Palin speech in progress

This lady has CHARISMA in spades!!! She is gutsy, she is bold without being brassy and she is so clearly a woman of character and conviction.

Anyone who is worried about her debating Joe Biden can put those fears to rest. Palin is clearly the furthest thing from a political hack that McCain could have found.

It was major lump in throat time for me as my little girl jumped off the school bus and walked into the house just in time for Sarah Palin to come to the platform. I had Carli sit down and watch as McCain brought Palin to the podium. I want my little girl to remember these images for life, and never to forget that in a year when the Democrats rejected a woman as their candidate and their nominee made a safe, conventional pick for VP, we put a woman on our ticket for Vice President.

Palin has just mentioned both Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton from the platform, a very smart move that demonstrated both grace and genuineness. Her final sentence summing up that section of her speech:

"The women of America aren't finished yet, and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all!"

I'm JAZZED!!!

Is it just me or has the Palin pick hit the Republican base with a HUGE burst of enthusiasm?

I am so excited by this choice. Palin is an evangelical Christian, a mother of 5 (including a special needs child, which is special to me!) and an anti-corruption crusader, but a rock-ribbed conservative. Yes, Yes, YES!!!

Fox is reporting that the Obama campaign has referred to Palin dismissively as "a former mayor of a town with 9,000 people." I am continuously stunned by the breathtaking arrogance of this crowd!!! HOW DARE THEY challenge McCain's pick on grounds of inexperience (which they are, without using the word)? Keep it up, Democrats. You'll wish you hadn't.

This is a brilliant strategic execution on the part of the McCain campaign. They have very effectively stepped on coverage of Obama's speech last night, and clearly, the gambit they're employing is that Palin will pull in a bunch of Clinton voters.

McCain is stuck in traffic, but should be at the Nutter Center podium in Dayton any minute. I am really remorseful that I didn't drive to Dayton this morning, but the 170 mile drive didn't seem quite sensible earlier in the week when I mulled it over earlier in the week....Hindsight is 20/20, isn't it?

CNBC: It IS Palin

CNBC is quoting an unnamed top Republican strategist, saying that it definitely is Palin. It will be interesting to see why we have had the seesaw, back-and-forth about Palin actually still being back home in Alaska, no she did fly to Middletown, Ohio last night with two teenagers, no she's going to the State Fair today....

More later....

Not Palin

ABC News is reporting that Sarah Palin is watching all of this speculation at her home in Wasilla, Alaska. OOOKAY....so back to square one.

Here is the story. Kudos to ABC.

McCain/Palin?

Fox News' Carl Cameron firmly declared 5 minutes or so ago that Romney is out of the running; Tim Pawlenty has been out for a while. And he strongly hinted that Governor Sarah Palin from Alaska is indeed the choice! Drudge has the same news up.

This is, indeed, the burst of adrenaline that the McCain campaign will need after the Obama speech last night....IF Palin really is the one.

VERY conservative, a woman with 5 children....very unconventional. FUN!

Thoughts on Obama speech, Part III

I wonder if we will see any rapturous looks of adoration in the crowds to which John and Cindy McCain will speak next week? Just a thought....I can't remember when I've seen more joyful tears or rhapsodically delightful gazes than from these Democrat ladies. But then again, these are the diehards or they wouldn't be in Denver, I suppose.

Now, he has promised everyone that we will make sure you can afford a college education if you commit to serving your community or country. How do you define "serving?"

"We cannot meet 21st century challenges with a 20th century bureaucracy." If Obama gets elected, we Republicans need to hold his feet to the fire on this one! He has promised to go through the budget line by line and weed out what isn't needed. Somehow, though, I have a sneaking feeling he'll find a need for almost all of them.

I just saw a flash of the old Obama that intrigued me at the beginning (though I never considered voting for him!) He talked briefly about getting past the bitterness and rancor of questioning each other's character when we disagree. We do need to do this, but it is difficult when Obama has the questionable associations from the past that he does and when his operation is playing the same tricks as previous Democrat campaigns have done, distorting McCain's remarks about being in Iraq for 100 years and his joke about only qualifying as rich if you make $5 million or more a year.

Now that the Martin Luther King, Jr. comparisons have been drawn, the speech is over.

It was a good speech, though it probably doesn't sound like I thought so, if you read all of my previous comments. But, I have to admit it when I see efficacy in any forum even if my heart doesn't beat as one with the sentiments that have been expressed.

If you had to ask me though, in this moment, whether the speech will do for him what he needs in order to pull way ahead and stay there, I would have to say no, I don't think so, especially with the Republican convention next week. And 4 weeks from today, this speech will be a distant memory.

I'm sure I will be back tomorrow, once McCain names his running mate.

Thoughts on Obama speech, Part II

The talking point for the week must be that McCain is a hero, but we don't need 4 more years of Bush/Cheney; 8 is enough. And McCain has voted with Bush 95% of the time.

McCain has said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. It is true, though, Mr. Obama; they are! But never mind the facts, when you can demagogue the economy in front of 75,000 people.

This is clearly a populist campaign, which plays very well in a stadium setting.

OK, we've heard all this before. I'm only going to keep blogging this speech if he says something truly unexpected.

I just wonder, if the roles were reversed, would a Republican be talking to the convention crowd about how badly off the country is after 8 years of Democrat rule? I seem to remember Bush and Cheney in 2000 tacitly admitting that the economy was in good shape, but I remember Cheney saying "The wheel has turned and it is time for them to go" and Bush's signature line being "They have not led; we will!"

Obama acts like no outsourcing ever occurred before Bush came into office in January 2001. This is pure, unadulterated rubbish. I remember the '90's. NAFTA passed in 1993 and the factories started shutting down.

OH, Obama has just said he will cut taxes for 95% of all working families....who will qualify? Clinton promised the same thing, then had to take it off the table.

And we will also end our dependence on Middle East oil in 10 years. Impossible. What world is Obama living in? He WILL have trouble for this. Americans have to know that this cannot be done. Alternative fuel research is not far enough along.

Thoughts on Obama nomination acceptance speech (in progress)

Well, he filled Invesco stadium. Megyn Kelly from Fox News reports that there are virtually no empty seats in the house.

His first sentence involved his acceptance of the nomination. His second included thanks to Hillary Clinton, who appears not to be there. I knew her husband wasn't planning to attend; why not? Is this party unity?

How many times are we going to hear that Joe Biden rides the Amtrak home to Delaware every night? This and the fact that he was born in Scranton, PA are going to get pounded into our heads for the next 10 weeks.

Now the laundry list of all that is bad....credit card debt, cars we can't drive because we can't afford the gas, we're defaulting on our mortgages, and most of it is Bush's fault. How will you fix it, Senator?

Oh, now we get the John Edwards line about veterans sleeping on the streets, which has been WAY overblown.....

Biden speech tonight

I just finished watching Joe Biden's VP nomination acceptance speech. (I DVR'd it because I had collateral to read, so I'm a little behind when it actually ran, but I haven't watched any commentary on it yet.)

It was red meat and it revved up the crowd; no doubt about that! But it certainly does not represent any change in tone from any political era; it was as strident in its rhetoric and blistering in its attacks on John McCain as anything I've heard this election season. Yes, I think you could say that the last 10 minutes were an angry tirade!

I guess we can say goodbye to the "Third Way" style of politics that rises up above everything that has gone before. But then, I think that has worn pretty thin by this point anyhow.

I think it was a mistake to put Bill Clinton on before Biden tonight. The crowd was clearly jazzed by Clinton's appearance, and he didn't disappoint. He can work a crowd like no other politician on the scene today, including Obama. Obama is the better orator, but he doesn't connect with the crowd like Clinton does. Biden's style is totally different, not nearly as smooth, with a lot of bluster and hokum (a word that my favorite TV journalist, Brit Hume, is exceedingly fond of employing this week).

(Sidenote that is completely irrelevant: This Bruce Springsteen song ("Saturday") that they used to welcome Biden both last Saturday and today sure is catchy. But why this song? Springsteen is from New Jersey, isn't he?)

Biden does have a beautiful family and I am sure he is a fine husband, father and grandpa. Peggy Noonan and others who are in a position to know claim that he is a decent man, someone with whom you can enjoy spending time. I'm sure that is the case.

But on stage, he throws these bits of sarcasm and nastiness in there that are, I would think, very unattractive to undecided voters, along with undiluted class warfare pap. (Fred Barnes just echoed the last part of the previous sentence, essentially.) One of these zingers he threw in there was all about how this administration has broken "the promise of America", which is prosperity for everyone. Since when did our country make this promise? We have the opportunity, but guaranteed riches for all has never been part of the American contract with its citizens. This is socialism.

But again, this IS Joe Biden we're talking about.

Unless Obama really brings it home tomorrow night, I don't see how he comes out of the convention with more than a 5 point bounce, if that. So far, I have seen nothing in this convention beyond all the expected pageantry that would appeal to an undecided audience out there. And a few polls even show McCain gaining ground after the Biden pick. As things stand today, the Real Clear Politics average has Obama a couple of points ahead.

Well, the Dems have one more day and this convention will be histoire. And not a moment too soon. How long can you milk the same message of "America is further down the drain than at any time in previous history, blah, blah blah?"

I am looking forward to Friday; it really seems like Mitt might be on the ticket after all. Drudge is reporting that Romney and Pawlenty are the only two who are in serious consideration and that McCain has made up his mind.

Biden in Springfield

I am watching the coverage as Obama introduces Biden to the diehards out in the 90+ degree heat in Springfield, IL.

Biden has already demonstrated he is more than willing to throw down the gauntlet, in terms of any friendship he has ever had with John McCain. He just threw a nasty dig in there a few minutes ago about sitting at his kitchen table "like all the rest of you" trying to decide how to pay the bills when McCain is faced with the decision of which of his 7 kitchen tables he should sit at?

First, how many of us really believe that Joe Biden has worried about paying a personal bill in the last 20 years? I saw his house on TV last night when all the reporters were camped out in front of it; it looked quite nice. More power to him!

Well, from this team, we can expect the crassest class warfare rhetoric we've ever seen for the next 2 months. Like we expected anything different than that, but oh well....

(Did he just call Obama "Barack Omera?" Where did that come from?)

UPDATE: It is Obama/Biden for sure

CNN has confirmed it decisively, as of 12:43 AM EST.

Obama/Biden?

CNN is the only cable network running a LIVE show; they are reporting that all indicators point to Joe Biden as Obama's pick. I got an ALERT! via e-mail a couple of minutes ago from our talk radio station in Indy, WXNT, stating that it is a simple process of elimination, now that Kaine, Bayh and Chet Edwards have been informed they are not Obama's choice.

Also, a Secret Service detail has been dispatched to Biden's house, probably the most telling sign.

So how does Obama/Biden '08 look on a bumper sticker? Does it roll of the tongue easily? Very superficial questions, but probably "Yes."

Much more crucially, does Biden have the chops to be VP? Yes, as much as any Democrat does. Lots of foreign policy experience, though not the kind I care for. I know he and Jesse Helms were good friends; Helms was Foreign Relations Committee chairman and Biden served as the ranking Democrat during Helms' tenure in the mid to late '90's and early 00's. Prior to that, my guess is that their roles were reversed.

The plagiarism of the Neil Kinnock speech when Biden ran for President in 1988 is going to come back to bite him, as well it should! And of course, I can't help but recall his comment a little over a year ago that Obama is "clean". :)

Just random thoughts about it all.

John McCain's turn at the Saddleback Forum, Part III

McCain's answer to the Supreme Court Justice question, whom he would NOT have nominated: "With all due respect, Justice Ginsburg, Justice Breyer, Justice Souter and Justice Stevens....This government is not based on legislating from the bench....Justices Alito and Roberts are two of my most recent favorites. I'm proud of President Bush for nominating them!"

McCain says he would not limit faith-based agencies from receiving federal funds who did not tow the politically correct line on all issues. (Again, not the exact wording, but the message was sent.)

John McCain's turn at the Saddleback Forum, Part II

Warren: "What does being a follower of Christ mean to you?"

McCain: "It means I'm saved and forgiven."

He then proceeded to tell the story of the prison guard drawing the cross in the sand when he came to loosen the ropes with which McCain was being hung from the roof of his hut by his biceps. (I'm not repeating it in its entirety here, assuming we've all heard it before. If you haven't, e-mail me. :)) Very moving, once again.

Warren: "When does a baby gain human rights?"

McCain: "At the moment of conception. My Presidency will be a pro-life Presidency with me signing pro-life legislation originating from the Congress."

John McCain's turn at the Saddleback Forum

We know the questions in advance now, but McCain doesn't because he was in a soundproof (and presumably, media proof) room.

The first question was who the 3 wisest people are that either candidate would rely on in their administration.

Obama: His wife, his grandma and Ted Kennedy.

McCain: General Petraeus, Congressman John Lewis and Meg Whitman, Ebay CEO.

THAT, my friends, is a study in contrasts.

Now, McCain is getting the moral failure question. And wow, what a brutally honest answer: "My failure in my first marriage." He appeared to come close to tearing up while answering it, then quickly went on to America's greatest moral failure, which in his eyes was: "Instead of telling Americans to go shopping after 9/11, not asking for more volunteerism, assistance to those who need it, etc." In short, sacrifice; a theme Obama also touched on, but in answer to another question.

I have to break from the commentary to note that McCain is surprisingly good in a setting like this. Obama maintained a very light touch, with a good bit of humor. McCain is using humor, but there is also a really low-key seriousness in his answers and a sort of soft intensity that is very becoming. The crowd likes him.

McCain just gave his present support for offshore drilling (Drill Here! Drill Now! ala Newt Gingrich) as an example of changing his mind from a policy that he held 10 years ago. He says he supports all types of energy, wind, solar, NUCLEAR!!!

McCain: "We now have a pro-American President of France, which shows if you live long enough, anything can happen!" (to raucous laughter from the crowd)

I have to get back to my papers!

Saddleback Forum on Fox News, Part III

Warren: "Why do you want to be President? Give an answer in a minute, even though you could spend an hour on this!"

Obama: "The American dream is slipping away. We are at a critical juncture...I have the ability to build bridges across partisan, racial and regional lines to get people to work together on commonsense solutions."

Warren: "What do you say to people who oppose me asking you these questions?"

Obama: "These are the kinds of forums we need....we need to have these conversations. People need to have good information, rather than just consuming negative ads. I want people to know me well, and I'm sure John McCain feels the same way."

Warren: "What would you tell the American public if you knew there weren't media repercussions?" (the final question)

Obama: "That the energy problem won't be solved easily....that we can't pretend that everything is free and that there is no sacrifice involved."

I actually agree with Obama on the last answer, though I don't think we would mean the same thing by it.

All in all, far from a lightweight exchange. Now, I am eager to see McCain take the queries.

Saddleback Forum on Fox News, Part II

Warren: "Which Supreme Court Justice would you not have nominated?"

Obama: "I would not have nominated Clarence Thomas...not a strong enough thinker or jurist. I would not have nominated Antonin Scalia although he is brilliant." (Not his exact words, but close.)

He is currently, as I watch, bobbing and weaving about John Roberts. I don't know why; he didn't vote to confirm him. Now he is saying "He has been a little too willing and eager to give an Administration, whether it's mine or George Bush's, more power than the Constitution grants them."

Saddleback Forum on Fox News

I am grading papers while I watch the Saddleback Forum with Rick Warren interviewing both Presidential candidates in front of what appears to be a packed-out sanctuary.

Based on a toss of the coin, Obama went first.

I have to applaud Rick Warren, whom I admire, but honestly, I thought he would probably duck the difficult questions. He isn't. The highest moment of drama so far was when Warren asked Obama "At what point does a baby acquire human rights?" Obama dodged the question, saying it was above his pay grade!!!??? (His exact words.)

Warren has also asked about Obama's views on marriage and whether or not he would support a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Obama replied that he believed in this definition, but would not support such an amendment.

I predict Obama will run into trouble on Monday with the talk show crowd for saying earlier in the evening that America's greatest moral failure is that we don't do enough for or thing enough about "the least of these" among us. (In fairness to Obama, Warren did ask what Obama perceived to be America's greatest moral failure.) This will just cement the reputation Obama is accruing already as someone who does not see fundamental greatness in America, but only multiple ills.

Tom Ridge

I know the history of the Reagan administration quite well. The '80's was when I first began to develop an awareness of political and world events. Though admittedly, it was very elementary at that point, it was a foundation that I have built on in the subsequent two decades.

Nonetheless, I did not know until a few minutes ago that Tom Ridge (former Homeland Security Chief and former PA governor, now on McCain's VP short list), as a U.S. Congressman in the '80's:

1) Opposed Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative
2) Was an advocate of the nuclear freeze movement
3) Opposed arming the Nicaraguan contras

First things first: had it not been for Rush Limbaugh's show, I likely would never have learned this. This is a great example of why I listen, for historical gems such as this that few other people remember or care to recall, in any event.

But, back to Ridge; we all know he is also pro-choice, avowedly so. Clearly, a different type of Republican used to get elected in the late '70's and early '80's than could today.

Michael Lind from Salon.com had an interesting piece about the regionalization of the parties and the realignment that has occurred in this realm with both Democrats and Republicans. The short version is that this has led to the dominance of the Democrats on the East and West Coasts (where many Republicans used to come from) and the Republicans unfailingly sweep the South and most of Middle America.

Pennsylvania and Virginia are anomalies in this regard, though; maybe that explains Tom Ridge partially anyway?

I don't understand, either, what is drawing McCain to Ridge. If he chooses him, he gains nothing that Joe Lieberman wouldn't bring to the ticket and probably loses all the voters he would lose if he chose Lieberman (I stole this concept from Rich Lowry's column this morning).

I know McCain and Ridge are longtime buds, but if McCain chooses a VP just for old time's sake, doesn't he run the additional danger of the same cronyism accusations that Bush has endured for 8 years?

Just when I was warming to Huckabee...

He goes and bashes Mitt Romney again. Amanda Carpenter reports that on Fox News Today, Huckabee opined that there are better candidates for McCain to be picking if he wants to win over the values voters, due to Romney's changing views on certain issues.

I wonder if he named anyone? I can't think of any.

But the larger point here is that it seems to be difficult for Huckabee to bury hatchets. This is a point that was made in a Wall Street Journal piece back around December or so before the primaries really got underway and Huckabee scored his upset in Iowa.

Seriously, the position switching talk with Mitt is so yesterday. We have been down this road so many times; there is no point.

Will Colin Powell endorse Obama?***UPDATE

News Talk 1190 WOWO out of Fort Wayne just reported that Colin Powell has denied that he will endorse Obama. So much for last night's post.

Will Colin Powell endorse Obama?

I heard it on the O'Reilly Factor first, and HE heard it from Bill Kristol who heard it from his sources....so it is far from confirmed. But Larry King mentioned it as a possibility as well, so it is worth some contemplation.

I have always admired Colin Powell. What a striking American success story he is and what a statesman he has been with some two decades or so of public service under Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton and the current President Bush. BUT...and you knew that was coming...how does he not severely damage his credibility if he throws his support to Barack Obama?

We know that Powell had strong reservations about attacking Iraq, fears that have borne out as true over time. (He very memorably told the President to be prepared to do what it took to win quickly, among other things....which we failed to do.) Still, that is the past and now we look to the future. When I do that, I see two alternatives that, at least on the national security front, could not be more stark. Additionally, McCain was very vocal about his disagreements with Rumsfeld (with whom Powell famously tangled).

Powell is no conservative, but he is a career military man. I am not suggesting that this similarity should be enough for him to support his fellow comrade-in-arms. I just have a hard time believing that Powell sees in Obama, the least experienced nominee we have had in a century, a potential President who would coherently guide the United States military forces.

This may turn out to be nothing, of course...

Huffington Post on John Edwards

Here is one of the columnists from the Huffington Post (the Left's answer to Townhall.com) on Edwards extramarital escapade. The short version is: Everybody does it, so why make such a big deal over an affair?

Earth to Chez Pazienza, whose name I never heard before today: No, not everyone does it. We all could, but many, MANY of us don't. Crucial difference there.

If anything highlights why I am a conservative, it is a piece like this that strives to establish moral equivalency between Edwards, Clinton, Hart & Co. and all of the decent men of the world who are faced with innumerable sexual temptations throughout their lives, but continuously make the right choices (in favor of their wives, their children and/or their God) rather than the easy one (the thrill of the moment).

Edwards was right on target when he said, in the Nightline interview, that all of the fame and exposure of the last few years fed the development of a narcissistic ego which led him to think he could get away with anything. If he continues down this road of forthrightness, he'll be a better man in the end.

John Edwards had an affair, but not a love child?

So John Edwards "didn't love" the woman with whom he broke his marriage vows while his wife was being ravaged by cancer and radiation treatments? Am I supposed to be impressed by this?

I also wonder how he is so sure that Rielle Hunter's child is not his. Will he be required to prove it by submitting to a DNA test?

All of this is being asked by Neil Cavuto and others, as we wait for the Edwards' to appear in a press conference to answer the many questions that I'm sure the media is eager to ask.

I don't know whether or not to feel sorry for Elizabeth Edwards; it will depend on how much it turns out that she has or has not known all along. If it really appears that this is as much of a surprise to her as to everyone else, then she certainly will deserve our deepest sympathies. I have a feeling that this will probably be the case.

What can you say about a man who (repeatedly, it appears) cheated on his wife while she was fighting cancer, at the same time moralistically urging the rest of the country to help fight poverty by letting their taxes be raised?

The AP is also reporting that Edwards' PAC paid Hunter $100,000 for 4 Web videos that she made for the Edwards campaign, one only 2 1/2 minutes long. Can we say "Hush money"? Well, it didn't work.

Like so much of what Democrats recommend, it seems there is a double standard for the powerful that is not in force for regular Joes.

You have to love George Will

Any conservative who blogs or writes a column with a political bent has to have aspirations to be like George Will when they grow up.

Here is the question Will formulates about Obama in his column for Townhall, posted yesterday:

Does Obama have the sort of adviser a candidate most needs -- someone sufficiently unenthralled to tell him when he has worked one pedal on the organ too much? If so, Obama should be told: Enough, already, with the we-are-who-we-have-been-waiting-for rhetorical cotton candy that elevates narcissism to a political philosophy.

George Will makes a point in 2 sentences that I can't do nearly as well in 3 paragraphs. The Creator has not endowed us all equally in every way... :)

When you're hot, you're hot, and all that....

I'm not going to link the column because you can find it easily at Townhall.com, and if you're not visiting that site regularly, you should be.

Happy Anniversary, Rush

I will always remember where I was the first time I heard that voice. It was so distinctive, and I still have never heard another quite like it. I was beside the Morley family garage in Mifflinburg, PA in mid-August 1993. Gabriel and Hoshea Morley had told us about this Rush Limbaugh fellow when they had visited us in Taiwan a couple years prior and they had tried to explain what he did, which took some creativity since I had never heard a talk show before because I grew up without TV and we rarely listened to the radio, either.

I had bought Rush's book and liked it (his first, The Way Things Ought to Be), but didn't know how to find him on the radio dial. So, I told Gabriel that I'd like to listen to Rush. A switch was flipped....and my whole world changed forever.

I can still recall a few things that Rush said that day, which is saying something, since that is now 15 years ago, and I have listened to countless Limbaugh hours since then. I know that he asked for people who supported President Clinton's policies to please call in, followed by that famous laugh that we Dittoheads have all grown to love.

There are a lot of things I could say about Rush Limbaugh, but many of them have already been said over the course of this last week, as a host of celebrities (including, on Friday, August 1, President Bush, President Bush 41 and Jeb Bush all on one conference call!!) paid homage to his genius. "Human Events" did us all a service by posting articles all week in a tribute to Rush, from Sean Hannity, Ted Nugent, Rush's brother David and Mark Levin, among many others. I'm sure many of them are still up if you haven't yet had a chance to peruse the gallery.

Rush will never read these words, but that is not the point. Listening to his wisdom, espoused in a wickedly funny manner every day across the airwaves, has made me a different man than I would have been had he never graced my consciousness.

Rush has proved that being wealthy isn't necessarily a vice, but being small-minded and peevish always is. Rush has shown the world that you can smile in the face of adversity. Rush demonstrates every day that if you can't stand up for your principles, then the cause of truth, even its very definition, becomes meaningless.

From the way economics affects the world to a good book recommendation to fearless advocacy for his conservative beliefs, for all this and so, SO much more, Rush Limbaugh deserves the thanks of 20 million listeners, a club of which I am proud to count myself a charter member.

I will freely admit that I cannot imagine a world without Rush Limbaugh and I hope that I am a very old man before I have to live in one!

State of the race

I'm struck by how long it has been since I posted anything about the 2008 race. But that's why this blog is entitled "Ramblings" with politics and religion as major themes, rather than The Making of the President 2008.

(The real reason is that with the birth of my third daughter three weeks ago tomorrow, I have not had any time to blog substantively. That should change now; Maddy came home this last Thursday!)

So Obama went to Europe and was feted by all of the pertinent dignitaries. Kindly forgive my yawn. I could have done a Nostradamus on that before he even left American soil, with 100% accuracy. The aspect that I find most interesting is that clearly America is not nearly as in love with Europe as Obama is. He got no polling bump for going over there and making another glittery speech, and he shouldn't have.

This may be where Obama lost the election. McCain came back with a very cutting, but funny TV ad with a breathy voice-over: "He's the biggest celebrity ever....but can he lead?" (Fade to images of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.) Obama's people howled about how mean it was. The shoe must have fit.

Of course, it must be noted that McCain has had a few missteps of his own in the last couple of weeks. Jon Stewart (yes, I watch occasionally, but I like Colbert better) ran a clever clip of McCain in a grocery store protesting Obama's messianic projections overseas....while behind him, a clerk bent over and spilled a stack of canned peaches all over the floor.

A more serious gaffe involved McCain's assertion last Sunday on "This Week" (ABC, George Stephanopolous interviewing) that "Nothing is off the table" in terms of what is needed to fix the economy, presumably including tax increases. McCain moved quickly to clarify over this last week that he would never raise taxes, but it has left an opening for exploitation.

I noted above that Obama could lose, but don't misunderstand me; he very well may not. It is noteworthy, though, that Obama is not running away with the election, and doesn't seem to be increasing his base. There seems to be a sense that we've seen all there is to see with Obama. The newness has worn off, and we have the same old rhetoric we've had from these leftists for decades.

Our biggest problem is that our side is not energized about McCain. If we were, I believe he would be up in most polls; as it is, though, he's not down by much.

This election could go either way. A lot will happen between now and November 4, including 2 conventions and 3 debates. It will be interesting to see if Obama is able to pull away with a big lead after Labor Day. If he does....it's over. But what if McCain does? This race has been unconventional from the get-go; who is to say that it will not remain so? If that happened, it will be fun to watch the pundits scramble.