And now, as we say our nighttime prayers and prepare for bed, having seen that the Japanese stock market lost 10 percent of its value on Friday, let us turn to Ross Douthat for a melancholy meditation on the flailing desperation of the McCain campaign. We're headed into Grampa Simpson territory with the Republican standard bearer. Why, I expect that McCain will say this any day now:
"We can't bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell them stories that don't go anywhere. Like the time I took the fairy to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe so I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on them. Give me five bees for a quarter you'd say. Now where were we, oh ya. The important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because if the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones. Bill Ayers! Bill Ayers! Bill Ayers! Now, where was I..."
Seriously, I think that the Ayers connection is meaningful. I really do. But it absolutely pales by comparison to the collapse of our economy, about which McCain has little of interest to say. I suspect that many independent voters, when they hear McCain talk about Bill Ayers, feel the same sense of eye-rolling, you-don't-get-it disdain I do whenever a liberal freaks out over John Hagee's name being attached to McCain. As if that had anything to do with anything that mattered.
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I'm with Anon and Turmarion. I could stand to hoist a few pints after looking at my 401K yesterday. Reaganite, you should join us. You really need somethin' to take the edge off.
Reaganite, the point is, whether you like Ayers or think he is a creep, he is an accepted part of the Chicago political scene.
You may not like it, but the fact that Obama sat on the same boards (along with lots of conservative businessmen) with Ayers doesn't mean much.
I think Ayers is a creep, personally (and I think Chavez is an undemocratic clown and a very dangerous person) but that doesn't change my opinion that McCain would be a far riskier choice for our next President than Palin.
Oops, haha, Reaganite, I meant to say McCain would be a far riskier choice than Obama. But, McCain might also be a riskier choice than Palin.
I was "Anon" at 12:53. Sorry - forgot to input my John Hancock before hitting the "Post" button.
Maybe the bartender will put it on our tabs. :^)
Lord Karth
According to the latest Zogby poll, Obama is only up by 4; very close to the margin of error. Factor in the Bradley factor, and he's probably actually down by 2.
You're looking at the wrong thing. Presidents don't win the popular vote, they win the electoral vote.
Obama is, at this point, posed to win in a win a huge, 340+, blowout electoral vote. Check out 270towin.com, Obama has 264 electoral votes from states with stronger than 5% Obama support...and needs 270 to win. McCain has 163 votes with 5% support.
Or, to rephrase, McCain has to win every state that isn't polling at +5% Obama: FL,OH,NC,VA,IN,MO,CO,NV (There is, indeed, a reason, McCain was in Ohio a few days ago, despite him being well behind there...unless he turns it around there, he loses.)
Of course, that's just one site, but, OTOH, Real Clear Politics, which is generally regarded as right leaning, has Obama 277, McCain 158, which means Obama wins, period.
Republicans and the media like to quote the 'average' like it's meaningful, for different reasons... Republicans because it keeps them from admitting how far they're behind, and the media because they love a close race. But don't delude yourself...if the election was held tomorrow, it's entirely possible possible it would be callable for Obama when the EST polls close if Florida, Ohio, Virginia, or North Carolina voted for him. (Me, I'm hoping for Georgia! Yes, Georgia. I give it 1/10 odds.)
Granted, it's still a month before the election. OTOH...when is that Alaskan report getting released? Today?
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