On the other hand, maybe the incentives are there after all since it should be abundantly clear to anyone that "kicking the can down the road" by promoting a bubble is playing with nitroglycerin and a match.

More here for anyone interested.

7) Crowdsource anything you want:

- Instead of (or in addition to) having a point person for rounding up legislative votes, set up a website which keeps track of who will vote for X. Similar to Josh Marshall's "Conscience Caucus" and "Fainthearted Faction" during the Soc-Security debate. Also provide information on how constituents can contact each legislator's office, as well as (perhaps) links to information regarding each legislator's funding sources.

- Provide an online forum for the wiki-creation of speeches. Have official speechwriters or other staffers periodically review the highest-rated submissions.

- Provide an area where volunteers can submit and vote on their own ideas for new presidential initiatives.

Obama has demonstrated that he recognizes the power of organizing and technology. He now has an unprecedented opportunity to make the American people a partner in their own governance. Not only can his supporters help him get things done, but giving them increased ownership and say will strengthen American democracy.

1) Take online or phone polls of volunteers to "take the temperature" of supporters on policy decisions, or on ordering priorities.
2) Have an online forum where people can meet and discuss issues. This can help harmonize the opinion of supporters when they disagree, and give them a stake in the policies they are being asked to advocate for.
3) Begin a "national conversation" initiative in which each supporter is asked to seek out McCain voters and engage them in a targeted, goal-oriented and possibly somewhat scripted conversation on national priorities.
4) Canvassing, phone-banking, etc., but instead of asking for a vote, asking for the person to call their obstructing legislator (similar to Old Grouch's suggestion).
5) Continue to build the organizer base -- sending more volunteers to organizer "boot camp" to build capacity.
6) Actually holding periodic national referendums (is this even legal? It sounds expensive), and using the organizer base to GOTV and persuade voters.

1) Responsible stewardship of the economy;
2) Responsible end to the war in Iraq and a redeployment of additional troops to Afghanistan;
3) Reasonably generous treatment of political opponents (i.e., not ramming things through, speaking respectfully)
4) Steps towards energy independence and health care reform.

It is clear that the national polls have shifted towards McCain in the last two days.

So, these polls do not tell us what is happening right now in swing states.

This thing is far from over. And I think it is a big tactical mistake for TPM to be spending so much time and energy focusing on the latest polls in the last week of the campaign, where maybe 10% of voters are right now making their decisions.

Every article about the latest poll is an article not about health care or pushing back against the charge of socialism. "It's inevitable that we will win" is not a useful narrative to develop when the other side is hammering you with negative attacks that appear to be resonating.

Substance, not horse race numbers, rule the day in the long run.

Regarding this particular poll, the methodology has not changed from two weeks ago, so the numbers do show significant movement towards McCain. That's nothing to sneeze at.

If you believe in your candidate, please volunteer some time before the election if you haven't already done so. Don't regard the election as in the bag.

It seems a bit excessive to assume that everyone who says they will vote will vote.

At the same time, it would be excessive to assume that people will not vote just because they never have.

I would suggest something in the middle, although it's not clear there's a principled way to do that.