"YOU BET 'CHA"

Last night Gov Sarah pulled the Straight Talk Express out of a spin going into turn four and got the bus going straight again. Liberals wont admit it but Miss Sarah was the better of the two on stage last night. Is she better informed than Joe Biden? No. Do I think she is as "qualified" as Joe Biden to be POTUS? No. But neither is Barak Obama. But when it comes to connecting to "Joe six-pack" Joe lost and the girl won.

I have expressed my concern that Gov. Palin is not ready to be VP or Top Dog. Last night confirmed two things. One, Gov. Palin doens not have the chops to be Veep or POTUS. Two, Miss Sarah is one smart cookie who connects with the public. Yes, the public. You kn ow the great unwashed in fly over country. The vast majority of people who vote and run America. If Miss Sarah doesn't make it with MAC across the line first on Nov 4 she will be the darling of the conservatives for 2012.

I still believe that MAC can win and strongly hope he does. TO do so he needs to get back to basics. My prescription for victory would be to discharge the Rove tactics and replace them with the MAC attack — a no-holds-barred, direct appeal to the patriotism and selflessness of Americans who share an ethos that we are all in this together, and that, in McCain’s words, we need to “fight for America… for her strength, her ideals and her future.” It is this genuine, from-the-gut appeal by John McCain that has inspired voters to help him, against all odds, capture his party’s nomination. It’s time for McCain to get back on the bus and once again tell Americans, “I’m not in this to be somebody; I’m in this to get something done”.

Start by tossing the Rove advisers off the bus.

A NEW POLITICS?

Senator Obama said he'd take public financing. He didn't. Senator Obama said he's debate Senator McCain "anytime anywhere". He has declined. Senator Obama said his campaign would take a new path, take campaigning to a higher plane. According to the non-partisan Wisconsin Advertising Project 77% of the Obama ads after the convention were negative.

Barak Obama, same old same old. Just a politician.

OBAMA HAS MADONNA AND BARBRA, WE GOT KING RICHARD

I'll take royalty everyday.

MO DO AT IT AGAIN...

Is there anyone still at the NYT HQ in New York City? Apparently not.

The nation's biggest Cougar Maureen "MO DO" Dowd has joined the rest of the NYT scribes and bivouacked herself at the local No Tel Motel in Anywhere, Alaska. The Queen of Cougars has opined on the MIss Sarah's foreign policy expertise, or lack there of. In her column today she compares the interview of Governor Sarah, by Charlie Gibson of ABC NEWS, with early interrogations of "W".

Queen Cougar writes about Governor Palin, "She had the same flimsy but tenacious adeptness at saying nothing, the same generalities and platitudes, the same restrained resentment at being pressed to be specific, as though specific is the province of silly eggheads, not people who clear brush at the ranch or shoot moose on the tundra."

Look, as one who wrote in Johnny Mac in 2000 and 2004, you won't get much of a defense of "W" from me. But, really, when will my girlfriend figure things out? As soon as she begins to make some sense she makes a statement so preposterous, so idiotic, so lacking in "gravitas" one begins to wonder if old Mo has gotten well---to use a ever present negative mentioned against MAC---too old?

One of the key talking points for those opposed to the Palin record is her "lack of foreign policy experiecne". I agree. I do think that the Governor of Alaska is lacking in the basics of foreign policy. So is Senator Obama. No better example of Senator Obama's limited grasp of foreign policy was his staggeringly incoherent response to the Russian invasion of Georgia. He bobbed and weaved and changed his answer more times than a husband caught with the family au pair.

MO DO, interestingly enough, highlights Governor Palin's use of Russia's geographic locale, "they're our next door neighbors" as an example of her weak foreign policy expertise. MO continues, "she might have realized that as heinous as Russia’s behavior toward Georgia was, it was not completely unprovoked. The State Department has let it be known that it warned McCain’s friend, Misha, the hotheaded president of Georgia, not to send troops in to crush the rebellion in two breakaway states."

MO, the reason "Misha" put troops into those regions was after the Russians, led by Mr. KGB, Valdimir Putin, had flooded the indigenous populations with Russian passports, arms and money. Georgia's mistake was falling into the trap. The idea that MO DO would place the blame of the invasion of Georgia highlights Ms. Dowd bias against the electoral system and the left's reflexive love of all things socialist. MO suggests we take Mr. KGB's rational for his invasion over our "allys" reasons to defend his country.

Sarah Palin has a lot to learn about foreign policy. So does Senator Obama. Difference is Senator Obama IS running for president. John McCain understands Mr. Putin. The next president needs to.

MO DO needs to leave foreign policy to the pros. Check out of that No Tel Motel in Anywhere, Alaska. Get back to NYC and resume her nocturnal cougar pursuits in the Meat Packing District.

GAME OVER! THE NYT HAS UNCOVERED REAL SCANDAL IN THE PALIN HISTORY!

...and the scandal is clearly enunciated on the NYT Sunday front page,"ONCE ELECTED, PALIN HIRED FRIENDS AND LASHED FOES".

Are you kidding me? I encourage anyone to read the entire NYT article in today's paper. Talk about no smoke, no fire. With all the resources of the "grey lady", after spending the last few weeks digging and digging with three reporters, the big scandal is that Governor Palin dispatched her enemies and hired her friends? That's news in politics? Please. Do I agree with some of the hires? No. But, I didn't win the election.

Bottom line remains. This hockey mom took on the republican party in Alaska, beat the incumbent powerful republican governor Frank Murkowski in the primary then defeated a former two term Democratic Governor in the general election. Along the way she raised taxes on the oil and gas industry and passed along the largess to the citizens. Governor Palin currently has a 80% approval rating. And the, yes, elite at the NYT don't understand it. You can feel the condescension dripping off the page. "These people are so stupid", is what the writers really want to say.

When people win elections they get to call the shots. No so long ago another ambitions woman who, didn't win an election, but wielded great power, made some changes too. From the White House travel office and attempting to reform our health care system an un-elected Hillary Clinton dispatched the disloyal and filled positions with Razorbacks.

Nothing wrong with that. You get to do that when you win.

WHY OBAMA WILL LOSE

I like Barak Obama. I have written publicly about that. His statements on "reforming affirmative action" and last night at the service forum at Columbia University Senator Obama endorsed getting the ROTC back on all Ivy League campus. I honestly believe he wants to change "politics". But thus far he hasn't been willing to do more than talk about change.

In July John McCain offered to Senator Obama that the two fly around the country together and debate the issues. A high risk offer and one I'm sure many McCain consultants were concerned the Obama folks might accept. But they didn't. (Unscripted events by candidates make political consultants go grey or bald or both. ) For all the talk and slogans of change, when Senator Obama is given chances to "change" he defers. In response to the Obama campaign claim of "change" I wrote in June the following:

There is no example of similar actions (of change) by Sen. Obama. In fact, just recently, in an effort to inject some change into the election process, Sen. McCain offered Sen. Obama an opportunity to travel across the nation, together, and conduct joint town hall meetings. The response has been calculating and political. Obama's advisers came back and agreed to one town hall format on July 4th and another four in the traditional format. Look, I love politics but I like my slow-cooked ribs and cold beer more. The idea of leaving the ribs and suds for a political debate, of any kind, ain't gonna happen. (Particularly on the only birthday I really care about.) The Obama folks know this and know I'm not alone. Bottom line, no one would watch.

Last night JSM was asked about the "tone" of the campaign. JSM responded by once again offering to debate with Obama across the country:

Questioned about the tone of the campaign, Sen. McCain insisted he was running an issues-based campaign and put the blame on his opponent for refusing to join him in town hall meetings.

"First of all this is a tough business," the Arizona senator said. "Second of all, I think the tone of this whole campaign would've been very different if Sen. Obama had accepted my request for us to appear at town hall meetings all over America."

Sen. McCain pushed for weekly town hall meetings more than three months ago, suggesting that the candidates travel together to battleground states and have a discussion with voters. Sen. Obama repeatedly refused to participate, citing the opportunities voters will have at the three presidential debates to see the pair together. WSJ

McCain spoke first at the forum last night. Obama heard McCain's town hall debate idea again and the junior senator from Illinois had plenty of time to consider the idea. Had the senator acted like another senator from Illinois who was not afraid of debate, Lincoln, and walked out on stage, accepted the challenge and said "lets start right now" that would have been a game changer.

Obama missed his chance. He will not win.

STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES.....

Lipstick is stupid.

But the Chairwoman of the South Carolina Dems is a mean and haggered old lady. Old Carol stated Governor Palin's "primary qualification seems to be that she hasn't had an abortion."

The most startling thing is that Carol Fowler got her position in politics the old fashion way. Her husband Donnie Fowler got it for her. (Remember Donnie? He was happy to see hurricane Gustav go into New Orleans since it was going to disrupt the GOP convention.) After all, when your hubby is on Bill Clinton's speed dial and a former Democratic National Chair who would dare raise a hand to Mamma Fowler's desire to be South Carolina's Democrat Chair? Hey, it gets her out of the house.

Unlike Mamma Fowler at least Sarah Palin didn't hide behind her hubby to get her success in politics. Sarah Palin got where she is through the votes of the people. No family money, no family political connections just a Mom who joined the PTA.

I am pro-choice but Mamma Fowler should be fired from her job immediately. Don't worry, hubby will find her some other no show job.

CAMILLE PAGLIA...NOTHIN' BUT NET

Feminist writer Camille Paglia writes a very balanced---I don't agree with all of it---excellent critique of just what's going on in the election. I doubt the Obama folks will read it.

They should.

IT'S THE VANDALS VERSUS THE CRIMSON

When all the analysis and hub bub is over this is going to be a campaign between two groups. On the one side you have the military community and people who have gone to state universities. Against, those that have gone to Harvard and Ivy League schools and lawyers. It's the University of Idaho Vandals versus the Harvard Crimson.

I'm doubling down on the Vandals.