If think the big impact is on the undecideds. Obviously the Palin minions are going to love her even more. But if a small fraction of the undecideds move against Palin on this, it might even be the margin of victory. I don't see how this can be considered good for Palin or McCain.

McCain's judgment is also in the toilet on this. He did not vet her before choosing her.

This hurts no matter how you paint it.

Posted at October 10, 2008 9:00 PM in response to Lawmakers To Release Trooper-Gate Report

It IS damaging just from the public relations and image point of view, even if the say she had a right to fire Monegan. It says she cannot be trusted with power. What don't you understand about that?

Posted at October 10, 2008 8:53 PM in response to Lawmakers To Release Trooper-Gate Report

McCain just got a fourth quarter break. Now he has a perfect excuse to dump Palin. Romney up next. The right wing will never accept Lieberman. But can McCain/Romney turn it around in three weeks? Only if he fires Schmidt (McCains biggest problem all along) and Davis, and even then it is a long shot, because the clock is running out. Not to mention the huge pall this throws over McCain's credibility as potential CiC -- f**cks up his first major decision, picking a VP.

Posted at October 10, 2008 8:49 PM in response to Lawmakers To Release Trooper-Gate Report

Not only that the McCain campaign has already released their own "exoneration." Extremely risky. If the report exonerates her, they break even. Big deal.If the report faults her, they lose big time in terms of erratic behavior and credibility. Not only that they are giving the issue more legs.

The risk reward ratio of releasing their own exoneration was too small. McCain is again showing what a bad gambler he is. He is a crap shooter, not a true gambler, who evaluates the risk/reward ratio before acting.

Posted at October 10, 2008 8:20 PM in response to Release Of Trooper-Gate Report Hangs On GOP Cooperation

Look, it is as simple as this: The taxpayers of Alaskans are paying the salaries of the people doing the investigation, it is an official state investigation, and it is a relevant issue. Therefore the taxpayers have a right to know what is in the report. They have to release it, no question an all, else the taxpayers can take it to court. So the only thing they are arguing about is WHEN TO RELEASE.

The longer they hold out, the worse it gets for Palin. Suspicion will spread like wildfire within the state. If the report exonerates her, they would have released by now.

You draw your own conclusions.

Posted at October 10, 2008 8:12 PM in response to Release Of Trooper-Gate Report Hangs On GOP Cooperation

Stevens' word is sterling? As in thirty pieces of silver?

Posted at October 10, 2008 7:32 PM in response to Colin Powell Vouches for "Sterling" Sen. Stevens

If the legislature sits on the report there's going to be a lot of very angry Alaskan citizens, some of them wolves, who do not enjoy being shot at from a helicopter, and moose that do not enjoy being made into mooseburgers.

Remember, the legislature guys and gals are coming up for re-election sooner or later, eh?

Posted at October 10, 2008 5:04 PM in response to Alaska Lawmakers Could be Meeting For A While

Strange that with several professionals here, nobody so far has mentioned that given his history, the possibility of PTSD in McCain is real. In fact, my own reaction (not a psychologist here) to the "fellow prisoners" slip-up was that for that instant, he thought he was addressing a group or prisoners because that was how he saw himself, in that instant. Later on, I read comments on it that said that this was a "flashback," a term used to describe momentary mental disturbances that PTSD victims experience.

So, given his wartime experience, one would think that PTSD would be very active component in McCain's psyche, not that it excludes other factors, such as age and incipient dementia.

Posted at October 10, 2008 4:52 PM in response to Why Josh Marshall is Exactly Right about McCain’s Psychologyc

It does make a huge difference if these hecklers are plants. It these are deliberate acts on the part of the campaign to foment violence, either purely verbal or actual, at some point they may come in for charges of hate crime, esp. it it leads to a tragic outcome for somebody, perhaps even in the audience in which it takes place.

Folks, let us not kid ourselves. If Palin/McCain are deliberating sponsoring agents in the audience to make these shout-outs, it makes a HUGE difference.

Posted at October 10, 2008 4:34 PM in response to Gergen: McCain And Palin Should Calm Down The Unhinged McCainiacs

In the eyes of the Republicans the underlying menace is that Obama is half-black.

Posted at October 9, 2008 12:29 PM in response to Obama To Hit McCain For "Erratic And Uncertain Leadership"