I've hosted two houseparties this week where we start here, get our maps and head out to canvass.  I have another one on Sunday plus I'm going to help canvass in a neighboring town tomorrow.  I feel energized to work harder than ever.

I agree.  I haven't been this juiced up in a while.  I was one of the many who heard Palin.  I cannot believe this is even possible, but I like the GOP even less now than a week ago!

Judging by the polling I'm not the only one.  She has proven to be very polarizing.  She has positives above all the other guys on the two tickets, but that won't last long either.  Frankly, it can't once the partisans get to know a candidate.

My guess is that it's a dry run.  This election is starting late, and they haven't had any time to campaign together.  So why not lock down a critical state, iron out the kinks, and then move on from there?

Look at how the Repubicans are dealing with the same problem: they're sending their VP pick to the mattresses.

Wow, that's really good stuff.  

I understand your concern and wouldn't be shocked if the Reps pull this one out either.

But look at the things that are different now, we didn't have an sort of community like we do now, with the blogs, progressive talk-radio and the think tanks and PACs.  These things were just getting off the ground in 04 (and still are), but we do have a unity of message and ability to influence the media we never had before.

For these reasons, I think her MANY indiscretions will see the light of day.  They will appear on cable TV and become part of the national consciousness.

When we get past her kid, we can get on to the real issues too.  Issues that her crocodile tears won't drown out: her Kwame Kilpatrick-esque firing of police officers over personal grudges, her banning books and her blatant lying and flipping on the Bridge to Nowhere.

Her extremism and hypocrisy on park or easy to explain, so the MSM should pick it up.  Even if they don't we have a candidate who is willing to spend on ads to get it out.

Then there is the matter of a possible affair I'm hearing about.

This might get really good, really fast!

if they did, there would be very few undecideds. They vote on other crap; wedge stuff, personality, eye of the beholder, what the MSM tells them to do. I can't tell you how many people at home told me they watched Obama's speech, but he didn't "give them specifics, he just made a great speech" meanwhile I heard specifics unlike I've ever heard from him.

As a matter of fact, even some of my friends and family who are supporting Obama are supporting him because "he speaks well" or "his kids are cute"

at least then the American people will finally see the error of their ways.

I hate to say that, but a theocratic dictatorship may be the only way to save America. Anyone ever read The Handmaid's Tale? We're not that far off from that.

I'm worried about landfall in the Miami area, my original home town. My 65 year old aunt lost most of her roof during Katrina in 2005. People forget Katrina hit Miami first as a minor hurricane before moving into the Gulf. Her hurricane insurance shot up so high after filing the claim with Katrina that my aunt is no longer insured, and she's extremely nervous tonight. My parents are concerned also. They were without power for more than a month after Andrew in '92.

I was rooting for northward miss of Miami but you're right, that appears to be unlikely. And if it's south that puts it smack toward the oil platforms. Gas prices could soar as a result.

The Presidential nominee -- not the VP nominee -- sets the tone.  Sarah Palin is not that person; John McCain is.  When Democrats talk about the GOP, it should be noun, verb, McCain = Bush III.

As Paul Begala says, always attack the organ grinder -- not the monkey.

spinning it successfully as "Obama attacks yet another white woman!"

Anyway, perhaps this will help;

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g-UQS WkkXyD_Javq_3RKXGziFB4gD931D2F01