Laconic weekend conversations all tell the same story: Palin was ineffective/the slide continues

[Stinky The Clown]

I love listening to weekend afternoon cable nooz. It is almost entirely the B team on there. They're usually more amenable to talking and less to shouting. You can actually hear what gets said. And the captains of their respective teams won't allow these people to say a damn thing that isn't cleared from their motherships, so it is also a good way to catch the latest buzz without the static.

It might be that leftovers are being served. But I don't think so. New polls are being cited. New analysis is being discussed.

They had some body language guy on. He was looking at debate game films. Sarah came off as really, really favorable .... for the first five or ten minutes. But by the end, her pugnacious prettitude came off badly, with audience reactions ranging all the way to contemptuous. "Contemptuous". That's not how you bring in voters.

From this and other discussions, it seems the buzz is that, in the most favorable analysis one can intellectually defend, she didn't lose any more ground. Wow! The best thing is that she didn't **lose**?

TeamMcCain's blowing off Michigan is another big topic. This led to discussions of Georgia - RED FUCKING GEORGIA - possibly being in play. Yes, all admit that's a long shot, but whoudda thunk they'd even be talking about this? And it seems old Saxby is in deepening, thickening shit, too. Some mention was made of the Obama campaign also leaving some states, but that was mostly in the course of some right wing yakker kitchen sinking at the end of his segment (Brad Blakeman, maybe?)

They talked about 'cementing opinions' becoming more and more common. By this, they meant people making up their minds. And almost all of it was for Obama.

They also spoke about other signs of desperation in the McCain campaign, beyond the obvious of pulling out of Michigan. They're getting ready to unleash the shit flingers. Rezko and that guy from the 60s .... the 'terrorist' who happened to sit on some board with Obama (his name escapes me) and Rev. Wright will be campaign ad fodder.

Lastly, there is almost complete unanimity that the financial news overwhelmingly favors Obama. McCain's stunts did nothing for him in a positive way. That was an unmitigated disaster for him. It was seen universally for the stunt it was. And they're *still* talking about what I have come to call The Moment ... when he said "The fundamentals are good."

Four weeks from today.

After a long and emotional 18 months, here we are ..... one month to the day away .... and getting stronger and stronger.

I have a suggestion for The Media:

You guys are always looking for a good story line. I got one for ya. Real simple. Fascinating to absolutely everyone, no matter their political stripe. Guaranteed to mesmerize, even as it pisses some off and elates others. Lots of opportunity for emotion. And it has but one word:

Go ahead .... say it ......

Landslide.

[livetohike]

1. I think Chucky T. came close to saying the "L" word

yesterday :-). Here in northcentral PA - rural as can be - there are more Obama than McCain signs. One McCain/Palin sign is in a flower bed surrounded by a deer fence.

[Diane R]

2. Great article, but we do NOT want to be talking 'landslide'. We want to be the underdogs.

[psychmommy]

3. word is that there is early voting in georgia.

that blacks are coming out in good numbers to vote for obama early. mccain must be crapping. georgia may be red but lots of northerners like my dad and some former co-workers have moved down there to retire. there retirement dollars go much farther. it is the same for north carolina. watch out dixie the yanks are coming to dilute the repub strong holds.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. That's what has already happened in Virginia

NoVa has more than counterbalanced "Fahjinya" (the rest of the commonwalth).

[CoffeeCat]

4. The media was uber-pressured by McCain...

...and his camp to put Sarah in the best light, post-debate.

Can you imagine the haranguing and the bullying that went on behind the scenes, "Don't
you dare spin the debate as anything but a brilliant performance for Palin!"

The media propped her up and reminded us all how much she improved.

America saw something different, and that is why the polls are tanking.

She was so flip, bizarre and unworthy of office--in that debate. Her over-the-top, Gidget-on-acid
performance was so misplaced and seemed to further demonstrate that she has no clue about
what it takes to be in higher office.

Maybe that winky-wink, "I've got a gleam in my eye" nonsense works in local Alaska politics, but
it looks foolish on the national stage.

America heard Palin and saw her performance, and clearly they saw that she isn't even in the same
league with Joe Biden.