Better names than Leroy, Bubba, Delmore, and Shakitta!

Those are Eskimo Indian names!

Boo-boo wrote: "I have nothing against Palin. I'm sure she is/was a wonderful Mother, City councilperson, Mayor, now Governor of Alaska. To have 5 kids and do this, wow, quite a woman. She is still not qualified to be VP of these United States. I imagine she can play with the best of them in Alaska but the Viper's in Washington would eat her lunch and then her. Hillary Clinton she is not."

By your reasoning, Barack Obama isn't qualified to be President of the U.S. Sarah Palin has much more executive experience, and has accomplished much more than Barack could even think of.

Barack Obama has accomplished absolutely nothing while in office.

I can't find anything related to Palin's foreign policy views; I find pics with her aiming a rifle, with a moose, with her children, being a beauty queen, serving as a state governor (7 other women are currently state governors). I know she was for, then against the "bridge to nowhere" and then kept the money anyway (nice pork there, and nice flip-flop!). It appears she tried to have her former bro-in-law fired, using her office (literally and figuratively) to do so (1). She does not believe in abortion in the cases of rape and incest(2). McCain met her once before selecting her for VP (3), and that leads me to believe she can't recognize pandering . . . I'd have more respect for McCain if he had chosen Kay Bailey Hutchinson, but I guess she's too old and not a "babe!"

As a sidebar, while not "experience," Obama and his camp just defeated the most powerful Democratic couple in U.S. political history--any rival should be quaking a bit--

But, here's some of the nothing you describe about Obama's experience:

The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act
Introduced by Sen. John McCain in May 2005, and cosponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy. Barack Obama added three amendments to this bill.

While the bill was never voted on in the Senate, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Acts of 2006 and 2007, respectively, drew heavily upon the wording of this bill.

The Lugar-Obama Cooperative Threat Reduction.
Introduced by Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. Dick Lugar and Sen. Tom Coburn.

First introduced in November 2005 and enacted in 2007, this bill expanded upon the successful Nunn-Lugar threat reduction, which helped secure weapons of mass destruction and related infrastructure in former Soviet Union states.

Lugar-Obama expanded this nonproliferation program to conventional weapons -- including shoulder-fired rockets and land mines. When the bill received $48 million in funding, Obama said, "This funding will further strengthen our ability to detect and intercept illegal shipments of weapons and materials of mass destruction, enhancing efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism."

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006
This act of Congress, introduced by Senators Obama and Coburn, required the full disclosure of all entities or organizations receiving federal funds in FY2007.

Despite a "secret hold" on this bill by Senators Ted Stevens and Robert Byrd, the act passed into law and was signed by President Bush. The act had 43 cosponsors, including John McCain.

The act created this Web site, which provides citizens with valuable information about government-funded programs.

Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act

This law helped specify US policy toward the Congo, and states that the US should work with other donor nations to increase international contributions to the African nation.

The bill marked the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor. Following this legislation's passage, Obama toured Africa, traveling to South Africa, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Chad. He spoke forcefully against ethnic rivalries and political corruption in Kenya.

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act
In the first month of the 110th Congress, Obama worked with Sen. Russ Feingold to pass this law, which amends and strengthens the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.

Specificially, the changes made by Obama and Feingold requires public disclosure of lobbying activity and funding, places more restrictions on gifts for members of Congress and their staff, and provides for mandatory disclosure of earmarks in expenditure bills.

The House passed the bill, 411-8, on July 31. The Senate approved it, 83-14, on Aug. 2. At the time, Obama called it "the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate."

Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act

Following the Republican-sponsored voter intimidation tactics seen in mostly black counties in Maryland during the 2006 midterm elections, Obama worked with Sen. Chuck Schumer to introduce this bill.

The bill has been referred to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Obama said of the bill, "This legislation would ensure that for the first time, these incidents are fully investigated and that those found guilty are punished."

The Obama-McCain Climate Change Reduction Bill

The Obama-McCain bill, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., would cut emissions by two-thirds by 2050.

Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007

Introduced by Obama, this binding act would stop the planned troop increase of 21,500 in Iraq, and would also begin a phased redeployment of troops from Iraq with the goal of removing all combat forces by March 31, 2008.

Explaining the bill, Obama said it reflects his view that the problems in Iraq do not have a military solution. "Our troops have performed brilliantly in Iraq, but no amount of American soldiers can solve the political differences at the heart of somebody else's civil war," Obama said.

Amendments to the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill

Obama worked with Sen. Kit Bond to limit, through this bill, the Pentagon’s use of personality disorder discharges in the FY 2008 Defense Authorization bill.

This provision would add additional safeguards to discharge procedures and require a thorough review by the Government Accountability Office. This followed news reports that the Pentagon inappropriately used these procedures to discharge service members with service-connected psychological injuries.

"With thousands of American service members suffering day in and day out from the less visible wounds of war, reports that the Pentagon has improperly diagnosed and discharged service members with personality disorders are deeply disturbing," said Senator Obama. "This provision will add additional safeguards to the Department of Defense’s use of this discharge and mandate a comprehensive review of these policies."

The Comprehensive Nuclear Threat Reduction provision

Working with Sen. Hagel and Rep. Adam Schiff, Obama authored this provision, which would require the president to develop a comprehensive plan for ensuring that all nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material at vulnerable sites around the world are secure by 2012 from the threats that terrorists have shown they can pose.

A provision from the Obama-Hagel bill was passed by Congress in December 2007 as an amendment to the State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill.

"It is imperative that we build and sustain a truly global effort under an aggressive timeline to secure, consolidate, and reduce stockpiles of nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material to keep them out of the wrong hands. The comprehensive nuclear threat reduction plan required by this provision is an important step in that effort," Obama said of the provision.

1.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008151136_palin01m0.html
2. “McCain Selects Anti-Choice Sarah Palin as Running Mate,” NARAL Pro-Choice America, August 29, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=17515&id=13661-9090174-fX.u6Cx&t=1

3. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/08/29/1307122.aspx

"I want the Moderates/real Conservatives to take back the Republican Party and get rid of the divisive element that has lived there since Reagan's time in office."

I agree with you. I don't even recognize the Republican party anymore, since Bush took office. No fiscal conservatism, no international diplomacy - it seems to be all about abortion, gays and guns now.

Git, NUK, Bonkers, Armybrat, Richard and the rest of the Republican's on here... take back your party!

I gave up on the Repubs and I thought that the Libertarian Party was the answer since I've been a member for a couple of decades and have voted for Lib candidates before. Alas, they go and nominate Bob Frickin' Barr who isn't "libertarian" by any definition I know of, but is a Loser with a capital L and not someone I'd ever vote for.

I also don't recognize the Repub Party any longer. While it started tilting into the scary territory with the rise of the Moral Majority, it's now evolved into something that isn't close to what "conservatism" means. I've said over and over that a Barack landslide would be the best thing that ever happened to the Repubs because it would make them sit back and re-group and attempt to get back to the basics of being a "conservative" party that doesn't love deficit spending, expansion of governmental powers and size at the federal level, no respect for individual freedoms and liberty, kowtowing to the most militant fringe of anti-intellectual religious types, etc. etc.

Now, I don't have a big problem with Palin as VP even though the most logical choice was Romney, but he was also the best choice the Repubs had for Prez. It's understandable to some extent that the McCain crowd doesn't want to be upstaged by their own VP and that they feel with McCain's experience, the inexperience of the VP nominee doesn't matter. At the end of the day, whoever is the VP nominee is an afterthought and doesn't drive voters one way or the other. I'm more concerned that a dumbo like Huckabee got as far as he did and the depth of his support than I am at about anything else the Repubs are doing. Huckabee is a symptom that your party defines conservative to mean ONLY "social conservative" and that fiscal has nothing ot do with the definition.

for Romney

I haven't agreed with a lot of what you've posted before but AMEN to that!

The Republican Party my parents joined (my first opportunity to vote was 1996) lowered taxes and lowered spending. The "moral majority" (whatever that's supposed to mean) was kind of a fringe group. Unfortunately, Karl Rove and Company figured out that those people could be exploited for the sake of gaining power. And I'm not dumb enough to think a politician won't do whatever it takes to win. But, now, the Reps spend like Dems and grow government like an invasive weed.

I'm an Indy but hadn't thought much about the Libertarian party. Maybe it's time.

-------------------------------
If you and I are always in agreement, one of us is likely armed and dangerous.

The most important audience here is not the other bloggers, whose minds are made up, but the 471 guests that are on here at 8:09 PM ET. The bloggers are the actors on the stage, and will stay in character. The audience will listen to what is said, or not said, and make up their own minds. Of course, I hope they decide to give Barak Obama a chance, because we have had enough of "experienced" leaders lately, now we need one with the vision and intelligence to at least steer us away from the edge of the cliff.

I have to wonder at the Republican strategy: if they were trying to throw the fight, it could not be done any more effectively. I do not believe the current choice for VP will last very long. The McCain/Palin team is only a few days old and it already has disaster written all over it. Karl(Turd Blossom)Rove can not be trusted any further than you can toss a mule by the tail. I have no doubt that he would throw someone to the (Alaskan) wolves to further an underhanded move.

but would like to see it. Could you give me another way to get on? thanks.

Pretty obvious,,, is that 10% like getting a bj in the oval office?

But we can expect nothing more from the party of Clinton and Obama.

Render unto the Republicans that which belongs to the Republicans.

that John McCain is an assets man.

"Whatever you practice is what you will be good at".

The Anchorage Daily News says it's around 65 % and dropping.
In a published comment The Daily News wrote "I have a hard time seeing how her qualifications stack up against the duties and responsibilities of being president.... I expect her to stick with simple truths. When asked about continued American troop presence in Iraq, she said she knows only one thing about that (I paraphrase): no one has attacked the American homeland since George Bush took the war to Iraq."

This paper found a number of leading Republican officeholders in the state who mocked Palin's qualifications. "She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?" said Lyda Green, the president of the State Senate, a Republican from Palin's hometown of Wasilla. "Look at what she's done to this state. What would she do to the nation?"

Dermot Cole, a columnist for the Fairbanks paper, observed that he thinks highly of Palin as a person but "in no way does her year-and-a-half as governor of Alaska qualify her to be vice president or president of the United States.

"One of the strange things Friday was that so many commentators and politicians did not know how to pronounce her name and had no clue about what she has actually done in Alaska....I may be proven wrong, but the decision announced by McCain strikes me as reckless. She is not prepared to be the next president should something happen to McCain."

From the Saturday editorial in the Daily News-Miner in Fairbanks:

Sen. John McCain's selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate was a stunning decision that should make Alaskans proud, even while we wonder about the actual merits of the choice.... Alaskans and Americans must ask, though, whether she should become vice president and, more importantly, be placed first in line to become president.

In fact, as the governor herself acknowledged in her acceptance speech, she never set out to be involved in public affairs. She has never publicly demonstrated the kind of interest, much less expertise, in federal issues and foreign affairs that should mark a candidate for the second-highest office in the land. Republicans rightfully have criticized the Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, for his lack of experience, but Palin is a neophyte in comparison; how will Republicans reconcile the criticism of Obama with the obligatory cheering for Palin?

Most people would acknowledge that, regardless of her charm and good intentions, Palin is not ready for the top job. McCain seems to have put his political interests ahead of the nation's when he created the possibility that she might fill it.

NEED MORE ?

First, hope that you will agree that even your '65%' is a bit greater than the 9% approval rating enjoyed by the Pelosi-Reid led Congress.

Might find the following enlightening as well -- just to be 'Fair and Balanced'. Have a great day!!!

Exclusive: Palin Cabinet Member Speaks Out
By Mark Impomeni
Aug 31st 2008 12:15PM

Filed Under:eRepublicans, John McCain, Featured Stories, Republican Convention, Floor Fight

Annette Kreitzer, Commissioner of the Department of Administration for the State of Alaska since January 2007, shared some exclusive thoughts and impressions of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Kreitzer has known Gov. Palin for about ten years through Republican Party circles in the state, and has been impressed with her integrity and political skill.

PM: What will Gov. Palin bring to the Republican ticket?

Kreitzer: I think she'll bring that enthusiasm that Alaskans have seen. She just is a very caring person about those around her and about how, in her position, she can help make their situation better. I think Gov. Palin is going to do absolutely great. She's just a straight shooter.

PM: What would you say is her greatest political strength?

Kreitzer: Tenaciousness. She is just very tenacious. As an incoming Governor, she had a big and difficult task in getting her initiatives through, and she did it.

Commissioner Kreitzer also commented on the investigation into the firing of the Commissioner of Public Safety, Walt Monegon, over his refusal to dismiss a state trooper. Kreitzer said that, to her knowledge, Gov. Plain pressured no one and said that it was Monegon who was pressuring his colleagues on behalf of the trooper's union.

PM: Can you confirm that the trooper involved is the Governor's ex-brother-in-law and that the Governor wanted him fired in part because he was abusive to the Governor's sister?

Kreitzer: I don't know whether the governor wanted [the trooper] fired or not. I have never had a conversation with her about it. He's behaved badly, drank in the patrol car, shot a moose without a [license], tasered his step son.

PM: Monegon says that you pressured him on the governor's behalf to fire the trooper. Can you comment on that?

Kreitzer: I never had a conversation with the Governor about that. Monegon was trying to put the trooper's union first and policy second. He pressured me to pay for the union boss to do union business on state time and I told him no, twice. During the contract negotiation Walt pressured me about things he wanted to see in the contract. I work for the Governor. I do what the Governor tells me.

PM: What was Governor Palin's philosophy during the contract negotiation?

Kreitzer: Governor Palin wants to constrain the growth of government and takes that very seriously. I take that very seriously. At the same time the governor is a big supporter of public safety. It's unfortunate that Walt Monegon has tried to paint her as anti-law enforcement.

PM: Will the investigation fizzle out or will it last through the election?

Kreitzer: I think that it will fizzle away. I think the Governor has the right to be concerned about the safety of her family. I think that those conversations the Governor had with Monegon were entirely appropriate.

Kreitzer said that Governor Palin is the real deal and is beloved by the people of her state. She said that the Alaska delegation is simply thrilled that she has been chosen to be Sen. McCain's running mate. That enthusiasm that Alaskans feel for the Governor is exactly what the McCain campaign is counting on Gov. Plain providing the campaign on the stump.

Latest Rasmussen poll (August 29, 2008) portrays the following:
“However, in Alaska, the 44-year old Governor and hockey mom earns good or excellent ratings from 64% of voters statewide. Just 14% say she is doing a poor job. In a state whose senior Republican Senator has been indicted for ethical violations, 84% say Palin is at least as ethical as most politicians. Most (51%) say she’s more ethical than her peers.”

I had been reading up on her the last week or so, after hearing that she was a "possible", and was very impressed. I love how she stood up to her own party, and even resigned from her job over the lack of ethics of a fellow Republican. She's independent, tenacious, ethical, and strong. She has character and I like that!

Being as ethical as most politicians from a state where every Senator and Congressman is under indictment or investigation is some kind of landmark for the Republicans I guess.

Yep, a good strategic pick . . . if McCain were to win and he died while in office, the Neo-Cons would just play their puppet master role and Ms. Palin would be a Puppet President, just like George Bush the Second. Ms. Palin's accomplishments are notable--folks are just concerned about the substance behind the accomplishments--we'll get to see that in the debates. I for one want to know why she was for, then against, the bridge $$, and why she chose to *keep* the money anyway . . . !

"this was a marvelous pick and you are afraid, very afraid. - NOT!

The only thing I'm afraid of is if McCain actually wins, then croaks, and she becomes Commander in Chief. God help America, if that were to happen. I think it was Graham who said today that if Palin "can take on Ted Stevens, she can take on Russia." **smacks forehead** He followed this statement with a VERY, creepy nervous laugh.

You know, I am starting to feel sorry for this woman because she is so out of her element. She seems like a sweet lady, quirky and silly and someone who I wouldn't mind chatting with in the stands at our local soccer game, but NO WAY is she ready to be VP or Commander in Chief.

She was out campaigning today in Pennsylvania with McCain and during an interview, she said she was enjoying her new role and that "it's great to see another part of the country" Has this woman ever been outside of Alaska, or the US??

Get a thick skin, woman, quick!

I have no doubt that Gov. Palin can handle the ugly, belittling spew from you and your kind, Main, just like she will show her intelligence, wit and character with the likes of Obama and Biden. Just keep it coming; you show your smallness in your degrading comments!

It's facts this woman has no qualification to be vice president of the United States other than she meets the age requirement.

are smeared with ugly, belittling spew, it is understandable why everything looks that way.

"Whatever you practice is what you will be good at".

The choice was laughable, at first, but as a woman I really do feel sorry for Palin now, because she is being used JUST because she is a woman. I'm a liberal and strongly disagree with Palin's politics but I'm mad that the 'good ole boys', the male politicians, 'The Club' so to speak, is exploiting her gender - that makes me angry, as a woman.

This VP choice of McCain's is being spun in the media and blogosphere like it's a 'maverick' choice which is so much political bs. His real choice for a VP was Lieberman, which would have been a 'maverick' choice but the party hard-liners, and Rove, nixed that idea. McCain fell lock-step in-line with the neocons, and he looks like any other politician, losing the 'maverick' appeal he once had. It's a political gimmick and it looks cheap and calculated.

I think brat is right, Palin will be able to handle any personal attacks which I anticipate will be few. She seems to be wonderfully interesting.

Her problems will come when they ask her about what she would do to solve the rifts between the Shias, Sunnis and Kurds in Iraq? Does she think that Ahmadinejad runs Iran? What are her ideas on reconciling Ismail Haniyah and Mahmoud Abbas? If the Israelis push forward with an agreement with Syria would the US support them and why and if so why is she abandoning the Bush administration's position? Does she agree that Georgia should be brought into NATO like McCain wants and what are the ramifications of positioning the US and NATO against Russia? Does she think Putin can be negotiated with over the issue and what would the negotiations be based on? Does she approve of cross border raids into Pakistan and how does that impact our relations with Pakistan? Does she approve or disapprove of Israeli settlements in Palestine? Does she support division of Jerusalem if negotiated by the Israeli government if the Kadima or Likud Parties don't hold the Prime Ministership? What are her ideas concerning Syrian domination of Lebanon? Did the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri impact her decision? Does she think more troops should be sent to Afghanistan and if so how many and toward what strategic objective? What is she going to do about Iran possibly developing nuclear capabilities? Preemptive attack? If so how many troops does she anticipate we would need? What would she do if the Iranians tried to blockade the Gulf?

Obama and Biden (and McCain) could talk for hours on all of these issues. She's going to be reminiscent of Dan Quaylee.

On domestic issues she holds extremist views on many issues like opposing abortion in the case of rape and incest. I don't mind her having that position but it's tailored to the narrowest fringe of the Republican party; hardly a way to expand the Party and appeal to new voters.

I think that this election is somewhat special, people are concerned about the future in a way that they were not when Bush was first elected. Gov. Palin will be seen was woefully unprepared to take over if McCain, the oldest candidate ever, and sick, should become incapacitated.

It excites the base right now which McCain should have had already nailed down. Long term, after the inevitable gaffes and mistakes (that everyone makes), she will end up having called McCain's judgment into question with the American people.

You very eloquently express the real issue here. This woman does not know what a Shiite is, nor where Georgia is (probably either one), nor what the difference between the Federal Reserve and Bank of America is, more than likely. Let's just hope there is time to catch her in enough gaffs that people can see her inadequacy. What scares me is that I would have thought George W. showed his idiocy enough to avoid re-election and that didn't work. It seems that being of mediocre average intelligence and education resonates with people.

“It seems that being of mediocre average intelligence and education resonates with people.”

You are right. I have had the opportunity to study elections in many countries and this is truly a unique phenomenon found only in the US. There isn't another country on earth where the “I'm as dumb as you are” gambit is a vote getter. Even brilliant highly educated people are forced to downplay that aspect of their qualifications. It's a little weird.

City??? Isn't that a bit of a stretch? We are talking about a pueblo of less than 7000 people! I think John McCain has lost his mind.

A place with 7,000 residents IS a city.... 500 is a town.

Regardless of the size, it takes a person willing to make decisions to run it.... not just vote "Present".

Then I suppose Mr. Westmoreland could be Emperor of the world?

CARBON!

"Your, yore, you're all idiots." (T.Floyd)

What does the F stand for?

Why Carbon Is Not a Bad Word

You really asked that question, didn't you? Not too bright, are you? Use some common sense and maybe you can figure-it-out. Want two hints?

"Your, yore, you're all idiots." (T.Floyd)

Fortunately for those around me, I am neither a burn-out nor a dimwit. Your inane insults are really lame entries dude.

Where did you go? This was gonna get interesting. Oh well, couldn't stand the heat. While you're out, see if you can pick-up a sense of humour. It's kept on the "common" aisle. (get a grip Dem-boy, it's a joke)

"Your, yore, you're all idiots." (T.Floyd)

When John McCain introduced Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate Friday, her reputation as a tough-minded budget-cutter was front and center.

But in today's Anchorage Daily News, one finds she was FOR the bridge when campaigning to be Governor BEFORE she was against it.

"I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere," Palin told the cheering McCain crowd, referring to Ketchikan's Gravina Island bridge.

But Palin was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it.

The Alaska governor campaigned in 2006 on a build-the-bridge platform, telling Ketchikan residents she felt their pain when politicians called them "nowhere." They're still feeling pain today in Ketchikan, over Palin's subsequent decision to use the bridge funds for other projects -- and over the timing of her announcement, which they say came in a pre-dawn press release that seemed aimed at national news deadlines.

She took the money and used it for other projects.

"I think that's when the campaign for national office began," said Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Weinstein noted, the state is continuing to build a road on Gravina Island to an empty beach where the bridge would have gone -- because federal money for the access road, unlike the bridge money, would have otherwise been returned to the federal government.

A COST-CUTTING CONSERVATIVE?

The trickiest defense of Palin in the national spotlight involves her reputation as a budget-cutting fiscal conservative.

Part of that reputation comes from her political rhetoric, beginning with her years as mayor of Wasilla. But while Palin made controversial cuts at the local museum in Wasilla and battled library expansion, she oversaw a fast-growing town with a fast-growing budget to match.

Yes she cut spending at the museum and library where they have all those things to help kids get smarter and learn ABOUT SCIENCE.

It is obviously time.

Many women are insulted by this choice (and these were strangers I spoke too during voter reg. on Saturday). Spoke w/ 5 women, all over the age of 55--to a word "insulted" by McCain's choice.

Colleges and universities do not publish the dorm room phone numbers of students, so this pop is not polled in current statistics. Here's some previous info: (source: http://www.mysterypollster.com/main/2004/10/likely_voters_v_1.html)

"Here's the bottom line. On a self-reported question, 6% of those who qualified as likely voters said they will cast their first presidential vote in the 2004 election. Among all registered voters, 12% say they are first time voters. Though a very small subgroup (roughly 72 weighted interviews) first-time likely voters support John Kerry by a 56% to 42% margin, while past voters prefer Bush 52% to 45%.

The difference in the Gallup survey looks to me to be right on the edge of statistical significance. However, it is consistent with preference for Kerry among first time voters on two other recent surveys: 57% to 36% for Newsweek and 54% to 43% for ABC. Also on the 2000 exit polls, Al Gore won first time voters by a 52% to 43% margin. The real distinction for Gallup was the percentage of likely voters that qualified."

I do think older folks for Hillary will move to McCain. As you indicated, some women (hell hath no fury like a women scorned) will also move to McCain, but likely a wash given the numbers of women he has just insulted.

Hunters/NRA dudes and dudettes would have voted for McCain anyway. Nothing new captured here.

Right wing Christians, yes, more likely to go vote now.

However, you leave out the numbers--probably pretty big--of Republicans who are angry over where this country is, and where it will continue to head if McCain is elected. They are "closeted" with their views, and come election day, the won't be pulling the handle for McCain--

The race will be closer than prior to the Palin pick, but McCain will not win this election . . .

Only crazy "Christian" women will vote for this one, and they would have voted McCain anyway.
What kind of mother goes back to work when her new baby is 3 days old?

I believe you may be mistaken about half the first time voters who registered not voting. Although history is certainly on your side, this time the Obama campaign is doing a remarkable job keeping in touch with them and, maybe more importantly, it looks like he will have a virtually unlimited amount of money to get out the vote. I think the younger crowd's voter turnout is going to be phenomenal and (lost the reference to this so I can't back it up) if the under 25 voter turnout had been 3% more, Gore and Kerry both would have won. Those millions that registered because of Obama are not going to come even close to splitting into a tossup between him and McCain.

Here's another aspect: they all have cell phones and are not included in polling. If they participate it's going to take the McCain people by surprise because they will have had no reason to anticipate it.

There are two factors in play right now: racial voting and new voter registration drives and whether they mean anything substantial.

History up to this point indicates very strongly that people lie to pollsters often on the subject of race and voting. That means that right now McCain probably has a double-digit lead nationally over Obama. Whether people are now in 2008 less biased based solely on race is something that has yet to be proven. Maybe it will this time and maybe it will not. I'm thinking if anything people are MORE biased on this issue than a decade ago, and it's coming from both sides. There are going to be a substantial amount of black voters who are going to vote Obama solely because they think he's "black." There are going to be a less substantial amount of white voters especially women who will not vote for Obama solely because he's "black." Because a lot of these white women voters in swing states overwhelmingly went for Hillary in the primaries, Obama has a major problem.

It's the same with voter registration drives, especially those who target blacks and other minorities in lower middle-to-lower class areas. Historically, they've been meaningless more often than not. Maybe they will be more effective this time, though they can be highly effective in the south and it's not going to make a dent whatsoever in McCain easily winning the south as usual for the Repubs.

Some may say that Obama's candidacy is trailblazing and unique, but I don't see it. I see some similarities to Howard Dean's campaign strategy, but everyone saw how quickly that totally collapsed when the candidate himself proved to be erratic and a goof. The media fell in love with Dean too until he had a spazz and then they turned on him like rabid dogs. They won't do that with Obama as they really like him, but the honeymoon ended a while ago and now they at least make some attempt at balanced coverage.

"...the Obama campaign is doing a remarkable job keeping in touch with them and, maybe more importantly, it looks like he will have a virtually unlimited amount of money to get out the vote."

Funny you should mention that. I was at an Obama voter registration event this morning in PTC and about 50 volunteers showed up to hear Ms. Sinclair, who started up the Obama campaign office in Newnan recently. The volunteers have been very successful in the past few weeks registering NEW voters and this group will be going out again over the weekend. They have already registered hundreds of new voters in Coweta and Fayette, since they started, retaining phone numbers as well, which will be used to call recently registered voters in November to tell them which precinct to vote at.

I know that at Ga. Tech and GSU they have already developed GOTV databases with people who are going to organize drives to get people to the polls. I would assume that they are meticulously setting up programs like this across the country. The republicans worshiping him as a messiah has blinded them to the fact that he is a Chicago politician who started in community organizing. They'll spend years trying to figure out what hit them and why they didn't see it coming.

"Women - sure he'll get some - not as many as Hillary would have, but certainly more than Obama will now."

More than Obama will? That's doubtful, Robert. Many don't see Palin bringing significant numbers over to the ticket JUST because she is female. Palin doesn't stand for anything that Hillary does (pro-choice, affordable healthcare).

Your male hormones are clouding your judgment and like McSame, you just don't get it. It was NEVER about putting a female on the ticket. It was always about HILLARY and her platform.