Right Wing News

Sunday was travel day in my quest to document the GOP Convention:

The alarm went off way too early this morning - 3:15 am - to be exact. I slowly slipped out of bed and got my self together for a 4 am shuttle pick-up.

Not such a bad deal, right? However, my flight was scheduled to leave at 8 am, and I live 30 minutes away from PHL. Thanks to Dave's shuttle service, I found myself at Philly's Airport watching a spectacular sunrise as I sat at my assigned gate. Wolf Blitzer buzzed in the background relentlessly obsessing over hurricanes Gustav and Katrina.

According to Air Trans flight schedules, I had to fly south on order to go north. The journey to MSP had a pit stop in Atlanta, Georgia. The first leg of this flight was lightly filled and I had the luxury of a row of seats to myself. Atlanta to MSP was a whole different enchilada. A two hour layover in Atlanta was spent in a one sided 'discussion' of ethanol as a the alternative energy source. Yikes, lobbyists! On a GOP delegate packed flight, I had the honor of spending quality time with Mr. Marbles, a rather large and rather drugged cat. His owner had her own set of peculiarities, such as covering Mr. Marbles in her lap with her skirt, hoping the stewards would not notice. Oh, the joys of travel.

At long last, I reached Minneapolis-St.Paul and all was golden. A quick phone call to the hotel and a shuttle was dispatched to whisk me to my final destination. The concierge was careful to describe the shuttle van - White with Marriot written on the sides. Within 10 minutes a white van with Marriot written on the side pulls up and I am leaping out to greet him. "Airport Marriot?", he asks. That would be me, I told him as I tossed him my suitcase and jumped in the shuttle. It turns out he meant another 'airport' Marriot than the one I meant. The good people at the wrong Marriot explained to me that they could not shuttle me to the Marriot where I had reservations, but would take me back to the airport shuttle pick up, where I could wait for the right shuttle. Yep, I could not make this stuff up, even if I tried.

Once at my hotel, I had to quickly request a cab to get to Minneapolis Convention Center to pick up my press credentials. Shuttle service does not start till Monday. Brilliant, just brilliant. On the way to the Convention center my cabbie, named Muhammed Ali, struck up a conversation with me regarding all the planning going on for the convention. He asked if I worked as a journalist, and I quickly informed him that I am a blogger. He began relating his encounter with journalists he recently transported between St. Paul and Minnesota. He mentioned their comments stating the DNC convention was a great party and they weren't too pleased to have to cover the RNC. Interesting factoid, no?

I wandered outside the convention center after collecting my press credentials, where I encountered Code Pink in anemic numbers. Susie Benjamin was present, and I noted that she had no fake press pass on her person. I videotaped a discussion with one of the Pinkies. A waste of good space on the hard drive! Not thirty feet from the clueless peaceniks were two gentlemen handing out copies of "Obsession", quite the juxtaposition of women without a clue and noble intellectualism with South Beach style.

Minneapolis is a fantastic city to walk about. I took some time to walk along Marquette Street taking photos as the images presented themselves to me, before heading back to St. Paul. Another impression of this city comes from its citizens. They are the most sincerely friendly people I've come across - outside of the Sheepdogs.

Fantabulous discussion with cabbie on way back to my hotel. I got a good feel of the mid western perception on social and political issues. Governer Pawlenty was mentioned often, I am considering recruiting Pawlenty to run for Governor in Pennsylvania. As Pennsylvania is in desperate need of principled leadership and good governance. Oh, I had plenty time to discuss these issues as the cabbie got lost on the way to my hotel. He stopped the counter when he realized his mistake. Like I said above, quite good people.

It was a long day but well worth the opportunity to be part of history in the making. I would not change this day, no matter what may come.

Hat tip to IMAO for the bumper sticker.

Make sure to check out Conservative Grapevine today, where you'll find links like:

Cracked: The disturbing origins of 5 common nursery rhymes

Redstate: The ultimate tale of the tape: Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama

Dumb Little Man: 9 secret ways to persuade and influence people

Hotline on Call: Check out this pic of the wall at Sarah Palin's parents house. Wow.

Egotastic!: Charlize Theron bikini pics

You can check out all those links and more by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark RWN's companion page, CG! Remember, if you're not reading RWN and CG every day, you're not getting the full story!

PS: If you'd like to submit articles to be linked to Conservative Grapevine, register at CG, and then shoot me an email.

I keep thinking that the misogyny and sexism can't get any worse, or that it's isolated to the crazy extremists at DU and Kos, but no. Andrew Sullivan leads the woman-hating charge. Alan Colmes, the guy liberals think is a softy for his affiliation with Fox, proved his lefty worth today.

What is wrong with you Lefties? Have you no shame whatsoever? For more than a generation, blacks, women (not a minority), gays and other minorities have fought for respect and equal rights. That means this: that a person is treated the same no matter their color or gender or sexual orientation.

And here, now, supposed progressives savage not only Sarah Palin, saying that she wasn't pregnant which is so ridiculously insane because it is so easily disproved, but that her daughter, was pregnant and hiding it. And her daughter has to see herself blown up in enlarged pictures and examined like a science project because conspiracy nuts are filled with such vicious hate that they don't mind ruining a child's life. Sarah Palin chose to run for office and ostensibly knew what nastiness awaited. If she were a woman blogger, she'd know for sure and wouldn't be surprised in the least. But her daughter did not choose this path and does not deserve this disgusting callousness.

And Andrew Sullivan gives this bullsh*t credence? I delinked him two years ago, but I cannot believe that I ever thought he was remotely sane. He has no shame whatsoever. None. As a gay man, you'd think he'd have some notion of what it's like to be a minority and to be hated for that alone. And here he is, a major voice in the blogosphere, putting forth the worst sort of sexist, misogynist bilge. (I refuse to link him, you'll have to go to the links above to read the crap he's writing.)

The last three days have been the most shocking, dismaying days blogging ever. I've been so excited about the implications of a woman Vice Presidential nominee who reflects my values and my life experience--wife, mother, career, special needs child, libertarian, small-government, reformer, etc.--and to see her treated so heinously feels personal. But what's worse, is I imagine my daughter having to endure the kinds of things being said about Palin's daughter and I want to beat the hell out of someone.

This needs to stop. The leftists need to stop. If they have any moral compass whatsoever, they need to find it and reset it.

UPDATED:

I'm still completely disgusted, but with some sleep and some reading has come some humor. Over at Sundries Shack there's this gem:

Perish the thought. I'm just having some fun here. Unlike the other folks who have visited the Shack looking for "trig palin birth certificate", "sarah palin husband cheat", and "trig palin birth certificate for son". If that's what brought you here, by the way, you aren't worth a pound of rotten syphilitic donkey penis and I invite you kiss the whitest part of my ass. That's not the Christian way of putting it, but I don't imagine that decent folk will mind the sentiment. Also, I wish on you a case of kidney stones that last a month and feel like Satan's Darning Needle when you pass them.

That about sums up my not-so-charitable thoughts.

And just when I get in a better mood, I read this at Ann Althouse. The big topic today? Why, it's world-changing leftist tripe: Sarah Palin's earrings. And of course, there's more Andrew Sullivan, this time making fun of dumb hick Sarah. Again, you'll have to get it via Ann. I refuse to link him.

Updated again:

I go down and then up and then down, now up again. Mark Steyn elucidates why there's so much to like about Sarah Palin (I'll give you a taste, but go read the whole thing):

First, Governor Palin is not merely, as Jay describes her, "all-American", but hyper-American. What other country in the developed world produces beauty queens who hunt caribou and serve up a terrific moose stew? As an immigrant, I'm not saying I came to the United States purely to meet chicks like that, but it was certainly high on my list of priorities. And for the gun-totin' Miss Wasilla then to go on to become Governor while having five kids makes it an even more uniquely American story. Next to her resume, a guy who's done nothing but serve in the phony-baloney job of "community organizer" and write multiple autobiographies looks like just another creepily self-absorbed lifelong member of the full-time political class that infests every advanced democracy.

Updated again:

You know how I said this Kos rumor is so stupid and easily refutable? Yeah, well, lookie here: a very pregnant Sarah Palin, who looks awesome, by the way. The woman is 44 after all.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com

This week-end, I was chatting with a non-political friend of mine about Sarah Palin and she gave me the single most novel take on the vice-presidential choices I've heard so far. Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with this, it was just so out-of-the-box that I had to blog it.

In my friend's opinion, McCain took Palin to get the women's vote and, much more importantly, because having someone who's not ready to be President would make it unlikely that he would be assassinated. The idea was that if there were people planning to assassinate McCain, having Palin as Veep would make it much less likely that they'd go through with it.

On the other hand, she said Obama made a huge mistake because Biden is much more qualified and therefore, assassins would be much more inclined to get rid of Obama in order to put the much more competent Joe Biden in the White House.

When I noted that I didn't believe an assassin would think like that and that I'd never heard anyone suggest that idea before, my friend seemed surprised that it wasn't a commonly discussed theme.

20) Cracked: 11 baseball legends who were legendary *ssholes

19) Dick Morris: Dems' big blunder at the convention and McCain's big chance

18) Peggy Noonan: They're paying attention now

17) Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Seven reasons Democrats have been stupid about Obama

16) Holy Taco: 8 people who will ruin your party

15) Cracked: The 7 most retarded ways celebrities have tried to go green

14) Cracked: Photoshop contest: What the world would look like if the other side won the war

13) Spike: The top 10 things you should buy your girlfriend

12) Melissa Clouthier: Olympic stupid: NBC anchors are un-American and I'm sick of them

11) Sweetness & Light: Black mob beats 2 white ex-Marines rescuing girl

10) Webupon: 10 immense internet phenomena that people ended up hating

9) I Park Like An Idiot: The 48 worst parking jobs

8) Forbes: America's fastest-dying cities

7) Rush Limbaugh: We could see a McCain landslide

6) Cracked: 7 "eccentric" geniuses who were clearly just insane

5) Uphaa: 10 animals that were thought to be mythical but ended up being real.

4) Bam! Kapow!: Top ten skimpiest superheroine costumes

3) Six Meat Buffet: Funny feminist graphic

2) Temple of Suck: The 9 reasons Rachael Ray sucks

1) Cracked: 15 images you won't believe aren't photoshopped

Another loony liberal meme, courtesy of Facebook.

The geniuses over at the world's most influential liberal blog have another...uh, let's call it "unconventional" theory about Sarah Palin.

From Daily Kos diarist BerkeyBee,

"Palin will not be the VP nominee

This is just a Karl Rove head fake to take away attention from the Democratic Convention, the most incredible convention with the best acceptance speech in the history of the USA.

Instead, Sarah will, tearfully, decide to stay at home with her kids and try to hang on to her seat as governor of Alaska in the face of continuing investigations.

McCain will ask Romney to accept and it will look oh so good."

So, McCain selected Palin as a "head fake," -- because that happens all the time in politics? Presidential candidates select VPs as a distraction and then, once the excitement dies down, they replace them with less exciting nominees who are less popular with the general public, the base, and with a huge, important demographic group (women). Really?

Of course, not even the Kossacks could believe something this off the wall...could they? The good news is that most of them don't. The bad news is...

Yes, believe it or not, more than 1/3 of the Kossacks believe that the selection of Palin is some sort of Rove-inspired ruse that's just designed to blunt the impact of the Democratic convention.

Remember that old saying, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time"?

Well, anybody who buys into something this silly must fall into that middle category.

This week, the Republican National Convention is kicking off and there are going to be almost 200 bloggers attending. However, I'm not going to be one of them. That's not because I didn't put in an application, it's because they didn't want me there. My application for media credentials was not approved.

That's despite the fact that...

* Right Wing News is one of the 15 biggest conservative blogs.
* I was actually invited to attend in 2004.
* I founded Rightroots in 2006 and, along with the help of a crew of other bloggers AND the RNC, I helped raise almost $300k for Republican candidates in 2006.
* Right Wing News is one of the websites permalinked on the Republican National Committee's Blog.

So, how did this come to pass? There's no way to know for sure, but here's how it played out: a while back, after a number of my friends had their applications accepted and I still hadn't heard anything, I talked to one of my sources at the RNC and asked him/her to find out what was going on. I'm not allowed to give you too many details, but the long and short of it was that, "yes," they did have my application, and, "no," it was not approved.

I never got a real explanation beyond that and they didn't give me the courtesy of sending me an official rejection notice (My guess is that they were hoping to avoid a post like this one) -- but I can assure you that it isn't happenstance that I didn't get in.

Not only were there liberal blogs approved, I know someone with a blog that draws 200 readers a day that got the nod. Another person I know, with a blog a fraction of the size of RWN, actually had a friend at the RNC offer to get him into the convention a few weeks ago, despite the fact that he hadn't even put in an application. So, pretty clearly, if I haven't been approved, someone at the RNC or the McCain campaign doesn't want me at the convention.

My best guess as to why I'm not being allowed to go to the RNC is a post I wrote back in March called, "Why I Will No Longer Support John McCain For President." The piece savagely denounced McCain for his breathtakingly dishonest flip-flop over illegal immigration, was widely linked, and a source of mine inside the campaign told me they were very aware of it.

Of course, it also wouldn't surprise me if there were some hard feelings over at the Republican National Committee because of some of the things I've written; so it's possible someone over there put the kibosh on me.

There was the time I did a short interview with RNC Chairman Mike Duncan, thought his answers to 4 out of the 5 questions I asked him weren't very good, and only ran the answer to one question. I've also criticized them for supporting RINOs in the primaries, for refusing to try to even the playing field for conservatives in the presidential primaries, and for generally moving backwards since Ken Mehlman left.

Whatever the case may be, it's probably a blessing in disguise that I wasn't allowed to attend. It would have been a long holiday week-end flight to Minnesota from the East Coast, it's expensive to attend (Hotel and airfare aren't cheap) and the convention is now being interrupted by Gustav. That's a lot of hassle to go through just to do some smoozing and to write up a few stories that dozens of other bloggers and old media types will probably also be covering.

So, whether the McCain campaign or some staff weenie at the Republican National Convention decided I wasn't enough of a team player to be allowed at the convention, they probably did me a favor.

PS: Even though I'm not allowed to attend the convention, the show must go on, so I talked my buddy Skye from Midnight Blue into posting her coverage on RWN.

The website of the day is Protein Wisdom.

Conventional wisdom says that hurricane Gustav is a disaster for the Republicans and their hoped for convention bounce. Essentially the meme says that they can't effectively use their 4 days for the uninterupted message sales job conventions normally provide.

And that, of course, is expected to dampen any bounce the Republicans might have enjoyed.

Nate Silver of "The Plank" presents the counter-argument:

Now then -- how could Gustav help the Republicans? Let me run briefly through four or five ways:

1. Allows McCain to Appear Magnanimous. By potentially delaying or canceling his "date" at the GOP convention, McCain appears as though he is giving something up to tend to the Gulf Coast. Sympathetic and neutral-to-sympathetic media outlets may view this as underscoring McCain's "America First" theme.

2. Lowers Expectations Bar. The selection of Sarah Palin as the VP nominee has forced the GOP to shift abruptly from a "Ready to Lead" theme to an "America First" theme. While it is difficult to say whether one of these themes was intrinsically stronger than the other, odds are that a lot of speeches had to be re-engineered, probably rendering them less effective upon delivery. Gustav, however, may give the GOP a built-in "excuse" for more off-the-cuff, hastily-organized speeches.

3. Removes the Bush problem. The further Mr. 30% is from St. Paul, the better off the Republicans will be.

4. Do-Over. Americans have short memories, and a relatively more successful response to Gustav could allow the GOP to argue that it has redeemed itself for the mistake of Katrina.

5. Crisis Mentality May Benefit McCain. By appearing in New Orleans, and perhaps even delivering his acceptance speech from there, McCain will have the opportunity to appear "presidential". Rather than asserting to that he is ready to lead -- an assertion that was undermined the the selection of Palin -- he may hope to give the appearance of actually demonstrating such leadership.

3,4, and 5 seem to me to be the most important points in his list.

Frankly, keeping Bush out of the convention limelight is a positive. How to do that without Gustav is all but impossible. Gustav provides a perfect excuse and, interestingly, Bush himself grabbed it quickly.

The "do-over" aspect is very important. Even if New Orleans floods, the orderly and well planned evacuation is a huge positive story to tell. If NO comes out relatively unscathed, weathering a hurricane which is, according to all reports a little more dangerous than Katrina (because of its landfall category and where it is hitting), then this becomes a very, very positive story - one of redemption for the Bush administration.

And as Silver points out, since the spotlight is focused on the Republicans anyway, it is a perfect opportunity to display leadership by McCain. That coupled with a much better outcome for New Orleans (if that's the case) could actually help Republicans this week.

Lowering expectations doesn't resound with me. Changing the focus of the speeches perhaps. But if everything comes out relatively well with Gustav, it can become a celebration of success by Wednesday. I see that as a possible positive and certainly something which will reflect well on point 5.

As for point 1 - apparently that is beginning to happen. The Republican Ohio delegation has spontaneously raised $20,000 for disaster victims vs. giving it to the party. They obviously have to tread carefully on this (or it becomes fodder for the old "politicizing" a disaster argument), but it is an opportunity to demonstrate magnanimity.

So to Michael Moore and former National Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Don Fowler who think Gustav is an answer to a prayer, maybe not so much, huh?

[Crossposted at QandO]

The tall bearskin hats worn by the guards at Buckingham Palace are a tradition that goes all the way back to the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. Unfortunately, Britain now faces an adversary against which it is less likely to prevail: the unhinged, animal-killing fanatics of PETA:

Military chiefs are to meet with an animal rights group on Tuesday to discuss alternatives to the traditional bearskin hats famously worn by the guards at Buckingham Palace.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) are to hold talks with Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials to put forward what they say are ethical alternatives to the 18-inch (46-centimetre) tall fur hats worn by army guards.

Peta has previously discussed fake fur alternatives with the MoD but military bosses were unimpressed by the prototypes.

Now Peta has come up with an alternative shape, but insists its design could be as famous as the traditional hats.

Squawks PETA kook Robbie LeBlanc:

We think we are a modern nation but the queen's guards are walking round with an entire dead bear on their heads.

That the Ministry of Defense feels obligated to negotiate hat designs with an animal rights cult best known for publicity stunts involving public nudity gives an idea of how firm a grip moonbattery has taken on the throat of a once mighty nation. But I can't wait to see PETA's new hat design. Something made of cabbage might set off the guards' red tunics nicely.

On a tip from Oiao. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

The Democrats try to discredit McCain by linking him (which is just silly) to George W. Bush and saying this "we don't need four more of the last eight years." Republicans couldn't agree more. Voters gave the Republicans control of the House, the Senate and the Presidency and what did Republicans give the voters? More earmarks, more spending, more big government, more debt, more Washington cronyism, more of everything that voters hate and expected from Democrats but not from Republicans.

Republicans used to stand for low taxes, small government and social conservatism. No more. The moderate Republicans (RINOs) sold conservative ideals down the river in the name of compromise and working across the aisle. They resisted and thwarted efforts at ethics reform. Republicans sent big fat projects back to their home states so they could guarantee their election bids. In short, Republicans, McCain included, sold out principles for politics. Thus, Congress enjoys a 9% approval rating today.

Nancy Pelosi taking over these last two years have been no better. But at least she has a "D" after her name. People expect the Democrats to be anti-business, big-government spenders. Big surprise when they harm businesses, spend tax-payer money like sodden gamblers, and promise the world while delivering $4/gallon gas. That's the Democratic way. No one is happy. But no one should be surprised when the Democrats who put the screws to you, tell you it's for your own good. And woo hoo! The environment is saved, too!

John McCain's contribution to this mess grated. When he sanctimoniously lead the charge to compromise over judge choices, it was more of the same. His denigration over and over of the religious right because he knew he was one-tick better than Obama and could get away with the bad-mouthing outrageous. Many voters were going to sit this election out because they could not stomach voting for a guy who seemed to take glee in sticking it to conservatives all the while sucking up to the press.

And then Obama, the savior, came. He stole the media's adoring adulation from favorite son McCain. He gave Clinton-hating Democrats and leftists hope they could believe in--maybe we won't have to put up with the Hill and Bill show after all. He was young, fresh, new, exceedingly liberal, and best of all, black. McCain's Maverickness suddenly seemed very old and very Washington insider.

Like I have written before, I never have bought the Maverick label. And not because he's the cwazy conservative the left would paint him as being--a notion that makes conservatives guffaw. The Maverick seemed to be just a nice name, but in reality, John McCain, like Joe Biden, like Barack Obama, is just a political insider intent on ensuring that he retain his power.

Sarah Palin stands against all the elite, inbred, power-hungry, power-using, Ivy-league, insider snobbery that pervades Washington D.C. and the D.C-NYC corridor and every big city political machine across America. After years of handing the Republicans power to reform, streamline, cut and just get the heck out of the business of being in people's business and the Republicans using the power to enrich, porkify and poke around, Americans are fed up.

The left and feminists want to portray McCain's act as a cynical ploy to use identity politics against them. Maybe it is. McCain seems to be a pretty savvy, politically expedient fellow. Hells, bells, politics is all about pandering. Can you say Barack Obama? If he was white would anyone being paying a lick of attention to him? Um, I think you know the answer to that. Ditto, Sarah Palin, truth be told. Being a woman helped get her her job offer. It's called Affirmative Action. Why is the left troubled by this?

John McCain might have made a politically motivated decision in Sarah Palin but that doesn't negate the reason Americans will love Sarah Palin. Her message of reform and her record of going after her own party sounds very good right now. Hopefully, McCain gets more than he bargained for in this woman. She is smart, tenacious, solid, working-class, a reformer and blessedly, a beltway outsider. Truly, she's an outsider. Finally.

Did John McCain realize the implications for this decision? Does he have the sense to know how angry Americans are right now about the state of their government? Will he follow through on the reform message if wins the presidency?

He better. Choosing Sarah Palin indicates some sort of understanding about this. The left, as usual, is completely delusional. They attack her traditional values, anti-abortion stance, desire for a family, desire to work, keeping a Downs child, traveling while in labor, and of course, the old standard used for any Republican seeking higher office, she's stupid. They miss the point while simultaneously revealing themselves for the sexist, misogynist hypocrites they are and always have been.

The reason Sarah Palin is popular is the same reason Barack Obama is popular: she stands for hope and change. The only difference is that Palin has put her hopes into practice and actually changed the politics of a state. Republicans hope she can affect the same change in Washington.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com where naked Palin pictures are revealed (well, something like that) and wonder at Feminists insisting on women submitting.

Even melon seeds can be accused of racism:

SACRAMENTO — Colusa County officials are defending their display at the California State Fair after a black couple complained that a caricature of a smiling watermelon seed was racist.

The "Waldo Watermelon Seed" drawing was removed this week after the couple said the image evoked negative stereotypes about blacks.

Displays honoring cucumber, pumpkin and tomato seeds managed to escape what the county attorney called "a cloud of unintended racism."

If you think the climate is crazy now, imagine what it would be like with Obama in the White House. His campaign has already shown its willingness to eat its own over comparably ludicrous racism charges.

On a tip from Oiao. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

I was happy to have the opportunity to get together for an Interview with Wayne Elise, the founder and CEO of Charisma Artswhich has 15 instructors who run in-field bootcamps and teach men how to meet women. He has written for Esquire and Blender magazine as well as authored an Ebook, "How to Meet and Connect with Women."

One thing I've heard from some of my conservative friends who actually like to date liberals is that the differences are just too great and they can't bridge the gap and get over that for dating. But, let's say you want to try anyway, any suggestions?

After years of teaching men how to attract women I'm convinced that the most attractive trait a man can have is a strong set of values. Ironically a woman likes you more she senses your values are more important than getting her to like you. This is especially true for those liberal, hippie chicks. They're desperate for some structure.

Many conservative people mistakenly avoid bringing up their values. They feel that would somehow scare a potential romantic partner away. But it's just those sort of ideas that you should talk about. They earn you respect and respect is very close to attraction. Now I don't mean jumping into a discussion on free-trade policy. I mean talking about the values you feel are important and sticking up for them.

I'll give you an example. I attended a party once a few years ago thrown by the friends of a liberal woman I was dating. she and I were having a good time just mingling, but then someone lit up a joint. Now I don't like any type of smoke especially dirty pot smoke but I was hesitant to complain. To do so would be to look like the uptight ___hole and embarrass my date in front of her friends, which would probably end our budding romance. But I had no choice. I had to stick up for myself and what I believed in. I confronted the smokers and asked them to go outside. It was awkward and uncomfortable. I was not especially smooth.

But they moved their dirty deed out the door. Now here is the twist. After leaving the party my date turns to me and says, "I was impressed that you said something to those guys."

Chivalry, pulling out chairs, opening car doors, etc. Is that still a plus with dating, a minus, or does it depend?

You have to ask yourself why you're doing these things. Women are generally not comfortable being put on a pedestal these days because of their gender. However I like to be helpful and kind. My policy is to try to do that for everyone. Let me give you a scenario. You're entering the restaurant with your date. Coming out of the next door is an elderly woman with a walker. You can hold the door for your date or the old woman, but not both. Which do you choose? If you pick your date I think you gotta pick the old woman, unless of course your date uses a walker too.

Now you teach a lot of people how to meet women. Can the things you teach help improve a marriage where say the wife has maybe lost respect for the husband?

Whoa there John. I teach men how to meet women, build attraction and get dates. This marriage thing is a little out of my league don't you think? Oh well, that has never stopped me from spouting off before.

Being attractive is close, very close, to earning respect. People lose attraction for those they don't respect. However respect starts with self-respect. A common problem I see in long-term relationships is that men lose their self-respect. Often this resolves around the Sex Riddle. The sex riddle is the idea that the more you need sex the less sexy you become. I know many past clients who have gotten to the point where they are begging their wives for sex. This is not sexy and doesn't earn a guy respect.

Here is one answer. Men should not just want sex. They should want good sex. Men should be more selective about the conditions for sex for their own benefit. Don't be too easy. You should want to have candles, back-rubs, maybe some sports memorabilia involved. Don't be afraid of turning your wife down sometimes. "I find you ravishing, but I want to do it when we have more time to savor the experience."

PS. I'm married but don't tell anyone. It's bad for business.

One relatively unique problem that afflicts conservatives in particular, percentage wise, a lot more of them are into abstinence. What's the best way to deal with that in a relationship with a partner who has previously been sexually active?

You got to deliver two messages. First that you are going to wait on sex with them, but second that you absolutely find the other person attractive and eventually, if things end in commitment you will have sex with them. You got to say both things together real fast. Too often conservative people just deliver the first message and not the second. That can sound an awful lot like rejection.

Done correctly, waiting on sex can be sexier than just jumping in. In my opinion anticipation is a big part of what makes sex exciting. Without anticipation sex can easily become boring. That's something liberal just don't get. Give something to someone before they feel they have deserved it and not only do you spoil them but its just not as good as an experience for them either.

Let's say you get a phone call from a friend of a friend you have never met. He says to you, "I have some people skills, a job, I make decent money, but I am just terrible with women. Give me some quick advice." Based on just that information, what would you tell him?

Being successful in a career is different than being successful at the act of meeting women. The two don't always translate. Too many people approach dating like a job interview. They try to show long-term value and ask bright-eyed questions. Unfortunately this is boring. I have seen women fall asleep in their soups. You got to be more in the moment than that and learn to have fun now. All that other stuff can come later.

When a woman asks about your job she does not really want to hear about the inner-workings of your trucking business. She's simply inviting you to share yourself and that is the only question that pops into her head. Say something like, "I love my business because it gives me time to pursue my other passions. Which are firing people. No, just kidding. I like kite boarding and traveling up to Sonoma on the weekends. Have you ever pressed some grapes between your toes? I love the squishy feeling."

So, let's throw something very basic out there; how does a guy tell when a woman is attracted to him?

Sure there are going to be women who give you come-hither looks. But most women need to taste your personality before they become attracted. You are just not going to see any signs until you demonstrate your sparkling personality. After you have been interacting with her for awhile you can notice things such as her asking you personal questions or doing other things to keep the interaction with you going. If you really want to know for sure just tell her why you are attracted to her, "I find your sense of adventure sexy." Then sit back and see what she does. If she keeps going along with you chances are she finds you sexy too.

A lot of people are big on pick-up lines. Is a pick-up line all that important?

Depends on the pick up line. I like, "How did a nice girl like you end up wearing that Obama T-shirt?" Seriously, the most important thing is to focus someone before you talk to her. We call this a preamble. This is a statement that gets her attention and builds some anticipation for what is coming next. "Hey, I have a question for you. This may sound crazy but..." That's a preamble. Just a statement that focus someone and builds anticipation for a question. Then you can ask her what a good book she can recommend or anything that works for your situation. First focus her before you say anything important. Then make her laugh.

There are a lot of different theories about first dates that I've heard. Go somewhere expensive, go somewhere casual, like for coffee, go to dinner and a movie, go to dinner and somewhere where you can walk around and chat. What your thought about the best way to approach it?

Go somewhere not expensive. Avoid lunch dates because no one takes them seriously. A woman will plan something to do after lunch so you have no chance of extending the date for more adventure. Make it a night date. I like 7-8PM. That's a commitment she will have to make because she won't be able to plan anything much after that. She's committing to you. I'm pro commitment.

Give people a short briefing on online dating. Good idea? Bad idea? Can you give some quick thoughts on how to approach it?

I don't think anyone should give up on meeting people in real life. But as an occasional supplement I say go for it. Just be careful of investing too much time and emotional energy. You got to go into these things like an actor auditioning for a movie. Show up but don't expect much. Hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Make your profile as specific as possible. Don't write, 'I'm a fun guy who is looking for an adventurous woman'. Instead write, 'I make people blow milk out their nose and want a woman who gets up at 6AM to hit the mountain bike trails.'

John Hawkins Is a professional blogger who runs Right Wing News and Conservative Grapevine.

"This is the pro-life choice. The fact that people will criticize her for this shows the astounding extent to which the secular critics of the pro-life movement just don't get it. Those who criticize the Palin family don't understand that we don't see babies as a punishment but as a blessing. Barack Obama said that if one of his daughters made a mistake and got pregnant out of wedlock he wouldn't want her to be punished with a child. Pro lifers don't see a child as punishment." -- Dr. Richard Land

How do you manage to keep the high road while you're lurching along in the mud? Answer: You can't. The New York Times manages to do everything from questioning John McCain's vetting process to validating every nasty thing said about the Palin family in two short paragraphs. D@mn, they're good:

On Monday morning, Ms. Palin and her husband, Todd, issued a statement saying that their 17-year-old unmarried daughter, Bristol, was five months pregnant and that she intended to marry the father.

Among other less attention-grabbing news of the day: it was learned that Ms. Palin now has a private lawyer in a legislative ethics investigation in Alaska into whether she abused her power in dismissing the state's public safety commissioner; that she was a member for two years in the 1990s of the Alaska Independence Party, which has at times sought a vote on whether the state should secede; and that Mr. Palin was arrested 22 years ago on a drunken-driving charge.

Still waiting for the front-page John Edwards exposé. Blogger Patrick Ruffini mentioned on Twitter that this whole thing will backfire like Kerry's obnoxious commenting about Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter. Yes, indeed, it will.

In these short strokes, the left and the Times and other mainstream media talking heads leading this charge, manage to insult working-class people, small-town people, women, mothers, the men married to women who are mothers, working-moms, small states, rural states, people who have ever been pregnant before marriage, people who were young and got drunk, state-school educated people, small business owners, people with big families, people who don't believe in abortion, people who believe personal business is private, hunters, outdoors people, Christians, and generally the vast majority of Americans who are not Ivy-league educated, champagne sipping, Chanel and Gucci-wearing, elite snobs.

What are the Time's writers more offended about? That they weren't consulted about Sarah Palin and were "surprised" and "shocked"--it's all about being a chummy insider after all--or that the pick was someone they hold in such utter contempt?

This acid-dripping condescension is why Democrats lose national election after national election.

Updated:

Well, a few on the left are finally offended, but as one commenter notes, many on the left believe they've lost the last couple elections because they've been too nice. Tell yourself a lie long enough....

Updated again:

The worm has turned in McCain press coverage. A couple things have happened: 1) McCain has finally been shredded like conservative politicians are used to getting shredded, he's recognized it and wonder of wonders, doesn't feel like playing nice anymore. 2) McCain royally pissed the press off by surprising them. They like being spoon-fed the news and being "in the know". McCain has essentially spurned the popular kids (that's how they view themselves) and they will exact their punishment. 3) McCain had the temerity to choose a woman to be his running mate. Big. Mistake. Only Democrats are allowed hope and changiness. By making this decision, the press knows that Obama's historic bid is in jeopardy. How dare he? McCain was fine as long as he knew his place--the "reasonable Republican". He is not being reasonable. He's getting, why, he's getting uppity!

The love affair is over according to Bloomberg writer Heidi Przbyla:

``It used to be that a lot of those smears and the crap on the Internet stayed out of the newsrooms of serious journalists,'' Schmidt said at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Schmidt's criticism is the latest example in the unraveling of what was once a fond relationship between the presumptive Republican presidential nominee and the media. Starting in the 2000 Republican primaries, the Arizona senator became a media sensation by chatting up the press in the back of his ``Straight Talk Express'' campaign bus. The national press corps freely mingled with McCain for hours on the bus, with no topic off limits.

Uh huh. And now, the topics, including Bristol Palin's fundal height are what the press wants to talk about and they wonder why McCain doesn't want to talk to them. Shocking. But what annoyed me more was that McCain ever believed that these jackals were anything but what they are--predatory animals wanting to sink any Republican and help any Democrat. Live and learn:

As the relationship has deteriorated, McCain has stopped hosting his once-famous ``straight talk'' get-togethers on his campaign plane. He also has abandoned regular press conferences.

Instead, he stops occasionally to read short written statements in front of cameras, like he did Aug. 31 in Jackson, Mississippi; then walks away from questions shouted by reporters.

His campaign plane is custom configured with a lounge area designed for hosting question-and-answer sessions with the press. McCain inaugurated the lounge on one of the plane's first flights and hasn't used it since.

Well, the prolonged honeymoon is over. This tells me that McCain is finally serious about this presidential thing. Not everything that rattles around a person's head can bumble out of the mouth. A president's words matter. They should be spare and meaningful. They should be circumspect. Everyone is listening and watching.

The press is not at all interested in being fair. They are interested in getting a message out that benefit's their chosen candidate. It's about time John McCain figure this out.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com where I've been blogging all-Palin all the time. If you're interested--feminist hypocrisy, sexism, about the "punishment"
and the left's insanity.

Yesterday, I received a really great piece of "glurge" in my email that I thought was good enough to share (although I don't think you really catch wild pigs this way, do you?). I did a Google search and wasn't able to determine who initially wrote it, so if you know who it was, shoot me an email so I can give them the proper credit.

There was a Chemistry professor in a large college that had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Prof noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.

In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come every day to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc. while we continually lose our freedoms - just a little at a time.

One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself.

Initially, Palin wasn't my first pick for VP, but I thought she was still a good pick. Now, after watching the Left and mainstream media go insane over her, things may change if she screws up later on, but right now, she seems like the best pick McCain could have made.

Why?

1) She energizes the Right. Palin has done something that no one else has been able to do: for the first time this year, she has managed to energize the Right. How long it will last is unknown, but it's certainly been a nice change from the moping that has occurred since McCain won the nomination.

2) She draws attacks away from McCain. In the end, most of the public will make their decision based on who's going to be President, not the VP. So, the more time the Left and the MSM spend attacking Palin, the less time they have to attack McCain. On the other hand, the Right will be attacking Obama, not Biden.

3) Palin has particular appeal on the Pro-life issue: Palin isn't just pro-life; she talks the talk and walks the walk. She didn't consider aborting her child with Down Syndrome and when her 17 year old daughter became pregnant with a child and decided to keep it, she supported her, which stands in stark opposition to Obama who famously said, "I've got two daughters. 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first of all about values and morals. But if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."

There's a hell of a moral contrast there and it's not one that looks good for Obama.

4) The "scandals" that have been revealed so far have been Mickey-Mouse stuff. Her husband had a drunk driving conviction 20 years ago. So? She wanted a violent thug who mistreated her sister and was a threat to her safety fired -- who wouldn't? How do those scandals compare to say, procuring land for your house in a crooked deal or spending 20 years in a racist, anti-American church? They're pretty small potatoes.

5) The #1 charge the Left has launched at Palin, that she's inexperienced, better applies to their own candidate for President. Palin is more qualified to be the President than Barack Obama, so you just have to smile every time some liberal says, "She'll be a heartbeat away from the presidency." I mean, can't the exact same thing be said about Obama? I mean, what if something happened to Biden and we had Obama in charge and...oh wait, the "heartbeat away" candidate is on top of the Democratic ticket.

6) She will draw Hillary voters: No, most of the ultra-left-wing NOW types probably aren't going to vote for her, but there are plenty of women in the middle who will -- and the more the Left launches misogynistic attacks at her and goes after her family, the more women will probably vote for a McCain/Palin ticket.

7) She evens the score on change: Obama's most appealing factor isn't his policies or his resume; it's the fact that he would be the first black President. Well, now, the McCain campaign has a "first" on their ticket, too. So, it's no longer a question of whether history will be made; it's just a question of which history-making ticket will make it to the White House.

Make sure to check out Conservative Grapevine today, where you'll find links like:

Cracked: Hollywood's 5 saddest attempts at feminism

Gerard Baker: Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama

The Anchoress: Sarah & Bristol melt down the haters

Egotastic!: Hilary Swank bikini pictures

You can check out all those links and more by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark RWN's companion page, CG! Remember, if you're not reading RWN and CG every day, you're not getting the full story!

PS: If you'd like to submit articles to be linked to Conservative Grapevine, register at CG, and then shoot me an email.

Palin: Her husband had a drunk driving conviction a couple of decades ago.

Obama: He used cocaine a couple of decades ago and hopefully hasn't used it since.

Palin: She has a 17 year old daughter who's pregnant. The daughter is going to have the baby and marry the father.

Obama: Famously said he wouldn't want his daughters "...if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."

Palin: She's accused of trying to get a brother-in-law who mistreated her sister and threatened her father fired.

Obama: Has a brother living in a hut that he does nothing for.

Palin: Was a member for two years of the "Alaska Independence Party," which had some members that supported secession and produced the governor of the state of Alaska in 1990.

Obama: Was a member of an anti-white, anti-American church for 20 years.

Tonight, at 8 PM EST, I'll be doing my first show with BlogTalkRadio. It'll last 30 minutes and I'll be talking about the campaign, Sarah Palin, and the convention. Initially, my guest was supposed to be Mary Katharine Ham, but unfortunately, she had a legitimate issue that will keep her from making the show tonight. So instead, I reached out to RWN's own Dr. Melissa Clouthier, who also blogs at her own blog, Lorie Byrd, a columnist for Townhall who also blogs at Wizbang, and Ericka Anderson from Bill Bennett 's Culture11. It should be a fast moving, hard hitting show and you can click on the link below to listen.

If you miss the show, you can always go back in and catch it later.

The Left, which has been completely terrified by the selection of Sarah Palin, has been making misogynist attacks on her, smearing her children, and generally making even bigger jackasses of themselves than normal.

Now, believe it or not, they're even starting to fantasize about her dropping out and being replaced by a VP that would be less threatening to their chances of victory.

Here's the normally semi-sane TalkLeft on Palin,

Let's have a pool: What day does she drop out? The winner gets a TalkLeft 4th Amendment tote bag.

Here's my entry: she doesn't drop out. When the time comes, I'll tell you where to send the tote bag when I win. I can carry it with me when I cover a left-wing protest. That will hopefully keep the liberals from figuring out who I am and trying to murder me in the street.

But, while the Left is living in some fantasy land where Palin is a shockingly bad pick, I'll tell you what I'm seeing and hearing,

* Evangelicals like James Dobson, who don't like McCain, getting excited for the first time this year and stepping up to defend Palin.

* Moderates like Michele Catalano getting offended at how she's being treated.

* Hillary Clinton voters promising to support McCain/Palin because she's on board.

* Conservatives treating her like a rock star. Privately, I have yet to hear a single conservative saying they're having 2nd thoughts about Palin. To the contrary, conservatives love Palin. Just to give you one example, take a look at these stories, all of which are on the front of National Review today,

BYRON YORK: Evangelicals flock to McCain. "Why the Palin Baby Story Matters"

DINESH D'SOUZA: Palin lives her principles. "Talk vs. Action"

KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ: Romney was the right pick, but Palin is still a savvy one. "Don't Call Her 'Harriet'"

JOHN J. PITNEY JR.: Why has Palin generated such energy? "Go Ahead and Laugh"

ALVIN S. FELZENBERG: McCain, injected into his party what it so badly needs, a new face, new energy, and a reshuffled deck. "History Changer"

NRO EDITORS: By picking Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain has wowed the public and enthused the Right. "The Palin Pick"

Oh yeah, McCain is going to be dumping the person who generated that tsunami of positive stories any minute now....

PS: TalkLeft: Would you like to go ahead and send me the tote bag now or do we actually have to wait until November for me to collect it?

Not Obama's campaign manufactured resume, but Old Sol:

The sun has reached a milestone not seen for nearly 100 years: an entire month has passed without a single visible sunspot being noted.

The event is significant as many climatologists now believe solar magnetic activity - which determines the number of sunspots -- is an influencing factor for climate on earth.

Yes, friends, it seems that scientists are again convinced that the big old yellow hot thing that hangs in the sky everyday has a very important role in earth's climate.

And what has history told us about such events?

In the past 1000 years, three previous such events -- the Dalton, Maunder, and Spörer Minimums, have all led to rapid cooling. One was large enough to be called a "mini ice age". For a society dependent on agriculture, cold is more damaging than heat. The growing season shortens, yields drop, and the occurrence of crop-destroying frosts increases.

But, you know, "global warming" is the "greatest crisis the world has ever faced".

[Crossposted at QandO]

Honestly, there wasn't much to review because they called off all of the big speeches because of Gustav. So, the convention on night one was nothing more than basic business and appeals to charity: in other words, it was dullsville, night one.

Of course, that could be a blessing in disguise since it was Labor Day and a lot of people may have skipped watching for that reason. Now, the GOP has the option of taking their best speakers from night one and using them to strengthen the line-up on nights 2, 3, and 4.

As to the convention itself, my friends who are there have told me that it's pretty chaotic. The schedule is completely up in the air, a lot of events have been cancelled, and as of last night, some of them seemed confused about what was going on. Hopefully, it'll smooth out today as the convention gets back to a normal schedule.

***Update #1: Via email, here's the theme and speaking line-up for tonight,

John McCain's commitment to his fellow Americans, a commitment forged in service to his country, is one of the defining hallmarks of his life. Tuesday's events will highlight John McCain's record of service and sacrifice and reflect his commitment to serving a cause greater than one's own self-interest. Speakers will include:

* President George W. Bush (via satellite)
* First Lady Laura Bush
* U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.)
* Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.)
* U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio)
* U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.)
* U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.)
* Robert M. "Mike" Duncan, Chairman of the Republican National Committee
* Jo Ann Davidson, Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Chairman of the 2008 Republican National Convention Committee on Arrangements

Moonbats have gathered in the Twin Cities to welcome Republican delegates, and to give them a taste of what Hope and Change would mean were these people to seize control of the government, as has happened in places like Russia, China, Cuba, and Cambodia. Some Obamunists are content to spit on the grownups, while others splash bleach. From yesterday's Everyday Republican:

The Connecticut delegation to the Republican National Convention was attacked today as they attempted to enter the Xcel Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. […]

When Chairman Healy's mother Lila was spat upon by a protester, former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons stepped between the elder Healy and the crowd. He was doused with a liquid substance that was later determined to be a mix of clorox and water. At least 10 other delegates also were hit with liquid. […]

The St Paul police and the Secret Service are investigating how the protesters were able to get into the area unopposed.

More from a local Fox affiliate:

One 80-year-old member of the delegation had to be treated for injuries, and several other delegates had to rinse their eyes and clothing.

The enlightened progressives threw rocks at buses, including the one carrying the Alabama delegation. Here's a bus the moonbats attacked:

They went after other buses with sandbags dropped from overpasses. This is known in legal circles as attempted murder.

Not appalled yet? The moonbats also attacked a bus full of Cub Scouts:

A group of protesters — liberals, Obama supporters, or whatever — blocked the road, surrounded the bus, and attacked it, rocking the bus back and forth, denting and scratching the sides, and generally terrifying the children trapped inside.

Atlas Shrugs has some photos of the festivities that ought to be on the next cover of Time, including these:

We take civilization for granted. But as these presumptive Obama supporters remind us, it's never more than an election or two from coming unraveled.

Hat tip: Ace of Spades HQ; on a tip from V the K. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

Before this weekend and week, most Americans still didn't know what the Daily Kos was. Most still don't know except for the break-through mentions in the TV media and even then, only on Fox will you hear the site mentioned. Other news channels have TV anchors that post there (Keith Olbermann). Major Democrats like Elizabeth Edwards have posted there, but you won't hear that, either.

It's time though, for Americans to know where Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore met with and gladly spoke to these people. When I was in Austin for the AFP Conference, the Kos Kids were in town, too. The keynote speakers? Why, Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi! Michelle Malkin wonders where the Democrats are now considering the disgusting garbage coming out of their chum buckets about the Palin family:

Every major Democrat presidential candidate has attended the Yearly Kos convention. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid keynoted the nutroots' annual gathering two years ago. Dick Durbin appeared via satellite with the official Senate seal in the background. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat down with the Kossacks and their ilk for a chat at Netroots Nation this year. Hillary pandered to the Kos crowd last summer. So did Barack Obama.

Barack Obama came out with a tepid statement saying that families are "off-limits". He looked weary saying it, but imagine how Bristol Palin feels listening to this? Ann Althouse imagines:

I hope Bristol Palin is a strong person who can endure all this talk about her. Has a teenager ever had to put up with such a thing? Maybe we'll get to see a beautiful wedding. You know the people love weddings! And the husband-to-be is gorgeous. Oh, I'm not saying dress the kids up and parade them around so that people can feel good about love and life and jerks can pronounce the whole thing an exploitative political show. It would probably be more tasteful to have a small and very private wedding. But I'm saying that from Wisconsin and reflecting my East Coast upbringing. I don't know how they do things in Alaska.

The other young woman I remember being treated this way was Brittney Spears. I read at the NYT, where some commenter said that if the girl were a Democrat she'd be hated on by conservatives. Again with the bias against the average church going American.

Here's the thing, the Kos Kids might have started the Palin hate, but the New York Times and major media outlets have legitimatized them based on today's reporting.

The Anchoress as always gets to the point (my apologies for the long quote, there is so much more you need to read there):

Unlike these creatures, who want to think nothing but the worst of Sarah Palin, all five of her children, her husband and - if she has one - her dog, I don't want to believe the worst about Obama. But I am really starting to wonder about the weird co-incidence that the Koskidz started a rumor - based on nothing - about Palin, and her daughter Bristol, and then it turns out that Bristol is pregnant. We know now that the press knew about the pregnancy.

The press is in the tank for Obama, we know that. When I read Allahpundit a while ago, I thought, "no" - but now, I have to wonder: did the Koskidz bungle a leak from the Obama camp?

Anyone find it amazingly coincidental that Daily Kos went after Palin's own pregnancy right out of the chute on Friday, with no apparent evidence whatsoever, and now we find out that her daughter's actually pregnant? I usually scoff at the idea of party researchers planting memes with bloggers, especially since the nutroots is so paranoid about that happening on the right, but that's a simply remarkable stoke of good luck on their part, no?

I don't believe Obama would do it. But his "camp" might. Remember, his "camp" greeted the news of Palin's addition to the ticket with nastiness and a distinct lack of common political courtesy or generosity. Obama had to walk it back.

Oh yes, this is post-partisan politics, Barack Obama. And the Kos Kids don't represent your ideology at all. Right.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com

It's hard not to notice that even though Barack Obama initially claimed to be a post-racial candidate, his supporters obviously see his race as the primary selling point of his candidacy.

Setting aside the fact that had it not been for black voters voting for him just because he's black, he could have never received his party nomination, racism is a constant refrain from Obama's supporters. They've tried to make just about any and every criticism of him imaginable off limits because of race and worse yet, they've tried to portray his candidacy as a defining one for the country: whether America is a racist country or not depends on whether we overlook the fact that Obama is too inexperienced to be President and elect him anyway.

Now, Fatimah Ali at the Philadelphia Daily News has taken the next logical step -- speculating that a race war will happen if Obama isn't handed the presidency on a silver platter,

"If McCain wins, look for a full-fledged race and class war, fueled by a deflated and depressed country, soaring crime, homelessness - and hopelessness!"

Whether it's calling people racists for not supporting Obama or alluding to violence in the streets on his behalf, there is no depth to which his supporters apparently will not sink to exploit Obama's race during this campaign.

Here's some of my latest Google traffic -- note the times.

02 Sep, Tue, 12:16:32 Google: palin bikini pictures
02 Sep, Tue, 12:16:34 Google: SARAH PALIN BIKINI
02 Sep, Tue, 12:16:59 Google: sarah palin gun bathing suit
02 Sep, Tue, 12:17:10 Google: sarah palin swimsuit pics
02 Sep, Tue, 12:17:16 Google: sarah palin bikini gun
02 Sep, Tue, 12:18:13 Google: sarah palin IN BIKINI

I believe this pic, which was sent to me this morning, may be what these people are looking for,

Setting aside the overly happy smile that doesn't go with the body and the fact that the body is too chubby for Palin, I blew it up in my graphics program and, yes, the head is pasted on.

PS: I probably just saved two days' worth of stories on the Daily Kos that would later be picked up by the New York Times and Keith Olbermann.

Update #1: Because I am that good -- and because I was willing to search through bikini pics until I found it (Oh, the sacrifices I make for my readers ;), I've run across the original already,

At least with Biden on the ticket, there would be a grownup to advise the clueless Obambi on foreign policy, right? Wrong:

US Senator and vice presidential hopeful Joe Biden reportedly told Israeli officials three years ago that sooner or later they would have to reconcile themselves to the reality of a nuclear-armed Iran.

Israel's Army Radio reported on the remarks, which Biden is said to have made to visiting Israeli officials in his capacity as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

According to the report, Biden reaffirmed to the Israelis his rejection of military action against Iran, but also admitted that diplomatic efforts to halt Iran's nuclear program had little or no chance of success. In essence, Biden resigned himself to the idea of a nuclear-armed Iran and told the Israelis that they, too, would have to accept that outcome.

Israeli security officials on Monday expressed concern over the remarks and saw them as further evidence that if Biden and his running mate, Senator Barack Obama, win the upcoming US presidential election, Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons will be a foregone conclusion.

Don't worry, Israel. If Tel Aviv gets nuked, you can just open up a dialog, and resolve the problem with some nuance.

Freeper 2ndDivisionVet wonders:

Why would ANY Jew or friend of Israel even think of voting for that pair?

The same could be asked of any American or friend of Western Civilization.

On a tip from Cheetah. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

IAfter I'm done with the radio show, I'll be live blogging the RNC. Come on back, ya'll! I'll be over at Right Wing News, too.

8:35 CST Gary Sinise film on Michael Mansoor. (sp?/corrected) History about him here at Blackfive. He fell on a grenade to save his buddies. "I will not fail." "Country first. Roger, that." I'm in tears.

Now, Orson Swindell who was a POW with John McCain. He thanks the vets.

8:45 CST Prez speaking from Cross Hall in the East Wing of the White House and be piped in via Satellite by a screen that is 50x30 feet. Huge and high definition. Everyone is standing and saluting Bush 41 and Michael Mansoor's mom just got a hug from 41.

8:48 CST Laura Bush getting a standing "O" and looking ravishing in red. People love her. She looks so happy. I think she'll be so relieved to get the hell out of DC. "The Republican party has a strong ticket." She is thrilled that the first Vice President will be a "Republican woman". "Women have always played an important part of our party. Thank you to the dedicated women in our audience who have made our party so strong." Now she's listing the women who worked for GW. Everyone is cheering.

She wants to tell us about the "man I love". "George remains a man of strong values with enduring love for the United States of America." "America hasn't heard very many facts. Let's call it straight talk." She's talking about education reforms. Today, student achievement is raising across the board. Test scores for minorities highest they have ever been. Now she notes John Roberts and Samuel Alito. 35 Governors from both parties have started faith-based outreach of their own. "Thanks to the president's emergency relief nearly 2 million receive AIDS meds, only 50K when GW took office." He is using his influence to protect children around the world--malaria. 50 million people live in freedom not in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Money quote: "And let's not forget, President Bush has kept the people of America safe."

8:56 PM President George Bush

Commending governors for dealing with Gustav. Now talking about John McCain. He is noting John McCain's heroism to stay in the POW camp for five more years. "His arms had been broken, but not his honor.

Money quote: "If the Hanoi Hilton could not break his will do what is best for American, the Angry Left never will"

"Life must be defended. John is an independent man who thinks for himself. "This man is honest and speaks from the heart. Last year, his courage changed history. One Senator above all had faith in our troops and that was John McCain." "He would rather lose an election, than see our country lose a war, that is the kind of courage and conviction we need in our next Commander in Chief". "To protect America, we need to stay on the offense and not wait to be hit again. The man we need is John McCain."

Frustration: the people are going nuts, but because Bush doesn't have good feedback, he can't let them cheer.

"Americans will look closely at the judgment, the policies and the values and they will vote for the McCain-Palin ticket."

Now, he praises Laura for being a "fantastic first lady."

Awesome speech! Short, sweet and sincere. Now, Laura Bush again. "John McCain has what it takes to lead the country the next four years." Now she's talking about Cindy McCain. Cindy McCain looks embarrassed and more school marmish than normal.

Now, a retrospective of Ronald Reagan. Sigh. What a great man.

9:12 CST Woot! It's Fred Thompson!

"We know that we have challenges but we also know that we live in the freest, most generous nation in the world. What a breath of fresh air Governor Palin is."

"Give me the Governor of Alaska who has taken on the establishment and won, against an insider any day of the week. She has run a municipality and she has run a state. She's the only candidate of either party who knows how to properly field dress a moose with the possible exception of Teddy Roosevelt. When they get to Washington, they don't care how much the alligators get irritated, they're going to drain the swamp."

Now, he's talking about McCain's character. Talking about the McCain's sons who are coming and going from Iraq and the other one is going to the Naval Academy. Introducing the McCains and the kids. Cindy's telling them to wave and stand up. John's 96 year old mom Roberta. She looks great. "if it had been Ms. McCain captured by the Northern Vietnamese, they would have surrendered." John earned a rep as a trouble maker in High School and Naval Academy. "Loaded with demerits, but never violated the honor code." Now talking about McCain's military experience.

"Broken leg when he fell, broken shoulder at butt of a rifle, pierce in the shoulder and groin, got dysentery, fever, survived that, put in the hole. Weighed less than 100 pounds. Put in solitary confinement for two years. "We hear a lot about hope these days. John McCain knows about hope. That's all he had." He refused to be released. The guards cracked ribs, broke teeth, cinched ropes around his arms, broke his arms, he was beaten for not given information, beaten for not giving the names of his squadron and gave the name of the offensive line of the Green Bay Packers. He would call out to his other POWs. For 5 and 1/2 years this went on. His bones may have been broken, but his spirit never was.

Being a POW doesn't qualify anyone to be president but it does reveal character. This is the kind of character that citizens from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders. Strength, courage. wisdom, duty, honor. There are two questions we'll never have to answer:
"Who is this man? And can we trust this man with the presidency?"

He's been to Iraq 8 times. When he travels abroad he prefers to speak to the troops in quiet. "This man is not intimidated by what the polls say. John stood up and called for more troops and NOW WE'RE WINNING!" Crowd chanting "USA!!!!"

"I've experienced John's character first-hand. We reformed welfare, balanced the budget and began rebuilding the military. He lead battle after battle to end the "pork barrel spending of Washington". "Washington has always had big talkers. While others talk reform, John was making reform. John personified why we all came to Washington in the first place. A man who never quits is never defeated."

"He is not giving a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to America's critics abroad. There has never been a time when the character, judgment and leadership was more important. Terrorists, rogue nations, belligerant Russia, economic competitive China...the Democrats put up a historic candidate the most liberal, inexperienced candidate in our nations history. It's not reform and it's not change. It's the same old stuff they've been peddling for years. America needs a president who understands the nature of the world we live in and who does not feel the need to apologize for America. You don't make citizens prosperous by making government richer."

"Our opponents tell us not to worry about tax increases. They're only going to tax businesses. They'll only tax business that you buy from, get paid by, ... It won't affect you!" Huge applause.

"We need need a president who doesn't think the protection of the unborn or a newborn is above his pay grade!" (Huge, huge, huge applause.)

The man who will be that president is John McCain. Put country first, with John McCain. Tonight we are being called on to do what is RIGHT for our country. Our country is calling. John McCain can't raise his arms above his shoulders. He can't salute the country for which he has sacrificed so much. So, we salute him. Let's celebrate that vision, that faith!"

Oh. My. Goodness. He freaking hit the ball out of the park. Best speech of either convention so far. Amazing!!

Chuck Barry playing "Johnny be good".

9:42 Joe Lieberman, John McCain's best friend

He's getting lots of applause. They love him here. Poor, Joe. He's got such a dead-pan delivery and coming after Fred Thompson has to stink.

"It shouldn't take a hurricane to bring us together like this." Now, he's being a liberal. Oy vey, talking about how hard life is for many Americans. Ugh. "All too often, they don't see Republicans and Democrats fighting for the American people." They see senseless partisanship.

"I'm here for John McCain because country matters more than party! John McCain is the best person to lead our country and bring American forward. John McCain's whole life testifies to a great truth: being a Democrat or Republican is important but nowhere near as important as being an American"

Wow, first guy to mention 9/11. I keep wondering when it would be mentioned. It's like it never happened.

"My Democratic friends know about John's record and his accomplishments, that's why they're spending so much money trying to make you think he's someone he isn't. God only made one John McCain."

Oh brother, big corporations, global warming, blah, blah, "If John McCain is just another partisan, then I'm Michael Moore's favorite Democrat. MONEY QUOTE: Senator Barack Obama is an eloquent and gifted YOUNG man, but eloquence is not substitute for a record in these tough times. In the Senate, Obama has not reached across party lines to get something down. I'd just ask you to contrast it with John McCain's record." Now, he's bringing up Bill Clinton's record of working with Republicans. Ahem.

Now, he's talking about Governor Palin's record of being a reformer and reaching across party lines. "She is a leader we can count on to help shake up Washington...that's why I sincerely believe that the real ticket for change is the McCain-Palin ticket." HUGE CHEERS.

"The Washington bureaucrats and power brokers will not be able to build a pen to hold them in. Together John and Sarah will fight for the American people and that's what America needs most right now. What America needs now isn't more party unity, but more NATIONAL unity. This is especially true because we are a nation at war. We need a President who will fight, not when it's easy, but when it's hard. I was there when John McCain sounded the alarm when things weren't going well in Iraq. John McCain had the courage to stand against the tide of public opinion and fought for the surge and now the troops are coming home IN HONOR!

I have had the privilege and the pleasure (even with Lindsey Graham it was a pleasure) of traveling across the globe with John McCain. He is well-respected and well-liked.

Money quote: "In John McCain we have a leader our allies will trust and our enemies will fear."

"These are not ordinary times and trust me John McCain is no ordinary candidate. You might not agree with John on every issue, but you can know that he will talk straight. He will be what he is naturally, a restless reformer who will get the government working for all American people."

Joe Lieberman's wife is cute is a button and shakes hands with Cindy McCain. This speech was aimed at Independents.

Overall impression, Fred Thompson's speech told McCain's story and fired everyone up. Joe Lieberman's speech was to appeal to moderates and undecideds. We'll see if it works. I think if the Left keeps attacking Palin, it will.

10:07 CST So, CBS and NBC didn't show Thompson's speech. Shocking (that was sarcasm). Fox showed it. They wonder why they've lost viewers. They did the same thing with Clinton's speech. Interesting. I think every editorial decision they make is whether something will help or hurt Obama. Do they even make an attempt to not be biased? Bias is demonstrated by omissions as much as message and the press knows that.

Karl Rove thinks Lieberman and Thompson's speeches should have been flipped, but would the other networks have covered Lieberman's speech if it were earlier? It was the more important speech because it went after the Independents. Hmmm... Good first night, overall.

10:21 Howard Wolfson is livid, as are most Democrats, I'm guessing, because Joe Lieberman went to the other side. Ah well, the Dems screwed Lieberman in his Senatorial election and payback is hell. Joe Lieberman knows, more than anyone, what happens within the Democratic establishment if you dare violate the orthodoxy. I think that's why he supported Sarah Palin when he didn't have to. Unless you are a mindless Borg-like Democrat, you're worthless. Talk about good soldiers. For all their talk of individualism, Gaia help you if you don't submit. No wonder they like Islamic fundamentalists so much. Sheesh.

10:26 Charles Krauthamer "You have to admire the audacity of John McCain."

"You can't steal it, but you try to blunt the "change" issue and you win on readiness and leadership."

Thoughts on Sarah Palin:
"It supports him on change, but it undercuts him on readiness." He's afraid it Sarah Palin will be a "double-edged sword".

Okay, folks. Done. Interesting night.

10:36 Famous last words. Okay, last update. Man, the talking heads have trouble finding something nice to say about Sarah Palin. What elite snobs. Even on Fox, these guys seem like they are holding their noses. Makes me wonder how Tim Russert would deal with her. He's a straight-talking guy who never lost touch with middle America. Would he allow the NBC reporters run rough-shod like this?

With everything that's happened in the last week, it's little wonder that something went largely unnoticed: the U.S. military turned over control of the Anbar province to the people of Iraq.

The New York Times (yes, that New York Times) was one of the few outlets to report the terrific news:

Cross-posted at Examiner.com.

So do I, even more so.

A Minute with Amata

After the Vets for Freedom event, I had the distinct pleasure to chat briefly with Amata Coleman Radewagen who is the National Committeewoman for American Samoa. Amata has recently been awarded with the 2008 ILF Visionary Award. Currently, she is seeking a seat in Congress.

A quick read of her biography reveals a woman who is highly educated, involved in her community and tireless grassroots supporter. Her life is one of service to Samoa, her family and the world. She is a role model for women worldwide.

In the spacious lobby of the Union Depot, I sat down with Amata and chatted with her regarding Sarah Palin, her daughter and the hightly anticipated debate between Palin and Biden. She described McCain's choice of Palin as "She is it! Palin brings brings excitement and energy to the RNC. She is the perfect person for the job". She will not only make a good VP, it will be working practice for President Palin. She is a good balance to McCain, and both are committed to shaking up Washington.

I quite agree.

When I broached the subject of the daughter's pregnancy, Amata stated as a mother you bring your children close. She agreed that this is a family issue and not for public consumption. She believed that Palin handled this family issue quite well. When asked if this news had in any way changed the opinion of the delegates, Amata stated that this private family matter will not effect the ticket of McCain/Palin. She further described a meeting she attended with evangelicals and reported that they are even more committed to Palin. With her demonstrated respect for life, she represents the ideals of evangelicals nationwide.

I asked Amata about the upcoming debate(s) between Palin and Biden, her response was classic - "She will mop the floor with Biden". Biden is representative of the old boy entrenched establishment in DC, Palin is new energy. I anticipate the debate will be interesting and illuminating.

I thank Amata for taking a few minutes to talk to me about this issues surrounding women in the Republican party.

For more information about Amata you can check out her website HERE

Make sure to check out Conservative Grapevine today, where you'll find links like:

Michelle Malkin: The dregs: Democratic Underground's Palin nickname contest

Ecosalon: 9 life-changing inventions the experts said would never work

Wizbang: What I have learned about the Left this week

Power Line: The gaffe machine rolls on: Obama says he is no longer a Senator.

I Don't Like You In That Way: Britney Spears bikini pics

You can check out all those links and more by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark RWN's companion page, CG! Remember, if you're not reading RWN and CG every day, you're not getting the full story!

PS: If you'd like to submit articles to be linked to Conservative Grapevine, register at CG, and then shoot me an email.

At 4:07 PM EST, I'm going to be on the Jaz McKay show.

Click on Stickam in the left corner to listen to the show.

This is about three and a half minutes long and features George Bush, Fred Thompson, and Joe Lieberman.

Last night, I did my first show with BlogTalkRadio. It ran 30 minutes and my guests were Dr. Melissa Clouthier, who also blogs at her own blog, Lorie Byrd, a columnist for Townhall who also blogs at Wizbang, and Ericka Anderson from Bill Bennett 's Culture11. We talked about Sarah Palin, the convention, and the election in rapid fire succession. You can click on the link below to hear the show.

If you miss the show, you can always go back in and catch it later.

When Hillary's fans complained about the incredible amount of sexism on the Left, I took it with a grain of salt. However, the ridiculous, over-the-top misogyny and general contempt for women -- that has been displayed by liberals, including liberals in the mainstream media, since Sarah Palin has been selected -- has been so absolutely grotesque that it's impossible to miss.

If you want to see yet another example of it, one that doesn't involve Sarah Palin, look at some of the results of a "*** "Official" DU Michelle Malkin Nickname Contest ***"

(Because most of these nicknames are obscene, they're listed below the fold)

Day 1 of the GOP convention was wiped out because of Gustav and perhaps because they feared to get too partisan, too fast, Day 2 mostly focused on building up McCain and Palin. There was a little red meat here and there, but it wasn't the main thrust of the evening.

The first big speech of the night was from Bush, who came to the convention via satellite feed. As you'd expect, Bush didn't hit a towering home run, but he wasn't bad either. It was a solid "B" speech that focused on pumping up McCain.

"Fellow citizens, if the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain's resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure the angry left never will." -- George Bush

Next up was Fred Thompson who defended Palin, took a few shots at the Left, talked up McCain, and gave a better telling of the trials McCain has to endure as a POW than I have ever heard before. To say that Thompson brought his "A game" understates the matter because his oration was simply extraordinary. I gave Bill Clinton an "A+" grade for his speech at the DNC and, quite frankly, Thompson's speech easily surpassed the Big Dog's effort. It was an A++ speech.

"Now our opponents tell you not to worry about their tax increases.

They tell you they are not going to tax your family.

No, they're just going to tax "businesses"! So unless you buy something from a "business", like groceries or clothes or gasoline ... or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a small "business", don't worry ... it's not going to affect you." -- Fred Thompson

Last but not least, the convention finished up the night with the Democratic VP nominee in 2000, Joe Lieberman. Lieberman started a little slow, but then got into a nice rhythm and really focused on building up McCain's bipartisan credentials. Lieberman's speech was extremely effective and probably hit home with any independents who happened to be watching. It was a B+ speech.

"Senator Obama is a gifted and eloquent young man who can do great things for our country in the years ahead. But my friends, eloquence is no substitute for a record -- not in these tough times for America.

In the Senate he has not reached across party lines to get anything significant done, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party." -- Joe Lieberman

For the night, the GOP gets an A-. Let's hope there was a large audience that caught the convention last night.

Now tonight and tomorrow? I expect to see the GOP really unload on Obama after taking one night off and making nice for another night. Plus, Sarracuda has her big speech tonight. It should be a lot of fun.

PS: You can catch the video highlights from Night 2 of the convention here.

Update #1: This video presentation from last time was really moving.

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Many people, especially liberals, have been puzzled by Barack Obama's inability to pull ahead of John McCain. We're less than 100 days out from the election and yet, if the vote were today, it would be anybody's ball game.
That's despite the fact that George Bush is unpopular, Democrats seem to be more motivated than Republicans, Obama is raking in record amounts of money, and the country seems ready to give a Democrat a turn in the White House. So, how can Obama be deadlocked with McCain?

Of course, liberals, being liberals, have blamed racism for Barack's problems. While there certainly will be some Democrats and Independents who won't vote for Barack because he's black, his race is primarily an asset to his campaign. If Barack were a white guy, he wouldn't even be thought of as a good candidate for a cabinet appointment in a Democratic administration, much less the Democratic nominee for President. Why is that the case? That brings us to Barack's first problem:

He Doesn't Have Enough Experience To Be President: The McCain campaign has been unmercifully pounding Obama on this point and rightfully so. Obama has never served in the military, never run a business, and has never been a governor or congressman.

As a Democratic delegate said to CNN on the floor of the Democratic Convention, "Experience counts. I don't care what anybody tells you and his resume is just..." (Like many American voters, she was apparently too choked up at the thought of having Obama as President to continue)

Obama Isn't Scoring On McCain With His Attacks: The Obama campaign has been trying to convince people that McCain is another Bush, that he's an out-of-touch snob who doesn't even know how many homes he owns, and that he'll keep us in Iraq for 100 years. None of those lines of attack will work very well against McCain.

The press has spent the last eight years telling everyone who'll listen that McCain is a maverick who's not like other Republicans. So, turning him into another cookie-cutter Republican? It's a very tough sell.

Next up, the "houses" attack isn't gaining a lot of traction either because it's hard to convince people that a bomber pilot -- who spent years in a prison camp and faced torture rather than leave before people who had been there longer -- is really a silver spoon elitist, who probably couldn't figure out how to pump his own gas or work a grocery scanner.

Also, McCain will keep us in Iraq for 100 years? So, he's going to be in office 100 years and we'll be fighting that whole time? It almost refutes itself.
Hubris: Obama's paper-thin resume doesn't seem to match up well with his incredibly inflated sense of importance. He did a speech in front of Berlin's Victory Column in Europe, created his own presidential seal, and did a speech in front of a faux Greek temple -- but, what has he actually achieved that would merit all these high honors? Very, very, VERY -- and, yeah, that's a lot of very's -- little.

Obama's Chicago Connections: Two names have dogged Barack Obama throughout this election: Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers. When the public found out Obama had attended Wright's anti-American racist church for more than a decade, it completely destroyed Obama's carefully cultivated reputation for "post-racial" politics.

Ayers has also been significant because if Obama associated with a known terrorist (and he did), then lied about it (and he did), then tried to cover it up with a bizarre, fascistic attempt to actually have his political opponents prosecuted by the DOJ (and he did), it says a lot about his character -- none of it, good.

Lack Of Patriotism: Unsurprisingly -- well, except perhaps to liberals -- most Americans believe that a President should actually have a lot of love and appreciation for the country he's being asked to lead. Barack Obama falls short on this count.
Rather famously, Obama chose not to hold his hand over his heart during the national anthem and made a big deal out of refusing to wear a flag pin. Then there were his spiritual mentor Jeremiah Wright's "Godd*mn America" comments and his wife saying, "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country."

How can you lead a country you don't love?

Obama is Too Scripted: Obama is great at reading speeches written by other people off of a teleprompter, but he's gaffe prone and not particularly impressive when speaking off the cuff. This has caused him to make a lot of mistakes, run from townhalls with McCain, and has significantly increased the questions about his readiness to be President. Are you getting a candidate who believes what he says or just another empty suit who's good at reading what's put in front of him by his handlers?

Republican Voters Seem Willing To Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils One More Time: Even though conservatives are very frustrated with the Republican Party and many of us are not particularly fond of John McCain, "(m)ore Republicans support McCain than Democrats support Obama." If McCain can keep conservatives on board and can use his unique appeal to Independents and moderates to bring them on the "Straight Talk Express," then he has a great shot at victory.

The Long Primary Fight: Rush Limbaugh and John McCain have never been pals and probably never will be, but McCain owes Limbaugh an enormous debt of gratitude for Operation Chaos. The long brawl between Hillary and Obama drained Obama's coffers, created lasting hard feelings in the Democratic Party, and led to lots of soundbites McCain has been able to use. It also started an Obama/Clinton feud that is still roiling just beneath the happy, cheery, surface of what is supposed to be "Lake Unity" at the Democratic National Convention.
McCain Is Running A Very Aggressive Campaign: After starting out with a slow, positive approach that wasn't drawing flies, much less press attention, the McCain team started pounding Obama like a railroad spike in a sledgehammer factory. They launched aggressive, funny, effective ads, bought spots during the Democratic Convention, and hit him in all the weak spots that the press and the Clinton campaign has avoided. We're almost in September and the Obama campaign STILL doesn't seem to have a clue how to adequately deal with those attacks.

Liberals continue to be surprisingly forthcoming regarding their contempt for truth and honor, and their willingness to resort to tactics no decent person would employ. It's as if they don't realize you don't have to be a moonbat to access their websites. Earlier we heard this from an enlightened progressive at Democratic Underground who approves of malicious rumors that Trig is not really Sarah Palin's son, but her daughter's:

It doesn't matter if it's true or not. RUMOR IS TRUTH. The modern laws of media hype and political warfare have a useful tenet: Repeat ANYTHING or raise false concern over ANYTHING and it is likely to be planted in the conscious/subconscious of many voters. If people start to think that there might be something fishy with Palin's last kid (if hers), then that's FINE. One more doubt (whether tied to reality or not) is another hesitation at the ballot box.

The Left's propaganda war continues to focus on 17-year-old Bristol Palin. First Things quotes Daily Kos:

I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to destroy the Republican Party as it exists today as well as everything it stands for.

If health insurance for all, an end to the Iraq War, an end to torture and illegal wiretapping, and a sane energy policy can be obtained at the price of destroying one teenage girl, her family, and the surrendering our self-respect I see that as a cheap trade.

Go talk about nobility of purpose to those 4,000+ dead American soldiers in Iraq.

Another Kostard adds:

This is about Power … How it is obtained — and how it is wielded in ways that affects all of us.

Are you telling me that you would not use character-destroying lies to ensure a war against Iran does not occur?

Are you telling me you would not spread lies about a man's integrity, even if it defeated a candidate who take away the right to choose?

Are you telling me you would not destroy the love a family holds for one another, even if it meant letting someone who would destroy the constitution become president?

None of use would use these tactics in a perfect world. It is not a perfect world. It is a fallen world. We have to judge costs and benefits, not moral absolutes. I know this is the way to fanaticism and destruction — believe me I do. But, when we face opponents such as the ones we face … what else is there for us to do?

What choice do we have? When faced with monsters, we have to be monstrous ourselves.

Needless to say, the monsters they see are in the mirror. Completely unhinged by their own vile propaganda, there is no crime they could not justify. This is how the murder of tens of millions of people and the enslavement of everyone who survives in countries taken over by the Left are possible.

On a tip from Reuben C. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

Via Instapundit, Michelle Cottle and Christopher Orr of The New Republic caution Democrats and the media (ah, heck, why do I even bother to separate them?):

Watching Palin operate over the past few years has been like witnessing a dramatic reading of All the King's Men. In 2002, Murkowski had interviewed but passed over Palin in selecting a replacement for the senate seat he vacated to become governor. In a grand act of nepotism, he chose his own daughter instead. Palin was tossed a bone: She chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which oversees the production of petroleum in Alaska. When she reported conflicts of interest and other ethical violations by another commissioner, she was ignored by Murkowski's chief of staff and ultimately resigned in frustration. One can imagine how the quick double dose of corruption--insiders having their way with the polity and its resources--sickened the young Palin. It also fired a savage competitiveness that is not, perhaps, apparent at first glance.

What the Republicans missed about Sarah Palin then--and what the Democrats seem poised to miss now--is that she is a true political savant; a candidate with a knack for identifying the key gripes of the populace and packaging herself as the solution. That keen political nose has enabled her to routinely outperform her resume. Nearly two years into her administration, she still racks up approval ratings of 80 per cent or better.

Thus far, the press-Dem complex hasn't listened and I don't think they will, either. Like I said here earlier this week, my admiration for Sarah Palin stems from my discontent with Republicans. The Republicans have squandered way too much good will by being porkers and earmarkers and typical big-government Washington DC insider big-shots, and there are plenty voters who feel they could use some time in the wilderness to clarify their perspective.

Sarah Palin offers voters a way out of that pain. If John McCain and Sarah Palin actually perform based on the reform, small government and libertarian promises, the Republicans can expect power for a good long time.

This is an important election for Republicans. If voters give them the White House in 2008, it's a chance for redemption. If they don't redeem themselves, expect pure socialist pain in the form of Democrats running the show for a very, very long time.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com where I am also looking at how the press is now portraying Palin as a Tabloid Sl*t.

UPDATE: Want to support Governor Palin? Go to ProudOfPalin.com

The morally monstrous campaign to attack Sarah Palin through her 17-year-old daughter has the blessing of Congressman and liberal icon Barney Frank (D-MA), who declares that Bristol Palin's private affairs are fair game for campaign propaganda.

Lisps Frank:

They're the ones that made an issue of her family. […] Apparently she's a great favorite with the conservative social movement. They have said that it's liberalism and liberals who have undermined families — same-sex marriage has been a problem, they don't want gay people to adopt … This helps undercut those arguments.

Frank's own background includes a live-in homosexual "partner" who ran a gay prostitution ring out of his apartment. Those who live in sewers shouldn't throw slime — but they usually do.

On a tip from Wiggins. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

Let's give credit where credit is due, shall we? The press' job is to get Barack Obama elected and who is Barack to stop them?

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com where it's the Palin Nation today. Yes, I just coined that.

A local affiliate of CBS is suggesting just that:

Lieberman could lose his Homeland Security Committee chairmanship. Right now the Democrats need him to hold the majority, but if they pick up seats in the fall all bets are off.

It's most unusual for a Democrat to get the prime speaking spot at a Republican convention, but McCain's selection of Lieberman says a lot about how he wants America to view him, not only as a Republican but as an Independent, as a maverick.

I don't think anyone has really fleshed out just how upset this move has made some Democrats. Last night, I watched the speech with some friends and one Democrat friend is extremely dissatisfied with the Senator. My friend could hardly look at the screen. He also alluded to the trouble Lieberman is going to have if Obama wins in November, suggesting that Lieberman would probably work as a lobbyist on K Street and get out of politics himself altogether.

Exit question: Is Lieberman's wife still a lobbyist herself?

Cross-posted at Examiner.com.

How badly might all of this negativity about Gov. Palin backfire on the media and the Democrats? Well first look at the "sampler" of what passes for objective media analysis this week:

Here is a sampler of media comment on Governor Palin this week:

- Eleanor Clift, the McLaughlin Group: "If the media reaction is anything, it's been literally laughter in many places across newsrooms."

- Sally Quinn, Newsweek: "It is a political gimmick . . . I find it insulting to women, to the Republican party, and to the country."

- E.J. Dionne, Washington Post: "Palin is, if anything, less qualified for the vice presidency (and the presidency) than [Harriet] Miers was for the court. But there is one big difference: Palin passes all the right-wing litmus tests."

- Maureen Dowd, New York Times: "They have a tradition of nominating fun, bantamweight cheerleaders from the West."

- Ruth Marcus, Washington Post: "But as a parent in the media, I also know that the Palins assumed this risk. Anyone who watched coverage of the Bush twins' barroom exploits knew that the avert-your-eyes stance toward candidates' children has its limits."

- Charlie Cook, Beltway pundit, on PBS's "Charlie Rose": "I had a friend that had a young person tell them that they had three interviews to get a job as a server at Ruby Tuesday! So this is like putting a whole -- for someone that hasn't played on a national -- Geraldine Ferraro had more -- Dan Quayle had undergone more scrutiny, had played on a bigger stage than this. This is putting an enormous risk on someone he didn't know. And he has to just pray that it works!"

Who was caught with their pants down around their ankles not knowing much of anything about a person who had been mentioned, seriously, as a prospective running mate for John McCain. It certainly wasn't the right - in fact most Republicans had hoped for such a pick.

No, it was the media. They had already figured the probable pick based on their stereotype of the Republicans. It had to be another white guy.

They were sure that the pick would probably come from someone well known in political circles and about whom they could whip up a diatribe at the drop of a hat. It wouldn't be some provincial governor and it certainly wouldn't be a woman. So Sarah Palin may have been a name on McCain's list that he treated seriously, but it certainly wasn't one the media (or Democrats) chose to take seriously.

So what's all the fuss about then? Well the disdain from the media is being fueled in part by the fact that they didn't do their job and, in fact, weren't prepared when Palin was named.

Patterico comes to the same conclusion:

I think I know exactly why we're hearing all this utter nonsense about how Palin supposedly wasn't vetted.

The spoiled little children in the media are throwing a widdle tantrum because they weren't kept in the loop.

So if they didn't know anything about Sarah Palin, and if they didn't expect McCain to pick Palin, then it stands to reason that McCain didn't know anything about Sarah Palin, and McCain didn't expect himself to pick her.

Guess what, media? Some of us had heard of Sarah Palin before, and were hoping that she was exactly who John McCain would pick.

Because the media paid no attention to her and knew nothing about her, the feeding frenzy is a natural result. So are all the so-called "negatives" coming out at once. They have too - as Paterico says, a person who was listed as a serious candidate for VP was virtually ignored by the media. Consequently, now that they have to scramble to cover her and everything that should have been known about her through the media and well prior to her nomination suddenly is coming to the fore.

And if the best that can be found is trooper-gate and hubby belonging to 3rd party and getting a DUI 20 years ago, well, let's face it, it ain't Tony Rezko, Jeremiah Wright or Bill Ayres, is it?

Another part of the media disdain is plain old, every day, vanilla elitism. She went to school in Idaho for heaven sake. She's the governor of Alaska! She hunts!

No Welsley. No blue-blood, north-eastern family connections. Nope - a real, honest-to-goodness, no BS, mother of 5 who has faced down every problem that other mothers have faced (and, like her are still facing) and has still had time to do something outside of that and succeed wildly. The media can't have that because it breaks the stereotype so carefully nurtured of the "conservative woman". So with blinders fully in place, and completely ignoring how well they describe the top of the ticket on the Democratic side, they claim she's a lightweight, inexperienced and a diversity pick.

And they think the rest of us who hail from flyover land, and didn't attend elite universities or stake our lives in the mire of politics and Washington DC are just too damn dumb to recognize what's going on here.

All I can say is keep it up folks. You couldn't be a better ally for the Sarah Palin's of this world, because as you attempt to denigrate her accomplishments and minimize her experience, you clearly display your obvious bias while brilliantly backlighting the very same problems in Obama you claim hurt Palin.

And while you do that, we'll keep reminding you that if what you claim disqualifies the person who might be a heartbeat away from the presidency, what does it say about the glaring lack of even Palin's qualifications for he who would be president?

[Crossposted at QandO]

Do ya (getting ready for the Alaskan accent) really think I'd miss this? Come on now! Be here or be square! The party starts in less than an hour. Go get yer beer and moose burger and get comfy in your Lazy-Boy. It's going to be fun.

7:54 CST Other people live blogging The Anchoress and Ann Althouse (and just a note about Ann, she has been doing fantastic blog work about Palin). So, flip back and forth between us, just make sure you comment here. :)

8:04 CST Michael Steele is asking, "Do you want to put America first?" going back and forth with the audience. "Then let's make decisions on our national security based on what keeps us safe, not what's politically correct." He's getting the house rocking. "John McCain has the experience, judgment, character to lead....it's about his knowing who the enemy is, and what to do about them, and who you hang out with, does matter. America should never be damned for being a place so many people want to call home." Going after Jeremiah Wright, there.

8:09 Here's Mitt!

"If America really wants change, it's time to look to the West, because the sun will rise from Arizona and Alaska!" Romney doing a call and answer with the crowd, too. "Is Washington liberal? We need change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington." I wonder why Romney and Thompson couldn't show this energy while they were campaigning.

"America cannot lead the family of nations if we fail the family at home. Dependency is death to initiative. It is time to fight government dependency and fight it like the poison it is. It's time for the party of big ideas, not the part of big brother."

As a side note, Romney said that there's no way he'd accept a cabinet post because he loathed the idea of being told what to do by a Presidential intern or staffer and dealing with the bureaucracy. So, he'll be "outside the government" he said. Probably running a company, I'd guess. Who knows.

Money quote: "I have one more idea for energy conservation. Let's keep Al Gore's private jet on the ground"

"Republicans believe in good and evil. Radical, violent Islam is evil and HE [John McCain] WILL DEFEAT IT!" Crowd is chanting "USA!"

8:19 CST "Just like you, there's never been a day when I have not be proud to be an American." Wow, he's just tossing big bloody steaks to the base.

Ugh, country music. Don't like it. "If you're going through hell, keep on going." Ah, good. Quoting Winston Churchill at least. Everyone is jazzed in the audience. I can't imagine that there would have been this same energy had Romney been the VP candidate. Sorry Romney lovers.

Ann Althouse heard something interesting. I'm watching C-Span. I don't know what network she's watching:

7:48: I'm just settling in for some serious blogging, and the first thing I notice is this open mike eavesdropping on Mike Murphy and Peggy Noonan. Peggy: "The most qualified? No! I think they went for this -- excuse me-- political bullshit about narratives... Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it."

8:30 CST Mike Huckabee sad that he wasn't here tomorrow night.

Money Quote: "I'd like to thank the media for doing something that I don't think could have been done, uniting the Republican party and all of America behind Senator McCain and Governor Palin."

He's talking about civil rights in Arkansas. He's talking about the greatness of Obama's nomination. "As Americans we celebrate this milestone because it elevates our country, but the election isn't about symbolism." What we don't want to change: freedom, security and the opportunity to prosper. Calls Obama's "excellent adventure" to Europe. Obama brought back "European ideas" like "more government". "Most Americans don't want more government, they want less government."

"The government that does everything for us, is the government that can take everything from us."--Quoting Abraham Lincoln

He doesn't like the Republicans portrayed as having "silk stockings"[edit: oops! not stalkings!] and "silver spoons". "I'm not a Republican because I grew up rich, I'm a Republican because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life waiting for the government to rescue me." [That got a standing "O".]

8:38 CST "Sarah Palin got more votes running for Wasilla Alaska than Joe Biden got running for the United States." The place is going NUTS.

"You don't have to earn your desk, 'cuz these guys, they already did." Punchline of story about teacher who made her kids "earn" their desks, but who ended up not having to because of those who gave us our freedom--vets. "These guys bought it for you. John McCain helped us to buy our freedom."

I'm glad Huckabee wasn't the guy. Man, he bugs me. I know. I know. Some of you love him.

8:46 p.m. Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii

She's boring. Telling Governor Palin's story. "The Palins have five wonderful children and a grandchild on the way." When in tough times, "Families pull together and get through it."

Talking about how as mayor you're held "personally accountable for your decisions." The people of Alaska and Hawaii are doing just fine."

"I find it amusing that the two candidates of the other party talks about experience when neither of them have had any executive experience. ZERO." "Mayors.... Governors are CEOs. Sarah is a great choice."

Cindy McCain wearing green, greeting the Huckabees.

"Last time I checked Alaska had the same electoral votes as Delaware. And not only the same number of electoral votes, you can fit 250 states the size of Delaware in the borders of Alaska."

"Reaching out to women." Meh. I don't know about going after this woman thing.

In walks Todd Palin, looking hot as usual. (Wait a minute, was that sexist?)

9:02 CST Whew. Glad that speech is over. C-SPAN is looking at the Palin family. Nice looking bunch. Cindy McCain sitting next to Bristol who is holding the baby. Tight pan right now on the little girl (Rachel Lucas called her a cute little turkey, indeed, adorable). Texas delegation waving their cowboy hats to the country muzak which I still don't know.

9:04 Rudy Giuliani (one of my most favorite public speakers, btw) Wild applause.

"This election represents a turning point. We get to decide who's the next president. Not the Hollywood stars, or Washington insiders, not the media, but Americans!"

Rudy is going after Obama. It's delicious. "Nearly 130 times, he couldn't make a decision. He couldn't vote yes or no. It was too tough. He voted present. I didn't know about this vote present when I was mayor of NYC. Sarah Palin didn't have the "present" vote as mayor or Governor. As president, it's not good enough to be present, you have to make a decision. A few years later, he ran for US Senate. He spent his time as a celebrity. It's the kind of the story that can come only in America. [Crowd is laughing.] He's never had to lead people, in crisis. He is the least experienced candidate for President of the United States in the last 100 years. Barack Obama has never lead anything, nothing, zero, nada. Not a personal attack, just a fact." Oof. "The choice in this election comes over substance over style. This is no time for on-the-job training. We agree with Joe Biden, one time. When he said that, until he flip-flopped...." Leaves it hanging. He's eating this up and the crowd is loving it.

"Change is not a destination, just like hope is not a strategy. John McCain will bring about the changes...lower taxes so our economy can grow. He'll reduce government to strengthen the dollar. He will lead us to energy independence so we can be free of foreign oil. He will do it with an all-of-the-above approach."

Crowd chanting "Drill Baby Drill". Rudy has everyone all stirred up.

They rarely mentioned the attacks of 9/11. "They are in a state of denial. If you deny it, you can't face it. John McCain will face it." Now he's talking about the troop surge. "The Democratic party abandoned the surge, they abandoned America."

"In the single biggest policy decision, John McCain got it right and Barack Obama got it wrong." Man, he's going after Obama. "Obama promised to take public financing then broke his promise. He favored an undivided Jerusalem for one day, until he changed his mind. If I were Joe Biden, I'd want to get that VP thing in writing."

John McCain said "I'd rather lose an election than a war. When Russia ran over Georgia, John McCain said, "We are all Georgians." Obama's first instinct was to create a moral equivalency, to suggest that both sides were equally responsible, the same moral equivalency of the Palestinians and Israel, then after consulting his 300 advisers he'd turn it over to the UN security council. Apparently, no one told him that Russia has a veto on the council. He changed his view to John McCains. I have some advice for Barack Obama, next time just listen to John McCain."

"In choosing Sarah Palin, John McCain looks toward the future. She's already one of the most successful Governors and the most popular. She's been a mayor. I love that. I'm sorry that Barack Obama feels that her home town isn't cosmopolitan enough. Maybe they cling to religion there." Crowd is crazed.

"This is a woman who has no fear. This is a woman who stands up for what is right. She is shaking up Alaska in a way that hasn't happened, maybe ever. And with John McCain, can you imagine how they'll shake up Washington?

How dare they question whether she has enough time to spend with her children and be Vice President? How dare they do that? When do they ever ask a man that question? When?

We're at our best when we're expanding freedom. We're the party that believes that parents should choose where their children should go to school."

9:32 CST Sarah Palin!!!

Looking great in a black skirt and champagne colored jacket. Getting a standing "O". Her daughter is teary. Everyone is going crazy for her. Little girl adorable. Husband looks nervous and holding baby. Crowd won't let her start. They're so psyched and cheering. Huge smile from Todd. I don't recall any cheers like this at the DNC.

Just accepted the nomination. Woot!

"The pollsters and the pundits overlooked one thing when they wrote him off, the determination, the resolve and the sheer guts of Senator John McCain. The voters knew better, maybe that's because there's a time to campaign and a time to put our country first." Son Track, I think, stands and gets a standing "O".

"I'm just one of the many moms who will say an extra prayer every night. My nephew Casey is also enlisted in the Navy and serves on a carrier in the Persian Gulf. We are so proud..." [Crowd chanting USA!] Introduces Bristol, Willow and Piper. Aw, Piper waving to the crowd. Such a sweet pea. Welcomed a "perfectly beautiful boy", Trig.

"Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge. A special child brings special love. To the families of special needs children all across this country, for years, you've sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters, and I promise you, if elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."

Todd's story. He is world champion snow machine racer. "Two decades later, he's still my guy." He stands up and waves. Everyone cheering. Her parents look so relaxed, like they expected this. Standing and waving to everyone like pros.

"They love their country in good times and bad and they're always proud of America." She's a working-class hero.

"The difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull?" ....pause "Lipstick." That was off the teleprompter and got huge laughs.

Now, she's going to explain what the job of Mayor and Governor involves. "It's sort of like a community organizer except that you have actual responsibilities." They are hauling off a Code Pink protester. Small town people don't quite know what to make about a candidate "one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco. As for our candidate, you can be sure that wherever he goes

"I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment. I've learned quickly that if you're not a member, that some in the media consider you not qualified for that reason alone" huge boos, she's letting them go "here's a little newsflash for those reporters and commentators, I'm not going to Washington to seek their opinion, I'm gong to Washington to serve the people of this great country."

Oof. They will hate her more, now. Hate.

9:50 CST "That luxury jet? Over the top. I put it on E-bay." Got rid of the personal chef. Senator McCain will use the veto pen in defense of the American interest. Vetoed nearly 1/2 billion dollars. Sent oil revenues back to people.

She's talking energy and oil now. She's going around the world--Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, --we need energy independence. "We need American energy by American ingenuity and produced by American workers."

Money Quote: "This is a man who has authored two memoirs but not one major law. This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting and never say the word victory except when he's talking about his own campaign."

Wow, she's got great timing. "What does he plan to accomplish after turning back the water and healing the planet? His goal is to increase the government."

"Government is too big, he wants to grow it. Taxes are high, he wants to increase them." Now she's talking about her sister's business and taxes. She has the crowd hanging on her every word. Amazing.

"Self designed presidential seals"

"A leader who is not looking for a fight, but sure isn't afraid of one either." Now she's going after Harry Reid. "'I can't stand John McCain.' Perhaps no accolade could give better proof that we've chosen the right man."

"The American presidency isn't supposed to be a journey of personal discovery, this world's threats and dangers, it isn't just a community and it doesn't need an organizer. Let's look at this clearly, there is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you. .... in places where winning means survival and defeat means death and that man is John McCain."

"To the most powerful office in the world, he'll bring the awareness of what it is to face evil." Very moving story of Tom Mo (spelling?)

"For a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds. If character is the message, hope the theme and change for the future, then elect John McCain." Huge ovation. She's walking across the stage. Thanked Tom personally (the POW). She's eating it up. The family is on the stage now. The crowd won't stop cheering. Holding the baby. Kissing the family. Bristol holding her fiancé's hand.

John McCain showed up "surprise!" Ha! Crowd is wild. Everyone psyched. He's wearing an orange tie. Looking pleased. Wow, crowd is so psyched.

"Don't you think we made the right choice for the next Vice President of the United States? And what a beautiful family." Crowd yelling "Palin!"

Wow. Home run all the way around. There is great gnashing of teeth amongst the Dems tonight. No doubt, they're sharpening their swords as we sit here enjoying this.

10:19 CST Now some group I've never heard of is singing the National Anthem with the words of great American speeches sprinkled through it. "One nation UNDER GOD".

"Raising McCain."

Final thoughts: She is a Democrats worst nightmare. I fully expect them to go ape-sh*t, escalating every single day until the election. In addition, she is one of the most natural speakers and orators of either party. Her instincts are good. It's so challenging for a woman to sound tough but not strident, or to not be interpreted that way. Did you notice she didn't sound shrill or harpish even when delivering humdingers? She is a woman comfortable with being a woman and being in charge.

No wonder the Democrats are afraid. I'm glad she's on our side.

I'm very excited to hear what Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin has to say to the crowd at the GOP Convention--and to America as a whole--later this evening.

Some food for though, before the speech begins, from New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser:

HOLY hoop skirts: When did the clock tick back to 1958?

When Joe Biden tragically lost his wife and infant daughter in a car wreck in 1972, not a single colleague, friend or competitor advised him to quit his newly won Senate seat to raise his two little surviving sons.

Rather, he was sworn into office from the injured boys' bedside, and took to commuting an hour and a half each way from Delaware to Washington. And when Biden's second wife gave birth to a daughter, no one thought to ask him to step aside and stay home.

Peyser's column continues:

The stupendously sexist New York Times printed a front-page article noting that some unnamed women argue over "whether there are enough hours in the day for her to take on the vice presidency, and whether she is right to try."

Which left the field weirdly clear for Phyllis Schlafly, who helped defeat the Equal Right Amendment - and also ran for Congress while raising six children - to tell the Times, "People who don't have children, or who have only one or two, are kind of overwhelmed at the notion of five children."

It's very true. So much of the liberal rhetoric about Sarah Palin in the last week has been rooted in the very sexism that the Left would have you believe they despise.

If you're staying awake tonight for Sarah Palin's speech, or if you go to bed and want to read some commentary in the morning, stay tuned to Twitter posts. (Twitter is a form of micro-blogging.)

Cross-posted at KatieFavazza.com and Examiner.com.

Follow my thoughts on the convention, particularly on Sarah Palin's speech, by reading my Twitter posts below or signing up to "follow me" via Twitter.

Sarah America destroyed everything in her path last night. You just gotta watch this...

I've been blogging since 2001 and the reaction to last night's speech was the most positive I have ever seen from righty bloggers in that entire time. It was a huge speech with a lot on the line and conservative bloggers seemed to believe that Palin delivered everything people could have hoped for -- and much, much more. Here's a very representative sample of the opinions I found as I perused the rightroots...

"OBAMA = JOE THEISMAN'S LEG
PALIN = LAWRENCE TAYLOR" -- Ace of Spades HQ

"Sarah Palin KICKED *SS! Brilliant! I love her MORE now, if that were possible. Almost enough to do the Chris Crocker video.

...CNN cannot stop saying how good the speech was. Wolf Blitzer just asked whether Obama made a huge mistake in picking Biden. The liberals on Twitter are freaking out. This is such a proud moment. I feel so, so....Its just great. Thank you, Sarah, for proving that I was RIGHT." -- American Princess

"Loving Sarah

Forgive the Chris Matthews-esque title of the post, but damn Sarah Palin was good tonight. Yes, I know it's just a speech, and she has yet to swim in the shark-infested waters of the MSM, who in case you didn't know it by now, already hate her guts, but if first impressions are the best ones, then Sarah Palin has done what I thought impossible - energize the GOP.

To say she was magnificent tonight would be an understatement. In a way, she is very much like Barack Obama in that she connects with people on a personal level, but unlike him, she has actually accomplished something in her political career. You also get the feeling that she really could care less what the media pundits think about her, because she is confident in herself and her positions on issues." -- Ankle Biting Pundits

"SHE DID IT! SHE DELIVERED. IT WAS A BRILLIANT SPEECH! Family comes out .............what a beautiful family, she's holding the baby (what a nashuma)

MCCAIN walks out. PANDEMONIUM! OVATION OVATION OVATION.

McCain: "DONT YOU THINK WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE"

This is unbelievable. INCREDIBLE. CROWD IS ON ITS FEET. It's a great moment." -- Atlas Shrugs

The website of the day is The Change.

Since no one seems to pay much attention to the 8-9 time slot, I'm going to ignore it as well and just focus on the key speeches in the 9-11 timeslot.

Michael Steele: He gave a short, enthusiastic, serviceable "B-" speech that may have helped shore up a few conservatives who were soft on McCain by emphasizing that like him or not, if you're putting your country first, you vote McCain. Still, Steele is a monster talent who's capable of turning in a better performance.

So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's change the way we educate our kids. Let's empower those whose minds are shackled by a poor education with real choices in where they go to school. So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's change our tax code to confiscate less of our hard earned paychecks so more and more families may actually know what it's like to save for the future. So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's reduce our dependency on foreign sources of oil and promote oil and gas production at home. In other words, drill baby drill! And drill now! So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's make decisions about our security based on what keeps us safe and not on what's politically correct. So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's win the war on terrorism. So, do you want to put your country first? Then let's elect John McCain the next president of the United States!

Mitt Romney: Romney's speech was a surprise for three reasons: it was earlier than I thought it would be, it was shorter than I thought it would be, and it was a muddled "C" speech. I've never been the biggest Romney fan, but I will admit that when he puts the effort in, he's a strong speaker. Given the quality of the speech, which did very little for the ticket, I am glad he was on early.

Mike Huckabee: Now we're starting to get into the part of the program where people are really paying attention and the silver tongued Huckabee got his turn at the podium. It wasn't Huck-a-duck at his absolute best, but he did bust out the folksy charm while he was making his case for John McCain and the Republican Party. All in all, it was a "B+" speech for a guy capable of turning in an "A" performance every time he steps on the stage. Not bad.

"I'm not a Republican because I grew up rich, but because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me." -- Mike Huckabee

Gov. Linda Lingle (Hawaii): She just didn't impress me as a very good speaker. Her speech, which had decent content, was a resume builder for Palin, but it was dullsville. A "C-" speech that would have been a "B" in the hands of someone with better delivery. Given the weakness of her performance, they should have had someone else in that crucial spot between Huckabee and Rudy.

"I find it especially amusing that the other party says Governor Palin lacks experience when their own candidates for president and vice president...have NO executive experience... ZERO!"

Rudy Giuliani: Rudy's mission was to hit Obama and he did his job with gusto. He relentlessly -- and effectively -- mocked Obama with a wickedly funny and sarcastic speech. It was a solid "A" speech that the crowd loved. Say what you want about Rudy; the man does deliver when it's crunch time.

"Change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy." -- Rudy Giuliani

As far as I'm concerned, the first day she was mayor, she had more experience as an executive than Obama and Biden combined. Then she became Governor..." -- Rudy Giuliani

"How dare they question whether Sarah Palin has enough time to spend with her children and be Vice-President. How dare they do that. When do they ever ask a man that question? When?" -- Rudy Giuliani

Sarah Palin: If the only thing you knew about Sarah Palin was what you heard from the Obama campaign's surrogates AKA the mainstream press, you'd think she was a poor little cupcake, in over her head, who'd probably stammer and cry at the podium and then run off stage to give up the vice-presidency.

Instead, after receiving a standing ovation from an adoring crowd, she walked out and delivered an A+ speech that was better than anything Barack Obama has done in the last two years, if not ever. Palin tried to do 3 things with the speech: build up her own resume, push John McCain, and hammer the hell out of Obama. To say she hit a home run at those three tasks is an understatement. Palin delivered a called shot, with the bases loaded, that went out of the park, across the street, crashed through the window of the Obama campaign headquarters, and rolled right up to the empty suit running the operation.

In fact, they don't even need to hold a convention tomorrow night if they don't want to. They can just take Fred Thompson's speech, Rudy Giuliani's speech, and Sarah Palin's speech and just replay each of them twice each between 8-11 and it would be hard to top it.

"I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening." -- Sarah Palin

"But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people." -- Sarah Palin

This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it.

Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit. Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions. Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it. Congress spends too much ... he promises more. Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific. The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars.

Summary: It was another strong night for the GOP. After pumping up McCain/Palin on Night 2, they tore Obama down to the ground on Night 3. Although there were a few weak performances in there, the big 3 speeches of the night, Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, and most importantly Palin -- all delivered. So, I'd give the night an "A-" and, yes, after people have a little time to digest it, this is going to give the ticket a bump.

When George Bush came into office, there were plenty of conservatives who wanted him to go after Clinton. But Bush, being Bush, wanted to strike "a new tone." Did he get any credit for bucking a lot of people in his party and trying to avoid partisan strife? No, not one iota.

In fact, to the contrary, Joe Biden is out there promising to do to Bush what Bush wouldn't consider doing to Clinton,

Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden said yesterday that he and running mate Barack Obama could pursue criminal charges against the Bush administration if they are elected in November.

Biden's comments, first reported by ABC news, attracted little notice on a day dominated by the drama surrounding his Republican counterpart, Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

But his statements represent the Democrats' strongest vow so far this year to investigate alleged misdeeds committed during the Bush years.

"If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation, they will be pursued," Biden said during a campaign event in Deerfield Beach, Florida, according to ABC.

"[N]ot out of vengeance, not out of retribution," he added, "out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no attorney general, no president -- no one is above the law."

Joe Biden, Barack Obama and the Democrats better understand something: the idea that a former President, Vice-President, etc. can be tossed into jail -- on charges that half the country thinks are politically motivated crap, without there being frightening consequences -- is a pipe dream.

These little fascist dreams the Left has about locking up their political opponents for disagreeing with them are dangerous, not just figuratively, but literally -- and not just to the Republicans they target, but to the country.

Look at history; situations like this have often led to violence in the street and revolutions in other nations and if you think that say, George Bush could be tossed in jail for "torturing" members of Al-Qaeda, issuing an executive order liberals don't like, or some similar nonsense without it leading to levels of outright hatred between the Left and the Right not seen since the Civil War at best or significant amounts of violence at worst, you are kidding yourself.

That doesn't mean Bush, Cheney, or anyone in the Administration is "above the law," but what it does mean is that if Obama, Biden, and Company want to go after them criminally, they better come up with something capable of convincing their political opponents Bush actually deserves to go to jail, which would have to be an offense one hell of a lot better than anything the Left has produced so far.

Make sure to check out Conservative Grapevine today, where you'll find links like:

Ann Coulter: The best man turned out to be a woman

David Kahane: I hate you Sarah Palin

Cracked: The 8 most obnoxious internet commenters

Egotastic!: Christina Ricci bikini pics

You can check out all those links and more by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark RWN's companion page, CG! Remember, if you're not reading RWN and CG every day, you're not getting the full story!

PS: If you'd like to submit articles to be linked to Conservative Grapevine, register at CG, and then shoot me an email.

From Fred Kaplan at Slate,

"At times like these, I'm relieved that I don't cover elections. There's bum DNA in my heart, and the agita might send me keeling over.

How else to react to the sight of sophisticated people saying, with impressively straight faces, that Sarah Palin is qualified to be vice president--even president--because she's been the mayor of a town of 6,000 residents (the population of Wasilla when she served there in a job that even she admitted was "not rocket science") and the governor of Alaska, which has only 100 times as many people and a legislature that meets a mere 90 days a year?

...Let's get real. If a Democratic candidate had picked such an off-the-wall running mate, the Republicans--Giuliani, Gingrich, and Gaffney among them--would be howling with derision. And rightly so."

The Democrats did pick an "off-the-wall running mate" for Joe Biden and that man's name is Barack Obama. To the objective observer, he would seem to appear to be less qualified to be President, or for that matter, Vice-President, than Sarah Palin.

To be honest, being mayor or a member of the state legislature is way too Mickey Mouse to be included as a qualification to be President (and, yes, I even said the same thing about Rudy when he ran for President).

However, being mayor of a small town is certainly better preparation for the presidency than being a member of the state legislature because it's an executive position.

Moreover, being governor of Alaska is unquestionably better preparation to be President than merely serving as a senator. Sure, Palin has only been there two years, but Barack has served for four years, two of which have been spent running for President. So again, advantage Palin.

So, who's more qualified to be President? The answer is Sarah Palin -- and she's only McCain's VP while Barack Obama is in the top slot. The idea that liberals like Kaplan are so oblivious to that fact that they actually want to aim arguments at her that better apply to the guy at the top of their own ticket is almost startling.

Are they simply that oblivious to reality, that dismissive of a "mere" conservative woman in the VP slot, or are they just so arrogant that they believe they can play this little game without the "rubes" in flyover country ever catching on? Whatever the case may be, the dumbest attack they could make against Palin is that she's "too inexperienced" to be Vice-President in an election where the two people battling for the presidency are John McCain and Barack Obama.

A friend emailed me yesterday to talk shop about Sarah Palin. Among other things, he said, "I still think she's laughably unqualified. If McCain's health falters, do I really want her to be president? It would look like a bad 80's sitcom."

When I replied that I was excited that Sarah Palin was energizing the conservative base and seemed to be making Republicans cool again, I was greeted with this response:

Since I lack partisan loyalties, the notion of making the Republicans cool again doesn't do much for me. If anything, I've always cherished the Republicans as they are-- uncool. That sort of immediate, trendy appeal is good for some, but the Republicans are, to me, icons of sensibility and substance over style. They're the party of the Silent Majority. For them to be cool would be similar to the Pope skateboarding. Cool? Sort of, but I really need the pope not to skateboard.

Maybe he's got a great point there, and Republicans should remain uncool. But, with what's at stake this fall, conservatism appealing to more people--and a rock star conservative motivating more folks to get to the voting booth--sounds great to me.

What do you think? Is Sarah Palin too inexperienced to be the vice president? Click here to share your thoughts.

Some reaction to Palin's speech from the left. Here's Michael Crowley at TNR's "The Stump":

Several moderate-Democrat friends of mine have been emailing--few if any would ever vote for McCain--but all agree that Palin was very strong. The more liberal among them are a little panicked.

I completely misjudged how negative she would be. Her lines about Obama were brutally cutting and possibly over the top in places. But she's a far better messenger than an angry white man. (Note, by the way, how both Rudy and Huckabee employed a tone that was more bemused than angry. That's the modern GOP's favorite trick--comedic ridicule in place of outright nastiness.)

I think the term "misjudged" is going to be used a lot in the coming weeks and not just about "how negative" she was.

John Judis, also of TNR's The Stump said:

I thought that section of her speech combined her biography with her political appeal and turned it into a criticism of the Democrats and Obama's indifference to the white working class and small town voter. I was less impressed with the rest of the speech. Her recitation of her own accomplishments--and her critique of Obama's proposals--was less effective and less effectively delivered, but it was good enough not to raise questions about her suitability as vice president.

So Judis, just like Biden, seems to have no questions about her suitability to be VP. Apparently they are beginning to understand that the "inexperienced meme" is a loser and all it does is draw attention to the inexperience at the top of their ticket (not to mention they had no problem whatsoever with a vastly less experienced John Edwards as their VP nominee in '04).

Ari Melbor at the Nation's "The Notion" blog tied himself in knots trying to turn the speech into a negative. He began by saying:

Sarah Palin gave a riveting and devastating nomination speech on Wednesday night. She shared her inspiring story and brave family, while savaging and ridiculing the celebrated life story of Barack Obama, a fellow barrier-breaking candidate, with whithering attacks on his work as a community organizer, senator, and author.

And ended with:

By all accounts, Palin faced a huge task in St Paul. She had to prove she was up to the job of commander in chief.

She struck out big-time -- in a biting speech that showed the only job she was ready for is RNC Chair, another ruthless soldier in Karl Rove's army.

Yes, he had nowhere to go with his lede so he ended up resorting to liberal boilerplate and calling it analysis.

Ezra Klein was fairly impressed:

It was an auspicious debut, the sort of address that would be judged a success if she were a newcomer keynoting the convention. She landed clean punches, temporarily silenced some of her critics, and retold John McCain's story with a keen sense for the drama of his experience. But I expected more. As delivered, the speech was effective as theater but curiously hollow as an enduring campaign argument: It contained the seeds of a medal ceremony for McCain, and marked Palin as a politician to watch, but it said nothing about the presidency she hopes to be part of.

But of course it did, you just had to pay attention. For instance, I don't think she minced words at all about what their energy policy would entail. Everything. And the quicker the better. I think the reform message was fairly strong as well. For a guy who has let "hope" and "change" remain the "specifics" of the Obama campaign, this demand for specifics in a convention speech is rather amusing.

And then there's this:

"I was mayor of my hometown," she said. "And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."

Good line. But no responsibilities followed.

Pretty weak. Gee, Ezra, you think that perhaps anyone who lives in a town with a mayor might have a clue what responsibilities a mayor might have? I certainly didn't need her to spell them out for me. What, instead, I'd like someone to do is tell me what the hell a "community organizer" does and why that provides the necessary experience to be president of the US.

The rest of Klein's piece essentially claims she chose applause lines over substance. Apparently Klein missed the Democratic convention last week.

Another who apparently missed the Democrats at work last week was Mcswain of "Comments from Left Field"

It's late and I finally saw Palin's speech via TIVO. It was the most mean-spirited, hateful and divisive speech I have ever witnessed in American politics. It was packed throughout with lies and deceptive omissions.

It was clear that she feels she has the right to define America and that her definition includes no place for progressives like myself. Sure, she coded her smears as against "community activists" and "San Francisco," but we all knew she was smearing all progressives, liberals, Democrats, etc. I truly believe she hates people like me and does not consider us American.

The speech was George Bush on steroids. It was in the long tradition of Atwater and Rove. It had the Rove acolytes fingerprints all over it. It was pure wedge politics with the hope that in dividing America she tore off just a big enough chunk to narrowly win this election. It's desperation. It's their only shot.

Overall, it was simply shameful.

Apropos of the blog's name, not much needs to be said about those remarks.

All-in-all, as to be expected, partisan analysis of a partisan speech. I thought she did well. I thought she did what she needed to do - i.e. introduce herself, fulfill her role as the ticket's "attack baracuda", and calm the nerves of those lily-livered Republicans who didn't think she was up for to the job. Mission accomplished.

But as some of the detractors note, she is going to have to get into specifics in these last two months and describe policies and ideas in much more detail to demonstrate she has a handle on them.

It is interesting, however, to watch the left, not the right, suddenly attempt to make this a race between the Palin and Obama. That, of course, is a mistake. It demonstrates a certain level of fear, if not outright panic over the selection. But it seems they can't help themselves. And the commenters and pundits can't either - Palin is fresh meat. Biden is pork jerky. Obviously they're going to concentrate on the new vs. the old.

As I've said many times, this is the most interesting election in my lifetime. And Sarah Palin introduction to the nation last night makes that even more true than before. She seems more than up to the task of the campaign and, frankly, may be the breath of fresh air the stale Washington DC crowd needs more than promises of "hopey-changitude".

[Crossposted at QandO]

A disgruntled lefty comments here:

By Will Bartlett on Sep 4, 2008 | Reply | Edit This

That hurts right? How about when you guys and girls called Hillary Clinton a Nut Cracker and all those obscene things, and even John McCain did not even spare her daughter - pimping?

Face it, republicans have said the worst things things about democrats all along. Obama has been pussy footing til now. This pussy footing has haunted Kerry and others.

So how about more articles on the whoring, pimping Palin' family please.

And now, it sounds like Hillary Clinton's people acknowledge the sexism, too. (Via Instapundit)I had to laugh, though. In the article talking sexism, the writers at the Politico offer this gem:

A choice that was intended to shake up the race did so with more ferocity than McCain ever intended. The mother of five -- with one pregnant teenage daughter and an infant son with Down syndrome -- has joined a parade of personalities from Anita Hill to O.J. Simpson to Monica Lewinsky to become a cultural flash point.

Note to you guys, does it seem sexist to analogize her with these characters? The point here is that a man would not be given the same treatment. Would Tim Pawlenty, for example, be compared likewise? Here's a hint about sexism that goes both ways, "Would I ask a man/woman that question if roles were reversed?" No doubt, Todd Palin, as husband will do interviews, too. The Press should just go straight off their first lady scripts, just to be safe. No condescending questions about his ability to father "all these kids".

Back to the nut crackers. Big shock, the press and the left and the old-boy-network is sexist. It's not going to be easier on the world stage. It's a fact of life and here's how I hope Governor Palin will handle it.

1. Let the bloggers and her surrogates deal with it, while subtly making humorous comments herself, here and there. Otherwise, be above it. Bloggers have been fierce and will continue to be so in defending her and pointing out the hypocrisy and just plain insanity of the left and media.

2. Don't. Cry. Just don't. I've written about this before, and maybe it's just my 50% English and stoic upbringing, but I am so not interested in seeing a public servant emote. Ditto athletes. I don't want to see GW cry. When Hillary Clinton wept in self-pity, it pissed me off as a woman. Way to throw us back a couple decades. When Brett Favre bawled like a baby, I wanted to take him by the collar and smack him around. The second in command, or, the first for that matter, should not cry in public. Suck. It. Up. A leader sets the tone. A leader has to be brave to encourage followers to be brave.

3. Have a sense of humor. And here's where those nutcrackers enter. When those came out and the feminists howled, I just rolled my eyes. And if the women of our party got their g-strings in a wad over something so trivial, it would irritate me, too. Have some perspective. A nutcracker is funny. Embrace it. If Hillary weren't so sensitized and defensive, she would have bought up boxes of the nutcrackers and given them out as party favors at Christmas. Those things are awesomeness. I HOPE Palin is a nutcracker. I would love for someone to manufacture those. I want world leaders to see her, learn her reputation, and be afraid. And I want her to be so comfortable with herself that she can laugh. The vitriol is a sign that she's winning. Her humor in the face of their fear will terrify them further.

A woman leader faces a tough balance. She needs to be feminine (not too butch) but tough. She needs to be empathetic but not soft. No one (well leftists anyway) seemed bothered by Clinton's lack of emotional control. For better or for worse, Sarah Palin won't be granted the same sort of slack. But here's the thing, Clinton shouldn't have either. Sarah Palin, thankfully, has a model: Margaret Thatcher. She made women and men admire her strength, smarts and humor.

So bring on the nutcrackers. Mmmmmmm......nuts.

UPDATED:

And her teleprompter broke!

"She's like a moose going after a cabbage!":

Crowded into Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill on Parks Highway, her friends and most ardent of supporters, many of them wearing 'Go Sarah!' T-shirts and badges that read 'The Hottest Governor of the Coldest State' watched the entire performance at full volume on flatscreen televisions, alternatively cheering, whooping, clapping, dabbing at their eyes, and, finally, giving her a standing ovation. Around them, hockey memorabilia hung from the walls - a reminder of Palin's 'hockey mom' background.

Still wearing his blue Postal Service uniform after a long shift, David Parcha, 47, told The Times: "I've seen this coming for four years, man. When she was inaugurated as governor of Alaska, I told my teenage sons, 'go to the ceremony, this is going to be historic.'"

"Our Mama Beats Your Obama" and other fun slogans. And to buy stuff, go to Cafepress.com Oooh, I love this one. "Keep the change." Yes!

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com

I had the opportunity this morning to get an early look at the stage being set up for McCain's acceptance speech as the RNC Presidential Nominee. Below are more details regarding the design of the stage and how it reflects the personality of the future President of the United States:

SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, the 2008 Republican National Convention unveiled the podium from which John McCain will accept the Republican Party's nomination to be the next president of the United States.

The podium used for the first three nights of the convention was modified to enable John McCain to deliver his acceptance speech from the center of the Xcel Energy Center. The new podium is a reflection of the town-hall style that has been a hallmark of McCain's campaign. In the new forum, he will be surrounded by the delegates that nominated him the night before.

The new podium was constructed by removing the front corner sections of the existing platform and extending its midsection by 30 feet. The extension will be eight feet wide. Near the conclusion of tonight's program, Sen. McCain will address the convention from a lectern positioned near the end of this newly-constructed extension. To accommodate the modified platform, delegates from the state of Ohio will be re-seated on either side.

At 4:07 PM EST, I'm going to be on the Jaz McKay show.

Click on Stickam in the left corner to listen to the show.

The lentil soup was sublime:

A selection of Kurdish delights!

Mmmm, delicious! I've developed a new appreciation for middle eastern cuisine.

Oh, did I forget to mention - Ratwan votes Republican!

My new friend and Blogher Diva, Anne of Backyard Conservative was kind enough to interview me for Blogher video:

I know everybody's already talking (and raving) about it, but I figure I'd capture some of my favorite highlights from Sarah Palin's blow-out acceptance speech last night. With the whole country watching to see if she, as a newcomer to Washington, would pass the test, Palin exceeded expectations and left her audience and even the media in awe. Even the media seemed impressed

Obama, beware.

My favorite quotes:

Here's how I look at the choice Americans face in this election: In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers, and then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.

I can just picture cocky Barack Obama with his jaw dropping. She sees right through his phony proclamations of "change."

Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess - I guess a small-town mayor if sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.

Spoken with just the right combination of truth and condescension.

Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reason, and not just to mingle with the right people. Politics isn't just a game of clashing parties and competing interests.The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good and to leave this nation better than we found it.

Our opponents say again and again that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems, as if we didn't know that already. But the fact -- the fact that drilling, though, won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.

This one's a no-brainer, liberals.

Now, I've noticed a pattern with our opponent, and maybe you have too. We've all heard his dramatic speeches before devoted followers, and there is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or even a reform, not even in the state senate.

Brilliant. I can't believe no one's ever pointed this out before...

For a season, a gifted speaker can inspire with his words. But for a lifetime, John McCain has inspired with his deeds.

Over the past two years, few have been able to articulate Barack Obama's shortcomings as clearly and insightfully as Palin did in last night's speech. Even more, she responded to his attacks on both her and her running mate, turning Obama's desperate attempts to invalidate her nomination into petty, hypocritical claims. And she managed to show the country that she wasn't nominated simply on a whim, but had the strength of character, wisdom, and record (as short as it may be) to qualify as a national leader.

In just a few days, Sarah Palin has sparked a buzz around conservatives and liberals alike all around the country, with people from every ideology wanting to learn more about her and see whether she can stand up to the challenges of running on a ticket with McCain and against Obama. Thus far, she's exceeded expectations and given new hope and motivation to the Republican Party. She's suddenly rallied together the conservative base, women from all over the spectrum, and just about everyone disillusioned with "the Establishment" in Washington. And the more we learn of her, the more we like her. It turns out McCain might not have such poor judgment after all.

Cross-posted at Conservatives with Attitude!

We can't judge Obama on his record, because he doesn't have one. Most people won't judge him on his associations, alarming as these are, because his enablers in the media refuse to report on them. But we can still judge him on his judgment. For example, he dismissed the remarkable Sarah Palin as the uh uh uh no-account mayor of a dinky town that doesn't matter. In contrast, Detroit's Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a Democrat superdelegate, was praised by the Obamessiah as a "great mayor" who has been "doing an outstanding job."

This just in:

In a courtroom this morning, Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two felony counts of obstructing justice by committing perjury. He will spend four months in jail, pay up to $1 million in restitution, and serve five years' probation. He also agreed not to run for office during that five-year span.

In addition, the mayor agreed to a no-contest plea to one count of felonious assault for shoving a sheriff's deputy in July who had tried to serve a subpoena on Kilpatrick's friend. He agreed to serve four months on that charge, too, but it will be served at the same time as his other sentence.

The deals also call for Kilpatrick to turn over his state pension to the City of Detroit, which paid $8.4 million to settle two whistle-blower lawsuits three former cops filed against the city. The mayor was charged with eight felony counts ranging from conspiracy to perjury to misconduct in office to obstruction of justice after the Free Press revealed in January that the mayor lied on the witness stand during a police whistle-blower trial and gave misleading testimony about whether he intended to fire a deputy police chief investigating allegations of wrongdoing by members of his inner circle.

In an Obama administration, characters like Kilpatrick would be running the country.

Record, associations, judgment. Three strikes, go sit down.

On a tip from V the K. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

Huffington Post offers a thoughtful service: individual pages for members of the Palin family, where its moonbat readers can deposit gobs of stinking guano.

From Todd Palin's page:

interesting point raised by other posters here. not suggesting anything, but why is todd palin never seen holding his child? sorry, maybe it's just the general vibe, but almost nothing about these people seems straightforward…

From Track Palin's page:

My gaydar went off too…seriously…if Track is gay…does that mean that the entire Republican party will have to rally around his right to be a sinner like they have done with Bristol.

From Bristol Palin's page:

I guess pe-martial sex will now become a status symbol among the religious right now that they see abstinence doesn't work and lucky you if you become a teen age mother, that's the RIGHT thing to do.

From the page for 14-year-old Willow Palin:

She's cute. Wonder why she's not married yet? She's practically a spinster in chillbilly land.

From the page for 6-year-old Piper, pictured holding little Trig:

They learnt bout breedin' early in the Palin family!!!

In light of the mainstream media's vicious attacks on the Palin family, HuffPo's new feature could almost have you thinking that there's a larger objective than just trying to destroy Saracuda. Maybe the ultimate goal is for no decent people to go into politics, for fear of the abuse that will be heaped on their families. Then moonbats could run unopposed.

On a tip from Todd D. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

You're getting used to this aren't you? Well, don't. Dang, I'm tired. My hits are slowing a bit because Google and the guys (probably girls, too) searching have ostensibly figured out that there aren't naked pictures of Sarah Palin here (and by here, I mean my blog MelissaClouthier.com, or anywhere. Believe me, when they show up, they will be here with bells on.

8:06 PM Lindsey Graham

.... is boring. His hair part has me distracted. We won in Iraq. Boring delivery. Boring. Boring. Boring. "I'm not saying that Barack Obama doesn't care, I'm saying he doesn't get it."

Instead of talking about him, let's talk about music. Since you guys think I need an education about country music, let's get started here and now. What music should be playing at the convention, because my opinion is that has been terrible. Tonight, they were playing music from Top Gun, Fall in to the Danger Zone. What the heck?

8:15 PM Tom Ridge

So I take it that tonight is boring night. No Rudy. No Mitt (although he was kinda boring). I'm also thinking that it was a good thing that none of these guys were chosen for VP. Whew.

8:18 PM Not a lot of claps for much of anything. I hope McCain himself is less boring than his buddies because good grief, this is painful. I find me distracted by Tom Ridge's orange looking make-up.

Maybe the strategy is to pick the most boring speakers so that McCain looks like a firebrand. That shouldn't be too tough, at this point. Phew. And evidently, during the commercial there was a great video of Sarah Palin and it brought the house down, but we missed it. Stink. Waiting for YouTube. Is it there yet?

8:25 PM Video about Cindy

MA in Special Ed--She's first person in her family to get degree.

Had her kids. Organized American Medical Team. Now her work overseas. It's weird. What about her mom? There's all this talk about her dad. Her father is her inspiration. John McCain helped her find her path, but it is Cindy McCain who accomplishes life-changing things around the world. Her father told her to leave the world a better place than it started. That was a weird video.

Now Cindy!

Now introducing America to seven kids. She looks glamorous. Long, flowing blond hair and a teal suit. She looks soft. Her eyes sparkly bright. "This campaign is not about us, it's about our exceptional country." She strikes me as somewhat like Laura Bush, in being shy. And it looks like they're having trouble with the teleprompter again.

If nothing else, the speakers tonight have demonstrated how remarkable Sarah Palin was last night. It is no easy thing to give a speech like this.

"I hit a home run in John McCain" Huh. I'll let that go. He's a good father. His example of honesty and honor. "John showers us with unconditional love and support, that every family dreams of." I think McCain demonstrated a sense of this commitment with the Palins. Speaking of.....Palin is getting the biggest cheers.

She'll be a good First Lady. Like her husband, lots of experience and lots of service.

UPDATE: 9:04 PM

McCain video. Meanwhile, we're having technical difficulties. It's getting fixed right now. Stick around.

When you've lived in a box....Fred Thompson narrating.

"John McCain abhors waste." "He has seen too much, to think petty. Country first." When you've lived in a box....Fred Thompson narrating.

Here's John McCain:

Gold tie. Dark gray suit. Looks good. Crowd is wild. McCain is standing on the end of a runway and looks like he's right in among the people. He looks presidential. Ann Althouse is right, though, wow, women have an advantage with HDTV because of make-up. It's hard for these guys to look "natural".

He accepts with gratitude, humility and confidence.

Why kelly green behind him? "She's more my inspiration, than I am hers." "I know that she will make a great first lady."

9:22 CST Now the crowd is getting into it. "We're going to win this election." Another Code Pink lady causing a fuss. And now everyone chanting "USA"! "Don't be diverted by the ground noise and the static" he says laughing. The crowd is going crazy. "Americans want us to stop yelling at each other, okay?" Off script, he's better. More interruptions.

"I'll stand on your side and fight for your future. And I've found just the right partner to help shake up Washington, DC, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska." Huge cheers. "And I want to thank everyone here and all around America for giving her such a warm welcome last night." Now he's listing her accomplishments. John McCain is very glad he picked her for running mate, I think. "I'm very proud to introduce her to the country, but I can't wait to introduce her to Washington." "Let me just warn ....change is coming."

10:32: "Melissa is a little under the weather and I am taking over at this point." -- John Hawkins

10:33: McCain started slow and seemed like the protesters got him a touch off of his game, but now he's back on his game. I am not a huge fan of these anecdotal stories, but it's part of McCain's mavericky bipartisan game.

10:35: Republicans lost their trust. Corrupt Republicans. We valued power over principles. We're going to change that. Good stuff!

10:36: We believe in hard work, risk takers, and letting people keep their fruits of their accomplishments, culture of life, etc, etc. Good line.

10:40: Now he's drawing distinctions between him and Obama. Very general, very basic. Good basic, stump speech stuff, but nothing really cutting so far.

10:41: He ran through the conservative agenda stuff and now he's hitting more material designed to appeal to middle of the road voters.

10:42: Education is the civil rights issue of this century.

10:44: McCain vs. Obama on education. Stumbling over a few words here.

10:46: Now he moves on to energy. Obama wants energy independence without more oil and nuclear power. We need to show how Americans lead.

10:48: Now Johnny Mac is getting on to foreign policy.Al-Qaeda is still out there. We need to support Georgia. We can't turn a blind eye to lawlessness. I'm not afraid of them. I am prepared for them

10:51: I hate war. It's terrible beyond imagination. I will work to build a stable and lasting peace.

10:52: We need change things and fight the partisan rancor in DC. I will reach out to anyone to get the country moving again. I have that record and Senator Obama does not.

10:54: He will get independents and democrats in his administration. He doesn't who gets the credit, as long as it gets it done.

10:55: McCain gets back to military service. It's good to hear talk about that, but they have hit that too hard at the convention.

10:57: I really don't think a lot of prisoners who lived had it a lot worse than McCain despite what he said.

11:00: I wasn't my own man anymore, I was my country's. Good line. I almost wish he would have ended with that.

11:02: Beatiful, subtle jab at Obama.

11:02: I will fight for you every day. Fight with me. Fight for what's right for our country. Stand up to defend our country from it's enemies. Stand up and fight. We are Americans. We never hide from history, we make history -- and that's it. Good note to end on.

Summary: McCain, famously, is much better working off the cuff than from a teleprompter. So, perhaps not surprisingly, he didn't toss off a lot of great lines. Furthermore, the speech was, like Barack Obama's speech, overly long.

My guess is that a lot of pundits will not like this speech because it doesn't have great lines, it didn't tear down Obama, and it wasn't really designed to appeal to conservatives.

However, despite the fact that he lacked Obama's eloquence, I'd say McCain gave a better political speech than Obama did for one, simple reason: he walked out there with one goal, which was to do a speech that appealed to undecided voters -- and his speech was effective on that level.

Grade: B

Watch for updates below to read my comments throughout the speech and immediately following it.

"The broader question if Sarah Palin becomes vice president, will she be shortchanging her kids or will she be shortchanging the country?" -- NBC correspondent Amy Robach

"How dare they question whether Sarah Palin has enough time to spend with her children and be Vice-President. How dare they do that. When do they ever ask a man that question? When?" -- Rudy Giuliani

Since Sarah Palin exploded onto the national scene a week ago, the American Left, including Obama's press team AKA the mainstream media, has engaged in a bizarre orgy of sexism, misogyny, and grotesque attacks on her family.
Let's see, we've heard accusations that Sarah Palin, while she was governor this year, actually faked a pregnancy to cover up for her seventeen-year-old daughter Bristol -- no, really, liberals pushed this story for days. Then after Palin revealed that Bristol is pregnant now and therefore couldn't have been pregnant earlier in the year, the mainstream press spent a week cruelly using a 17 year-old-girl as a political pawn to get at her mother.

Then there were the Left's claims that Palin had posed for nude pictures and their suggestion that her first son must have been born out of wedlock. Of course, we also can't forget the fake bikini shots.

Additionally, the Left has also focused on Palin's husband and brought up a drunk driving conviction he had 20 years ago (We have heard more about that from the MSM than the fact that Obama has done cocaine) and the Associated Press went so far as to say that Palin's family are valid targets because they're in photo-ops.

All this is on top of the fact that we've been treated to a full week of claims that a woman who is more qualified to be President than Barack Obama is too inexperienced to be John McCain's Vice-President and worse yet, we've heard loud mouths opining that Sarah Palin can't both run for Vice-President and be a good mother.

Last but not least, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of conservatives seemed to be absolutely thrilled with the selection of Sarah Palin, liberals spent much of the week running "when did you stop beating your wife stories" speculating about whether Palin had been vetted or whether McCain would drop her from the ticket.

That's quite a change from the near worshipful coverage Barack Obama has gotten from the media for being the first black man to head the Democratic ticket or even the fawning reportage that Nancy Pelosi received when she became the first female Speaker of the House, isn't it?

But, a conservative woman makes history and next thing you know, her pregnant 17 year-old-daughter is a front page target only a short time after the very same media spent weeks blacking out stories about John Edwards having a love child behind the back of his cancer-stricken wife.

Is the sort of treatment Palin has received a surprise? Regrettably, not to anyone who has been paying attention to how liberals attack women on the Right. Let me tell you what happens if you are a conservative woman who catches the attention of the American Left.
You are going to have liberals openly discuss gang raping you. You'll be photoshopped with a fishhook in your mouth while liberals publicly call you the worst, most obscene things you can imagine. You will be photoshopped into pornography, you will receive death and rape threats, you'll get strange stalkerish emails, you'll receive demeaning, sexualized hate mail, and if they can find out where you live and where your children go to school, the info will start showing up on left wing blogs, comment sections, and forums before you can say, "We know where you live, lady." These sort of attacks are not unusual or out of the ordinary; to the contrary, they are standard operating procedure on the Left when they go after strong, conservative women.

But, what about the liberal feminist blogs? Don't they stick up for the conservative women? Oh, sure they do -- just like they stuck up for Paula Jones and Kathleen Willey. Instead, the thing I have heard again and again from female bloggers is that the "feminist" blogs at best, turn a blind eye to the most grotesque smears aimed at conservative women and at worst, are leading the pack.
But, how can it be that liberals, who constantly pretend to be tolerant, enlightened supporters of feminism, regularly engage in this sort of crude sexism and misogyny?

There are three reasons for it.
First off, liberals believe that by virtue of being liberal, they can't be sexist, even when they say sexist things. Combine that with the feminists' willingess to turn a blind eye to misogynistic attacks on women who don't share their views and liberals feel like they have a free pass to say absolutely anything about conservative women. If you are a liberal, you can call Condi Rice "Mammy," say Sarah Palin can't love her children and be Vice-President, and post the home address of a conservative woman on your blog -- and you won't have to pay any price for it whatsoever on the Left. In fact, attacking conservative women based on the fact that they are conservative women will earn you nothing but plaudits and plugs from other liberals for "fighting back" against those bleeping conservatives.

Next up, the Left has a creepy, Stalinesque approach to individualism and politics. Unless you are a straight, white male, the Left does not seem to believe you have a right to hold an independent political opinion. Whether you're talking about blacks, Hispanics, Jews, women, gays, you name it -- if you're not a liberal, they're going to try to intimidate and browbeat you back into line or drive you out of the public arena altogether. If you're black, you're a "race traitor," if you're a Jew, you're a "neocon" who's loyal to Israel first, if you're a woman, then you're a sexually repressed Stepford wife who's not qualified to hold office, etc., etc.

Last but not least, because liberals don't think that anyone other than straight, white males should be able to get away with having political opinions that differ from Ted Kennedy or Howard Dean, they do everything within their power to absolutely destroy any prominent examples, that blast their stereotypical view of the world, to tatters. That's why the Left reserves their blackest hatred for people like Clarence Thomas, Condi Rice, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, and now Sarah Palin; it's because they're living, breathing, inspirational examples of people the Left is supposed to "own," who don't want or need liberalism to be a success. That, most of all, is why liberals hate and fear successful conservative women.

Make sure to check out Conservative Grapevine today, where you'll find links like:

Spengler: How Obama lost the election

Ace of Spades HQ: How in the tank for Obama is the Politico? Just look at these quotes.

Banned in Hollywood: The 15 strangest moments in anti-theft devices

Cracked: 7 great sports moments (that might have been fixed)

I Don't Like You In That Way: Michelle Hunziker is in a bikini

You can check out all those links and more by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark RWN's companion page, CG! Remember, if you're not reading RWN and CG every day, you're not getting the full story!

PS: If you'd like to submit articles to be linked to Conservative Grapevine, register at CG, and then shoot me an email.

After a rousing Night 3 of the convention, Night 4 didn't look to have the most promising array of speakers. Let's see: Mike Huckabee, Linda Lingle, Rudy Guiliani, and Sarah Palin vs. Lindsey Graham, Tom Ridge, Cindy McCain, and John McCain. That's not exactly the crew of speakers, besides McCain, that you want to end a convention on.

Still, the first speaker, Lindsey Graham, was better than I expected him to be. He came out and gave a solid, unapologetic "B" speech about how we're winning the war in Iraq, how McCain contributed to that, and how Obama would have lost it. I thought it was a nice start to the night.

"Barack Obama went 2 and a half years between visits to Iraq and never once sat down with General Petraeus. If Barack Obama cannot appreciate that our troops are winning in Iraq, he should not be their Commander in Chief.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying Barack Obama doesn't care.

I'm just saying - he doesn't get it.

Not once was Barack Obama's eloquent voice ever raised in support of Victory in Iraq. Not once was it used to rally our troops in battle. Instead, he inspired those who supported retreat and would have accepted our defeat.

We should all be grateful that Barack Obama was unable to defeat the surge. The surge was a test for Barack Obama.

He failed miserably." -- Lindsey Graham

Next up was Tom Ridge, a man who was thought to have been on John McCain's VP short list. Ridge looks the part and he had a decent little bio builder speech to read, but his delivery was awful. It was a real wasted opportunity and a "C-" speech.

"Now more than ever we need a leader who fits the times - not a candidate who merely thinks it's his time to lead. For the consideration before us is not about who can take a 3 a.m. call. It's about who has answered the call throughout his life. It's not about building a record. It's about having one. It's not about talking pretty. It's about talking straight. The challenge of our times is not simply to change. The challenge of our time is to leave nothing to chance." -- Tom Ridge

After an extraordinarily effective intro video that made you feel like Cindy McCain is practically a saint, she came up to give a full speech similar to the one Michelle Obama gave (talking up her husband and convincing people she's a wonderful person). Quite frankly, they'd have been better off just sticking with the video because the speech wasn't very good and Cindy had a really dull delivery. It was probably the single, worst speech of either convention. Happily, that "D" speech was at least fairly short.

"John has picked a reform-minded ... hockey-mommin' ... basketball shootin' ... moose huntin' ... fly-fishin' ... pistol-packing ... mother of five for vice president. And as a fellow hockey mom myself and a western conservative mother, I couldn't be prouder that John has shaken things up as he usually does!" -- Cindy McCain

Last but not least, John McCain closed out the evening. The speech he gave was overly long, McCain took a little while to get into a rhythm, and he was interrupted by protesters early on. Moreover, there was very little red meat in the speech because it wasn't really a speech designed to tear down Barack Obama or fire up conservatives. No, the purpose of the speech was to make a case for John McCain to undecided voters -- and on that level, it worked well. The last five minutes of the speech in particular were really good.

"A lot of prisoners had it worse than I did. I'd been mistreated before, but not as badly as others. I always liked to strut a little after I'd been roughed up to show the other guys I was tough enough to take it. But after I turned down their offer, they worked me over harder than they ever had before. For a long time. And they broke me.

When they brought me back to my cell, I was hurt and ashamed, and I didn't know how I could face my fellow prisoners. The good man in the cell next door, my friend, Bob Craner, saved me. Through taps on a wall he told me I had fought as hard as I could. No man can always stand alone. And then he told me to get back up and fight again for our country and for the men I had the honor to serve with. Because every day they fought for me.

I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency; for its faith in the wisdom, justice and goodness of its people. I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again. I wasn't my own man anymore. I was my country's.

I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God." -- John McCain

Summary: This is a tough night to grade because it feels like this should have been Night 3 and Wednesday, which was much more exciting to conservatives, should have been the close. However, that probably would have been a little too "mavericky" even for John McCain.

On the other hand, Ridge and Cindy McCain might not have added much, but like on the last night of the Democratic Convention, the main man's speech was what everybody came to see -- and McCain succeeded in what he wanted to do, which was reach out to undecided voters who are sick of acrimony and want more bipartisanship. It's not the speech I would have given in his place, but it was a fitting speech for John McCain. So, on the night, they get a "B-."

PS: The easiest way to get a round of applause last night? Mention Sarah Palin, whom conservatives seem much, much more excited about than John McCain.

Furthermore, what we saw last night may be the beginning of a strategy that may last through the election. Palin attacks Obama, draws liberal fire, and pumps up conservatives, while McCain plays the bipartisan reformer and appeals directly to the voters still up for grabs.

PS #2: All in all, I think the GOP convention vs. the Democratic convention gave the GOP a slight edge at best or was a wash at worst. In a few days, after the polls finish sorting all this out, I expect to see most polls putting the race back to a tie or perhaps giving a small lead to John McCain. We'll see if that prediction is born out.

PS #3: There were two things I did not like about the convention.

#1) There was too much emphasis on John McCain's time as a POW. Yes, it should have been brought up, but just about every speaker hit on it. I think that's because McCain is such a "maverick" and a lot of his "greatest hits" are left-of-center bills that most Republicans aren't going to get excited about.

#2) They did not spend enough time attacking Barack Obama. Yes, Obama did get hit -- and some of the speakers, Palin and Giuliani to name two, pounded him into jelly, but I still would have liked to have seen more.

At least that's been the charge against the McCain campaign for picking Sarah Palin for VP. And it stood there basically unchallenged until she personally destroyed that argument Wednesday night with her speech.

Suddenly, women who weren't really necessary or important to the ticket (see Dem VP pick and the dissing of 18 million votes) are vital:

Senator Barack Obama will increasingly lean on prominent Democratic women to undercut Gov. Sarah Palin and Senator John McCain, dispatching Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to Florida on Monday and bolstering his plan to deploy female surrogates to battleground states, Obama advisers said Thursday.

Now who is cynical? It is clear Palin was a hit. TV numbers have been revised up with the addition of PBS and it is estimated 40 million watched the Palin speech. Why the cynical deployment of women surrogates? Because that number is very close to the number who viewed Obama's speech.

Obviously a good number of people watched the speech because they had no idea who Sarah Palin was. And, given the pernicious and vicious press she and her family had received over the week, they wanted to see if she had three eyes and horns. My guess is what they saw and heard blew away all the negativity the press had heaped on her over the preceding days. They heard a strong and poised young woman, who has real accomplishments, lay them out in front of the nation with authenticity, conviction and humor.

And that has panicked the Dems. The harridans have emerged. Gloria Steinam has written a piece you could spend a week fisking, but it is the female version of calling a black person an "Uncle Tom" (remember the Clarence Thomas hearings?). Steinam's criticism of Palin is a blatant indulgence in hypocrisy where Steinam declares that a successful woman cannot really emerge on the right because they are slaves of the patriarchy.

Thinking people realize that's nonsense:

"Obviously," said Charlotte Allen, a contributing editor at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, "there's a double standard. Conservative women are given no quarter. They're considered an outrage to their sex."

Yet there she is, 40 million saw her, and other than hardcore fems of Steinem's persuasion, middle America is very unlikely to buy into the tortured logic Steinem uses to push her point.

But they persist:

A spokeswoman for the National Organization for Women, noting Palin's opposition to abortion rights and support of other parts of the social conservative agenda, told Politico, "She's more a conservative man than she is a woman on women's issues. Very disappointing."

Of course this is the same organization that marginalized itself when it stood mute while Bill Clinton ran roughshod over a series of women he was accused of approaching, seducing or raping.

So the cynical deployment of women surrogates, none of whom was obviously good enough to make the Dem ticket, but are now vital to neutralizing the Republican ticket, will be interesting to watch. And unless I miss my guess, such a deployment is going to be largely ineffective.

I can't tell you how much I'd enjoy the irony of that so-called "glass ceiling" being shattered by the female version of an "Uncle Tom". Seeing the resulting paroxysms among the "politically acceptable" women on the left would most enjoyable.

[Crossposted on QandO]

Check out this hilarious video of moonbats crying over oppressed trees:

They want the trees to know they care.

But like most environmentalists, they don't care so much about humans. The Chilling Effect has some background on these Earth First! folks:

Earth First! (EF!) is a "warrior society" that takes a "by any means necessary" approach to "defending mother earth." The group declines to participate in the democratic process, preferring instead to damage, disable, and destroy the property of its ever-growing list of enemies. EF! targets include, but are by no means limited to, loggers, ranchers, and farmers — especially those who grow genetically modified crops. Earth First!ers' crimes include assault, arson, and untold acts of sabotage.

Before he quit in the late 1980s, the driving force behind EF! was a man named Dave Foreman. His book Ecodefense: A Field Guide To Monkeywrenching is a how-to for environmental saboteurs. It includes nine chapters of instructions on subjects ranging from tree spiking to destroying roads, from disabling equipment to making smoke bombs. Rodney Coronado, an Earth First! zealot who was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison following a string of arsons, calls the book "our bible."

Kudos to Earth First! for being so sincere. The more sincere moonbats are, the easier it is for others to see that they are evil and insane, and be warned away from their depraved ideology.

On a tip from Rob Banks. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

Honorable Mention: "If Barack Obama cannot appreciate that our troops are winning in Iraq, he should not be their Commander in Chief." -- Lindsey Graham

Honorable Mention: "Democrats want to use the slowdown as an excuse to do what their special interests are always begging for: higher taxes, bigger government and less trade with other nations. It's the same path Europe took a few decades ago. It leads to moribund growth and double-digit unemployment." -- Mitt Romney

Honorable Mention:"My own father held down two jobs, barely affording the little rented house I grew up in. My Dad worked hard, lifted heavy things, and got his hands dirty. The only soap we had at my house was Lava. Heck, I was in college before I found out it wasn't supposed to hurt to take a shower." -- Mike Huckabee

"Too good to leave out, but too long to qualify as a mere quote: But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?

The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it. Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit. Terrorist states are seeking nuclear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions. Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it. Congress spends too much ... he promises more. Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them." -- Sarah Palin

20) "Some Washington pundits and media big shots are in a frenzy over the selection of a woman who has actually governed rather than just talked a good game on the Sunday talk shows and hit the Washington cocktail circuit." -- Fred Thompson

19) "John McCain will follow the fanatics to their caves in Pakistan or to the gates of hell. What Obama wants to do is give them a place setting at the table." -- Mike Huckabee

18) "And though both Senator Obama and Senator Biden have been going on lately about how they are always, quote, "fighting for you," let us face the matter squarely. There is only one man in this election who has ever really fought for you." -- Sarah Palin

17) "Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be President. But it does reveal character. This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders." -- Fred Thompson

16) "I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God." -- John McCain

15) "In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change." -- Sarah Palin

14) "Fellow citizens, if the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain's resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure the angry left never will." -- George Bush

13) "Because John McCain stood up our country is better off. The respect he is given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to American critics abroad, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship." -- Fred Thompson

12) "When I was five years old, a car pulled up in front of our house. A Navy officer rolled down the window, and shouted at my father that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. I rarely saw my father again for four years. My grandfather came home from that same war exhausted from the burdens he had borne, and died the next day. In Vietnam, where I formed the closest friendships of my life, some of those friends never came home with me. I hate war. It is terrible beyond imagination.

I'm running for President to keep the country I love safe, and prevent other families from risking their loved ones in war as my family has. I will draw on all my experience with the world and its leaders, and all the tools at our disposal - diplomatic, economic, military and the power of our ideals - to build the foundations for a stable and enduring peace." -- John McCain

11) "My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery." -- Sarah Palin

10) "Change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy." -- Rudy Giuliani

9) "As far as I'm concerned, the first day she was mayor, she had more experience as an executive than Obama and Biden combined. Then she became Governor..." -- Rudy Giuliani

8) "To deal with these challenges the Democrats present a history making nominee for president. History making in that he is the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for President. Apparently they believe that he would match up well with the history making, Democrat controlled Congress. History making because it's the least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation's history." -- Fred Thompson

7) "But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country. Americans expect us to go to Washington for the right reasons, and not just to mingle with the right people." -- Sarah Palin

6) "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening." -- Sarah Palin

5) "How dare they question whether Sarah Palin has enough time to spend with her children and be Vice-President. How dare they do that. When do they ever ask a man that question? When?" -- Rudy Giuliani

4) "Senator Obama is a gifted and eloquent young man who can do great things for our country in the years ahead. But my friends, eloquence is no substitute for a record -- not in these tough times for America.

In the Senate he has not reached across party lines to get anything significant done, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party." -- Joe Lieberman

3) "This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory" except when he's talking about his own campaign." -- Sarah Palin

2) "I'm not a Republican because I grew up rich, but because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life poor, waiting for the government to rescue me." -- Mike Huckabee

1) "Now our opponents tell you not to worry about their tax increases.

They tell you they are not going to tax your family.

No, they're just going to tax "businesses"! So unless you buy something from a "business", like groceries or clothes or gasoline ... or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a small "business", don't worry ... it's not going to affect you." -- Fred Thompson

The website of the day is Conservatism Today.

the RWN Forum.

The mainstream media has spent a full week throwing everything they have at Sarah Palin. They've hurled sexist insults at her, attacked her family, smeared her with lies and half-truths, and were even speculating that she hadn't been vetted and would be dropped from the ticket.

If you listened to the New York Times, MSNBC, and Company, you'd think Palin was a poor, little redneck bumpkin who was in way over her head. They talked about her like she was going to tear up at any moment and slink away, leaving John McCain to pick a VP who was more acceptable to the press.

Well, guess what? The American people aren't buying it. Courtesy of Rasmussen,

Perhaps most stunning is the fact that Palin's favorable ratings are now a point higher than either man at the top of the Presidential tickets this year. As of Friday morning, Obama and McCain are each viewed favorably by 57% of voters. Biden is viewed favorably by 48%.

There is a strong partisan gap when it comes to perceptions of Palin. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of Republicans give her favorable reviews along with 33% of Democrats and 59% of voters not affiliated with either major party.

It's like I tell other conservatives who get terrified the press is going to sink the GOP: yes, they can hurt us, but the reality is that if the mainstream media was the deciding factor, Republicans would never win another election.

CodePink sent out a particularly disturbing email today regarding their presence and interruptions at the GOP Convention this week.

First, the title of their email was "Opps, we did it again," as though their disrespectfulness is something cute, right out of a Britney Spears video.

Then, the anti-war group infamous for their ridiculous interruptions appeal to their mailing list for sympathy, saying:

Both CODEPINK teams were shocked by the magnitude of sheer, raw, hatred channeled in their direction. Even before they stood up to say "Palin is Not a Woman's Choice", they felt great animosity emanating from the hall; they felt it in the delegates' chanting of "Drill, Baby Drill" from the floor, and in the vicious rhetoric of the speeches on stage. And of course all of us in St. Paul felt the threat of brutality on the streets as we faced row upon row of police in full riot gear and watched police raid non-violent peace gatherings. Four CODEPINKers were arrested at the RNC, as were hundreds of other protestors, many of whom are still in custody (or whose belongings have not been returned upon release.)

Aww. Poor girls. They elected to travel to the convention. They elected to cause a disturbance. They elected to surround themselves with "sheer, raw hatred" and "great animosity."

For a group founded to resist war, CodePink doesn't seem to understand war. How else can you explain them asserting that they "felt the threat of brutality on the streets?" If these women want to know real brutality, perhaps they should ask an Iraqi about their daily life under Sadaam Hussein. Or ask an immigrant family from Iran, whom I tutored in English this summer, why they fled what they call "an anti-Christian regime." These women seem to think that Republicans like war, but, as John McCain made very clear last night, that is simply not the case.

If all of the above has not yet offended you, this probably will: CodePink's latest stunt is to repurpose the term pro-life to suit their own definition. You have to read this to believe it:

The Republican Party may tout itself as "Pro-Life", but it clearly promotes violence against both people and nature. How can you call yourself Pro-Life when you destroy our natural resources and send our children off to die in an unjust, illegal war? How can you speak about being Pro-Life when a US-led air strike killed dozens of innocent children in Afghanistan this week?

Our Pro-Life parade in St. Paul was a beautiful demonstration of how we can only truly call ourselves pro-life when we work to protect our planet, promote peace, and make sure everyone has access to good health care, education, and other basic human needs (including reproductive choice!)

All over the RNC, we worked to reclaim the phrase "pro-life" and bring our message of peace--Medea Benjamin even disrupted a Phyllis Schlafly "Life of the Party" talk with a sign reading "Be Pro-Life--Stop War!"

What CodePink misses in their newest strategy is the fact that the real pro-life movement, above all else, is rooted in a profound respect for life. Everything about their group is disrespectful at its core. Disrupting, interrupting, and disrespecting are fundamental components of their mission and behavior.

At the end of the day, these women are not seeking peace; they are seeking disruption and disturbance, both of which they often achieve. There's not much any of us can do to stand in the way of that. What we can prevent, however, is the attempt by CodePink to steal the term "pro-life." Sarah Palin is pro-life. John McCain is pro-life. George W. Bush is pro-life. These women are not.

Cross-posted at KatieFavazza.com and Examiner.com.

This is rich. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has denounced Sarah Palin as "way outside" the mainstream because Saracuda believes in the sanctity of human life and is skeptical of the global warming hoax.

In contrast, Boxer's supposedly more mainstream views include support for the ghastly form of execution known as partial birth abortion; coercive taxpayer funding of abortion; homosexual "marriage"; superior legal status for blacks, homosexuals, and transvestites; granting Social Security benefits to illegal aliens; amnesty for illegal aliens, including those who have committed felonies; providing federal funds to sanctuary cities that openly flout US immigration laws; imposing costly burdens on power companies; constitutional rights for foreign terrorists; and lawsuits blaming gun manufacturers for shootings, an attempt to use trial lawyers to preempt the Second Amendment.

She has opposed tax cuts; welfare reform; school choice; a border fence; drilling in the ANWR wasteland; allowing storage of nuclear waste; Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, John Roberts, and Samuel Alito; Condoleezza Rice's appointment as Secretary of State; and John Bolton's appointment as UN ambassador.

Boxer is so moderate, she even tried to stall Bush 43's reelection in 2004, being unwilling to abide by the will of the voters. Her bid to disenfranchise the state of Ohio delayed the certification of the Electoral College's votes by four hours. Later she pursued the idea of impeaching Bush for monitoring al Qaeda's international telephone calls.

A world where Sarah Palin's views are extremist and Boxer's are mainstream would need padded walls.

On a tip from Oiao. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

Doing radio show, right now (3:20 PM). George Putnam's Talk Back with Chuck Wilder.

Update: At 4:07 PM EST, I'm going to be on the Jaz McKay show.

Click on Stickam in the left corner to listen to the show.

If I were a celebrity, I would never get publicly involved in a political race. Know why? Because the wider your appeal is to the public, the more popular you are and, therefore, the more money you make -- and when you start getting involved in partisan politics, you alienate half the population.

That brings us to Oprah Winfrey. Oprah has gone all out for Barack Obama and now, she is refusing to give Sarah Palin a slot on her show,

"The item in today's Drudge Report is categorically untrue. There has been absolutely no discussion about having Sarah Palin on my show. At the beginning of this Presidential campaign when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates. I agree that Sarah Palin would be a fantastic interview, and I would love to have her on after the campaign is over."

Now certainly, it's Oprah's show and she can do what she wants with it, but by supporting Barack Obama and refusing to allow Sarah Palin to appear on her show, she just gave the finger to every conservative woman who watches her show -- and for what? I have to tell you, as far as I can see, Oprah's support hasn't done much of anything to help Barack Obama.

That's usually the way it goes, by the way. There are only a handful of cases in the last few years when a celebrity has made any difference at all in a political campaign (Chuck Norris and Michael J. Fox are the only two that immediately come to mind).

Along these same lines, Heart getting all huffy about the McCain campaign using Barracuda as a theme for Sarah Palin is a similarly dumb mistake. It's a twenty year old song and having it associated with the McCain campaign can only make more money for Heart, while complaining about Palin using it can only take money out of Heart's pocket.

What's wrong with taking the sort of classy approach that Big Boi from OutKast did when he found out their song, Bombs over Baghdad was being used to rally the troops?

"We make a record and then it is up to people to take what they want from it," he said by phone this week from his home base in Atlanta. "We explain a song when people ask, but we can't control how they feel about it.

"In our case, fans know where we stand pretty much. I talk to them in the street all the time. I really think Bush should have gone through the United Nations before going over there. But once the fighting starts, everything changes.

"You have guys over there with families here, and you have to support the troops and pray for them. So, if the song helps them keep their spirits up, I don't have a problem with that."

See? He still got his message out, that he opposed the war, but he did it in a way that didn't turn anyone off. That's smart. If you're a professional entertainer, there are a lot of ways you can make an impact on the world WITHOUT alienating your fans. Oprah, Heart, and some of these other churlish celebs would be better off if they figured that out.

This research (granted, it's a small study) shared via Instapundit:

The results showed that the appropriately trained sexologists were able to correctly infer vaginal orgasm through watching the way the women walked over 80 percent of the time. Further analysis revealed that the sum of stride length and vertebral rotation was greater for the vaginally orgasmic women. "This could reflect the free, unblocked energetic flow from the legs through the pelvis to the spine," the authors note.

Keep that lumbar spine limber, folks. It could have serious implications. And just as an aside, I have noticed that guys with prostate problems have restricted gaits, as well. The nerves that feed the pelvic musculoskeletal system feed the reproductive system, the musculoskeletal system supports the reproductive system. It's all connected. Conversely, sex inhibits pain and relaxes the body including the pelvis.

Generally, being a tight-a** isn't good for your health or your sex life. Of course, maybe it's genetic. But that idea is just plain defeating. So, you have a restricted gait, you were born that way? And that indicates a genetic inability to orgasm? Now, that idea might get some money funneling into genetic research pronto. In addition, I can see the implications for embryonic selection based on vitally important genetic disorders like anorgasmia.

Or, you could go to a chiropractor and get that restricted gait corrected.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com. Dr. Melissa is a chiropractor and is in no way making any health recommendations or promises of cures.

Unhappily, I'm right in the path of Hanna and it's moving ever closer to my location as we speak. On the one hand, it is just a tropical storm and since I am not a liberal from New Orleans, I always have some basic hurricane supplies ready to go. I've got soup, plenty of bottled water, batteries, mutliple flashlights, dog food, a gun, plenty of gas -- all the basic necessities.

However, I did almost pull a Ray Nagin in one respect; last night I ran out of paper towels and more importantly, toilet paper. So today, about 1:30 PM EST I headed out to Food Lion to pick those items up and little did I realize that I had just made it in time. You see, despite the fact that it was barely drizzling (It still hasn't started hitting us hard yet), they had gotten orders from their national headquarters to close.

Now sure, I probably could have found something else open, but it hadn't occurred to me that everything would close early because of the storm. So imagine if I had left a few hours later, hadn't gotten toilet paper, and wouldn't have had any for two days, in the dark, because the storm knocked the power out. Granted, it could be a lot worse, but that is still the sort of thing you kick yourself for doing.

That being said, I am now geared up, relatively well prepared, and hoping to make it through the storm with no problems. However, if by chance my co-bloggers are running the show on Monday without me, it'll be because the power is still out. I don't expect that to happen, but you know what they say, "Prepare for the worst and hope for the best." We'll see what happens.

Maybe this is why we laugh:

The republican's number manipulation games again. Prepare for another stolen election!!

Let me rephrase this for the fuzzy of thinking:

The Democrats mental manipulation games again. Prepare for another delusion!!

The hysteria gripping the left is the fear borne of an inability to face the truth: no election was stolen. They lost. The American people chose a different way. And if we're fortunate, the American people will choose sensibly again. And that will mean not voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, but for John McCain and Sarah "Sarahcuda" Palin.

I hope McCain wins by a landslide so their delusion has less room to flourish.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com

Here's the Right Wing News guest blogger line-up this week-end.

Saturday
--------
Bookworm from Bookworm Room
Cassy Fiano
Kathy Shaidle Five Feet Of Fury
Morgan from House of Eratosthenes
Gina Cobb
John Stephenson from Stop The ACLU
Little Miss Attila

Sunday
-------
Ron Coleman from Likelihood of Success
Sister Toldjah
William Teach from Pirate's Cove
Michael Illions from Polipundit
MCQ from QandO

Make sure to give all of them a warm welcome and check out their blogs!

He's only worked there for 143 days, but now he's in line for CEO.

In a couple of months, he could be your boss.

Be honest, you ordinary Democrats out there. Really honest. What would you think?

(Kathy Shaidle blogs at FiveFeetOfFury.com and Examiner.com)

Via Little Green Footballs, we learn of the latest Rasmussen:

A week ago, most Americans had never heard of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Now, following a Vice Presidential acceptance speech viewed live by more than 40 million people, Palin is viewed favorably by 58% of American voters.
:
The new data also shows significant increases in the number who say McCain made the right choice and the number who say Palin is ready to be President. Generally, John McCain's choice of Palin earns slightly better reviews than Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden.

Perhaps most stunning is the fact that Palin's favorable ratings are now a point higher than either man at the top of the Presidential tickets this year. As of Friday morning, Obama and McCain are each viewed favorably by 57% of voters. Biden is viewed favorably by 48%.

He forgot one, though. Palin is inexperienced. You've heard that one, right? It just goes to show how desperate John McCain is, because if he wants to pander to the female vote there are a whole lot of other women he could have named who are far more experienced.

A couple days after hearing this, I noticed this is one of the few anti-Palin talking-points on which the left is not being sexist. Or creative. It's the "Dan Quayle" rule, twenty years old this year, and it goes something like this: Born after Pearl Habor, got it goin' on upstairs, conservative -- you may have two out of those three. No baby-boomer Republican who achieves national importance is allowed to be smart.

This particular talking point crashed and burned with Palin, because experience counts in just two different ways: It suggests you learned how to do your job by doing it; and it suggests others have had the opportunity to learn something about you. Neither one of those can be pondered, with regard to Gov. Palin, and diverted toward a conclusion about her that is negative. Therefore, in all the ways that matter, she's as experienced as any balanced aribiter would wish for her to be.

It would appear that this "The People" of whom the pollsters and power-brokers are constantly speaking, has figured this out. And I don't think they did it by listening to rhetoric from one side or the other. They done it all by themselves. But there is something far more significant happening here. This time, the message came through starkly, clearly, and within a relatively short period of time; just a little over a week. The dialog was something like this.

The Left: We hate her! She's inexperienced and incapable!
The People: Huh. She seems to be pretty capable. And besides, those guys hate her. Cool.

In these post-Carter years, The People have repudiated The Left fairly often in our national elections. Seven out of the last ten presidential elections have gone that way; so have five of the last seven. A couple of years ago The Left managed to take Congress. From listening to them crow about it, it would seem they'd have no qualms at all with the election of 2006 being held aloft as the template for the narrative in which The People grow weary of Republican leadership, and decide to entrust the workings of government to those better, nobler guys. The problem that comes up, though, is that this is the "Mark Foley" Congress; it wasn't elected on the issues, or on the superior innate goodness of the democrat slate of humans. What happened was, the elections were right around the corner, and in late September the Los Angeles Times dropped a Babe Ruth bar in the punch bowl. That's it. Hello democrat Congress -- manifestation of The People's modern and passionate desire for progressive government.

So The People have had their shot at showing their support for progressive ideology. Here and there they nibble at it. But overall, they don't want it. Now we just have more proof to this; The Left says you can't be a good leftist in good standing if you show any support for Gov. Palin, and The People say: Okeedokee!

But the real reason why Sarah Palin is so popular? Her supporters. People like me.

You see, for the last forty years The People have been buried in all these images of supposed sexism and non-sexism...in our politicians...in legislation...in our teevee sitcoms...at the water cooler. They've been lied-to the entire time, and they know it. Sexists claim to be non-sexists perpetually, 24 hours a day, seven days a week -- half the time, when they do that, they point to some other guy as a sexist, who really isn't one. And it's widely understood that that's a lie, too. It's been flying around thick and fast.

That's what is so refreshing about the Palin movement. Here, you see gender-blindness for real, and probably for the very first time. We are for McCain/Palin...emphasis on the last two of those syllables. We're for them, because we're for her. It's the "Sarah Palin and that old guy she's running with" movement. And the fact that she's a woman, counts neither as a plus or a minus, in our eyes. We really don't give a good godd*mn. In modern times, nobody has ever seen a woman in politics draw this kind of support, from supporters who manage to arouse from themselves such a stunning, blinding apathy toward the fact that she is one. And that is what is so inspirational to everyone else.

The leftist attack soldiers say the pick is a cynical, pandering move, made for the express purpose of attracting women. The truth is, the pandering of which they speak, is the status quo. We've been neck-deep in it for generations now; culturally bludgeoned into saying out loud this-woman or that-woman was picked for her abilities and not because she was a woman...in fantastic, surreal situations in which no thinking person believes that to be true. The Left just doesn't get it -- people are rallying around Gov. Palin because her selection is the end of this kind of nonsense, not the beginning of it.

This point is nailed -- as in, bulls-eye -- by Jeffrey Bell, writing in the latest issue of The Weekly Standard. He buttons this one down in just two sentences:

But it was precisely the venom of the left's assault that heightened the drama and made it a riveting television event. Palin benefited from her ability to project full awareness of the volume and relentlessness of the attacks without showing a scintilla of resentment or self-pity.

I can't wait to watch it happen.

Cross-posted at House of Eratosthenes.

Tropical storm Hanna blew through my neck of the woods last night and happily, it turned out that it hit like John Edwards. There were some small and medium sized branches down and a neighbor's picket fence blew over, but there didn't seem to be any major damage. At the moment, it has stopped raining, the power's still on, and the internet is still working. Heck, I have already done a radio interview early this morning -- and now I am going back to bed for a couple of hours.

Long story short, all is well. Good luck to the people still being hit up the coast. Keep your head down and I said a little prayer for you this morning, for whatever that's worth.

Crossposted from Stop the ACLU:

My co-blogger Roger wrote about this on the September 1st, and yes the entire Democratic party should be ashamed. Of course, they aren't. So, why wouldn't people question your patriotism when you treat the flag like this?

This morning, Republicans tell me that a worker at Invesco Field in Denver saved thousands of unused flags from the Democratic National Convention that were headed for the garbage. Guerrilla campaigning. They will use these flags at their own event today in Colorado Springs with John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Before McCain speaks today, veterans will haul these garbage bags filled with flags out onto the stage -- with dramatic effect, no doubt -- and tell the story.

"What you see in the picture I sent you is less than half of total flags," a Republican official emailed. "We estimate the total number to be around 12,000 small flags and one full size 3×5 flag."

I'm not sure what the DNC was supposed to do with unused hand-flags, frankly. But the Republicans are obviously questioning someone's patriotism here.

Yet the story has a happy ending. One party's trash is another party's treasure! Country first indeed!

The flags are on their way to a McCain Palin rally in Colorado Springs where the Boy Scouts and Veterans of Foreign Wars will distribute them to the GOP faithful.

FOX:

Boy Scouts have arrived with 84 trash bags full of bundles of flags at the site of a McCain rally scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. local time in Colorado Springs.

The campaign says the flags were recovered from Invesco Field after the Democrats concluded their convention there, and they are going to be used as part of the warm-up ceremonies before McCain takes the stage for the rally.

FOX News has been told a vendor at Invesco Field found the flags, which were going to be thrown out, and turned them over to the McCain campaign.

Veterans in Colorado Springs are expected to distribute the flags to the audience at the rally.

Obama has faced questions about his patriotism since the beginning of the Democratic primary, and has set up a Web site specifically designed to fight such charges.

Ed Morrissey:

Didn't anyone make arrangements for better disposal of these flags from Invesco? At the very least, they were an investment that could have been re-used at rallies in Colorado as well as the rest of the nation during the general election. Instead, they've handed a dramatic moment to John McCain and Sarah Palin, as well as relieved them of the cost of 12,000 such flags -- as well as a full 3?x5? flag that also wound up in the trash.

Remember when the DNCC was supposed to be the "greenest convention ever"? How they worried about the color of the food and using organic materials in their merchandise? I guess we can see where the "green" concern ends ... at red, white, and blue.

By the way, just so you know...here is the proper way to dispose of the American flag.

Drew M.

Now they'll whine about how it wasn't their fault and it's not like Obama was personally tossing flags in the trash and in some sense that's true. But appearances matter and this just feeds into the perception that patriotism as most Americans understand it (something other than endless criticism of the country) is simply a card Democrats play at election time.

I wonder why anyone would get that idea?

The photo above is of one of Obama's best friends and mentor, Bill Ayers the American hating domestic terrorist.

If you want chills, make sure to watch this all the way to the very end!

They died for a purpose not a mistake.

Hat tip: Big Dog!

Found this from VIRGINIA H. SHANAHAN who asks:

Perhaps Obama can share with us what major changes have occurred during this time that he now believes himself prepared to be President of the United States. What are your qualifications?

Answer: Zip, nada, zeros, goose eggs!

Crossposted from Stop the ACLU

Don't feel too bad if you don't know that Richard Greene has a radio show called "Clout." It's on Air America which means, of course, that the title is pretty ironic, even if it isn't meant that way. Greene is one of those lefties who cannot fathom any reasoned basis for disagreement with his political faith, and therefore writes tired, cliched and barely readable pieces such as "The Psychopathology of The Republican" to demonstrate to himself and his vast audience that the half of the country that doesn't see things his way is mentally ill. Yeah, mentally ill -- and this coming from no less than a "9-11 Truther" and assassination conspiracy loon. So far, nothing newsworthy here.

In fact, though, Greene, a former lawyer, is a professional "communications coach," and his website tells you -- twice in the first 65 words -- that he was crowned by the Times of London "the Master of Charisma." (That's gotta hurt someone!) Indeed he does have a nice smile, and a book. (I should have gotten a free consultation in exchange for this ultra-valuable plug!)

The Master of Charisma also has a nice publicist, the charming and straightforward Leslie Grant. And what is interesting is that the same Greene -- who is, after all, an expert at speechifying -- has circulated, via Leslie, a pretty interesting, and arguably objective, "report card" of "psychopath" (per Greene) Sarah Palin's speech at the convention, and it goes like this:

The Sarah Palin Speech Report Card

As Greene predicted, Gov. Sarah Palin did, indeed, "rock the house" with her address. She instantly became a "celebrity"/"rock star" much like Sen. Obama (due to HIS speech at the 2004 convention) and has changed the game for the 2008 general election.

Greene says that the speech accomplished 4 things:

1. Solidified and energized the Republican base

2. Ratified John McCain's suspect judgment in picking her

3. Made the Republican ticket attractive to small town residents and women across the country who would not otherwise have participated in the election in any way

4. Made a huge step forward in establishing her as ready to step into the Oval Office, if that were necessary. There is still more work to be done on that front, however.

Quality:

Poise: A+
Humor: A-
Connection to the crowd: A
Voice Tone: C-
Toughness: A
Gravitas: B-
Warmth: B+
Modulation and variation of voice to achieve effect: A

Substance:
a) When talking about John McCain: C+
b) When talking about her life and family: A
c) When attacking Obama and Biden: A
d) When discussing national and international policies: C-

Likability: A

Ready to be "Commander in Chief": C (up from a D before the speech)

Overall Grade: A

There are two possibilities here. One is that Richard Greene makes believe he's deranged, bona fide radical-left hatemonger, because from such things people can sometimes make a living. Note that this is a guy with a syndicated radio show and a blog on something akin, at least conceptually, to a national platform -- and he's circulating a press release to conservative bloggers instead of publishing the item himself. Acknowledging Sarah Palin's merits could be bad for business.

The other possibility is that the political Richard Greene is for real, but the speechmaking and consulting hustler within him cries out, Truther-like, that Sarah Palin is .... that good.

Cross-posted on Ron Coleman's pretty good Likelihood of Success bloggy thingy.

What do you get from the Democrats if you do a Google search for SARAH PALIN SPEECH? And what are the intellectual property law implications of it?

Well, at least as of last night, you got something other than what you were most probably looking for, if you clicked on the top "sponsored link" for that search. I discuss it at my intellectual property blog, LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION®, here.

Perhaps if the Grey Lady wasn't so busy laying off the people who actually go out and find the news, due to the fact the people who hired the people who went out and wrote the news hiring people who are massively liberal and biased, causing a reduction in readership, meaning those people had to go, we wouldn't get hysterical articles with no actual sources

Leading ice specialists in Europe and the United States for the first time have agreed that a ring of navigable waters has opened all around the fringes of the cap of sea ice drifting on the warming Arctic Ocean.

Good for them. Who are they?

By many expert accounts, this is the first time the Northwest Passage over North America and the Northern Sea Route over Europe and Asia have been open simultaneously in at least half a century, if not longer.

Incredible. Who are they?

While currents and winds play a role, experts say, the expanding open water in the far north provides the latest evidence that the Arctic Ocean, long a frozen region hostile to all but nuclear submariners and seal hunters, is transforming during the summers into more of an open ocean.

There is actually more ice then 2007. Who are the experts?

Global warming from the continuing buildup of human-generated greenhouse gases is almost certainly contributing to the ice retreats, many Arctic specialists now agree, although they hold a variety of views on how much of the recent big ice retreats is due to human activity.

And there it is. Unnamed experts blame Mankind to some degree. Me, I blame Man, too. I blame the idiots who keep going up to the Arctic to measure the ice, introducing all sorts of pollution and heat through their ships, planes, vehicles, and even their lights as they broadcastto tell us about global warmings dangers. And let's not forget about the heat contributed to glaciers by nude protesters.

Blogger Charlie Martin has compiled a long list of rumors (which he notes have been debunked) that have been spread by the far left and some in the mainstream media about Gov. Sarah Palin. It's a post that should be bookmarked as he plans on adding to it each time a new rumor is started and debunked.

It's been just over a week since Gov. Palin was announced as McCain's nominees. 60+ false stories/rumors later, I think it's safe to say that PDS is alive and unwell.

Hat tip: Dean Barnett

Cross-posted from the Sister Toldjah blog.

Protesters were arrested for being violent, so, it must be time for human rights groups to throw a hissy fit. From one of my new favorite news sites, Canadian Free Press: Use of Force Against RNC Protesters 'Disproportionate,' Charges Amnesty Int'l

The cleaning crews hadn't even started their work in St. Paul following the end of the Republican Convention, when the knee-jerk leftists at Amnesty International released their statement accusing police officers of using excessive force against the misfits and miscreants creating havoc outside of the convention center.

Amnesty International is concerned about "allegations of excessive use of force and mass arrests by police at demonstrations in St. Paul, Minnesota during the Republican National Convention (RNC) from September 1-4, 2008," said the organization in a press release written in London, England,

The human rights organization is calling on the city and county authorities to "ensure that all allegations of ill-treatment and other abuses are impartially investigated, with a review of police tactics and weapons in the policing of demonstrations."

Say, I wonder if Amnesty would care to comment on the trooper in the Tasergate (sic) kerfuffle who tasered his 10 year old step son for the hell of it. Oh, wait, sorry, the violent wacko's protesting at the RNC and failing to follow the law were on the left side, Palin is on the right. My bad!

From the Amnesty USA press release

Amnesty International recognizes the challenges involved in policing large scale demonstrations and that some protestors may have been involved in acts of violence or obstruction. However, some of the police actions appear to have breached United Nations (U.N.) standards on the use of force by law enforcement officials. These stipulate, among other things, that force should be used only as a last resort, in proportion to the threat posed, and should be designed to minimize damage or injury. Some of the treatment also appears to have contravened U.S. laws and guidelines on the use of force. The U.N. standards also stress that everyone is allowed to participate in lawful and peaceful assemblies, in accordance with the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Takie your time with your laughing after that one! U.N. standards my hairy butt!

As a bonus from the CFP

In a delicious stroke of cosmic justice, it seems that the left, not the earth, is in meltdown stage. The sacred pillars of liberal orthodoxy are in the process of losing their underpinnings and it is not a pretty sight. 

With the nomination of Barack and Sarah, three major industries and shibboleths of the left, feminism, racism and the media are losing their clout, big time.

Double bonus: Amnesty International is more concerned with international anti-terrorism units being nice, then international terrorists sawing people's heads off.

Crossed at Pirate's Cove

The next few weeks are going to be very interesting in terms of political strategy as well as tactics. The introduction of Sarah Palin into the electoral mix has badly disconcerted the Dems and thrown them off stride.

The Obama campaign's initial reaction was to go after her directly by questioning her credentials and experience. That blew up in their face when such question created the opportunity for Republicans to redirect such questions against Obama's credentials and experience while reminding everyone that Palin was the bottom of the Republican ticket while Obama stood atop of the Democratic ticket.

Democratic smear merchants then attacked her family by spreading vicious and unsubstantiated rumors (all of which turned out to be false). That too has blown up in their face and removed from their quiver of complaints any mention of "right-wing smear" for at least the remainder of this election.

It appears, now, that the dust is beginning to settle a bit, that the Obama campaign has decided on a new approach. First, it will back off on the Palin criticism. In addition to the problems it creates for Obama, it keeps a very attractive Republican candidate in the spotlight when they do.

But they still have to find a way to counter the excitement Palin's selection has created among undecided women who aren't all that hung-up on the abortion question but are buzzed about seeing a woman included on a major party ticket.

The simple and cynical answer? Deploy Clinton. And that appears to be precisely what they're going to do:

Hillary Rodham Clinton has no intention of becoming a Sarah Palin attack dog -- but has no qualms about going after John McCain, people close to the former first lady say.

"She's not the answer when it comes to winning conservative women -- she never was -- and we're not going to be anybody's attack dog against Sarah Palin," said a Clinton insider. "To be fair to Obama's people, they haven't asked us to do that."

Slamming Palin to win back women already hostile to Obama is pointless, the insider said, because Clinton's most loyal base is working-class voters, not women in particular. "Attacking Palin is checkers, attacking McCain on the economy is chess."

Clinton will continue to yoke McCain and Palin to President Bush on pocketbook issues. But sources say that Clinton, who supports abortion rights, isn't likely to criticize the Alaska governor for her anti-abortion stance. She may, however, question Palin's record on equal-pay issues.

If Clinton does that, she may be effective. Then again she may not. It really depends on how the people she's meant to influence view her deployment. Palin seems to have quieted most of the qualms initially voiced about her ability to do the job. Given the poll numbers that have come out about her, she's not seen as a "cynical" pick by a majority of Americans, but, instead, a breath of fresh air and more in the mold of the "change" the country is seeking than the other ticket.

On the other hand, Clinton has all but been rejected by the Obama campaign until now. Will her sudden deployment be seen as a cynical attempt to woo those voters Palin appeals too after all but telling her she wasn't wanted previously? As Amy Holmes notes:

In a strange twist of logic, the Obama campaign is touting the woman they passed over as the woman they need to beat the woman the other guy picked.

That's going to be pretty transparent to the voters in question. So how will they react?

My guess is, if skillfully managed, the Republicans can turn Clinton's deployment into a positive for themselves. Plenty of video and audio from Clinton out there which can be used to counter her support of Obama while at the same time reminding voters she just wasn't good enough for the Obama campaign.

That assumes, as I said, skillful managment. To this point, frankly, I've thought the McCain campaign has done an above average job in that department, while I've not been particularly impressed with the Obama campaign (which he touts as the experience commensurate with Palin's as a mayor).

Bottom line: I think that the use of Clinton and her increased visibility could, in fact, end up hurting Obama. Reminders that a) it is the Republicans who have a woman on the ticket, b) that Clinton has said many things which will directly contradict her claims on the stump and c) Clinton may end up being nastier than the campaign wants which could backfire on them. Although Hillary is much more disciplined than Bill, she is also harsher and less appealing.

And, of course, if Bill decides to insert himself, it could get even worse.

So keep an eye on Hill (and Bill) and monitor what they say and what they do. They could provide yet another interesting twist in the most interesting presidential campaign in a century.

Quoting Holmes again:

So, let's get this straight. They didn't choose her and her 18 million voters to put on the ticket. They gave the VP spot to Joe Biden. But now that Sarah Palin has arrived on the political scene, they're promoting Hillary as the female answer to the Republican VP nominee. Awkward, to say the least.

And as one female democratic strategist tells me, don't think that Hillary hasn't noticed.

My guess is the voters will as well.

[Crossposted at QandO]

Make sure to check out Conservative Grapevine today, where you'll find links like:

Lorie Byrd: 5 reasons why the anti-Palin smears won't work

Cracked: Who would win a fight between Joe Biden, Sarah Palin, and the Hamburglar?

Rush Limbaugh: Todd Palin? Obama, Biden voted for a path to Hawaii secession

David Frum: The vanishing Republican voter

Egotastic!: Olivia Munn bikini shots.

You can check out all those links and more by clicking here. Don't forget to bookmark RWN's companion page, CG! Remember, if you're not reading RWN and CG every day, you're not getting the full story!

PS: If you'd like to submit articles to be linked to Conservative Grapevine, register at CG, and then shoot me an email.

Make no mistake about it; the Left's attacks on Sarah Palin's family are meant to be a Mafia style message to other conservative women -- you cross us and we'll come after your children.

If you want to see how far they'll go, witness this entry from an anonymous blog dedicated to attacking Trig Palin (I'll leave it to the netroots to actually link the blog because I'm not going to do it). Yes, that's right; some liberal out there has actually created an entire blog dedicated to mocking a baby with Down's Syndrome.

To give you an idea of what the content is like, here's a screenshot of one of the posts,

Attacks on Sarah Palin's parenting and children are being seen on a daily basis in the mainstream media and on the left side of the blogosphere -- and quite frankly, most liberals seem to be A-OK with it. At some point, maybe the liberals with a conscience -- and there are a few here and there -- should step up and say something to their political allies.

First off, here's an hour long interview I did with Skewz that focused on media bias. I thought they asked some really good questions.

Next up, you can listen to my appearance this week-end on Meet the New Press.

Last but not least, if you haven't checked it out already, make sure to listen to the debut of Right Wing News Radio.

At this point no one can argue that the press and elites editorializing on major newspaper pages, lead by a coterie of elite women including Maureen Dowd, Andrea Mitchell, Sally Quinn, Gloria Steinem and even, in an unguarded moment, Peggy Noonan, have been kind to Sarah Palin and her family. Scurrilous rumors began swirling the moment she was named as the VP candidate in a clear attempt to define her before America met her at the convention and liked her. Jack Kelly (h/t Anchoress who is blog storming, wow) says of this phenomenon:

Journalists last week cast aside the mask of objectivity to reveal they are so deeply in the tank for Mr. Obama most have grown gills. For six days, Sarah Palin and her family were subjected to a relentless barrage of innuendo. Journalists were trying to "define" her before she had an opportunity to introduce herself to the people in the lower 48. She was portrayed as an ignorant redneck from a hick town who should be home caring for her children instead of running for high public office.

In short, according to Nick Cohen of the UK's The Observer, the press went berserk:

For once, the postmodern theories so many of them [the press] were taught at university are a help to the rest of us. As a Christian, conservative anti-abortionist who proved her support for the Iraq War by sending her son to fight in it, Sarah Palin was 'the other' - the threatening alien presence they defined themselves against. They might have soberly examined her reputation as an opponent of political corruption to see if she was truly the reformer she claimed to be. They might have gently mocked her idiotic creationism, while carefully avoiding all discussion of the racist conspiracy theories of Barack Obama's church.

But instead of following a measured strategy, they went berserk. On the one hand, the media treated her as a sex object. The New York Times led the way in painting Palin as a glamour-puss in go-go boots you were more likely to find in an Anchorage lap-dancing club than the Alaska governor's office.

On the other, liberal journalists turned her family into an object of sexual disgust: inbred rednecks who had stumbled out of Deliverance. Palin was meant to be pretending that a handicapped baby girl was her child when really it was her wanton teenage daughter's. When that turned out to be a lie, the media replaced it with prurient coverage of her teenage daughter, who was, after all, pregnant, even though her mother was not going to do a quick handover at the maternity ward and act as if the child was hers.

The press and the liberal elites unmasked themselves, and yet, David Frum writes that Sarah Palin still owes them something because she'll need them some day:

Speaking directly to the people works when the people are intensely engaged. But big publics pay only intermittent attention to politics and policy. When that attention is diverted, specialists and enthusiasts reclaim their usual disproportionate impact.

By that time however the argument may well have been lost among that portion of the public that is still paying attention.

This analysis misses something: the American public did not disengage from George W. Bush, he disengaged from them. Many bloggers, yours truly included, grew frustrated with the Presidents inability or lack of desire to present the facts and his case, to America. He failed to lead in communicating and this gap let the press move in and define events, like the Iraq war, in terms of body count.

Don Surber also wonders what Sarah Palin owes the press:

Mark Silva at the Chicago Tribune took it a step further: "Sarah Palin: AWOL from Sunday circuit."

AWOL?

Like she's supposed to report for duty to the press?

A press that hastrashed her church, her family and her hometwon in a rather odd frenzy.

But she's unknown, everyone complained.

Who's fault is that?

Conservative bloggers knew who the heck she was a year ago. I was among those who wanted her on the ticket last December.

She wants to control her coverage -- just like Obama and Biden.

And so, the LA Times say they're forced, forced, to analyze her style, because they don't know her substance as though she hasn't been in public service for the last nine years. And they write this silliness and presume Americans will take them seriously. But how can a thinking person take this seriously? At once condescending and dismissive, this from Booth Moore, offers a nice summation of the press' view of Palin:

Barely a blip on the political radar before now, Palin has to go the extra mile to hone her VP style. But far from uglifying herself, she plays up her sexuality. And this early on, Palin is already playing the image game like a pro. When Sen. John McCain accepted the nomination Thursday night, she wore a black satin jacket that dipped just low enough in front so you could see some cleavage. In this political marriage, Palin clearly knows she's the trophy.

And Palin, the barracuda, should swim into, like yesterday, these shark-infested waters. Why? Americans are learning all about her, because, unlike journalists, they can do Google searches and read her contributions in Alaska. They can read about her personal life. They can look at the rumors and innuendo and find the rebuttals in five minutes. And they can do all this while realizing that none of it is being covered in the press fairly.

Jeff Goldstein writes about American's perception of the press and the notion that the press is "free":

I've written about this enough that a long dissertation on the problems of media bias isn't really necessary -- though I will reiterate that a media that purports to be objective and uses that ostensible objectivity as a shield to guard itself against attack, is a very real danger to a democratic republic, whose citizens rely on the press for the information necessary to make informed decisions.

I am not against bias per se: honest advocacy of one's viewpoint is hardly troubling to the free exchange of ideas; so if our press were to suddenly admit to its leanings, the market would demand other voices come along to express the opposite leanings.

But as it stands now, we have a mainstream press that clearly tilts leftward -- as a number of studies, as well as public perception can attest -- and yet it continues to be allowed to operate under the pretense of objectivity, which is enough to influence a not insignificant number of citizens raised to believe that our press is both objective and (in the post Watergate years), in many ways heroic.

Is it any wonder that Americans have this view, as reported by the Wall Street Journal:

According to Rasmussen, fully 68% of voters believe that "most reporters try to help the candidate they want to win." And -- no surprise -- 49% of those surveyed believe reporters are backing Barack Obama, while just 14% think the media is in the tank for Sen. McCain.

Meanwhile, 51% of those surveyed thought the press was "trying to hurt" Mrs. Palin with its coverage.

Perhaps most troubling for the press corps, though, was this finding: "55% said media bias is a bigger problem for the electoral process than large campaign donations."

It's a huge problem and one that some in the press seem to be starting to recognize. Tonight, the New York Time reports this:

MSNBC tried a bold experiment this year by putting two politically incendiary hosts, Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews, in the anchor chair to lead the cable news channel's coverage of the election.

That experiment appears to be over.

After months of accusations of political bias and simmering animosity between MSNBC and its parent network NBC, the channel decided over the weekend that the NBC News correspondent and MSNBC host David Gregory would anchor news coverage of the coming debates and election night. Mr. Olbermann and Mr. Matthews will remain as analysts during the coverage.

The change -- which comes in the home stretch of the long election cycle -- is a direct result of tensions associated with the channel's perceived shift to the political left.

"The most disappointing shift is to see the partisan attitude move from prime time into what's supposed to be straight news programming," said Davidson Goldin, formerly the editorial director of MSNBC and a co-founder of the reputation management firm DolceGoldin.

Pardon me, but "perceived shift"? Surely, the Time's writer jests. Is the shift left even in question? Not to average Americans who pay attention. If my wee blog is any indication, Americans are supremely curious about Sarah Palin and this election generally. Other bloggers report the same increase in traffic. In the absence of hard news, people seek information. When they come to my blog, they'll note my bias. Yep, I have one. But they'll also be able to go to the original news sources and check facts.

Still, the majority of Americans get their news from the mainstream media. They watch, evidently, with skeptical eyes. They aren't nearly as stupid and impressionable as the press, themselves, believe.

The contempt for Sarah Palin belies a contempt for average Americans. The press believes that if they tell lies long enough, it will become the truth. They believe that they can sway the minds of Americans. They believe that Americans are dupes to be manipulated into a certain electoral outcome.

Americans recognize when they're the butt of a joke. They are right to be offended. And anyone with smarts will try to stop these despicable actions. It is especially humorous to see those in the press defend themselves as objective. It makes people dismiss them all the more because their self-awareness is so lacking.

Sarah Palin will eventually engage the press. Still, it is unlikely she'll be treated fairly. The press seems incapable of doing so. A tough, fair interview would inevitably cast her more favorably and the press simply can't risk that for it will inhibit their candidate's chances.

Expect no press love affair with Sarah Palin. They have already cast themselves as spurned lovers. Hell hath no fury like a press scorned.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com where I was a blogging fool all weekend. Man. There's the Softer Side of Andrew Sullivan. And then, and I'd like to hear what you guys think of it, I have a longish piece on the rise and fall of Barack Obama. It's kinda a deconstruction of his frame of reference and why it seems like he's already lost.

As RWN's regular readers already know, I have been a harsh critic of John McCain for a long time and back in May, I wrote a post called, "Why I Will No Longer Support John McCain For President." That post was widely linked and was probably why I was blackballed from the Republican National Convention.

However, I've been wavering on my "non-vote" in the 2008 election for a while. That's not because I've warmed up to McCain; it's because of my concerns about Barack Obama.

Of course, it goes without saying that Obama is incredibly liberal, too inexperienced to be President, has terrible judgment (See Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers), and isn't particularly bright for a senator (See his 57 states gaffe, among others).

However, the real problem with Obama isn't just that he's incompetent, it's that he's an incompetent who seems to think he's a genius. Never has a man so unaccomplished been so overly proud of his non-achievements.

Compare him to say, Jimmy Carter, who was far too naive to be President and did such a poor job that he could fairly be considered the least capable man to hold that job in the last century. Carter, for all his naivete, had served in the military, run a business, and been governor of a state. On the other hand, Obama shares Carter's liberalism and naivete, but doesn't have his experience, and is arrogant enough to believe it doesn't matter.

For that matter, compare Barack Obama to a liberal who is, let's say, a middle manager at Circuit City or IBM. Who would you rather have as President -- Obama or that random manager? I'd take the random manager because at least that person would probably be humble enough to realize how much he doesn't know about America's most important job -- and that is what we're talking about, folks.

The presidency is literally the single most important job not just in the country, but on our planet. The President of the United States has a nuclear arsenal capable of destroying the world at his fingertips, is Commander-In-Chief of the most powerful military in the world, and is making decisions on a daily basis that affect the lives of more than 300 million Americans. Even setting aside his ideology, what in the world is there about Barack Obama that convinces anyone he's ready to handle that kind of responsibility?

This is not some Wunderkind, not some man who has shown unparalleled genius in his short time in the public spotlight; he's a green, gaffe-prone, unaccomplished senator who's good at reading speeches off a teleprompter -- that's it. That's what he brings to the table -- and not only is it not enough, it's dangerous to the future of our country to have that kind of mediocrity in charge.

That being said, it may have been Barack's inability to do the job that had me rethinking my non-vote for McCain, but it has been the Left's treatment of Sarah Palin that put me over the top.

Granted, "Politics ain't beanbag" and everybody with half a brain knows the mainstream media is in the tank for Obama, so it's no surprise that Sarah Palin hasn't been treated fairly by the press.

However, the rumors, lies, and attacks on Sarah Palin's family, many of which have been spread by the mainstream media, have been absolutely despicable.

Barack Obama was celebrated for being the first black candidate to have a chance at the Presidency. Hillary Clinton was celebrated for being the first woman to have a chance at the Presidency. Even Nancy Pelosi, who has been a political disaster, was celebrated for being the first female Speaker of the House.

Yet, when Sarah Palin, a woman more qualified to be President that Barack Obama, was selected as the first Republican VP, there was no celebration, no congratulations, just a smear campaign that has been unprecedented in American politics.

Andrew Sullivan, the Daily Kos, and the rest of the slime merchants drug everyone from Palin's baby to her husband through the mud. Then the same mainstream media that spent weeks protecting John Edwards immediately launched countless attacks at Palin's family. Do a search on Sarah Palin's name and you'll find more disproved rumors and outright lies than facts -- and it's meant to send a bullying message to other conservative women.

"If you oppose the Left, we won't just lie about you and try to destroy your reputation, we'll come after your children, too. So, you just keep your mouth shut and stay out of the spotlight."

The only way the Left can be persuaded not to continue these tactics is to defeat them. If the McCain/Palin ticket goes to the White House, the lies and attacks on Palin's children will be considered to be a failure, and the Left will back off. If not -- if they win -- you will see even more attacks on the families of conservatives. In other words, it's sad to say, but the only way to protect the families of conservatives is to hit the Left in the only place that really hurts them -- at the ballot box.

Despite the fact that I have a lot of differences with John McCain, I am going vote for him and I would encourage you to do the same. Whatever else you may say about the man, he is capable of handling the presidency and his election will teach the Left more about common decency than any mere words ever could.

It looks like America might not be willing to slit its wrists on the media's command after all. USA Today ruefully admits that McCain leads the flagging Wizard of Uhs by 10 points among those most likely to vote, largely thanks to Saracuda having put an end to the enthusiasm gap.

As we go into the final stretch, the hype will fade, and people will take a closer look at The One. The media will not be able to hide the lifelong associations with communists, terrorists, and racist demagogues that have shaped the ideology he offers in lieu of job qualifications. It will also be difficult to continue to pass off two of the three most extreme leftists in the Senate as bridge-builders with any capacity to unite the nation. Having virtually no experience and conspicuously poor judgment, Obama will make ever more embarrassing mistakes as panic sets in, and the media won't be able to keep them all from the public.

Obama's poll results have been inflated, because people have been duped into thinking it's "racist" not to say you'll support the affirmative action candidate. In the privacy of the voting both, many presumed Obama supporters are going to remember that they have to live in this country.

Democrats nearly always have big leads in the polls over the summer, even when they get their clocks cleaned in November. Even the risible Michael Dukakis was predicted to win in July 1988.

All things considered, a 10% lead by McCain now could translate to the kind of blowout we haven't seen since Reagan wiped the floor with Mondale in 1984. America isn't dead yet.

On a tip from Burning Hot. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

Yes, this video isn't even close to new, but I saw it again today and it just never gets old. If you haven't seen this yet, make sure you do. It'll be the best 18 seconds of your morning.

Update #1: Incidentally, Afro Ninja may not have landed on his feet in the video, but it looks like he did it in real life. He's apparently trying to turn the popularity of that YouTube video in a movie called Afro Ninja: Destiny. After watching the trailer, I'm not sure I'd go see that at the theater, but I would definitely rent it from Netflix.

Despite the fact that most of the recent available evidence seems to suggest that earth is going into a cooling phase, the global warming doomsayers are still at it.

If you want to see how far the Al Gore crowd would go if they could get away with it, I think this piece at the BBC gives you an idea,

People should consider eating less meat as a way of combating global warming, says the UN's top climate scientist.

Rajendra Pachauri, who chairs the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will make the call at a speech in London on Monday evening.

UN figures suggest that meat production puts more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than transport.

..."The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated that direct emissions from meat production account for about 18% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions," he told BBC News.

"So I want to highlight the fact that among options for mitigating climate change, changing diets is something one should consider."

...Transport, by contrast, accounts for just 13% of humankind's greenhouse gas footprint, according to the IPCC.

Dr Pachauri will be speaking at a meeting organised by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), whose main reason for suggesting people lower their consumption of meat is to reduce the number of animals in factory farms.

CIWF's ambassador Joyce D'Silva said that thinking about climate change could spur people to change their habits.

"The climate change angle could be quite persuasive," she said.

...Ms D'Silva believes that governments negotiating a successor to the Kyoto Protocol ought to take these factors into account.

"I would like governments to set targets for reduction in meat production and consumption," she said.

"That's something that should probably happen at a global level as part of a negotiated climate change treaty, and it would be done fairly, so that people with little meat at the moment such as in sub-Saharan Africa would be able to eat more, and we in the west would eat less."

Let me see if I am reading this right; they want to set up a global climate change treaty that will presumably force the West to provide more meat to the poor around the world and eat considerably less meat themselves in order to fight what appears to be a non-existent threat that they say will be dangerous to some people a hundred years from now. Meanwhile, we're trying to stop Iran from starting a nuclear arms race in the Middle-East and we can't get any real cooperation.

Methinks they're irrational and their priorities are more than a little bit out of whack.

How bad is Sarah Palin getting into Obama's head when he has been reduced to this?

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos Reports: The rivalry between the Democratic and Republican tickets for president could shift from the ballot box to the hardwood if Barack Obama has his way.

In an exclusive interview airing this morning on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," the Democratic nominee for president said he would be open to going one-on-one in basketball with Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

"You know, I would play her a game of horse," said Obama. "She looks like she's got some game."

Palin was a standout high school basketball player whose skills on the court earned her the nickname Sarah Barracuda. But Obama said he doesn't fear her.

"On the basketball court, I think I'd stand up pretty well," he said.

So, he's not as popular as her, doesn't speak as well as her, isn't as prepared to be President as she is -- so, he wants to shoot hoops to find something he might be able to beat her at?

Palin should take him up on it. She could say that in the spirit of bipartisanship, she wants to play a game of horse with Obama. They could sell tickets and give the receipts to charity.

Wouldn't the spin from the press be absolutely hilarious? You know they'd be humiliated that they had to cover it and yet, they'd be furiously spinning for Obama. Can you imagine their shame if he lost? What about how they'd try to spin it as the greatest sports triumph in history if he won?

Meanwhile, McCain could say he was too busy being briefed on the war in Iraq to attend. That would be priceless!

Now this bumper sticker, which is brought to you courtesy of my buddy Rachel Lucas, is the best one I have seen so far this year,

So, I am perusing the Democratic Underground and as per usual, it's highly entertaining, and I came upon a thread called "add me to the list of folks who are losing friends over this election..."

The thread is absolutely full of liberals saying that they couldn't be friends with conservatives anymore because of this election. Here are some of the posts from the threads,

yellowdogintexas: add me to the list of folks who are losing friends over this election..

Now this was not a close friend. We went to school together and knew each other well enough.

Got reacquainted over the last HS reunion

sending some great jokes back and forth and gossip.

Then she started in with the tacky political humor, which I just deleted

Then she sent me some stuff that was more than tacky humor. I asked her to just not send me that type of stuff that I didn't like it.

She replied back, said she would not...no problem..

but she sent another one I deleted it

Then she sent one that was just the last straw about Obama saying the Iraq war was a mistake and it was a video supposedly made by a soldier.

It just set me off.

So I responded with my own opinions on the war and how it is most definitely not unpatriotic to say it was a mistake.

And reminded her that I had asked her not to send me this stuff and that if she did I would return some angry replies.

So today she told me she would not send another email to me ever again.

So I don't like conflict and argument and it wasn't pleasant to know I had not accomplished what I wanted. But I think I will get over it.

She said I was the only person she knew who would not agree with the sentiment. Guess she needs to get out more.

this is not as if I lost my closest friend or anything. Of my 3 closest female friends, two are great Democrats. The other one is a Republican of the Rockfeller variety who unfortunately hasn't figured out what her party has done. We love her, she was in our wedding and we just don't talk about it.

sweets: i've lost 2 friends.

one i had for 2 years -- the other one was my friend for almost 19 years. and just the other day my hairdresser told me that she won't vote for obama because he's black. (Hawkins' note: I'd probably drop a barber for the same reason, so I can't fault him there)

friday i got into an argument with a man in a restaurant over politics.

SheilaT: I hope you will have a new hairdresser by the time you need the next hair cut.

I dropped a right-wing hairdresser I'd had for about ten years over the Iraq War, even before the invasion.

Bobbieo: It all depends on the circumstances if you can get along without them or no!!!

I've cut off two close friends because of this - I won't be affected in any way as I am retired. Thank God this did not happen when I was working!!!

glaeken777: i wish it was just friends

In my case, my father and I are barely holding on to a relationship. He feels the values of his father, father before him etc etc ad infinitum, are under attack by liberals. We had a 2-hour discussion (much of it tear-filled for me) in which I tried to explain how and why my worldview has changed in a decade's time. I appealed to him as a former hippie who campaigned his heart out first for RFK, then Humphrey. No dice. I've lost my dad and he feels like I've betrayed him.

CrispyQGirl: Many will tell you that you shouldn't let politics get between you & a friend

or family member. But here's the thing. The current republican & democratic views are so contradictory that you are dealing with more than a simple difference of opinion on politics - they are different world views. Competitive or cooperative? "You're On Your Own" (YOYO) or "We're In This Together" (WITT)? Value the individual at the cost of the community or support the community, knowing that it is only within a strong community that individuals can excel?

I have many republican acquaintances, but no close republican friends. My mother was a republican & it strained our relationship almost to the breaking point. Like your friend, she would not cease & desist with the mean-spirited, hateful emails, even after many requests from me to do so. She passed away last year & although I do miss her, I do not miss the conflict & confrontation that I'm sure this election would have brought on.

temperancedissent: Sh*t I been losing friends for 8 years now

ha ha... most of them not good friends obviously as I don't give up on true friends so easily. The one I am saddest about is a girl friend of over 20 years. We have seen each other through some really hard struggles, and even though we still talk on the phone from time to time I can detect that, 'yea well whatever' disconnect in her voice. Perhaps with time we can get close again.

On the up-side of course (and there is always an up-side to everything) is that the 'deleting' of some friends has made that that much more room for newer, greater, and like-minded people. So I look at it as another one of those win-win situations.

I will grant there are some people who just cannot keep themselves from nastily picking at political scabs and thereby make it almost impossible for people who disagree to remain friends with them. But geeze, throwing away relationships with parents or close friends over politics? It just seems like such a waste...

The Anchoress writes today about the charge that those who hold that the Christian ideal of virginity and also support Bristol Palin reveal themselves to be hypocrites:

Listen: chastity is the ideal; of course it is the ideal, and it is an achievable one, but only if it is understood as valuable, to start with. If you believe - as I do - that a hymen is more than a meaningless membrane, but part of a plan, one that reflects the blood-covenant made between God and the Jews, and between Christ and the whole world, then you see value there, and you try to raise your children to understand it, and to strive for the ideal.

But an ideal is an ideal. It the "best" way; that doesn't mean that anyone who fails the ideal is a bad person. It means they're human and in need of mercy - like everyone else.

So, the ideal is to be chaste until marriage, marry for love, be faithful, have children, stay married until death parts the couple. That's the ideal. It is also ideal to abstain from murder, thieving, coveting, arrogance, hate, lust and all the other sins of spirit and deed. A better world would be ours if all people held to these ideals.

The world is not perfect. The people who make this world are fallen. They are human. Lost.

Lost people like lost sheep call for a savior and a shepherd who can guide them back to safety. Christianity is about recognizing that all are lost, but all have hope because all can be found. They just need to admit that Christ is the shepherd and follow.

Inherent in Christian theology is the acknowledgment of human fallibility. While each church has its amen pew and church ladies and self-righteous cohort, my experience with Christians generally is that they're a sensible bunch and rather practical-minded for all the talking and preaching of struggling for an ideal.

Unfortunately, Christianity has been identified with fringers. Of course, that's convenient for the incurious and secular who wish to lump religion generally into a group of unthinking, dangerous extremists. So, without irony, a writer can say Christianist making the moral equivalence with an Islamist when it's patently absurd.

The Anchoress says:

You have never really known us. And that is partly our fault; we have not always been comprehensible or appealing communicators of our ideals and our mercies.

Mercy is not difficult. It is the great leveler, actually. When a heart at least partially attuned to mercy, even slightly open to it, then the more generous impulses are allowed out. You can see it, occasionally, even in the hot-blooded political blogosphere, a desire to be just, to have mercy and write the fair, thoughtful line. Mercy and Justice sort of go hand-in-hand.

Justice, mercy and faith go hand in hand. In order to have mercy, you have to first know the law and the just reward for the law. Most people deserve condemnation for something if one looks closely enough. As anyone sitting in jail will tell you, the law is a harsh master. Mercy demonstrates an understanding of justice. Mercy is the space between what is deserved and what is forgiven in humility.

And then there's faith. The self-inflicted and other-inflicted sorrow in this world seems unfair and unjust. Some wrongs seem so undeserving of mercy and yet no justice happens. This is where faith enters. Ultimately, a Christian trusts that God will make things right.

A humanist will see this as an out, but really, it's a peace. The humanist is no more capable of righting every wrong than the Christian, though both can try. Only the Christian has the contentment that the One who sees all and knows all has a plan and a purpose and will ultimately make things right on His time table.

Far from being hypocritical, Christians demonstrate an innate tolerance. It's difficult to be a Christian and ignore the words "he who is without sin cast the first stone."

So, if the press and the left expect harsh, judgmental Christian evangelicals to stone the Palin family, they'll be disappointed. A Christian imagines his own sins being displayed, dissected, written about and shown non-stop on national television and shudders. It's called humility.

True Christians hold the ideal, preach it, and work very hard at getting the mote out of their own eyes to attempt to live the ideal knowing full well they will fall short.

Cross-posted at MelissaClouthier.com

"Don't shoot the messenger. A new poll coming out in tomorrow's USA Today has McCain up 54 to 44 amongst LVs, 50 to 46 amongst RV. Here's the link. The only good news is that Kerry was behind by more at this time in 2004. Then again, that isn't such great news." -- Daily Kos diarist Ben P..

Hat tip to The American Princess for the story.

Poll numbers come and poll numbers go. McCain/Palin are now enjoying an expected convention bounce which has put them, depending on which poll you consult, anywhere from 2 points to 10 points ahead.

But that's going to change as we continue to move toward the election. That means it's a little early to put too much significance in those numbers at this point. If McCain/Palin show the ability to sustain those numbers, well then that's a horse of a different color.

Rather than the numbers about who is ahead at this time, the numbers which interest me most have to do with what I consider the more fundamental problem that the Republicans face.

Enthusiasm.

While John McCain has a compelling biography of sacrifice while in the military, ideologically he has not generated much enthusiasm for his candidacy. The Democrats, on the other hand, have been very enthusiastic about their pick.

Enter the game changer: the nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. Suddenly the right is paying attention, and if the latest Gallup numbers are true, they've found a reason to be enthusiatic about their ticket:

The convention and/or McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate not only had the effect of moving the horserace needle in McCain's direction, but also increased several measures of enthusiasm for the GOP.

There has been a very substantial jump in the percentage of Republicans saying they are more enthusiastic about voting in this election, from 42% a week ago (after the Democratic convention, but before the Republican convention) to 60% today. Democrats still retain a slight lead on this measure, having increased their enthusiasm slightly this last week as well. But the enthusiasm gap, which has been so much a part of the story of the presidential election so far this year, has dwindled from 19 points in the Democrats' favor a week ago to only seven points today.

Now that's significant, much more significant than the present poll numbers. Enthusiasm is infectious. It also means other things that are vital to a campaign. Contributions. Volunteers. GOTV efforts. Grassroots organizing and campaigning. Things that have led to Republican victories in the past.

So while the poll numbers have to cause a little concern among the Democrats, they know these will change as the campaign goes on. But the numbers showing the closing of the enthusiasm gap have to be much more worrying to the Dems than the other numbers. A enthused and motivated political opponent is a much tougher one to win against vs. an opponent who is, for all intents and purposes, just going through the motions.

I think Republicans have stolen a step on the Dems. And I think they're in the middle of stealing the "change" theme from them as well. There is building enthusiasm among not only the base, but independents as well. And women, much to the Dems chagrin, are taking a second look as well.

Palin will be doing a series of interviews in the very near future that I think are going to be key to further closing this gap. It is very important that she do well (and I think she will). Like it or not, she is the impetus behind this rise in the polls and closing of the enthusiasm gap. That's a lot of pressure to put on someone new to the national scene. If she again rises to the occasion, she may steal all the remaining air from the Obama/Biden ticket.

I hate to use the term, but she's the new rockstar in town. And there is nothing worse - when a new rockstar shows up - than being the old rockstar.

[Crossposted at QandO]

As RWN's regular readers already know, RWN, in concert with the David All Group, is running four different week long contests that hand out $50 to the best anti-socialized medicine posts in the blogosphere. This week's winner is Paul Hsieh from We Stand Firm for his post "UK Doctors Withholding Treatment Information From Patients." He'll receive $50 for that post.

Make sure to check out the winning post along with these posts as well,

The Runner-Up.

Pay Doctors, Don't Enslave Them By MS Think.

Also see,

Alex Newman: Examining Health Care

David Catron: McCainCare vs. ObamaCare

John Stossel: Sick in America, Part 5

A new contest begins today and runs through Sunday. Here's the info on this week's contest.

What will happen is that bloggers will write posts about socialized medicine. They can write them specifically for the contest or just because that's what they happen to want to write about today, but once they write the post, they'll send me an email letting me know that they want it entered in the contest (Yes, I do have to get an email. Sorry, but these are the rules I am working under).

Then, at the end of the week, I will select the best articles from that week on socialized medicine, will rank them, and then will link the top posts on RWN. Furthermore, all the bloggers that rank will have the satisfaction of getting their work recognized and will get traffic from RWN -- but first place will also receive $50.

The third contest begins today and the winners will be announced on Mon, Sept 15th. So, write those posts about socialized medicine, email me the links, and then make sure to tune in next Monday and link the winners.

From The Democratic Underground today,

Hat tip to Hot Air for finding the DU post.

Nutroots kooks are scurrying for safe holes in the baseboards, having realized that the media's campaign to pass off Barack Obama as a credible presidential candidate is doomed to failure. Amusingly, they choose to blame the very media that set the unqualified junior nobody up on his post. In a HuffPo post entitled, "We're Gonna Frickin' Lose this Thing," Hollyweirdo Adam McKay snivels that Republicans have a "house advantage":

So what is this house advantage the Republicans have? It's the press. […]without a real press the corporate and religious Republicans can lie all they want and get away with it.

Never mind that four times more journalists identify themselves as liberal than as conservative.

Equally amusing is the complaint that "the religious right teaches closed mindedness so it's almost impossible to gain new voters from their pool because people who disagree with them are agents of the devil." In contrast, moonbats are known for their open-minded views toward the gap-toothed rubes clinging to their guns and Bibles in flyover country.

The laughter stops when McKay proposes his solution to our insufficiently moonbatty media: "most importantly we should bring up re-regulating the media and who owns it."

Hugo Chavez had the same idea.

On a tip from Todd D. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

Over at the Huffington Post, they're breathlessly reporting that Sarah Palin made her first gaffe. Here's the spin,

Speaking before voters in Colorado Springs, the Republican vice presidential nominee claimed that lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had "gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers." The companies, as McClatchy reported, "aren't taxpayer funded but operate as private companies. The takeover may result in a taxpayer bailout during reorganization."

Economists and analysts pounced on the misstatement, which came before the government had spent funds baling the two entities out, saying it demonstrated a lack of understanding about one of the key economic issues likely to face the next administration.

"You would like to think that someone who is going to be vice president and conceivable president would know what