Excellent post. The one nit I'd pick is whether McCain's choice of Palin was impulsive. I think it was carefully calculated, run past a team of strategists and focus groups, checked with any number of right-wing opinion makers over the phone.
I think choosing Palin is calculated to throw the Obama campaign off stride, which to some extent it's done; and to make Biden subject to backlash if he's perceived as beating up on a woman/newcomer/small-town, small-state person — one who's wholesome-looking and highly photogenic, at that.
FWIW, I have a new post up with my take on the real danger a Palin presidency would pose, should that come about. It's not just the bad decision-making on her part that you might expect.
Of course I disagree with basically everything you wrote. I wish you would view Obama with the critical can-do-no-right lens with which you view McCain. However, you should fact-check your statement about "one perfunctory meeting with McCain before the Offer." It is simply not true.
Educate me, Carol. I didn't know their number of meetings was in dispute. If they have been big buddies for a long time it seems to have slipped Sarah's mind. She told Roll Call she had met McCain only once or twice. Wikipedia says they met at the National Governor's meeting. What other meetings did they have before the Offer?
Now we have the conservative press, like the Wall Street Journal, pointing out the lies of the McCain-Palin ticket.
Some Straight Talk, huh?
There have been exaggerations on the Democratic side, but nothing to match the out and out lies of the Bridge to Nowhere tall tale and the sex ed smear and the accusation of treason.
Joe Klien who has often been tough on Democrats as well as Republicans, says the treason accusation is the most outrageous political accusation he has heard in a presidential race.
I know Republicans disagree. (Shock!) But Republican outrage changes no facts.
The famous bridge was dead in the water when Palin decided "Oh, well, thanks but no thanks, we'll use that good federal money on other pork projects!" Alaska: more federal pork per capita ($506.34) than any other state.
Sarah Palin is more prepared to be President than is Barack Obama!
Okay, so McCain is bad, but he just has to be better than Obama. Watch this video and tell me how you could vote for Obama.
Now, let's see... I'm supposed to be horrified that you were able to find two short inarticulate moments out of a twenty-month campaign? Lordy mercy, Fred, come back when you can do better than that!
Barack Obama is amazing! That anyone could manage the pressures, schedule, crowds, noise, hecklers, etc. etc. etc. of a Presidential campaign for month after month and maintain the poise and calm and reason that he does gives me great reassurance.
Thanks for helping make my case!
Nice bit of political jujitsu, Terrell.
Obama has not internalized the policy themes of his campaign. I suspect his real politics fit more with his days of 'community organizer', Saul Alinsky, Rev. Wright, William Ayers, but we won't learn this from canned campaign spots. If we saw the real Obama, he wouldn't be so popular.
The second line above should be:
"Obama has not internalized the policy themes of his campaign, or he would be able to speak off the cuff about them, as evidenced by that video."
Jujitsu? Fred. Fred. Fred. I say again: If this little bit of inarticulate video is the worst you can manage to find then we Democrats have found ourselves a marvelous candidate in Barack Obama. You are sure to find other opportunities to ridicule each of the candidates as they lose more sleep over the next few weeks. We can certainly find such awkward moments in virtually every candidate's campaign. Unfortunately for you, your candidate starts with less eloquence.
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