During my small break from TPM while it got over its absurd and blatant Palin panic, I have been pondering the overall success of the Republican Convention. The issue, of course, is how we measure "success". I personally believe that success, for both Conventions, was the ability to bring in undecided and independent voters. Simple enough, and I think that's how most would define it.

That was obviously what the Democrats were trying to accomplish, and by all accounts, did a fantastic job. I have seen nothing to suggest that the Democratic Convention did not meet, exceed, and then blow away all expectations.

Which is why I was slightly worried about the Republican Convention. Certainly after the DNC, the RNC would push itself to be better, right? Perhaps. But I personally think that the RNC failed in a major way. Rather than forming itself to be new, inclusive, and painting a picture of a new and better America for all people, it formed itself around the notion of pure partisanship. That's why, despite my original worries going into the RNC, I am more confident than ever in Barack Obama's ability to win this election.

As we all know, Registered Democrats far outnumber Registered Republicans. So the only way John McCain was going to successfully run his campaign, was to appeal to those hard sought-after "swing voters". But is that what the RNC did? I find it absolutely impossible to argue that it did. The major speeches highlighting the Convention were fiercely partisan. The ones the voters will remember were not only fiercely partisan, but fiercely negative.

The two most important speeches of the Convention, Sarah Palin's and John McCain's, were both failures. There's no arguing that Palin successfully expressed herself and her ideas, but I again find it difficult to argue that she made any huge inroads to bringing in new voters. But that speech has been dissected enough.

The real big speech was (supposed to be) McCain's, and since people vote for the top of the ticket, it's the one that should have made the most impact. But it didn't. It was horrible, and it did nothing to allay the fears that so many voters must be facing right now concerning the economy.

I think of every analysis I've thus read on the speech, Al Giordano hit the nail on the head.

"John McCain delivered a terrible speech tonight, and as I said in the previous thread, it was reminiscent of Jimmy Carter's in 1980 for it's brain-dead platitudes atop a milquetoast delivery, all with the stench of a born loser, that left Independents and swing voters empty handed, wondering what the fuck?"

I highly suggest you read the rest of his entry.

Where some may be praising McCain's speech right now, praise within the moment and the partisan attitude of the Xcel Center is different than the impact the speech will have on undecided and independent swing voters in the long run. I have no doubt that McCain will see a bounce in the national polls in the next couple of days. But in the long run, which is always what Obama has been planning for, McCain is going to have a very difficult time convincing the voters he needs to convince to vote for him.

McCain has decided, after a summer of hammering Obama as an inexperienced elitist celebrity, to now, at this time, try to disassociate himself from that message, and instead claim that he, not Obama, is the real person to bring change. But he's running on an Obama-lite message under the assumption that 2008 is 2004. And it's not. I cannot kick the fact that two themes pervaded the Republican Convention: "Obama is bad" and "We need to fight the terrorists".

Why so little focus on the economy? Why so little focus on actual policies? Because McCain, like Bush in 2004, is trying to rally his base in order to win, and his base doesn't care about the policies, nor do they consider the economy and the middle class as the most important issues. But this is not 2004. Democrats are excited about their candidate. They are going to vote in higher numbers than they did in 2004. They are more excited and committed to winning. They do realize what's at stake. And more than that, the American people as a whole hunger for change, and hunger for a better America than the one they've had since 2000.

McCain, who had a chance to really prove his independence, to prove himself as a maverick, and to offer real solutions to America's economic troubles, blew it. McCain and the Republicans may believe this election is not about the issues, but the voters they need to win do. And unfortunately for McCain, he blew his best chance to win them over.

Yes, there will be debates. Yes, there will be other events in the coming weeks that could drastically change the direction of the campaign. But McCain blew his last chance to establish his candidacy, and the true message of his candidacy. Good luck, Senator McCain. After your speech, I really think you're gonna need it.

Ok, I've had my fun and entertainment exploiting the idiocy and weakness of Governor Palin's being chosen to be McCain's running mate. But I'm done now. Things have gone too far, in my opinion, and it's distracted us from the real issues at hand. Maybe it's just that it's the weekend, and it's a slow news weekend (it's Labor Day weekend, after all)? Honestly, I doubt it. If there was one piece of brilliance in McCain's choice of picking Palin, it was that the entire attention of media, bloggers, and normal old citizens alike shifted to her, and in many ways, off of him. Certainly off of Obama and Biden. Certainly off of the message they established at the Democratic Convention.

Listen, I get it: Sarah Palin is a completely unqualified, inexperienced, scandal-ridden, pathetic choice of a Vice President. And it's going to come out, and continue. But personally, I think there are more important things to be addressed, or at least we need to be approaching Palin in a different way.

Why aren't there any posts detailing how Palin is just "more of the same"? Certainly it would be nice to see an analysis of her numerous and truly <i>extremist</i> political positions. But we don't get that. Instead, we're given post after post about fucking "Waterbreakgate". Why? How is that truly relevant? "Judgment," I hear. Fine. Palin is not running for President. She's running for VP, and most people simply don't give that much of a shit for the person running bottom of the ticket. If McCain took a plane ride after leaking amniotic fluid, maybe it would be worth discussing at such ludicrous length.

I'm done with all that. My patience has been tried, and it's failed, and I'm amazed that such a thing has happened after only two days following her announcement as McCain's running mate. Wow. I usually have more patience than that.

And why must there be post after post about how Palin's a "game-changer"? If the Democrats play it right (and I have no doubt that they will), she changes nothing in the end. She offers more of same policies, on a more extreme level than even McCain. Her ideology is so extreme, it even conflicts with McCain in a number of ways. But no, I don't see posts about that. Rather, I see posts about a supposed conspiracy that her eldest daughter is actually her youngest's son's mother. What. The. Fuck? I get it, some people wonder, their minds wander and they question these things. But while we're at it, why not just revive Zeigeist: The Movie as a legitimate point of discussion?

I'm gonna take a break from TPM for a while. Devote some more time to my film reviews. Hopefully when I get back, Palin hysteria will have subsided and people will have realized her for the joke she is and be attacking McCain again, and his message, and his theme, and his policies. And while I'm at it, I'll be sending a few prayers (or hopes, or well-wishes) to the people of New Orleans and the Guld Coast. And they certainly don't deserve McCain's political exploitation. Shame on him if he really does it.

You can find the article here. CNN reports that,

But in contrast with the mild reception that greeted the comment at the
Ohio event, when Palin praised Clinton here for showing “determination
and grace in her presidential campaign,” the Alaska governor was met
with a noisy mix of boos, groans and grumbles around the minor league
ballpark where the “Road to the Convention Rally” was held.

Not the best reception on her first day on the campaign trail, is it? Not to mention she's getting booed for one of main reasons that McCain took her: to appeal to disaffected Clinton voters. Apparently, that strategy is already backfiring.

Thanks to JaneEyrez for pointing this out to me.

(Note: I would have given just the link rather than posting the play here, if Electoral-vote.com archived differently than it does. Though for the moment you can find the whole play right on the main page.)

Some of you know Electoral-vote.com -- well, in response to Sarah Palin's pick as VP, The Votemaster decided that, in this case, fiction is probably the best way to explain what the hell happened here. He said,

Sometimes fiction is a better vehicle for getting inside someone's mind. Besides, it's all we have.
Here is a short play for two actors. Let's call them Schmidt, a tough, savvy consultant, and McCain,
a candidate. All names have been changed to protect the innocent.

So, without further ado, here it is courtesy of The Votemaster:

The Veep: A Short Play in One Act
Schmidt: McCain, Get your ass over here and look at this map.

McCain: It's the U.S. with the states red and blue. Seen it before. What's your point?

Schmidt: Obama's gonna win all the Kerry States. You have a small chance to pick off New Hampshire but 60% of the people think you're pro choice. When they find out you've been pro life for 25 years, forget New Hampshire.

McCain: Where does that leave me?

Schmidt: Bush won 286 to 252.

McCain: Fine with me.

Schmidt: But wait a minute. Obama campaigned like crazy in Iowa. Won the caucuses big time. You barely set foot in the state. The people of Iowa take their caucuses very, very seriously. You insulted them. Make that 279 to 259.

McCain: I still win.

Schmidt: We're not done yet. Obama has been leading in New Mexico all year. State's full of Latinos. They preferred Clinton but they're still Democrats at heart. I think we're toast there. Now its 274 to 264.

McCain: A win is a win. Still better than Florida was.

Schmidt: Yeah, but now Obama is just 5 EVs short of a tie (which means it goes to the House and he'll win there) and 6 EVs short of a clean win. Look, there are six swing states this time: Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Colorado, and Nevada. We have to win all six of them. Can't lose a single state or we're dead meat.

McCain: I'm a fighter. You know that. The gooks couldn't break me. I'll campaign like hell in all six. Don't worry.

Schmidt: I'm worried. We're 50-50 on all six. It's like flipping a coin six times and getting six heads. One chance in 64, roughly 2%. We have to do something dramatic. Something that will throw all calculations out the window. Something that completely shakes up everything. Something that gives us a fresh start. Gotta hit the RESET button.

McCain: Have something in mind?

Schmidt: Yeah. Pick a black or a woman for Veep.

McCain: You mean I can't pick Joe? He's my friend and a great guy.

Schmidt: Half the convention would walk out. Besides, Jews aren't a novelty any more. Thank Gore for that.

McCain:. Shit. But blacks are fine with me. Colin Powell is a great American and one of the most respected people in the country.

Schmidt: He doesn't want the job

McCain: No sweat. Condi's the smartest woman I know. Mind like a bear trap. She'll run rings around Biden at the debate. She'll say: "I've been there. I talk to Putin every week. You're just an old windbag"

Schmidt: She's got "BUSH III" emblazoned on her forehead. And Obama is a happily married man with two adorable little girls, Condi's a single black woman who is apparently not much into families. Won't work. What about Kay [Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)]?

McCain: She's tired of the Washington rat race. She wants to go back to Texas. Be governor or something, you know like Ma Ferguson.

Schmidt: Ma's husband, the governor, was impeached and convicted. Ann Richards would be a better role model. What other women do we have?

McCain: Jodi [Rell] and Olympia [Snowe] are smart and popular but pro choice. The Base distrusts me already. They'd mutiny.

Schmidt: Elizabeth Dole? Susan Collins?

McCain: With either of those we lose a Senate seat. I don't want to have 60 Democrats to deal with over there. Reid might grow a spine. Can't encourage that.

Schmidt: Lisa Murkowski?

McCain: Her dad appointed her. She won on her own later, but I don't need to deal with nepotism and cronyism. Smells like Bush. I'm a maverick, remember?

Schmidt: Got it. Some businesswomen? Sarah Palin?

McCain: Carly [Fiorina] is great on economics, but she nearly she ran her company into the ground so the board fired her and then gave her $40 million so she wouldn't feel bad. The 20,000 people she fired aren't too keen on her. Meg Whitman did a fantastic job at eBay but nobody's ever heard of her.

Schmidt: So Palin's the only one left? What about her?

McCain: I met her once, at a governors meeting. Cute as a button. She ran for Miss Alaska. Came in second. I woulda voted for her. But it's a real Hail Mary pass. She's popular up north there where the sun never shines (except for some minor problems when she tried to fire her state trooper brother-in-law). She was pregnant with a Down syndrome baby and didn't abort him. The Base will love that. Her hobbies are riding her motorcycle and hunting moose. The coal miners in Appalachia will go wild over her. How fast can we print a million 8x10 color photos of her for their lockers?

Schmidt: Fast. But what about her experience. I mean, she's only been governor a year and a half. What did she do before that?

McCain: I think she was mayor of some village with six igloos. Who cares? I think you're right we have to shake things up completely. Change the game. The Base will eat her up on abortion, the Hillary fans will see that we respect women (unlike their guy). We grab the mantle of reformers. The white guys will be transfixed by this hot chick who hunts moose. I get to be Maverick-in-chief. Sounds like a winner.

Schmidt: What about the debate with Biden? What if the moderator says: "What would you do if Russia invaded Georgia again?" and she says: "I'll get on Air Force One and fly to Atlanta immediately."

McCain: Most Americans can't find Georgia the state on a map, let alone Georgia the country. I'll get Lugar to tutor her on foreign policy. He knows everything about it. I'm sold. Let's go for it.

Curtain falls.

The Huffington Post has an interesting article containing two videos that raise the question: was Sarah Palin properly vetted by McCain before he chose her, or is she just a gimmick intended to attract votes he knew he couldn't get without a woman on the ticket?

Andrea Mitchell mentions in the first video that McCain and Palin had only met one time before he told her he wanted her as his running mate.

It has a second video, from Think Progress which has McCain Campaign spokesperson Nancy Pfotenhauer on Fox News, being asked by host Bill Hemmer how well McCain knew Palin. Her response?

You're running flat into the wall of my ignorance here, Bill. I truly
have no indication whatsoever the extent of a relationship that exists
with the Governor of Alaska.

That doesn't really bode well, in my opinion.

As Politico reports,

McCain’s first encounter with Sarah Palin
came at a Washington meeting of the National Governors Association in
February, according to a campaign-provided reconstruction of how the
little-known Alaska governor was thrust into the national spotlight. The two discussed the
position by phone on Sunday before McCain invited Palin and her husband
to Arizona to formally make the offer.

McCain met her once in person, and spoke to her once on the phone before bringing her to Arizona to ask her in person to be his running mate.

It also doesn't help that now a video is circulating of Palin saying she doesn't even know what the Vice President does. Again, doesn't really bode well to have a Vice President who doesn't even know what the job is about or what they're supposed to do.

McCain knew her about as well when he picked her as the rest of America knows her now. That doesn't seem like sound judgment to me. It sounds like she was picked on a whim. A gimmick to attract voters McCain was having trouble attracting, and a way to take the narrative off of the DNC and Obama's historic speech.

I'm baffled, confused, and I personally find McCain's judgment more pathetic than ever on this one. If I were a Republican, I'd be calling bullshit.

Something very distinctive happened today in the short and truly unmemorable speeches of Senator John McCain and Sarah Palin, when he announced her as his Vice-Presidential running mate. Simply put, McCain's entire campaign message has changed.

His decision on picking Palin was made on Thursday morning. This is important, as it came before Obama speech, but after both Hillary and Bill Clinton's speeches, and then of course, Joe Biden's speech.

McCain saw that they were not backing down against him. The Democrats were hitting him hard and showing him for his true colors as a hypocritical Bush lackey. There was only one way McCain could curb the onslaught he knew he would face in Barack Obama's speech, and then subsequently in the weeks to come. The Democrats had hit it home: McCain was not change, he was not reform, and he was nothing but more of the same Bush policies and politics.

So, he picks Sarah Palin, a young, attractive Washington outsider who has a (very slim) record of reform in her (very small) state of Alaska. That, my friends (snark!), is the key. John McCain is no longer going to be running on the failing message that he's most qualified to lead. He will be running on the message that he'll be going to Washington to reform it, along with his reformist pretty girl.

Essentially, the campaign has no longer become one of change vs. experience, but one of change vs. reform, concepts that to many will be seen as synonymous, but to the observant voter, will be seen as nothing more than a gimmick.

Does Palin being on the ticket essentially destroy the argument that Obama is not ready to lead? Yes, and that was precisely what McCain was counting on. But the key here is in the result. McCain will now be forced to fight Obama on Obama's ground, rather than continue to fight on his own. Who is most qualified, not to be in the White House, but to change and/or reform Washington.

In a way, Obama should be happy. This is, after all, the debate he wanted to have, isn't it? Who will actually change the Washington establishment? Perhaps, though, it's not. Obama's strategy has always been one of policy, not of character (though he has plenty). Whomever wins on policy, essentially, wins the election. I agree, and his acceptance speech confirmed it. But Palin has forced change not to be debated on what policies will be different, but simply on what character will be different.

Obama should, from this time forth, attack McCain and Palin on their knowledge, their expertise, and their abilities to face the policy challenges, both foreign and domestic, of the next administration. He has proven he has the judgment and character to lead the nation. Can his policies and positions also hold up? The answer, unequivocally, is yes, and if he can make that clear to voters, Palin's entire candidacy will seem, in a sense, absurd.

Reading through the "analysts" and their comments, it's hard to find a real negative response. CNN stood out for me. As a network that has been pissing on Obama for months now, I was surprised to see that Paul Begala had infinite praise. He said, "I can't say enough about it."

David Gergen says it has "...echoes of Lincoln, of King, even of Reagan and Kennedy. ... As a political speech, it was a masterpiece."

Chuck Todd on MSNBC said, "the Republicans don't know how to react to this speech ... With their response, they might have well have been speechless" -- he also commented on the Convention, saying the Republicans have a tough act to follow.

Politico declares, "Obama masters his moment."

And as a side note, MSNBC has an online poll asking if the speech made you more or less likely to vote Obama. I know how these polls shouldn't be taken so seriously, but already there are almost 15,000 people saying they're more likely to vote Obama. That's over 75% of respondants.

Obama was wonderful. Perfect. Masterful. When even the pundits agree, you know you have a winner.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/29/analysis.day4/index.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26448429#26448429

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12962.html

Senator Obama, I wanted to thank you. Though many of these feelings, I am sure, might not last as I know I am on an emotional high from your speech, let me say...

Thank you for making me hopeful.

Thank you for affirming my belief in you, and in your candidacy.

Thank you for inspiring me.

Thank you for making me believe in myself, in our nation, and in our future.

Thank you for putting to rest the cynic in me.

That you for restoring my idealism, which in recent weeks had been waning.

Thank you for making me a part of this movement you've created.

And Senator, most of all,
Thank you for truly making me proud of my country, and proud to be an American, things that should be so simple, and yet for me, had until now become so hard.

According to the Iraqi Prime Minister.

The article is over at Reuters, and it's small, but the point is clear, whether Condi wants to admit it or not. There are very clear negotiations taking place for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

I can't help but think: how will McCain get around this one?

I also wonder: will the MSM finally hold McCain accountable for refusing to commit to a withdrawal of US troops, despite the fact that Iraq wants our troops out, and now the U.S. is firmly negotiating (if not agreeing) to have troops out by 2011?

During the primary, the polls were all over the place. Sometimes McCain was ahead. Sometimes Obama was ahead. Hillary was always that outlier, preventing a poll surge for Obama. As soon as he clinched the nomination, the surge happened. It was completely expected for those who actually paid attention.

Then the polls started to drop for Obama, and rise for McCain. They've pretty much leveled off. Because of the Democratic Convention about to begin, and Joe Biden now officially Obama's running mate, the polls will most likely sway in Obama's favor over the next week or so.

Then the Republican Convention will come just one week later, and things will get skewered. Very skewered. When they do, we have to be fully prepared for what's going to happen: McCain will get a boost in the polls, perhaps even truly overtaking Obama for the first time since he clinched the nomination.

Anyone who does not accept this as even a possibility is in denial. But I can imagine many of you don't even think of such things regularly. I, unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on the perspective) think too much of them.

When McCain starts having a better showing in the polls, we need, absolutely not, let it get us down. Morale is a huge factor in keeping the hope alive. Morale has been plaguing the Republicans this entire Election cycle. Let's not let is plague us.

We need to not declare that the fight is over. We need to put things into perspective, and most of all, we need to fight harder than ever to make sure Obama surges ahead of McCain when the post-Convention poll skewering finally subsides. We need to unite, stronger than ever, campaig harder than ever, and donate more than ever.

I know. Polls don't really matter, especially national ones, and especially not after the Conventions. But that won't matter to the MSM. They won't say, "we need to put things into perspective that until the end of September, these polls are very inaccurate." Instead, they'll continue to feed us bollocks about how McCain is finally the "frontrunner", etc. And people, as much as they say they don't pay attention to polls, feel the burn when polls come out unfavorably for their side. It's hard not to when the MSM touts them as empirical fact, rather than a rough statistical snapshot.

You know, it would be wonderful if it didn't happen. If Obama stayed ahead the entire time. I hope I'm proven wrong. But in the scenario that I'm not, let us not forget the truth behind the curtain of polls.

Biden is a great choice for a number of reasons. These are just a few.

Foreign Policy/National Security: What's absolutely clear is the advantage Obama is now going to hold in the realm of Foreign Policy. McCain cannot touch the Obama Camp. on that issue anymore with any real success. Biden is one of the most knowledgeable people in the USA on issues of National Security and Foreign Policy. It's not even a debatable point. Anything McCain will say, Biden can counter. He'll be an adviser to Obama, telling him what to say in response. It's beautiful.

Demographics: To be blunt, old people like Biden. See for yourself. Having talked to older voters myself at previous times, I definitely think the numbers are spot-on. With him now on the ticket, I can only imagine Obama's numbers with older voters will increase. PA is probably no longer a swing state because of it, and Obama most likely has a better chance in FL, too. Considering his numbers haven't been bad there, it wouldn't surprise me to see a 1-2% increase in the state. That could be enough to swing it for him.

The Attack Dog: McCain has gone completely negative. Obama has kept himself in a positive light. More people think of Obama as a positive campaigner compared to McCain. But it's impossible to deny that without properly and forcefully responding to McCain's attacks, Obama will be in bad shape. Biden can fill that role, and do it wonderfully. Simply put, Biden doesn't take any shit. And that's a very good thing. He can do the attacking that Obama can't, and he will be more effective than Obama ever could be in the realm. As an attack dog, Biden is the perfect pick.

Good for the Liberals: If you don't think so, look at the response Evan Bayh received when he was tested. Biden, on the other hand, voted against the FISA Amendment, has renounced his vote for the Iraq war as a mistake, and has been very, very vocal in his opposition to the Bush Administration.

He Speaks His Mind: It can be a drawback in public, but this is exactly what Obama needs. He needs an adviser who isn't a yes-man, and who will tell it like it is. If Obama's doing something wrong, there's no one better than Biden to let him know. It's undeniable that Obama is young and has been learning as he goes along. Having Biden by his side with ensure that he makes less mistakes and hits more of the right notes. It's a brilliant combination when you really think about it.

There are, of course, plenty of other great reasons. I was simply hitting on my favorites, and the ones I think will aid Obama best.

Biden is not perfect. But personally, I don't think anyone would have been. Some people will be unhappy with this choice. Those who are smart will realize the positives far outweigh the negatives. Biden was not my first choice, but he's absolutely a great one.

I'm totally on board.

<A
HREF="https://donate.barackobama.com/page/smartproxy/www.barackobama.com/images/vp/vp_splash_wlp.jpg">Obama/Biden '08!</A>

The polls are tightening. John McCain is riding a wave of negativity right to the bank, and Barack Obama's left behind in his cloud of green.

What is Obama going to do? Even before the Conventions and before VPs are nominated, Obama is out in the dust. There is, without a doubt, no chance of recovery. The election is a mere 76 days away. It's already August! As history has proven, if a Democrat is not at least 23.6 points ahead of his opponent in most polls, especially Zogby, he is finished.

It is unfortunate, but by most counts, there is nothing Obama can do. Yet, for those that think such things, there is a daring solution. In fact, the only solution at this dire time.

Obama must enlist the help of his fellow Jedi Knights. As we know, the Force is strong with Obama. This is undeniable. But beat the Dark Side, he must. And do it alone, he cannot. If Obama does not act quickly and call for the help of his fellow Jedi, fail he will.

There is not much more than can be said. One lone Jedi cannot take down an evil empire. If he is alone, fall he will. But with help, fail he will not. Obama's blatant Jedi elitism and go-it-alone attitude can never succeed against the might of the Sith.

So, to Barack Obama, if he's out there reading this: ask the Jedi Council.

And Barack, remember: anger leads to hatred, and hatred leads to the Dark Side. You've seen such happen to your opponent, so don't let it happen to you.

...

You can interpret this however you want. I didn't mean it in any metaphorical sense. I was just bored.

Here's a point that has been mentioned numerous times throughout this campaign: many of Obama's strongest supporters, and those who came out in droves to support him are younger people. And many of those younger people own cells phones. Many of those younger people also do not have land lines.

This is a very key point. Polling is done (for the most part) through land line phones. The entire demographic of people who do not have a land line are being extremely undercut in polling done. Nationally, this is not a huge deal, but in the state-by-state polling done, it is a huge one.

This was brought back to my attention when I was listening to NPR's All Things Considered today. They brought on Brian Melendez, Chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Minnesota's chapter of the Democratic Party.

On it, he stressed that, though there we see a tightening race in Minnesota, the polls being released are significantly undercutting a huge portion of Obama's base: those young voters who rely on cell phones, text messaging and emails for communication, and don't own land lines.

It's not a long, drawn-out point like many of the ones I post here. But it's something to think about for those worrying about tightening poll numbers, especially on the state level (I personally think national polls are completely useless - we don't practice direct elections, so national polling is a sham).

There's a tightening race, it's true. But like Melendez said, "We all expected it" -- those who didn't were kidding themselves long ago. But those who are truly afraid and getting down and out, or outright depressed, I ask that you think from all angles and put things in perspective before giving up. It ain't over 'til it's over.

And if that doesn't help to allay your worries, then this might.

...

Yes, it was meant for a laugh. =)

As many of you know, John McCain has called for the building of 45 brand new nuclear power plants in the United States.

For those that remember, McCain gave a speech on April 23, 2007, and then continued to repeat the statement that,

We've let the fears of thirty years ago, and an endless political squabble over the storage of nuclear spent fuel make it virtually impossible to build a single new plant that produces a form of energy that is safe and non-polluting. If France can produce 80% of its electricity with nuclear power, why can't we?

The full text of that speech can be found here, taken straight from his own website.

It seems to me that John McCain is under the assumption that France's nuclear power plants are 100% safe. But as we are now seeing, France has had a recent bout of leaks from its nuclear power plants. To quote from the article:

Weeks before, on July 18, France reported its second radioactive leak in a month. Officials said uranium may have leaked for years from a cracked pipe at a plant in southeast France owned by Areva SA. Earlier in July, Paris-based Areva, the world's largest nuclear-reactor maker, closed part of a waste- treatment plant after discovering a uranium leak and radioactive pollution.

McCain spokesman Taylor Griffin said such incidents don't worry the candidate.

``Given our country's stellar record of safety in both the commercial and military sectors, we can be assured of the safety of U.S. nuclear power now and in the future,'' Griffin said.

This is on top of McCain's statement on July 22nd that,

    We have been sailing nuclear ships around the world for 60 years, never had an accident...

As the same Bloomberg article quoted above states,

    Only two days later, the Navy disclosed that one of its nuclear submarines, the USS Houston, had been leaking radioactive coolant for two years as it called on ports in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Guam and Hawaii. The incident is part of a spate of nuclear accidents on land and sea that may undermine McCain's message.

Despite these issues, McCain has no worries or fears. This is without mention that there is still no properly safe way to dispose of nuclear waste. Obama has already been hitting McCain on this very issue with his Yucca Mountain ad. As I heard on NPR today, this is an issue that France has been struggling with, as it's begun running out of places to store the waste. Rural areas that once allowed storage are refusing to do so.

It makes sense then, considering France's growing concerns over its nuclear program, that McCain has stopped mentioning and touting the France example that he used back in that speech from April, 2007.

I must ask, what exactly is McCain thinking? Expanding out nuclear power is one thing. Obama has proposed it on a much smaller scale. But building 45 new plants by 2030? Does McCain really have any grasp on the idiocy of such a project?

Let us not even mention the cost. According to MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal, estimates are of building a new nuclear power plant would be anywhere between $5 and $12 billion, far above previous estimates. That's only one new plant. On the low end, and assuming that every power plant cost only $5 billion, that's a whopping $225 billion. And as we can likely assume, the cost would be much, much higher. How, I ask, does McCain intend to pay for these 45 new nuclear plants? Raising taxes? Certainly not. He's a fiscal conservative.

I'm not even going to go in-depth with the fact that market competition for nuclear power is practically nonexistent, and so the Government has had to greatly subsidize nuclear energy. If you want, you can read more over at Salon. But again, more and more Government subsidies? Fiscal conservatism at its best.

There's probably a lot more information out there. I'm only giving the small amount I found. I found it in less than an hour, and going mostly on a hunch (and educated guessing) about the issues with and costs of expanding our nuclear power industry.

In a nutshell, McCain's nuclear proposal is absolute bollocks. For all the reasons I've given, and probably many, many more.

Steve Clemens reports that a VP decision has been made, though not revealed.

He reports that it will not be Bayh (a huge sigh of relief for all the anti-war voters out there), Daschle or Clark. It also won't be Senator Jack Reed, though Obama thinks very highly of him.

But he also says NOT to count out Clinton, Gore or Kerry.

But according to Clemens, all signs point to Biden. I'm in agreement here.

Thoughts?