I think the post IS an example of constructive criticism. Criticism is, in so many words, talking about what you're doing wrong. What makes it constructive is talking about ways to do it right. The post contains both of those elements, in my opinion.

That said, I don't think we can ignore Palin. What I propose is to hammer Palin - and then use the flattened Palin as a broadsword on McCain (which I talk about below).

OBSERVER,

Please look here.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/drop-sarah-palin-like-a-bad-ha.php

Feel free to Copy it, put your name on it and post it wherever you want. As a matter of fact I encourage Everyone to Copy it, put your name on it and post it wherever you want.

ALSO I would be forever grateful if everyone would also post to my new site that can be found here

http://www.tmcpac.com/forum

Currently you can
Preview your post
Edit your post AFTER they have gone up
Include Attachments
Create your own poll with up to 10 responses
Build a Friend and Foe list
Embed video
Subscribe to your choice of topics
Have a signature
Easy printing of individual posts

I'm still working on it so let me know what YOU think it needs.

I also need some moderators.

Again, PLEASE check it out and let me know what you think.

Thanks O¿O

How about some constructive criticism and focus on what needs to be done NOW.

Did you think I was suggesting we talk about Iraq later?

I usually agree with 99.9% of what you post. This falls in that other 0.1%, in part for a fairly devious reason.

I think part of the Obama strategy is having his supporters do some of the dirty work in getting the negatives about McCain and Palin out there. Now, I'm not talking about surrogates, but supporters like us.

All the blogging, letter writing and calling that we do HAS AN EFFECT. It takes a TON of it, but it happens. And I seriously believe that's been part of his campaign's calculation - using the Internet to help with some of the uglier negative messaging.

Here's an example how I see our echo moving beyond this place.

We blog, we write, we complain. One of our letters makes the front page of TPM, or Ben Smith's blog, or Marc Ambinder's blog, or wherever. Some front-pager on another site writes up their view on the situation. That front-pager gets picked up by other front-pagers in non-traditional media.

An assignment editor (say, for AP), watching the Internet and using the Google, sees a lot of articles on this topic. They get some reporter to run it down. That reporter, using a lot of the same sources quoted by the assignment editor, writes up a syndicated piece saying "X". That piece gets picked up by 20, 30, 40 or however many dailies, and run under an AP byline. Voila - instant meme!

The reason we have a swing right now in media perception of McCain/Palin's lies is because many of us on the left howled like crazy every time she claimed to kill the bridge proposal or he claimed she rejected earmarks. We kept the pressure up.

Eventually, our voices got recognized. And now, the media's finally beginning to flagellate McCain properly for his duplicity...and Obama's fingerprints are nowhere to be found, thus lending even more legitimacy to the media's U-turn on the Low Road express.

I think Obama *has* to ignore Palin. But I think *we* absolutely cannot afford to do so. Yes, a lot of the shots taken are wild swings and misses. But all it takes is just one big punch. Ask Michael Moorer. :-)