan uniter who took the country by storm during the early primaries by offering an optimistic vision for America? Why not bring him back?

Apparently that Obama has left the building. He's been replaced with a party man who sees the other side as evil and beneath contempt...

...Ah, yes, the press. I guess that means more Charlie Gibsons of the world looking down with disgust at Palin as though she was soiling his shoes. Even The New York Times allowed that Gibson, in his ABC interview, came off as "supercilious," which is a fancy way of saying arrogant.

By all means, more arrogance toward the heartland. Just what Obama needs.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

WkStd: Hatred Overwhelms Media

Excerpt:

Of course, politicians are always trying to manipulate the media. And the liberal media are always allowing themselves to be manipulated by liberal politicians. So why the foot-stamping snit by liberal journalists? Not because "the press is being manipulated." Rather, because the American people are resisting manipulation by the media.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

5 reasons why McCain has pulled ahead, By DAVID PAUL KUHN

1. McCain as a 'change agent'.
2. The center shifts: Independents move to McCain. 
3. The economic gap narrows
4. Palin narrows the enthusiasm gap
5. Democrats voter ID edge dulls


(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

 

 

RCP Electoral Count: McCain +20!

RCP Electoral Count	227	207	McCain +20
No Toss Up States	265	273	Obama +8

(Click on the item for more information )

Gibson Misquotes Palin

 Posted at Falling Panda, reposted here to share:

Gibson and the rest of the MSM have turned her actual quote into something completely different.

Here's the exchange from last night:



Here's what Palin actually said:

"Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God," she exhorted the congregants. "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."

Here's the actual video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0UQbA0ZmmM

This is journalism at its most shoddy. Can there be any doubt that the MSM is out to get this woman, while at the same time being completely in the tank for Sen. Obama? Meanwhile, I'm struggling to find a job as a reporter. Go figure.

Journalism this bad requires a great deal of...oh...what's the word I'm looking for? How about "hubris?"

RCP Electoral Count: McCain +10!!!

For the first time McCain takes the lead in the electoral count:

McCain's gains in Missouri changes the electoral count.  For the first time, McCain leads Obama:

Electoral Count

McCain:227

Obama: 217

McCain +10

Electoral Count with No Toss Up States:	McCain: 265	Obama:  273	Obama +8

(Click on the respective item  to read the full article)

SHAME ON OBAMA !!! New Commercial Mocks McCains War Injuries

Cute little commercial Senator Obama came out with today. It mocks Senator McCain for not being able to use a computer. Well, there is a REASON he can't use a computer. When he crashed into North Vietnam BOTH his arms were broken, and those broken arms received little treatment.
Not only can't McCain use a keyboard, he can't tie his shoes or comb his hair either. SHAME on Obama for using this example and SHAME on the media for not pointing out that the Illinois senator is insensitive to McCain's war injuries:

Did Obama Just Question McCain's Patriotism?

Obama is The One, the one who talks the great talk but walks a completely different walk than the talk.  In fact, it's coming to light that all Obama is is talk.  Is that why voters are fleeing from him?  Is that why the press is bemoaning his descent from the stars?  The Messiah was ascending to Heaven, and then that devil (to all "open-minded" Leftists) Palin grabbed his elitist coattails and dragged him back down to where he belongs with the rest of the elitist Left, all the while spilling merlot and brie on us downtrodden people who can't help ourselves without The One. 

The One complains that McCain is mean and that his attacks are all lies.  I can't say he's completely wrong, but what about his own attacks that are lies?  Isn't this just politics?  Then Obama goes in front of the lowly citizens of Earth in Denver and tells us that no one shall question his patriotism.  Why shouldn't we question the patriotism of someone running for office in the United States of America, and that includes John McCain?  Shouldn't we want to know that our President has our best interests at heart?  Seems logical.  It is clear now, though, that Obama meant no one should question his patriotism.  He can question everyone else's, but don't apply his standards to him, please.

Here's a blurb from the Political Punch:

Obama Implies McCain Puts Other Countries First...

(Click on the title of the post to read the rest of the article) 

Obama - UNELECTABLE

Our friend Charles Lemos on his blog, By The Fault, does a wonderful job keeping us posted on polls - both state and national - as they come out. And WOW have they been coming out — what a come-down for Obama! To give you an idea of how wildly things have shifted since the first of September, I made a copy of Real Clear Politics rolling average chart of national polls:

Real Clear Politics Chart of Polls from Sept. 1st - Sept.12

Those national polls reflect Obama’s weakness in state after state. From By the Fault:

Rasmussen Reports Washington State Poll — Obama’s Lead Down to Two Points
Insider Advantage Ohio Poll — McCain By One
Rasmussen Reports Michigan Poll — Obama Motoring By Five
Rasmussen Reports Idaho Poll — A Gem for McCain
Rasmussen Reports Wyoming Poll — Red As Ever
West Virginia Poll — A Five Point Edge for McCain
Georgia Looks Peachy for McCain
Quinnipiac Poll on Three Swing States — McCain Widens Lead in Florida, Obama’s Lead Widens in Ohio but Narrows in Pennsylvania
[UPDATE] Two more polls!
Marist New Jersey Poll — Obama By Seven Among Registered Voters But Only By Three Among Likely Voters
Rasmussen Reports Missouri Poll — McCain Holds A Six Point Lead

Moonbats dropping like flies from PDS epidemic

<--By Howie Carr




Excerpt:

It’s America’s newest disease - only diagnosed by some in the media a few days ago - but it is spreading among the nation’s Beautiful People at an alarming rate.

You know it by its initials - PDS. Palin Derangement Syndrome.

You can watch the victims of PDS on TV every night, frothing at the mouth in front of Obama banners, repeating scurrilous lies lifted from left-wing blogs or just making up new whoppers as they go along. It’s an epidemic - Palin Derangement Syndrome swept through MSNBC studios this week and claimed two anchors, who are survived by dozens of viewers.

The bad news is, PDS appears to be incurable. The good news is, it only strikes one demographic group - moonbats.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

In Gibson interview, Gov. Palin was right: There is no single clear meaning for "the Bush Doctrine"

Excerpt:

If they had bothered to look, even the Wikipedia could have cured Josh Marshall, Greg Sargent, or Andrew Sullivan of their illusion that there's a single, simple meaning to the term "Bush Doctrine." When it comes to any discussion of Gov. Sarah Palin, these folks have shown us yet again that they just can't be trusted to get their basic facts right.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

McCain does not owe the press an apology.

EXCERPT:

HEADING THE LIST of a long, long, exceedingly long--we did say long, didn't we?--list of pundits, reporters, bloggers, and publications who have been suddenly been struck by a wave of nostalgia for the "old" John McCain, or the "real" John McCain, or the John McCain of 2000, Time's Joe Klein has been anticipating the apology McCain will make to him, once it is over, for the unworthy, nasty, disreputable, and really mean campaign he has run. Klein says he won't accept it, but he needn't worry. McCain, win or lose, will not make it, and there is no reason that he should.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Penn: Media Has Lost Credibility

  <-- Mark Penn

Excerpt:

I think here the media is on very dangerous ground. I think that when you see them going through every single expense report that Governor Palin ever filed, if they don't do that for all four of the candidates, they're on very dangerous ground. I think the media so far has been the biggest loser in this race. And they continue to have growing credibility problems.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Sarah Palin Thinks Barack Obama Will Regret Not Picking Hillary Clinton

In an exclusive interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says Barack Obama may regret not picking Sen. Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate.

By Nancy Stone -- Chicago Tribune

Gov. Sarah Palin says Sen. Barack Obama just might regret not picking Sen. Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate.  "I think he's regretting not picking her now, I do. What, what determination, and grit, and even grace through some tough shots that were fired her way -- she handled those well," the Alaska governor told Charles Gibson in her third and final exclusive interview with ABC News.

View excerpts of Charles Gibson's exclusive interview with Gov. Sarah Palin in Wasilla, Alaska, by clicking here. 
 
And Watch Gibson's exclusive interviews with Palin tonight on "World News" at 6:30 p.m. ET, a special "20/20" at 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT, and "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m. ET

Palin, 44, took the mantle of the campaign's only female contender after Obama defeated Clinton for their party's nomination and picked Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., as his Democratic running mate over Clinton and others.

Palin has praised Clinton on the campaign trail, and when she was first introduced as Sen. John McCain's running mate last month in Ohio.

McCain leads Obama 48 percent to 44 percent in AP-GfK poll

Excerpt:

Eighty percent say McCain, with nearly three decades in Congress, has the right experience to be president. Just 46 percent say Obama, now in his fourth year in the Senate, is experienced enough. Another 47 percent say Obama lacks the proper experience - an even worse reading than the 36 percent who had the same criticism about Palin, now in her second year as governor after serving as a small-town mayor in her state.

"This is his fourth year in the Senate, and two of those four years he spent campaigning for president," said Arthur Koch, 63, an undecided voter from Wallington, N.J. "I'm not too comfortable with that."

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

What Exactly Is the 'Bush Doctrine'?

Excerpt:

Preemptive war; American unilateralism; the overthrow of regimes that harbor and abet terrorists--all of these things and more have been described as the "Bush Doctrine." It was a bit of a sham on Gibson's part to have pretended that there's such a thing as 'the' Bush Doctrine, much less that it was enunciated in September 2002.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

Bill Clinton's Advice to Barack Obama - John Harris, The Politico

Excerpt:

We do know that Clinton was happy to share his thoughts. He recently offered 10 minutes of “here’s what Obama needs to do” wisdom while standing in the popcorn line with someone he just met at a New York movie theater, according to one Democrat privy to the conversation.

The Clinton-Obama meeting was closed. We don’t know for sure what they said.

But it is not hard to make an educated guess. Here, based on 16 years experience watching Bill Clinton campaign — and interviews with a half-dozen veterans of his political teams — is a reasonably safe bet about his campaign advice to Barack Obama:

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

In Hindsight, Hillary Looks Good as a Running Mate By Marianne Means

Excerpt:

Sen. Hillary Clinton must be as bemused as her many supporters are (that's a polite word) by the excitement Gov. Sarah Palin has brought to a dull Republican ticket. It might even help the GOP win! Horrors! Why didn't Sen. Barack Obama think of this? Why didn't he summon the courage to add Clinton to his own Democratic ticket?

No real understandable reasons, or excuses, have been forthcoming. Except, of course, he was running so strongly against the old guy in white hair that he thought he didn't need any help.

"Not a good fit" was about the closest an Obama mouthpiece came to an explanation. Meaning, one assumes, that he couldn't bear a competing shining star. McCain, of course, has no such worries....

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Excerpt:

The essential problem coming to light is a profound disconnect between the Barack Obama of the candidate's speeches, and the Barack Obama who has actually been in politics for the past decade or so.

Speechmaker Obama has built his campaign on the promise of reform, the need to change the culture of American political life, to take on the special interests that undermine government's effectiveness and erode trust in the system itself.

Politician Obama rose through a Chicago machine that is notoriously the most corrupt in the country. As David Freddoso writes in a brilliantly cogent and measured book, The Case Against Barack Obama, the angel of deliverance from the old politics functioned like an old-time Democratic pol in Illinois. He refused repeatedly to side with those lonely voices that sought to challenge the old corrupt ways of the ruling party.

Speechmaker Obama talks about an era of bipartisanship, He speaks powerfully about the destructive politics of red and blue states.

Politician Obama has toed his party's line more reliably than almost any other Democrat in US politics. He has a near-perfect record of voting with his side. He has the most solidly left-wing voting history in the Senate. His one act of bipartisanship, a transparency bill co-sponsored with a Republican senator, was backed by everybody on both sides of the aisle. He has never challenged his party's line on any issue of substance.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Obama's Record Doesn't Match His Words - Gerard Baker, Times of London

Excerpt:

Here's the real problem with Mr Obama: the jarring gap between his promises of change and his status quo performance. There are just too many contradictions between the eloquent poetry of the man's stirring rhetoric and the dull, familiar prose of his political record.

It's been remarked that the biggest difference between Americans and Europeans is religion: ignorant Americans cling to faith; enlightened Europeans long ago embraced the liberating power of reason. Yet here's an odd thing about this election. Europeans are asking Americans to take a leap of faith, to break the chains of empiricism and embrace the possibility of the imagination.

The fact is that a vote for Mr Obama demands uncritical subservience to the irrational, anti-empirical proposition that the past holds no clues about the future, that promise is wholly detached from experience. The second-greatest story ever told, perhaps.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

Gallup's Quick Read on the Election

Excerpts:

Democrats' "structural" election advantage has faded in the immediate aftermath of the Republican National Convention. Americans have become more likely to identify as Republicans than before the conventions, although Democrats retain a slight edge on this measure. The Republican Party is now seen almost as favorably as the Democratic Party. There is low approval for the incumbent Republican president. Voters want a change in leadership. Democrats now have only a slight edge on generic ballots for Congress. A key question is whether or not these Republican gains will remain in place, or fade in the weeks after the GOP convention.


Broadly speaking, the structure of this race has been similar to 2000 and 2004 -- very close elections. Both candidates this year have a high percentage of their party's vote, although McCain has a slightly higher "partisan loyalty" factor. McCain, in the days after his convention, made a significant gain with independents, among whom he now leads Obama. To win by a large margin, a candidate needs a significant advantage among independents and needs to perform at least marginally better among their own party identifiers than the opponent does among his partisans. This is McCain's current pattern, and he is ahead in the trial heat ballot at this time.

Turnout will be a key factor. Obama would benefit from unusual (and unprecedented) enthusiasm among young voters and minority voters. McCain would benefit from a more typical higher turnout among Republicans, highly religious white voters. Results of likely voter modeling this summer so far have been mixed. In the days after the GOP convention, McCain benefited from a surge among likely voters. Overall enthusiasm about voting, which had dropped off significantly earlier in the summer, resurged after the Republican convention. Democrats did not gain enthusiasm as a result of their convention, but Republicans did gain after theirs, reducing the Democratic advantage on the "enthusiasm gap."

Gallup's polling showed a decline in the estimate of "swing voters" as a result of the conventions -- those who said they either had not made up their mind or could change their mind about their candidate support. Both Obama and McCain's supporters became a little more certain in their vote choice. It's still too early to estimate election probabilities, but if McCain retains a lead going into the weeks after his convention, history says that he has a better than even chance of winning the election.


Pattern of candidate support is similar to 2000 and 2004 elections. Obama's strengths: non-white race and ethnic groups, including blacks and Hispanics; 18-29; those with postgraduate educations; women; those with very low incomes; those who have no religious identification/for whom religion is not important/do not attend church; those who are unmarried. McCain's strengths: non-Hispanic whites; 65 and older; those who are married; white Protestants and non-Catholic Christians; whites who attend church frequently/for whom religion is important.

McCain Closes to Within Two Points of Obama in Washington

Washington is the latest state to show a strong western surge for John McCain since he added Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Washington finds Barack Obama still ahead, but barely. It’s Obama 49%, McCain 47%. A month ago, Obama was up by twelve percentage points. Recent polls have shown McCain gains in Montana, New Mexico and North Dakota.

Among Democrats, Obama now attracts 83% of the vote, down six points from last month. However, the big change comes among unaffiliated voters who now favor McCain by a 48% to 43% margin. In August, before the two parties held their conventions, Obama led by twelve among voters not affiliated with either major political party (see demographic crosstabs).

RCP Electoral Count: 217 - 216

RCP Electoral Count: 217 - 216

 Map w/No Toss Ups: Obama +8 EVs

(Click on the item to read the full articles)

Obama's Altitude Sickness - Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post

Excerpt:

WASHINGTON -- The Democrats are in a panic. In a presidential race that is impossible to lose, they are behind. Obama devotees are frantically giving advice. Tom Friedman tells him to "start slamming down some phones." Camille Paglia suggests, "be boring!"

Meanwhile, a posse of Democratic lawyers, mainstream reporters, lefty bloggers and various other Obamaphiles are scouring the vast tundra of Alaska for something, anything, to bring down Sarah Palin: her daughter's pregnancy, her ex-brother-in-law problem, her $60 per diem, and now her religion. (CNN reports -- news flash! -- that she apparently has never spoken in tongues.) Not since Henry II asked if no one would rid him of his turbulent priest, have so many so urgently volunteered for duty.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Why 'The Media Are Getting Mad' - John Hinderaker, Power Line

Excerpt:

The truth is that Sarah Palin has been the object of the most vicious and concerted smear campaign in modern American history. But that fact doesn't cause the media (or Howard Kurtz) to get mad.

It's not too hard to diagnose why, as Kurtz correctly says, "the media are getting mad." They're getting mad because their candidate is losing. They've spent years building him up and covering for his mistakes and shortcomings, and he is such a stiff that he can't coast across the finish line. I'd be mad too, I guess, but I think I'd have the decency not to take it out on Sarah Palin.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

The Sarah Surge in Black and White

Excerpt:

Even though Sen. McCain is now riding Gov. Palin's skirt tails, he was the one who made the brilliant decision to put her on the ticket. And the louder the Left screams the better Sarah seems to do. So much better that for the first time the Intrade pay-to-play prediction market -- which long has had Obama winning by 20 to 25 points in November -- now shows a McCain lead. Unbelievable

 (Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

  

Words Obama Will Regret - Ken Blackwell, New York Sun

On Monday, Senator Obama uttered one sentence that could haunt him until Election Day. He said of Senator McCain and Governor Palin telling voters they would bring change, "they must think you're stupid." Given his stances on the surge, social issues, and his past, Mr. Obama will regret those words.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Video: Dennis Miller on O'Reilly, "Palin is Deep Deep Inside Obama's Melon"

Click on the title of the post to view the video.

Democrats Must Shake Elitist Label - Lynn Forester de Rothschild, WSJ

Excerpt:

Despite Mr. Obama's assertions that his campaign is about "you," much of his campaign is, in fact, all about him. In the months since the primaries ended, his creation and display of a mock presidential seal with his name on it, his speech at a mass rally at the Prussian Victory Column in Berlin, and his insistence on delivering his acceptance speech in front of fabricated Greek columns in a stadium holding 80,000 chanting supporters have crossed the thin line that separates galvanizing voters and plain old demagoguery.

In this context, it should come as no surprise that Sarah Palin, mother of five, hockey mom turned governor and maverick reformer, would instantly zero in on the inherent weakness in Mr. Obama's candidacy, and contrast it with her own compelling life story.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Obama's Problem is Pride, Not 'Lipstick' - Howard Fineman, MSNBC

Excerpt:

Obama seems to want to do things on his own, and on his own terms. It’s understandable. Obama has his own crowd – from Chicago, from Harvard, and from a new cadre of wealthy, Ivy-educated movers and shakers.

“He’s an arrogant S.O.B.,” one of the latter told me today. “He wants to do it his way, and his way alone.” But politics doesn’t work that way. And has Obama should know, or is about to find out, that everyone needs a little help.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

Obama in Seismic Meltdown, Rush Limbaugh

Excerpt:

You know, folks -- (laughing) -- if I were advising Sarah Palin -- (laughing) -- starting with her next speech, I'd have her take out a white cloth handkerchief.  I'd have her wipe off her lipstick.  I'd have her say, "There, now I'm just a pit bull."  And then I'd have her give the speech.  The dam may have busted, ladies and gentlemen.  Biden said yesterday electing Sarah Palin would be a step backwards for women.  He has commented on her looks.  Obama had a top financial finance guy say that Palin was irresponsible for running for vice president, even though she's already a governor, because she has a family.  We've got tape, Biden in Missouri yesterday, Columbia, Missouri, at a campaign rally telling a guy in the wheelchair to stand up, "Stand up, Chuck, let 'em see you!"  Wait 'til you hear this.  Barry is melting. (laughing) It's another Joe Biden blunder. (doing Biden impression) "Stand up, Chuck, let 'em see you.  Oh, oh, okay, everybody stand up for Chuck." (laughing)  Here's The Messiah melting down yesterday.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)  

Democrats just don't get it as Sarah Palin pounds 'em

By Micheal goodwin

Excerpts:

Someone said Obama has had a bad few days. Actually, he's had a bad few months. He peaked before Hillary Clinton got out of the race in June and, with a few exceptions, has stagnated or trended lower in most polls ever since.

....To say Dems haven't figured her out understates their cultural disconnect. They still haven't figured out why Ronald Reagan beat Walter Mondale and President Bush beat John Kerry.

And Obama is falling into the trap of whining that everything that goes against him is a "distraction." That's what he called his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, too. A distraction.

He makes a careless statement about putting "lipstick on a pig" a week after Palin made the lipstick joke heard 'round the world, and he wonders why everybody is picking on him.

It's very possible Palin will yet destruct by making some killer gaffe that shows she's not up to the job. Or maybe ABC will come up with a video of her talking in tongues or beating her children or something else that will make her an overnight disaster.

But just in case Santa Claus doesn't hand them the election, the Obama-bots ought to stop feeling sorry for themselves and start feeling the pain and hopes of ordinary Americans. Maybe then they'd understand the remarkable appeal of Sarah Palin.

 (Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

Autumn Angst: Dems fret about Obama

Excerpt:

Polls showing John McCain tied or even ahead of Barack Obama are stirring angst and second-guessing among some of the Democratic Party’s most experienced operatives, who worry that Obama squandered opportunities over the summer and may still be underestimating his challenges this fall.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

ACTION!! Urgent- contact Don Fowler AGAIN!

Excerpt:

Don Fowler who recently grew tired of the citizens of this country is now Pimping off his Wife Carol. She is out attacking Sarah Palin saying her only qualification to run for office is that she did not abort her baby. I wonder what qualifies her to speak for the rest of us women. She certainly does not speak for me - in fact she is a disgrace - I want not association with. She should immediately be removed as a representative. She has stepped over the line of human decency.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

"Just Words"

Posted by LondonAmerican.com, reposted here to share....

Clinton Dem Action Alert! 11SEP08

 Calling all Clinton Dems!

Hillary will be attending a reception for Sheila Jackson Lee on September 21st in Houston Texas and they need your help! This is no ordinary fundraiser...

There appears to be an all out effort on to oust representatives that supported Hillary from their congressional seats. Sheila is one of them.

Big money players are supporting Sheila's opponent and really putting the heat on. The "politics of personal destruction" is their game. The smear campaign is in full swing.

Sheila stood with Hillary though her entire primary run and received threats, intimidation and namecalling just for supporting her. This kind of behavior can not be rewarded! Please come to her defense by attending this Houston fundraiser.

If you can't be there, please consider donating to her campaign.

JOIN HILLARY IN HOUSTON, SEPT 21, 1.30 PM

Invitation (Please RSVP):

www.sheilajacksonlee18.com

In the Message box, please type "HOST: ANN MacNAUGHTON".
 
Donate To Shiela Jackson Lee's Campaign

It is important that Hillary keeps as many of her friends as possible in office to help carry out her work for the American people...us!

Please support Sheila if you can.

Pam
Clinton Dems

Why Obama's "Community Organizer" Days Are a Joke

By Michelle Malkin











Excerpts:

Let me clarify something. Nobody is mocking community organizers in church basements and community centers across the country working to improve their neighbors' lives. What deserves ridicule is the notion that Obama's brief stint as a South Side rabble-rouser for tax-subsidized, partisan nonprofits qualifies as executive experience you can believe in.

What deserves derision is "community organizing" that relies on a community of homeless people and ex-cons to organize for the purpose of registering dead people to vote, shaking down corporations and using the race card as a bludgeon...

....Now, don't you dare challenge his commitment to following tax and election laws. And don't you even think of entertaining the possibility that The One exploited a nonprofit supposedly focused on helping low-income people for political gain.

He was just "organizing" his "community." Guffaw.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

A McCain/Palin win would taste especially sweet

Posted By:Brian Goettl at the conservativeedge.com, reposted here to share


A lot could happen between now and November 7^th that could tip the election to Barak Obama, but for the moment, John McCain and Sarah Palin are ahead of him and Joe Biden.  If the lead holds though, the victory will be attributable in part, to conservatives and the conservative blogosphere.  We have helped fight an epic battle, in fetid conditions.

The rancid odor coming from the Old School media, and the condescension and rank arrogance of their reporters and editors is nauseating.  The Old School media has been in the tank for Obama for the better part of this year.  The Old School media treatment of Sarah Palin and her family borders on malice, and is clearly unprofessional.  The far left pop culture purveyors have been even more malodorous and troll like in their activities.

For, now conservatives, and in particular, conservatives on the net, need to re-double their efforts, and work as though McCain is down by double digits.  We need to continue to hit every cylinder, leave no stone unturned, counter every slime job, publish every relevant fact and never grow weary.

Joe Lieberman told the nation that this is the most important election that he has witnessed in his life time.  I couldn’t agree more.  With McCain/Palin we can keep the Reagan Revolution alive.  That will make a McCain win especially sweet.

A Sinking Ship Of Fools: Updated

 Excerpts:

That may well represent the Obama campaign that is in the process of self destruction and they don't even realize why. His own worst enemies are himself and his rabid supporters that scream racism at every criticism of him combined with a proclivity for sticking his feet in his mouth without a teleprompter in the way to stop him. The nasty smears aimed at Gov. Palin and her family are creating a serious backlash that I don't think he or his minions in the MSM foresaw and have outraged a major sector of the electorate. McCain/Palin have now pulled ahead in all the national polls and appear to be holding their lead but what is interesting is the trends in the internals of those polls. Jim Geraghty and Allahpundit take a look at the latest internals from the FOX poll and the results are surprising.

Update: You must and I mean MUST go read this story from a McCain/Palin rally it will tell you a Lot about what kind of people they are, it touched this ole goat. 

(Click on the title of the post for full article) 

Keeping The Faith: Yes, It’s True - - Sarah Palin Is A (”Gasp!”) Christian

Excerpt:

 So, as for the religious “scandal” being churned up by the MSNBC/Kos/Huff jackals - - around here, it is an advertisement for Sarah Palin.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

The John McCain I Got to Know - Fred Thompson, The Politico

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

Stow the Swift Boat Laments - Debra Saunders, San Francisco Chronicle

Obama just can't help himself. The Democratic nominee brought up the "Swift boat" ads again Wednesday -- undeterred by the left's series of scurrilous personal attacks against GOP vice presidential candidate Palin and her family. It started with a Daily Kos story alleging that Palin was actually the grandmother of her infant son, Trig.

But it didn't end there. The folks at Factcheck.org felt compelled to respond to a flood of falsehoods being spread about Palin. As the organization reported, "She did not demand that books be banned from the Wasilla library."

"She was never a member of the (secessionist) Alaskan Independence Party." And: "Palin has not pushed for teaching creationism in Alaska's schools." Straight news stories have probed meetings in which Palin, then a rookie mayor, asked Wasilla librarian Mary Ellen Emmons about removing books from the library. Palin never named any specific books. No books were banned. The librarian kept her job. But none of that matters.

In a 2006 gubernatorial debate, Palin said she believed in a "healthy debate" in public schools between creationism and evolution -- and that reasonable view has been contorted into Palin wanting to force her creationist views down others' throats. Actually, it is the side that wants no debate that is intolerant.

Methinks if the media believe in such strict scrutiny of Palin's past, then perhaps reporters might want to look at Obama's association with Bill Ayers, formerly of the bomb-happy radical Weather Underground when Obama was a state legislator. Or is it only permissible to have flirted with your political persuasion's far side only if you are a Democrat?

Yes, Palin was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it. Still, she was against it. And try as they might, Team Obama can't erase the fact that Palin stood up to the good old boys in the Alaskan GOP establishment.

The real smear is the insistence of Camp Obama that Palin is patently inexperienced -- an odd claim coming from a campaign whose candidate began running for the White House two years into his first term as a U.S. senator.

Now maybe Palin will stumble and show the country that she is not ready to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. But the Democrats can't wait for that day, or limit the debate to the issues, because they want so much to destroy this backwoods upstart.

In that spirit, South Carolina Democratic Chairwoman Carol Fowler told Politico.com that Palin's "primary qualification seems to be that she hasn't had an abortion." If I were Obama, I'd stow the Swift boat laments.


(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

The Democrats' Credibility Gap - David Frum, The Week

 <- David Frum



Democratic-leaning pollster Stan Greenberg has just published a fascinating memo detailing one of the most dangerous of those risks:

Democratic populism is destroying Democratic credibility on national security.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

Obama Can't Win Against Palin, Karl Rove

Excerpt:

Of all the advantages Gov. Sarah Palin has brought to the GOP ticket, the most important may be that she has gotten into Barack Obama's head. How else to explain Sen. Obama's decision to go one-on-one against "Sarah Barracuda," captain of the Wasilla High state basketball champs?

It's a matchup he'll lose. If Mr. Obama wants to win, he needs to remember he's running against John McCain for president, not Mrs. Palin for vice president.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

McCain Catches Up to Obama on Issue of the Economy

John McCain has consistently out-polled Barack Obama and foreign policy matters and who voters think is the stronger leader, but now he appears to be gaining on Obama when it comes to handling the economy. Just after the Democratic convention, Obama enjoyed a 19 point lead over McCan and now the Republican nominee has narrowed that to 48 percent to 45 percent in a post-Republican convention Gallup survey conducted Sept. 5-7. The margin of error is 3 percent.

The economy is rated the top issue by 42 percent of voters and four other issues are bunched up next at 12 or 13 percent - Iraq, energy and gas prices, health care and terrorism. Here's how the candidates fare on those:

• Iraq: Mccain 52, Obama 42.
• Energy and gas prices: McCain 46, Obama 46.
• Health care: Obama 52, McCain 40.
• Terrorism: McCain 55, Obama 38.

McCain Leads in Latest Fox News Poll Thanks to Independents

Excerpts:

•  McCain now leads Obama 46 percent to 31 percent among independents after being statistically tied with him in August.
• When asked of the four candidates on the presidential tickets who understands best the problems of everyday life in America, Palin polled 33 percent, Obama 32 percent, McCain 17 percent and Biden 10 percent.
• Voters think Obama is a talker more than a doer by 49 percent to 34 percent, while they regard McCain as a doer more than a talker by 54 percent to 30 percent.
• If voters had to ask either Obama or McCain for advice on the toughest decision of their lives, they would go to McCain by a 50 percent to 34 percent margin. They are more evenly split if the choice was between Palin and Biden.
• We don't know quite what to make of this question - which candidate would be "best at surviving on their own" if stranded on a desert island? - but if one of them does end up in that fix, voters far and away believe McCain would do best.
• Thirty-six percent of voters say media coverage of the campaign has been even-handed, an equal number say it has favored Obama and 8 percent said it favored McCain.
• Voters believe 70 percent to 17 percent that Palin made the right choice to run for vice president despite her family situation and the fact that she has young children. Seventy percent said the pregnancy of her 17 year old daughter made no difference to them.
• Voters are evenly divided on who they think will win the election, regardless of who their choice is. That's a sharp contrast to late July when they thought by 51 percent to 27 percent that Obama would win.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article) 

The Consequences of Rejecting Hillary

Excerpt:

Ohio and Pennsylvania. Republicans figured these states, notably Pennsylvania, were all but goners if Clinton won the Democratic nomination. Even as veep, she'd have had a favorable impact. When she was passed over by Obama, Republicans jumped for joy. Ohio, which a Republican presidential candidate has to win, now leans McCain. Pennsylvania, which is crucial to a Democratic candidate's chances, has become a ripe target of opportunity for McCain.
Arkansas. As a Southern state, Arkansas is inclined to vote Republican in presidential races unless there's a compelling reason not to. One of those reasons: a Clinton on the Democratic ticket. Without Clinton, Arkansas moves into the leaning (strongly) McCain camp.
Vice presidential debate. This is a no-brainer. Who would be the easier opponent for Palin to face in the nationally televised debate on October 2? Clinton or Biden? The tough woman or Senator Windbag? Biden will have to be on his best behavior and treat Palin gingerly. Clinton wouldn't have had to.
Republican women. Mark Penn, chief strategist in the Clinton campaign, once insisted that 25 percent of Republican women were ready to vote for her for president. Many crossed party lines and voted for her in the primaries. Many of those women might have voted for an Obama-Clinton ticket. But how many Republican women are going to reject Palin and vote for an Obama-Biden ticket? Mighty few.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

Biden Says Hillary Clinton Might've Been a Better Pick than Him

 Posted at thejtandbearshow.com, reposted here to share

Biden is a riot to watch out there on the trail.  Is this the new strategy, to say that Obama should've picked Hillary?  Do they think that will help assuage the anger of all the Clinton supporters or to snatch back the women voters running away from them?  Why would he even say this?  It sort of undermines his whole experience argument.  If he's not the best pick, then what does that say about Obama's judgment?  Or is the Obama camp in such a frenzy that they might try to throw him overboard in favor of Hillary?  Lots of reasons to be amazed by this statement.

Here's the video:



Strange days indeed.

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Obama on His Heels

Excerpt:

Nobody would have predicted this on June 3rd. That was the day Obama boldly stood in the Xcel Energy Center and proclaimed an exciting new moment in American politics. Meanwhile McCain, sweating profusely, stood in front of a green screen and gave a rambling, disjointed speech. The contrast in messages was stark. Three months later, it's just as stark - but now it's Obama that's sweating and McCain that's exciting. What a turnaround.

 (Click on post title to read article)

Treatment of Palin Stirring a Backlash?

Excerpt:

Days after he congratulated her and called her "an admirable person" who "will add a compelling new voice to this campaign," Barack Obama Tuesday called Palin a liar. You know she's hit a nerve when the opposing party's presidential nominee goes after the other party's VP nominee in such raw terms.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

McCain Bounce Has Democrats Off Balance - Wallsten & Hook, LA Times

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

Washington State: Obama only leads McCain by 4 points!!!

Excerpt:

Democrat Barack Obama's once double-digit lead in Washington state is no more, according to this latest SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KING-TV Seattle and KATU-TV Portland Oregon. In an election today, 09/08/08, eight weeks till votes are counted, it's Obama 49%, McCain 45%. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll 4 weeks ago (before both candidates had named their running mates), Obama is down 2 points; McCain is up 1. Compared to an identical SurveyUSA poll 8 weeks ago, Obama is down 6; McCain is up 6. Obama led by 17 points in June, led by 16 points in July, led 8 points in August, leads 4 points today.

(Click on the title of the post to read the full article)

The Imploding Obama Bubble

Excerpt:

Two events firm the Obama-tech stock analogy in my mind. First is Obama's selection of Joe Biden as his running mate. (This may have been the exact Minsky Moment for Obama.) The logic behind the move was that Mr. Change needed to be balanced by Mr. Experience. New Economy Obama acquires Old Economy Biden. It reminds one of the January 2000 purchase of Time Warner by AOL, a combination which turned out to be a synergistic dud. The amateur explainers at Wikipedia got this one spot-on: "The acquisition thus became a symbol of the dot-coms' challenge to "old economy" companies and the old economy's ultimate survival. The revolutionary optimism of the boom faded, and analysts once again recognized the relevance of traditional business thinking."

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Psst, CNN Everyone Can See Your Bias

Breaking news on CNN Matt Damon is terrified of Sarah Palin! Another Hollywood celebrity freaked out by the Alaska Governor. So I believe the tally is Madona thinks McCain is Hitler, Whoopi thinks Palin is a Nazi, and Matt Damon is hiding behind his counch until Sarah Palin goes away. Adding to the classy comments Dr. Damon believes McCain is about to die, all this from another celebrity member of Team Hope.

So not only is this at the top of CNN’s website, but so is the Obama campaign’s charge that he’s being swift-boated. This from the campaign that has has a melt-down over the Palin nomination. The campaign that in the last two days has called the McCain/Palin ticket liars and corrupt, because Palin pulled the plug on the ‘Bridge to No Where’. The charge of swift-boating comes from the McCain campaign calling Obama’s ‘lipstick on a pig’ remark sexist. The headline “Palin is target of cyberspace hazing” is rather ironic considering the headline above it is essentially an example of cyberspace hazing.

The media can’t seem to understand why everyone thinks they’re biased. Well here’s a clue, your reporting on inflamatory remarks by celebrities as if they were important news stories; and your stories repeatedly are framed with the slant of the Obama campaign. CNN may not be able to see their own bias, but everyone else can.

70% Of America Think MEDIA IS BIASED - New Rasmussen Poll

Excerpt:

And the media STILL doesn't get it. In a new Rasmussen Poll 69% of the public felt that the Media was skewing their coverage to help the candidate that they want to win. 57% say that Barack Obama has received the most favorite treatment.

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HOW OBAMA BLEW IT

OBAMA PAYS PRICE IN POLLS FOR BUNGLED ATTACKS ON SARAH


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Obama's Ex-Spiritual Adviser "Reverend" Homewrecker Wright in a Sex Scandal

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Puma's are not Pussycats

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As Campaign Heats Up, Untruths Can Become Facts Before They're Undone

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McCain Campaign Calls Palin Affair 'Vicious Lie, Categorically False'

The Associated Press

John McCain's campaign is denying a tabloid report that vice president candidate Sarah Palin had an extramarital affair. "It's a vicious lie," spokesman Steve Schmidt said.

The campaign is considering legal action, the senior adviser added.

The National Enquirer wrote in its edition dated Sept. 15 that Palin had an affair with a business associate of her husband, Todd Palin. He discovered the infidelity and dissolved the business, the article said. It attributed the allegation only to "an enemy" of the Alaska governor.

"The smearing of the Palin family must end," Schmidt said in a statement released Wednesday. "The allegations contained on the cover of the National Enquirer insinuating that Gov. Palin had an extramarital affair are categorically false."

WHY OBAMA'S FLAILING

By MARK CUNNINGHAM

EXCERPT:
IF it suddenly seems like the Obama campaign doesn't have any idea what it's doing, maybe that's because it doesn't.

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008 November Lineup: Obama vs. Obama

 By Dick Morris

Excerpt:

The Obama campaign doesn't seem to get that it is running against McCain, not Sarah Palin. It spent the entire Republican convention and the week since attacking the vice presidential candidate. That's like stabbing the capillaries not the arteries. Nobody is going to vote for or against McCain because they want Sarah Palin to be vice president of the United States, or don't. But Palin has served, and will serve, a key purpose in illustrating and demonstrating what kind of a man John McCain is. She stands as a tribute to his desire to bring change, his willingness to cut loose from the past and his courage in attempting innovation. No amount of criticism of Palin is going to stop that process.


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From the Gut

Excerpt:

Because, while the pollsters tell us it is still really close, my own totally unscientific, seat of the pants poll tells me this: When you say Obama’s name today and ask people for their first impression — a quick, flash, gut, first impression — no single word or phrase or policy comes to mind. His opponents will fill that vacuum if he doesn’t. They already are.

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What Goes Around: Obama Didn’t Mind Using “Phony Outrage” Against Hillary, Did He?

Excerpt:
Palin did something that the Obama pod people cannot comprehend - so their response is to go mental: She went after BHO effectively by telling the truth about him. And was funny, to boot.

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Could Clinton Have Palin-Proofed Dems?

Could Clinton Have Palin-Proofed Dems? - G. Thrush & M. Kady, Politico
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The Bridge To Implosion

Excerpt:

For all his talk of transcendence, Barack Obama sure looks like an old-school Chicago, dirty politics dung-flinger these days. This acting out of his tells us everything we need to know about what kind of president he would be.

Faced with his first real surprise test, he tucked his noble ideals between his legs and began, for lack of a better word, lying.

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